Why go

For a thousand years the Roman Forum was the centre of public life in the greatest city of the ancient world. Here Romans voted, argued cases, celebrated triumphs and worshipped their gods, and here Julius Caesar’s body was cremated after his murder. Today it is a field of columns, arches and foundations in a valley between the Capitoline and Palatine hills, and walking along the Via Sacra is the closest you can come to the daily life of ancient Rome.

Above it rises the Palatine Hill, where legend says Romulus founded the city and where the emperors built palaces so grand that the word ‘palace’ comes from the hill’s name. Its gardens and terraces are greener and calmer than the Forum, with some of the best views in Rome.

What to see

  • The Arch of Titus. The triumphal arch celebrating the capture of Jerusalem in AD 70, with its famous relief of the temple treasures.
  • The Curia. The rebuilt senate house, one of the SUPER sites, with its original marble floor.
  • The Temple of Vesta and House of the Vestals. Where the Vestal Virgins kept the sacred flame alight.
  • The Basilica of Maxentius. Three vast vaulted bays survive from the largest building in the Forum.
  • The Farnese Gardens. Renaissance gardens on the Palatine with a terrace over the Forum.
  • The House of Augustus. Painted rooms from the first emperor’s home, a SUPER site closed on Mondays.

Plan your visit

The Forum and Palatine open at 9am. From 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 they close at 4.30pm, with last admission at 3.30pm, and the site is closed on 25 December and 1 January.

There is no separate ticket for the Forum alone. The standard 24-hour Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine ticket, at €18, includes one entry here, and Full Experience tickets add the SUPER sites over two days. If you do not need the Colosseum, the Forum Pass SUPER covers the Forum, Palatine and Imperial Fora with the SUPER sites and has no entry time. Tickets are in your name and sold on ticketing.colosseo.it. Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month and on 25 April, 2 June and 4 November.

Getting there

The main entrance is on Via della Salara Vecchia, off Via dei Fori Imperiali, about five minutes’ walk from Colosseo station on Metro lines B and C. There is a second entrance to the Palatine on Via di San Gregorio, near Circo Massimo station.

Tips

Begin on the Palatine and walk downhill through the Forum, and visit early or late in summer, as there is little shade. A map or guide makes a huge difference here, because the ruins can be hard to read on their own; the free MyColosseum app covers the whole park. Finish at the Capitoline Hill for a view back over everything you have seen.

Your ticket also includes the newer museums inside the park, such as the Roman Forum Museum and the displays in the restored Domus Tiberiana, which help bring the ruins to life with finds, models and reconstructions. Food is limited inside, so pack a snack. In winter the low sun and early closing mean an afternoon visit can feel rushed, so aim to enter by early afternoon at the latest.