Roman Forum and Palatine

Tickets and tours: all the options

The Forum and the Palatine form one archaeological park with the Colosseum and share its tickets. The standard ticket gives one entry to the Colosseum and one to the Forum and Palatine within 24 hours, timed for the Colosseum; a special ticket adds sites on the Palatine and in the Forum that open only on certain days, such as the painted rooms of the House of Augustus and the church of Santa Maria Antiqua. Tickets carry the visitor's name and are checked against an identity document.

On GetYourGuide the Forum is usually sold as part of a longer visit. The commonest format is a guided walk of about three hours in a small group that starts at the Colosseum and continues through the Forum and up the Palatine; some versions add the arena floor or the underground of the Colosseum. Shorter guided walks of the Forum and Palatine alone, private guides, family tours and audio-guide tickets are also sold, and some evening walks only skirt the outside. A guide matters more here than at the Colosseum, because the ruins are scattered and poorly labelled.

For a first visit, the sensible choice is a guided walk covering the Forum and the Palatine together, or the standard ticket with a good audio guide.

A short history

The Forum began as a marshy valley used for burials, drained in the 7th century BC by the great sewer later called the Cloaca Maxima. It became the political, religious and commercial heart of the city under the kings and the Republic, and emperors filled it with temples, basilicas and triumphal arches; the Palatine above became the site of their palaces, giving the word palace its name. After the fall of the western empire, churches occupied some buildings, earthquakes and stone robbers took the rest, and the buried valley became a cow pasture. Excavation began in earnest in the early 19th century and continues. The area is part of the Historic Centre of Rome, on the UNESCO list since 1980.

Getting there

The archaeological park lies between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia in central Rome. Metro line B to Colosseo is the easiest approach; from the station it is a 5-minute walk to the gate on Via Sacra, below the Arch of Titus. A second entrance is on Via dei Fori Imperiali at Largo della Salara Vecchia, a 10-minute walk from Piazza Venezia, and a third on Via di San Gregorio leads straight up to the Palatine. Buses 75, 85, 87 and the tram 8 stop nearby. From Fiumicino, take the Leonardo Express to Termini, about 32 minutes, and the metro two stops. Do not drive into the centre.

Rules and what to bring

Do not climb on the ruins, sit on the marble fragments or pick up stones, and keep out of fenced excavations. Drones are banned, and large bags and glass bottles are refused at security. Bring the identity document named on your ticket. There is almost no shade in the Forum, so carry a hat and water; the public fountains inside give cold drinking water. Toilets are near the main entrances and on the Palatine, but there is no cafe.

When to go

The Forum is busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon, when groups move on from their Colosseum slots. Opening at 9 am and the two hours before closing are calmer, and late afternoon light on the Palatine gives the best views over the ruins. Entering via the Via dei Fori Imperiali or San Gregorio gates often avoids the longest security lines.

March to May and October to November are the best months, though Easter week is very crowded. In July and August the sunken valley traps heat and temperatures often pass 35 degrees, so start at opening and climb to the shadier Palatine gardens. The first Sunday of the month is free and very busy. Some special sites on the Palatine open only on certain days, so check before you go. Allow two to three hours for both areas, or half a day with the Colosseum.