I'm looking at booking a Colosseum tour (along with the Palantine Hill and Forum), and I'm wondering whether I should choose the option that includes the Arena Floor access or not.
Does anyone have the experience to compare the two? Do you think the Arena Floor access is worthwhile? The price difference isn't a big deal, but I know access is limited.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15863 posts
It would help to know exactly what tour you are looking at? Link, please? If you're using the coopculture site, you don't want this option:
While I haven't done it, I would say that the arena floor is not a big enough deal to warrant extra cost. It wouldn't be for me, anyway.
Posted by
OP
245 posts
Why don't I want that CoopCulture option? Because it requires me to bring my own guide? That is a weird thing I noticed when I was looking at their site. I was hoping to find more information about the Arena floor on their site, but there wasn't.
Context Tours is my preferred tour company, and I'm considering this Colosseum tour for the end of October.
Posted by
81 posts
My family and I did a tour of the Colosseum in late June with The Roman Guy and we did do the arena floor and underground as part of our tour. (The tour also went to the Forum and Palatine Hill). I enjoyed seeing it but since most people don't see it - I would say it is totally up to you. I thought the underground area was very interesting. The floor was not has interesting to me but it was blazing hot and no shade there so that was probably a factor!
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15863 posts
Why don't I want that CoopCulture option? Because it requires me to
bring my own guide?
Right. And it doesn't allow you access to any other parts, like the underground, which are only accessible with a separate tour or one which includes ALL the parts.
The context tour would be fine - they're a good company with positive recos from posters who've used them - although the private tour is quite expensive. In any case, do read all the print stating that access to the arena floor is not guaranteed, and that the semi-private tour may not happen if fewer than 3 sign up for it. There's real value in the Forum/Palatine guidance, IMHO, as those two sections are the most complex and so benefit most from an archeologist's or historian's untangling.
About that disclaimer regarding the arena floor: 3rd party companies often market their tours before they've actually gotten hands on the necessary tickets so cancellations can occur with any of them, no matter how reputable they are.
Posted by
OP
245 posts
I've used Context Tours in Japan, and was very pleased. Although the groups do require a minimum of 2 or 3 people, they give you the option of buying the unsold ticket(s) if no one else signs up to join you......I did that once in Tokyo and ended up with a private tour for double the price of a group tour, but only a third the price of a private tour.