Best of · ANCIENT HISTORY TOURS IN ITALY

The 15 Best Ancient History Tours in Italy

48 tours  ·  from $28 a head

Good ancient history tours in Italy fill up weeks ahead and the best ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and where they differ.

Pompeii: Entry Ticket and Guided Tour with an Archaeologist - Starting at the Marina Gate
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Pompeii: Entry Ticket and Guided Tour with an Archaeologist

1.Pompeii: Entry Ticket and Guided Tour with an Archaeologist

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 19,459 reviews · 2 hours · from $35Our pick

Spend two hours in Pompeii with an archaeologist and a group of up to 20 people. Visit the Forum, House of the Faun, Lupanar, House of Menander, baths, and Macellum. Guides such as Teresa, Anna, Alfredo, and Raffaella are praised for clear stories, humor, and practical advice for exploring farther.

“We had a great tour of Pompeii. Our guide Teresa was very knowledgeable, passionate about Pompeii and also very personable. We were able to skip the long lines and she had additional suggestions if we wanted to see more of Pompeii. Wear good comfortable shoes as the paths are quite uneven. and you may have to climb up a couple of steps.”

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Colosseum: Underground and Ancient Rome Tour - Starting at the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
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Colosseum: Underground and Ancient Rome Tour

2.Colosseum: Underground and Ancient Rome Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 12,691 reviews · 3 hours · from $160

Spend three hours with licensed guides such as Carmelo, Teddy, Maya, or Enza exploring the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Colosseum arena, underground chambers, and upper levels. Expect lots of walking, headsets, restricted underground access, and strong historical storytelling.

“our guide did a fantastic job! we are so glad we did the tour. if you are on the fence, do it! you will get so much more out of the experience!!”

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Pompeii: Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist - Entering through Porta Marina Superiore
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Pompeii: Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist

3.Pompeii: Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 12,264 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $40

Walk Pompeii with an archaeologist such as Roxanne, Paolo, Nicoletta, or Teresa, learning how homes, shops, theaters, baths, and graffiti reveal Roman life. Choose a two-hour introduction or three hours with the Villa of the Mysteries, then stay inside the site and keep exploring on your own.

“My tour guide Paulo (Pablo) was amazing! I loved how he talked about Pompeii and you can see his passion and interest of Pompeii in his words. I wished we had more time to walk everywhere and listen to him talk about it more. If I come again, I would love to have him as my guide again. Thank you Paulo. 😁”

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Pompeii: Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist - Entering through Porta Marina Superiore
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Pompeii Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist

4.Pompeii Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6,593 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $35Top rated

Meet an archaeologist at Porta Marina Superiore for a two-hour small-group tour of Pompeii. You’ll see the Basilica, Forum, plaster casts, House of Menander, Stabian Baths, Lupanar, House of the Faun, and theaters. Guides such as Alessandra, Paolo, Teresa, and Vincenzo bring the ruins to life.

“Teresa did a wonderful job with our tour. She was passionate and shared her love and knowledge for Pompeii with us. She was clear storyteller and made Pompeii come alive. She was thoughtful about pacing and capability of everyone and made sure people get a chance to learn about this fascinating world. Thank you for making our experience memorable!”

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Herculaneum: Skip-the-Line Guided Tour with Archaeologist - Meeting at the Herculaneum ticket office
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Herculaneum: Skip-the-Line Guided Tour with Archaeologist

5.Herculaneum: Skip-the-Line Guided Tour with Archaeologist

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,439 reviews · 2 hours · from $53

Meet your Askos Tours guide at Herculaneum’s ticket office for a two-hour archaeologist-led walk. Guides such as Luciano, Diego, Teresa, and Angelo bring the buried port town to life with clear explanations, visual aids, and comparisons with Pompeii. Admission and headsets are included.

“Our guide was Luciano, and he was very enthusiastic about archeology and Herculaneum. One can only wish that everyone is as passionate as he is about their job. Overall a great guide!”

