The stunning ruins of the Roman Forum that you can still find in the Eternal City indicate the presence of what was once a significant historical and cultural public space for the ancient Romans.
The forum was a bustling social hub, which encompassed religious sites, commercial markets for artisans and merchants to sell their goods, administrative buildings and areas designed for public gatherings and speeches.
The purpose of this article is to guide visitors through planning their trip to the Roman Forum.
Is the Roman Forum free to enter?
There is an entrance fee to pay in order to access the Roman Forum.
These tickets are always combined with entry to the Colosseum and Palatine Hill.
How much to get into the Roman Forum?
A single entry combined ticket to the Roman Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill varies depending on which demographic you fit into.
A standard ticket for visitors is €18.
For EU citizens in the age bracket of 18-25, the ticket is €2.
For EU citizens under 18 the entrance is free.
There are also other groups who can get free entry into these sites, such as senior citizens and students and teachers for specific subjects.
There are also other tickets available apart from the standard entry, such as skip-the-line tickets offered by tour operators. These have varying prices.
Entrance to the Roman Forum is free on the first Sunday of every month. Sometimes there are special events organized that may also offer free entry.
Is the Roman Forum near the Colosseum?
The Roman Forum is a 5-10 minute walk away from the Colosseum. It lies along one of the sides of the Colosseum, along the road via dei Fori Imperiali. On your way to the Colosseum from Piazza Venezia the Roman Forum will be on the right side of this road.
Entrance to the Roman Forum
How do you enter the Roman Forum?
The first step is to purchase your tickets. This can either be done online or on-site, although for the latter there is a chance of the site running out of tickets. You can also buy tickets online through tour operators like Walks Inside Rome if you would rather experience a special guided tour.
On the day you should make your way to one of the Roman Forum’s entrances.
Which entrance is the best for the Roman Forum?
There are several entrances for the Roman Forum:
- Near the Arch of Titus on via dei Fori Imperiali
- Near the Palatine Hill on via dei San Gregorio
- The Capitoline Hill entrance, for which you walk down to descend into the Roman Forum.
Some entrances are more wheelchair friendly such as the one from Fori Imperiali. There is free entry given to anyone accompanying a person with disability.
So the best entrance to the Roman Forum depends on what your physical needs are, what route is closest to you and what you would like to see along the way.
Roman Forum hours
The Roman Forum hours depend on sunset times through the different seasons. It opens for the public at 8: 30 every morning and closes an hour before sunset.
On Christmas and New Years the Roman Forum is closed.
What is the best time to visit the Roman Forum?
The site becomes very busy during the peak summer months regardless of the heat. It also becomes quite crowded on the free entrance Sundays.
Planning your visit during the weekdays is a much better bet. Weather-wise, fall is the most beautiful time of the year to visit the Roman Forum. The sunsets are usually more beautiful, cascading their colors down onto the ruins, and the temperatures are very pleasant.
Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill entry tickets
As mentioned before, the combined tickets to the Roman Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill can either be bought online or through tour operators.
To streamline your visit we recommend booking your tickets well in advance as tickets end up running out quickly!
There are many advantages to being able to enter multiple sites through a single ticket:
- You can make a day out of your explorations and cover more ground. This is especially helpful if you have less time to spend in Rome. With all the sites being geographically close, this makes for a wonderful opportunity to explore historic Rome as the walkable city it is!
- The histories and aesthetics of the Roman Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill match. You can get a complete picture of the ancient empire- its birthplace, its entertainment sphere and its commercial and community offerings. It’s the most immersive experience to land you back in time!
- Since the two other sites are already included in the Roman Forum ticket you will be saving money by covering them all together.
Roman Forum tour
Walks Inside Rome provides some exceptionally tailored tour experiences that include tickets to the Roman Forum.
You can opt for a classic tour which starts with covering the Colosseum and perhaps a niche area of it such as the arena floor or the underground, and then moves onto venturing into the Roman Forum, with an expert guide with you along every step of the way.
If you would like to cover even more ground you can choose an extended tour that covers Rome in a day. In this tour we include visits to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, but we also take you to the other side of the river to explore the Vatican Museums and gaze at the pristine Sistine Chapel.
