I'm going on the Enjoy Rome Ancient Rome tour in a few weeks. It covers the forum area, but only goes around the outside of the Colosseum. Will this allow me to see enough of the Colosseum or should I go back and enter it later? thx!

After spending two hours inside the Coleseum and *then* going to the Forum/Palantine Hill...we wished we'd walked around the outside of the Coleseum and used our extra time on Palantine Hill.

Take time to walk all the way to the top/back of Palantine Hill. You'll be rewarded with a great little museum and then a view of Circus Maximus (but you'll be the only one who knows that you're looking at Circus Maximus as there are no signs!)

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but how can you go all the way to Rome and not go inside the Colosseum?

I greatly appreciate the view of the Circus Maximus from the Palatine, but I'd choose inside the Coliseum if I could only do one. The ruins on the Palatine are difficult to understand without some study. The ticket that you purchase actually includes both, so why not do both.

You don't need to go inside - there are enough ruins immediately around you to satisfy that itch. Skip the long lines and use the gained time for the Palantine Hill.

The Colosseum is a must see in Rome. Go back later if you have time.

I'd choose another tour that goes inside, or certainly go back to it, but use a guide or at least the acoustiguide so you can picture it.

Small books are sold all over Rome at newsstands and such that depict the current ruins with overlays that show you what the structures originally looked like. Very helpful.

Go with Roman Odyssey. They take you inside for an additional charge (think it's $3), but it's worth it. Since you are with a tour guide, you don't need to stand in line for tickets.

Go inside the coliseum. Pay the extra for a tour. It will give greay insight and you will not just be left looking at old ruins. Stop back at night to see the coliseum lit up. Take the bus down and enjoy the Rome experience. As another wrier stated your ticket is good for both.

Here's another vote for going inside...
we even took a tour. Had a hard time
hearing the guide but managed to
hear enough to make it interesting and
learned more than if we just wandered
around ourselves. Have a great trip!!
We absolutely loved Rome and can't wait
to return.