Colosseum tours

Are other people experiencing this?

The Underground tours of the Colosseum - for some inexplicable reason, IMHO - are THE most in-demand ticket in Rome. They sell out in minutes when they come up as available on the Colosseum's own ticketing site. Yes, the indy tour companies have plenty of trouble getting hands on tickets too, and essentially sell their tours before they have them. When they fail to do so, there goes the tour. Some reputable companies have even quit selling them altogether.

First off, I wouldn't have booked through Viator: they're a 3rd party aggregator and do not operate tours themselves. The actual company that would have operated yours would have been listed somewhere on page for the tour description. Whatever company it was either didn't get hoped-for tickets or I guess it's possible that Parco archeologico del Colosseo has taken them off the approved vendor list.

You may have better luck booking directly through one of the reputable indy companies instead of through a 3rd party, although even the better of them who still market these tours tend to include disclaimers regarding bookings. Here are a few, for example:

The Roman Guy:
"Can my tour be canceled or moved to a different day?
Yes, it is possible. Colosseum Underground tours are very exclusive and are subject to changes, but we’re experts in this field and have staff dedicated to ensuring the best possible customer experience. If we are unable to acquire tickets on your behalf, we will let you know at least 14 days before your tour date, in which case we'll add you to a comparable tour or offer a full refund."

"Is it possible The Tour Guy will change this tour time?
Yes, it is very likely to happen due to the exclusive nature of this tour. We recommend you keep your entire day open to accommodate your new tour time. Be sure to monitor your email as we will contact you at least 14 days before the tour with any new start time."

Through Eternity:
"If we are unable to secure tickets to the dungeons (underground), the tour will run with entrance to the arena floor included (as well as the Forum and Palatine) but not the underground.."

You could also try through the official Colosseum's ticket seller - https://ticketing.colosseo.it/en/ - although again, these particular tickets are so difficult to land that I wouldn't personally put in the effort. You can see down into large uncovered sections from points above so while I've not done the lower part on either of my 2 previous visits, I honestly don't feel like I missed all that much. What I DO recommend is a combo tour that includes not just the Colosseum but the Forum and Palatine Hill as well as the other two sites are more complex. These tours don't usually include the underground, and the official website doesn't offer a combo tour but a number of reputable indy companies do.

This is the problem with third party resellers like Viator
Underground tours are almost impossible to get so they likely sold you a tour/ticket that they really didn’t have

You can try booking on the official Colosseum website-not sure of the time frame for those tickets sales-maybe 30 days in advance-probably sold out

https://ticketing.colosseo.it/en/

Other actual tour companies to try
Walks of Italy
Tour Guy
Through Eternity

ETA-what Kate said, we were posting at same time ;)

Just to note, Walks of Italy no long sells Colosseum Underground Tours. As far as I can tell, It was that issue with not being able to land tickets!

This is the problem with third party resellers like Viator

People on this forum love to hate on aggregators like Viator. But here's the thing: if you had booked directly with the provider, you'd be in exactly the same predicament. Viator actually offers some protection because they do vet the companies that use their platform. In this case, they obviously didn't vet carefully enough. But booking directly offers you no better protection.

I bet many travelers on this site have used Viator or similar aggregators to book tours and have had good experiences more often than bad ones. For small providers, aggregators offer the ability to handle booking so they don't have to set up eCommerce platforms on their own websites. I've frequently contacted a tour provider directly and they've asked me to book on Viator or GetYourGuide.

None of this is any help to you, though, lhguttot. So I'll offer you advice that comes not from me, but from Rick Steves:

Skip the Colosseum: While it sounds like a sacrilege, a visit to the interior of the Colosseum may not be worth suffering through the mob scene. Half the thrill of the Colosseum is seeing it from outside (free and easy at any time).

When I went to Rome 2 years ago, I asked about this on this forum, and everyone said seeing the inside was a must. So I ignored Rick's advice and did a tour inside. Considering how many extraordinary sights there are to see in Rome, I would not rank the Colosseum tour near the top of my "Best of Rome" list. So if you don't find another viable option, I wouldn't sweat it.

Roman vacations was the tour provider I used last month. Extremely pleased.

Sounds like Viator may have saved your investment with a lousy tour company.

I used Viator for a couple of tours in Rome a few weeks ago. I have a few acquaintances who only have their tourism business because of the start that Viator offered them.

No regrets on my recent selections. Both were worth the effort; one was the Colosseum, the other the Vatican. I liked the automated follow ups with directions and reminders and names and phone numbers. Took some stress out of things. Both were as advertised and sufficient for the purpose.

Just being in Rome again after about 15 years surprised me as to how crowded it has become. So, it was not worse inside the Colosseum than it was outside the Colosseum.

But you will have a blast.

No "love to hate" from me about anything, and I personally dislike the overuse of that particular word in all sorts of discourse these days. I also have, and do, make use of a 3rd party - Booking.com - often for accommodations. Given the many booking issues with this particular attraction, and specifically underground tours through non- ticketing,colosso channels, I wouldn't have used one of them OR have researched reviews of the actual tour provider listed in the description.

But booking directly offers you no better protection.

I said that they "may have better luck" booking directly. Again, this particular attraction has experienced an unusually high number of reported cancellation of tours of the underground. In the interest of greater transparency, some of the more reputable tour companies that carry this particular tour also include disclaimers against that possibility in their online descriptions, some of which I'd provided. I won't swear to it as I don't know exactly what Viator product the OP booked but I'm guessing a similar type of disclaimer wasn't part of the description?

The only way I'm aware of landing a tour of the underground with a nearly 100% chance of it actually happening is to book with https://ticketing.colosseo.it/en/. That's going to be difficult for the OP and especially so at this late date although, as I'd suggested, they could try.

Glad you enjoyed your visit to the Colosseum, Mr. E. Was it a tour, and did it include the underground?

Roman vacations was the tour provider I used last month. Extremely
pleased.

Good to know, Carol! Here's their tour which includes the underground, and it includes the Forum and Palatine as well! Doesn't look like there's online availability for June 12 so call to book.

https://www.roman-vacations.com/colosseum-underground-and-dungeons