Do you need to know where to buy Roman Forum tickets? It’s actually much easier than you’d imagine. I have been there more times than I can remember and tried all sorts of booking methods, and I am happy to share my knowledge.
Traveling to Rome soon? You can buy your tickets to the Roman Forum online. Here are the best options:
Now, if you are wondering how I can get tickets to the Roman Forum? Simply continue reading. In this post, I will share the most useful information to help you plan your visit and make the most of it.
Where To Buy Roman Forum Tickets
Buy Roman Forum tickets at the gate
Some readers have asked me “can you buy Roman Forum tickets at the gate?” The simple answer is yes! In fact, this is my recommended method unless you also want to visit the Colosseum (in which case, you really need to get tickets online).
You can actually buy tickets to the Roman Forum at the door. This is how I got my tickets last time I was in Rome. I was simply walking along Via dei Fori Imperiali, thought I would like to go in, found the Roman Forum ticket office, and got in.
Roman Forum tickets are the same that – in theory (and more about this below) – you will be using to access the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. That’s right: one ticket, three incredible attractions – and for a very convenient price.
Ticket counters are found at the various Roman Forum entrance and Palatine Hill. Here they are:
- Largo della Salara Vecchia
- Via Foro Romano
- Colonna Traiana in Via dei Fori Imperiali (that’s the Roman Forum entrance I used the last time I visited).
The price of tickets bought at the door is as follows:
ADULTS – €16 for adults and €4 for
EU CITIZENS BETWEEN 18-25 YEARS OF AGE – €4;
CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES – Free.
Tickets to the Roman Forum are the same that allow you to access the Colosseum. However, while you can get tickets to the Colosseum and then visit the Roman Forum whenever you wish within the next 24 hours, you can’t do the opposite, because access to the Colosseum is subjected to a very strict time slot system, and availability is extremely limited.
So, I only recommend this way of getting Colosseum and Roman Forum tickets if you don’t wish to visit the Colosseum.
Use the Roman Forum tickets official site
This is the Roman Forum tickets official site – in addition to that, you can also use the app MyColosseum. It is the most budget-friendly way of getting tickets.
This is the same site you can use to get tickets to other historic sites in the Italian Capital and throughout Italy. A single ticket purchased through the site is valid for 24 hours from when it is first used.
Tickets on the official website are available 30 days before your date of visit.
Your ticket will include:
- One entrance to the Colosseum at a specific time-slot that you have to select when you purchase the ticket;
- Open admission to the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Imperial Forum;
- Admissions to exhibitions currently ongoing.
You can check ticket availability and choose a time slot for the Colosseum on the Roman Forum tickets official site – it’s pretty easy to use. You can also call +390639967700 to check availability.
Tickets bought on the Roman Forum tickets official site are priced as follows:
ADULTS – €18;
PEOPLE BETWEEN 18 AND 25 YEARS OLD – €4
CHILDREN UP TO 18, DISABLED VISITORS AND, ONE PERSON ACCOMPANYING THEM – Free.
If you have a Roma Pass (more about that in a bit), you’ll still have to reserve your time-slot for the Colosseum – the booking fee is €2.
Tickets purchased on the official site cannot be rescheduled once your time slot for the Colosseum is booked. You also won’t be able to get a refund in case you cancel. So make 100% sure that you’re booking the Colosseum and the Roman Forum for the day you want to go.
You should also note that you cannot collect your tickets at the desks of any of the sites included in the ticket. Your ticket has to be printed off in advance or you can use a mobile ticket.
If you are traveling with children you still need to make sure they have secured a time slot at the Colosseum; this also needs to be printed off in advance (or use a mobile ticket).
Get Roman Forum tickets on third-party sites
If you want straightforward skip-the-line tickets, this is the best overall option, but it comes at an extra cost as these tickets are usually more expensive than those sold on the official site. On the other hand, these tickets are refundable as long as you cancel 3 days prior to your visit.
There are several different third-party sites that you can use to purchase tickets for the Roman Forum. They are easy to use and usually have excellent customer service and are often your best bet if you are trying to purchase tickets at the very last minute.
Examples of third-party booking sites include Tiqets, GetYourGuide and Viator. I normally prefer GetYourGuide, but that’s just a personal preference.