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Colosseum & Ancient Rome with Arena Floor Option I Max 6 People - Entering the Colosseum through the gladiator route
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Colosseum & Ancient Rome with Arena Floor Option I Max 6 People

6.Colosseum & Ancient Rome with Arena Floor Option I Max 6 People

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,306 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $180

Join a guide such as Dennis, Caterina, or Fabio for a three-hour tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Groups are capped at six, with an optional Arena Floor and Gladiator’s Gate visit. Expect history, stairs, outdoor walking, and a fast look at ancient Rome’s greatest sites.

“our guide a was fantastic. he was knowledgleable and asnswered every question thoroughly. he also le us set the pace.”

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Rome: Colosseum, Ancient Rome Tour or AudioGuided Tour - Meeting near Piazza di San Clemente
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Rome: Colosseum, Ancient Rome Tour or AudioGuided Tour

7.Rome: Colosseum, Ancient Rome Tour or AudioGuided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2,879 reviews · 2h 30m · from $54

Choose an English-led Colosseum visit with guides such as Fabrizio or Fleur, or explore with a smartphone audio guide in seven languages. Your timed ticket covers the Colosseum’s first and second tiers, plus the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill for 24 hours.

“Very informative guide given enough time to look around, our guide was amazing!”

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Colosseum Underground & Ancient Rome Guided Tour - Choosing underground access or arena-only entry
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Colosseum Underground & Ancient Rome Guided Tour

8.Colosseum Underground & Ancient Rome Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,590 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $74

Join an English-speaking guide such as Carmelo, Soloman, or Mirta for a three-hour visit to the Colosseum arena and underground, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Choose underground access or an arena-only option, use provided headsets, and finish with views over ancient Rome.

“Definitely worth booking!! With this tour you get so much history of the Roman Forum, the Coliseum inclunding the underground with a walking tour through it! It is a absolute must while visiting Rome!”

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Taormina: Ancient Theater Skip-the-Line Ticket & Audio Guide - Getting through the entrance without losing time
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Taormina: Ancient Theater Skip-the-Line Ticket & Audio Guide

9.Taormina: Ancient Theater Skip-the-Line Ticket & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,412 reviews · 1 day · from $28Best value

Visit Taormina’s ancient Greek-Roman theater at your own pace with a one-day skip-the-line ticket and audio app in English, French, Spanish, or German. See the stage, arena, and views toward Mount Etna and Giardini Naxos. No live guide is included.

“Great experience definitely the skip the line and your own audio guide was a great experience. Skip all the chaos and do the tour at your own pace.”

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Pompeii: Archaeological Park Tour with Ticket on request - Meeting at the Circumvesuviana station
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Pompeii: Archaeological Park Tour with Ticket on request

10.Pompeii: Archaeological Park Tour with Ticket on request

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,283 reviews · from $31

Walk Pompeii’s ancient streets with an English- or Italian-speaking archaeologist. In two hours, see the amphitheater, theaters, gymnasium, homes, frescoes, and casts left by the eruption of Vesuvius. Guides such as Lara, Emiliana, Eraldo, and Maria are praised for clear, lively explanations.

“Really interesting and guide was very lovely and informative with a pleasant manner and voice”

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Discover the Ancient Ruins of Pompeii: Day Trip from Rome - What you actually see inside Pompeii
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Discover the Ancient Ruins of Pompeii: Day Trip from Rome

11.Discover the Ancient Ruins of Pompeii: Day Trip from Rome

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 2,247 reviews · 13 hours (approx.)

Travel from Rome to Pompeii by air-conditioned coach, stop for lunch at a local Italian restaurant, and tour the UNESCO-listed ruins with a local guide. Expect about two hours inside Pompeii, multilingual commentary, and a 7:15 am start near Rome Termini.

“The tour was not good , we went to Naples never left the bus, just drove around and then picked up another guide who was so anoying, we were taken to a Cameo Carving store , wasted one hour here. The restaurant for lunch was not good, a lot of people left the plates full since it was not good, when we finally got to Pompeii the guide wouldnt shut up, as soon as we went in the side I left the tour, I had been here before so I took my Grandson with me and walked were ever we wanted. This was the most terrible tour I have ever…”

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Discover Matera, the ancient city - English tour - Seeing the Sassi as a home
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Discover Matera, the ancient city – English tour

12.Discover Matera, the ancient city – English tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,771 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $36

Walk through Matera’s Sasso Caveoso and part of Sasso Barisano with Renato, Sara, Domenico, or Gaetano. This small-group tour focuses on cave homes, water systems, local life, architecture, and Matera’s change from Italy’s shame to a UNESCO site, rather than a church-by-church visit.

