The Roman Forum in a nutshell
The Forum was the public center of ancient Rome: temples, law courts, a senate house, speakers' platforms and triumphal arches in one valley. Next to it rises the Palatine Hill, where Augustus chose his home and later emperors built their palaces. Today both are one archaeological site with one combined visit, entered from Largo della Salara Vecchia, the Arch of Titus or Via di San Gregorio.
This guide covers what you need to plan a visit: tickets, opening hours, tours, a route through the ruins, the Palatine, the temples, the arches, the Curia, the Imperial Forums, the history, the evening openings and the best time to go. It is an independent site. It is not run by the archaeological park, the city or any tour company. The Colosseum has its own page at Rome in One Day, and prices here carry the year 2026.
Our picks: Roman Forum tours
Forum and Palatine Hill with a guide or an audio app, with or without the Colosseum.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Forum and Palatine Hill with a licensed guide
Forum and Palatine Hill entry, a licensed guide and headsets are included. The Colosseum is not part of it.
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Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill with a licensed guide
Entry to the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill is included, plus a licensed guide and headsets. The arena or underground only comes with the matching option.
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Forum and Palatine Hill pass with an audio guide app
Entry covers the Forum, the Curia Iulia, the Palatine Hill and several special sites, with an audio guide app. There is no live guide and no Colosseum.
Check availability →Roman Forum tours and tickets
Guided visits of the Forum and the Palatine and combined entries with the Colosseum, with live prices and availability.
Plan your visit
Start with tickets and opening hours, then choose the pages for what you want to see.
Roman Forum tickets
The €18 combined ticket, Full Experience, Forum Pass SUPER and free days.
Opening hours
Times by season, last entry and the days the site is closed.
Roman Forum tours
Guided visits compared, and what to check before you book.
Map and route
Entrances, the Via Sacra and a sensible order for the ruins.
The Palatine Hill
Imperial palaces, the Farnese Gardens and what needs a special ticket.
Best time to visit
Heat, rain and daylight by month, and how to cope with the sun.
Monuments, history and getting there
The sights in detail, the evening visit and the way in.
Temple of Saturn
Saturn, Vesta, Antoninus and Faustina, and Castor and Pollux.
Arch of Titus
The relief inside, and the Arch of Septimius Severus beside it.
Curia Julia
The senate house, its marble floor and when you can go in.
Imperial Forums
Caesar to Trajan, Trajan's Markets and Via dei Fori Imperiali.
History of the Forum
From marsh to civic center, and how the ruins were uncovered.
The Forum at night
The guided Friday evening visit and what you see from outside.
How to get there
Metro, bus, fares and the entrances.
Good to know in 2026
Points where older guides are out of date.
The Forum opens at 9:00
Forum and Palatine open at 9 a.m., and the Colosseum opens at a different time. From 25 October 2026 the site closes at 16:30, with last entry at 15:30.
Opening hours →Tickets carry your name
Since May 2026 a name on a ticket can be corrected only once and only in narrow cases, so enter it exactly as in your passport. Tickets cannot be passed on freely.
Ticket rules →Some SUPER sites are closed
The House of Livia is closed for restoration, the House of Augustus is closed on Mondays, and the free first Sunday excludes the Curia and the SUPER interiors.
The Palatine →One combined ticket, limited entries
The standard ticket gives one Colosseum entry and one shared Forum and Palatine entry. You cannot leave and come back.
Compare tickets →Metro C already reaches the Colosseum
Do not plan around an old terminus. Check the day's tram and bus changes before you set out.
Getting there →The Forum in four stops
What most visitors come to see, in the order a walk usually takes.
Temples at the foot of the Capitol
The Temple of Saturn housed the state treasury. Nearby stand the round Temple of Vesta, home of the sacred fire, and the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, whose high church door shows how far the ground has been lowered since.
The temples →Two triumphal arches
The Arch of Severus from AD 203 has three passages. The Arch of Titus, on the way up to the Palatine, shows soldiers carrying the menorah from Jerusalem in its relief.
The arches →The Curia and the central square
The Curia Julia was the senate house. It was rebuilt and later used as a church, so it is not an untouched original. Inside are a marble floor and steps for about 300 seats.
The Curia →The Palatine
The hill above the Forum holds the imperial palaces, the Stadium and the Farnese Gardens. Some interiors need a Full Experience ticket or the Forum Pass SUPER.
The Palatine →Beyond the Forum
What belongs to other guides in this group.
The Colosseum itself and Rome as a whole have their own guide: see Rome in One Day for the arena, the Pantheon and the main squares. This site stays with the Forum, the Palatine and the Imperial Forums next door.
More independent Rome guides
Separate guides from the same team, each focused on one part of a Rome trip.
St. Peter's Square and the Vatican
St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and papal audiences.
Rome in One Day
A realistic one-day route with the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Trastevere.
Piazza Navona
The baroque square: Bernini's fountain, the stadium below and the lanes around it.
Roman Forum: frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to enter the Roman Forum?
The standard combined ticket with the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine costs €18 in 2026. Reduced is €2 for eligible EU citizens from 18 to under 25. A Forum Pass SUPER without the Colosseum also costs €18. Under 18 enters free. See tickets.
What time does the Roman Forum open?
At 9:00. The closing time changes with the season: 18:30 in the first part of October 2026 and 16:30 from 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027. See opening hours.
Is the Forum included with the Colosseum ticket?
With the standard combined ticket, yes. It gives one Colosseum entry and one shared Forum and Palatine entry. The Colosseum time slot is fixed; you choose the Forum time yourself.
How long should I plan for the Forum and Palatine?
The site is large and uneven, with a climb to the Palatine. A route through the main ruins is on the map and route page, and the order there works as a planning aid. Allow more time in summer for shade and water breaks.
Can I visit in the evening?
Only on a guided evening visit. In 2026 it runs on Fridays from 19:30 to 22:00 with a booked ticket. Seeing the ruins lit from outside the fence is not an entry. See the Forum at night.
Is this the official website of the Roman Forum?
No. This is an independent travel guide with no connection to the archaeological park, the city of Rome or any tour company or ticket seller.