You can get Roman Forum and Colosseum tickets on GetYourGuide. These tickets include a visit of the Arena and Underground at the Colosseum. After you visit the Colosseum (for which you will need to book a time slot directly on the reseller site), you will have 48 hours to explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. It’s a refundable ticket as long as you cancel 24 hours before the activity.
Go on a guided tour of the Roman Forum
Of all the online booking options, this is the one I recommend the most and I think it is good value for money.
A guided tour of the Roman Forum allows a more in-depth. There are several different tours that you could opt for. The cheapest is a self-guided audio tour, which is around €6 per person in addition to the ticket.
The plus point of the audio guide is that it comes in various different languages. The con is that it’s not an actual guide, you can’t ask questions and it can be quite generic, not offering as much information as a knowledgeable guide would.
Viator sells audio-guided tours of the Roman Forum.
Taking a guided tour with a live guide will bring the Roman Forum to life. The guide will help to explain the detailed history of the site, helping to enrich your experience.
Tours range in prices, depending on the company or individual guide, but typically start at €30 depending on what they include. They can be individual / private or in groups – each one with its own set of pluses and minuses.
If you are visiting in the peak season, book your tour well in advance as they sell out pretty quickly.
Here are some recommendations for good guided tours:
My personal recommendation is this guided tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill that also goes to the Colosseum Arena and Underground. It’s run by local company Touriks, and the guides are excellent. It’s a very in-depth tour that lasts more than 4 hours.
Alternatively, there’s this excellent comprehensive walking tour of Rome that goes to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill run by Walks of Italy, which exclusively uses local guides.
This most budget-friendly tour of the Roman Forum – it is perfect if you have already visited the Colosseum and already have your tickets.
Another option I think you could consider for a more personalized experience is this private tour where you will be able to go at your own pace (within the guide’s recommendations).
Get the Roma Pass
The Roma Pass is a fantastic option if you want to tick out many places off your Rome bucket list.
There are different passes that you could opt for and in most cases, you will have to go to the Roman Forum tickets official site to select a time-slot for your visit (and pay the €2 booking fee) for the various attractions included in the pass.
Here are the best options:
ROME TOURIST CARD – The most expensive option but the best overall. It gives you access to five attractions and upon getting the pass you can also easily select the time-slot of your visit directly on the site, without having to jump from one site to the other. Contrary to all other pass options, it includes the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums, and in addition you can opt for a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica or admission to Castel Sant’Angelo or Borghese Gallery.
ROMA PASS 48 HOURS – it gives you access to a long list of historical sights, museums and monuments in Rome including the Roman Forum, Mausoleo di Augusto and the Capitoline Museums within 48 hours. It also includes a public transportation pass. It doesn’t include the Vatican.
ROMA PASS 72 HOURS – It’s similar to the one above, but you have 72 hours to visit the sites. Again, the Vatican is not included.
Q&A About Visiting The Roman Forum
Roman Forum tickets price
The Roman Forum tickets price (as bought at the gate) is as follows:
Full price: €16
European citizens between 18-25: €4
Children; those with disabilities; visiting on the first Sunday of each month: free.
There is an additional €2 fee for online bookings, which are mandatory if you also wish to visit the Colosseum.
Roman Forum opening hours
From 27th March to 31st August, the Roman Forum is open daily from 9:00 am to 7:15 pm. Last admission is one hour before closing.
For the rest of the year, it is open every day from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm. Again, the last admission is an hour before closing. Note that the site is closed on the 25th December and the 1st January.
Accessibility of the Roman Forum
Access to the Roman Forum has improved in recent years, with new pathways and installations providing increased access to wheelchair users and people with limited mobility.
Having said that, the Roman Forum is not fully accessible. You can book a specialist tour for those with disabilities that provides better access to the sights within the Forum.
There is a barrier free walkway with a smooth surface that starts at Via Sacra and passes by a string of the Forum’s top sights, including the Temple of Romulus, the Temple of Vesta, and the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina.
Toilets and other facilities at the Roman Forum
You will find several toilets marked with “WC” signage throughout the site – most of them by the Roman Forum entrance.