“It was very informative. But many times TOO informative and repetitive. He kept repeating the same information over and over. Would liked to have heard less and seen more.”

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Pantheon Elite Guided Tour - Rome's Iconic Ancient Temple - The first 40 minutes inside the Pantheon
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Pantheon Elite Guided Tour – Rome’s Iconic Ancient Temple

13.Pantheon Elite Guided Tour – Rome’s Iconic Ancient Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,447 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $41

Spend about an hour exploring the Pantheon with a licensed English-speaking guide. Expect a 40-minute interior visit and a 15-minute look at the exterior, including the dome, oculus, columns, tombs, and the building’s shift from pagan temple to Christian basilica. Groups can reach 20 people.

“Amanda was an awesome guide. We loved the small tour and ability to engage and ask questions --- she really gave us great insights on the Pantheon. I'm so glad we didn't try to do this on our own - we would've missed so much!!!”

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Pompeii and Herculaneum Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist - Pompeii begins with public life
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Pompeii and Herculaneum Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist

14.Pompeii and Herculaneum Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,350 reviews · 6 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $77

Spend about two hours at Pompeii and two at Herculaneum with an archaeologist guide such as Michele, Diego, Michael, or Paulo. See forums, villas, baths, frescoes, plaster casts, and carbonized wood, with admission and transport included. Expect a full, fast-paced day.

“The tour guide was great and we were able to explore the most important areas of both sites, which are fascinating and sombering in equal measure. Pompeii is huge and we plan to return another time at our own pace. I have knocked off one star, as the tour package had to be altered from the original plan, at quite short notice. Instead of getting a lift from Sorrento as itemised, we needed to make our own way by train to Pompeii to meet the guide. I understand it is very low season and they probably didn't have enough people travelling from Sorrento to justify picking us up. They were…”

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Ancient Rome: Colosseum Underground Group Tour - Meeting near the Colosseo metro station
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Ancient Rome: Colosseum Underground Group Tour

15.Ancient Rome: Colosseum Underground Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,059 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $66

Enter the Colosseum’s underground chambers, follow the passages once used by gladiators, and stand on the arena floor with a guide. Your ticket also covers the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, which you explore independently. Groups can reach 24 people, and full passport names are required.

“I decided to book an underground tour about a week before our visit and this was the only tour I could find with availability. I would plan ahead and book directly with the attractions next time, but I had no issues and did appreciate getting some guidance about where to go from the tour organizer before we entered the colosseum for the actual tour.”

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New in Ancient History Tours in Italy

★ 5.0Colosseum & Ancient Rome for Kids Private Family TourFrom $296190 reviews
★ 5.0Colosseum & Ancient Rome Semi-Private TourFrom $133208 reviews
★ 5.0Pompeii Private Tour with an Archaeologist GuideFrom $178184 reviews
★ 4.5PompeiI Exclusive Tour with your Archaeologist in a Small GroupFrom $30363 reviews
★ 5.0Pompeii and Herculaneum Private Walking Tour with an Archaeologist77 reviews
★ 5.0Pompeii and Herculaneum led by an Archaeologist with private transportFrom $66678 reviews
★ 5.0Herculaneum Private Tour with an ArchaeologistFrom $178132 reviews
★ 4.9Pompeii: Private Tour with an Archaeologist168 reviews
★ 5.0Ancient Rome at Twilight Walking TourFrom $37276 reviews
★ 5.0Colosseum & Ancient Rome Guided Walking TourFrom $65332 reviews
★ 4.3From Naples: Ruins of PompeiiFrom $59204 reviews
★ 5.0Pompeii Private Tour with an Archaeologist and Skip The Line391 reviews
★ 4.5Ancient Rome Guided Walking Tour: Colosseum, Forum and PalatineFrom $71455 reviews
★ 4.9Pompeii: Skip-the-Line Tickets and Tour with ArchaeologistFrom $105467 reviews
★ 5.0Ancient Rome Guided Tour: Colosseum, Forum and PalatineFrom $71478 reviews

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