Best of · ITALY HISTORY TOURS

Italy History Tours: Our Top 15

100 tours  ·  from $14 a head

Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 italy history tours justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get on with the rest of it.

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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Rome: Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Guided Tour - Entering the Colosseum by the arena floor
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Rome: Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Guided Tour

5.Rome: Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5,598 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60

Enter the Colosseum by its arena floor, then walk through Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum with a professional guide such as Paola, Francesca, Hillary, or Laura. Expect headsets, uneven ground, strict ID checks, and no access to the underground or third level.

“We had a really great time! Our tour guide- Laura Antonucci was knowledgeable and funny! It’s a good amount of walking but well worth it!”

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Venice: St. Mark's Basilica Guided Tour & VR History Intro - Finding the meeting point without losing your morning
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Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica Guided Tour & VR History Intro

6.Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica Guided Tour & VR History Intro

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 4,880 reviews · 45 minutes - 2 hours · from $26

Begin with a VR tour of St. Mark’s Square, then enter St. Mark’s Basilica with a guide such as Francesco, Elena, or Valentina. See its golden mosaics and marble floors, and use the pass for Torcello Cathedral and Santa Maria della Salute. Allow extra time for ticket pickup and security.

“Hard to find the office where to pick up the tickets. As it was expected because after all it’s Venice. Make sure to arrive early so you have enough time to get lost in the maze. We had a great time tho. Grazie mille!”

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Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour - The Roman Forum, ancient Rome’s public center
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Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour

7.Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,526 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $36

Enter the Colosseum through the Gladiator’s entrance, walk onto the Arena floor, then explore Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Choose a live English guide or an audio guide. Guides such as Paola, Massimo, Tanya, and Andrei have earned praise for lively, clear storytelling.

“The time you book is only the time to meet the ticket broker. Our timed entry to the colosseum was two hours and 15 minutes later. This was not explained when we looked at booking nor was it explained after we booked. We only learned of the later entry time when we picked up the tickets. There was no flexibility at all regarding entry time. As a result we could not enter the colosseum as we had to be back at the bus to go back to our ship. We had given ourselves plenty of time to see everything including the Forum and Palatine Hill if we could have entered…”

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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

8.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

9.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

10.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

11.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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Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti Wines Day Tour from Florence - Monteriggioni: a quick taste of medieval Tuscany
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Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti Wines Day Tour from Florence

12.Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti Wines Day Tour from Florence

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,542 reviews · 10 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $78

Spend a long, scenic day visiting Monteriggioni, Siena, and San Gimignano from Florence. You’ll see Piazza del Campo and Siena Cathedral, enjoy free time in two medieval towns, and taste two or three Chianti wines with regional snacks. Guides such as Alex, Gabrielle, and Jacopo are often praised for clear organization.

“A well organised, enjoyable but long day trip. We left the meeting point at about 8.50 and arrived back 19.40 due to traffic. Montereggioni was very small but great to be able to look around and grab a coffee. We only had 45min there so would've loved to have longer, but still didn't feel rushed. Short walk from the carpark but up quite a hill. Siena was lovely to walk around. We did the walking tour, which was interesting but skipping it for extra free time would've been equally good. We didn't do the restaurant option offered by the tour which gave us more flexibility in using our time and…”

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Venice's Best: Basilica, Doge's Palace, Gondola & History Gallery - St. Mark’s Basilica: gold mosaics and strict entry rules
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Venice’s Best: Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Gondola & History Gallery

13.Venice’s Best: Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Gondola & History Gallery

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,478 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $129

Spend about three and a half hours around St. Mark’s Square with an English-speaking guide, visiting St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace before a shared gondola ride. Guides such as Lucia, Valentina, Giada, and Alexander have led memorable outings, while the included Venice history VR gallery adds a modern touch.

“Our guide for the Doge Palace was so great! She knew her history and really made it come to life. Her knowledge of art was outstanding. When we were finished we did not end where we started so we were left to find our way out through the prison and rush to the gondola ride. The gondola ride was ho-hum. Got on in a long queue followed the gondola in front of us in a big circle and then got out. Done!”

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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

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

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

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

15.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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New in Italy History Tours

★ 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
★ 5.0Naples Walking tour of the Historical CenterFrom $12075 reviews
★ 5.0360 ° Naples. THE historic center of the city85 reviews
★ 4.8Naples: Historic Center and Sansevero Chapel Walking TourFrom $55208 reviews
★ 5.0Naples: Historic Center Tour & Veiled Christ Entry TicketsFrom $7097 reviews
★ 4.5Roman countryside Food & Wine Tasting in a medieval wineryFrom $115220 reviews
★ 4.0Renaissance & Medieval Florence Guided Walking Tour plus mobile AppFrom $30140 reviews
★ 5.0Discover the Medieval Charm of Siena on a Private Walking TourFrom $187247 reviews

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