Our trip to Rome was filled with breathtaking sights and delicious food, but our attempt to explore the Colosseum turned into a frustrating saga. We booked a tour through Viator, a popular online travel platform, weeks before our trip. Everything seemed fine until we received a cancellation notice just 72 hours before our tour was supposed to start.
We immediately rebooked with Viator, hoping to find a replacement. However, the new booking remained “Pending Confirmation” from the tour operator. Viator assured us that the operator had 48 hours to confirm the booking, but when we emailed them directly, we received no response. We even contacted Viator’s customer service through WhatsApp, but they confirmed they were unable to reach the tour operator.
As the 48-hour deadline approached and we were just 18 hours away from the tour, we still hadn’t received confirmation. Panic started to set in. We booked a third tour, just in case, but within hours it was cancelled due to overbooking. To our dismay, the second tour was also cancelled.
We were running out of time. With less than 16 hours before our tour was scheduled to start, we booked a fourth tour, and you guessed it, it was “Pending Confirmation.” Desperate for a glimpse of this historical wonder, we decided to show up at the Colosseum, hoping for the best.
We arrived at the designated meeting spot, armed with our Viator booking reference number. Unfortunately, our names weren’t on the tour operator’s list. As we waited, anxiously watching other tour groups gather, we received an email from the operator through Viator, confirming that the fourth tour had also been cancelled.
However, we kept our composure and continued to show the tour operator our Viator app booking reference number. After a tense wait, we were informed that our tour had been cancelled. Determined to see the Colosseum, we boldly asked, “You have open spots, and we’re ready to pay, so how can we join the tour?”
The tour operator, realizing our desperation and seeing the price Viator was charging us, agreed to sell us tickets directly. We instantly paid through GooglePay and joined the tour group.
Our guide, Andrea, from www.TourInTheCity.com, was absolutely fantastic. He exceeded all our expectations and was hands down the best tour guide we encountered during our entire two-week European adventure! We highly recommend booking directly with TourInTheCity.com.
Our Colosseum tour ordeal highlighted the chaotic world of tour operators and third-party booking platforms. Many companies overbook, leading to cancellations and leaving travelers stranded. We learned that Viator and other platforms, such as GetYourGuide, are prone to cancellations.
We also discovered that securing tickets for the Colosseum is a difficult task. Companies often attempt to buy tickets from the official Colosseum website and resell them, sometimes without actually having secured the tickets.
The easiest way to bypass this chaos is to purchase the Forum Pass Super Ticket directly from the official Colosseum website: https://colosseo.it/en/tickets/forum-pass-super-ticket/. This ticket includes access to everything except the Colosseum. If you’re determined to see the Colosseum, book an Early Morning Tour to avoid the sweltering Italian heat.
Our advice? Skip the third-party booking platforms for Colosseum tours and book directly with a reputable tour operator like TourInTheCity.com. And remember, the Early Morning Tour is your best bet!