Drinking fountains called nasoni are located within the Roman Forum, so make sure to bring your own bottle to refill, especially if you are visiting on a hot day!
How to get to the Roman Forum
There are 5 gates you can use to access the Roman Forum:
Arch of Titus – used both as an entrance and exit
Largo della Salaria Vecchia – used as an entrance, exit, as well as a ticket booth
Via Foro Romano – used as an entrance, exit, as well as a ticket booth, it’s close to Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio)
Arch of Septimius Severus – used as an entrance only, it is near the Mamertine Prisone
Trajan’s Forum – used as an entrance, exit, as well as a ticket booth
You can also exit the site from the Basilica of Maxentius.
The nearest metro station to the Roman Forum is Colosseo (Metro Line B).
Buses will stop at the Fori Imperiali bus stop. Bus routes include 75, 81, 673, 175, 204. Tram Line 3 also stops here.
Is The Roman Forum Worth Visiting?
I can never believe that people ask me “is the Roman Forum worth visiting?” because really, this is one of my favorite sites in Rome! And yes, it is worth visiting.
The Roman Forum is one of Rome’s many ancient marvels. Located between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, at its peak it was an important center of life in ancient Rome.
It was the site of public gatherings, combat, trials and elections, and was home to grand temples and monuments – the ruins of which can still be seen to this day.
There is no other way to put it: this is a site you must absolutely visit, especially if it is your first time in Rome.
Perhaps sharing a bit of its history will help you appreciate it more.
The Roman Forum was the center of ancient Rome’s government, and became the political and commercial heart of Rome around 500 BC at the time of the founding of the Roman Republic. Here you’d find administrative and government buildings, but it was also the center of commerce in Rome and a place for public speeches.
During the Roman Republic (509-29 BC), the Roman Forum expanded massively. Additions included arches, statues, and basilicas alongside other buildings which were intended to be gathering places for various purposes.
More additions took place during the Roman Empire, with the last major expansion taking place in 312 AD during the reign of Emperor Constantine. Sadly, many of the most ancient of the buildings at the site were destroyed in 410 during the sack of the city by the invading Visigoths.
During the Middle Ages, the Forum fell into disrepair. Known then as Campo Vaccino (literally “Cattle Field”), it was used for grazing livestock.
In 1803 archaeologist Carlo Fea excavated the site, thus rediscovering the Roman Forum. However, most of the excavations took place in the early 20th century, and continue to date.
The most notable landmarks at the Roman Forum include:
TEMPLE OF SATURN – Built around 498 BC, it’s one of the Roman Forum’s earliest religious buildings. It had a dual function as a treasury, as the deity Saturn was associated with agriculture and therefore prosperity. Money was managed and stored here, almost like an early bank.
CURIA – The Senate House was the place for political meetings and various governmental events. In the 7th century AD, it was converted into a church, and today it is one of the most intact buildings in the Forum thanks to restoration work through the centuries.
VIA SACRA – The Roman Forum’s main thoroughfare connected up the main sites in the area, stretching all the way to the Colosseum from the Capitoline Hill. During the reign of Emperor Nero (37-68 AD) it was paved and had colonnades added on either side.
ARCH OF TITUS – One of the nicest arches in Rome, it was built in 81 AD by Emperor Domitian, it was intended to honor his brother, the former Emperor Titus, and his victory during the Siege of Jerusalem (70 AD).
TEMPLE OF CASTOR AND POLLUX – Dedicated to the twin-brother demigods, Castor and Pollux, this temple was built in 484 BC to commemorate the victory of the Battle of Lake Regillus in 495 BC.
ROSTRA – This was the place in the Roman Forum where people could give speeches. It was decorated with the remains of ships taken as trophies from the Battle of Antium in 338 BC.
TEMPLE OF VESTA – The 7th-century building, complete with the surrounding House of the Vestal Virgins, features a circular structure that remains to this day. Worship of the goddess Vesta – deity of the hearth, home, and family – usually took place in everyday Roman homes.
Further Readings
These other posts may be useful when planning your trip to Rome:
- The Most Important Landmarks In Rome
- The Best Rome Travel Tips
- The Best Itinerary To See Rome In 3 Days
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