15 History Audio Tours in Italy to Download First

1.Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill with Audioguide App

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 6,291 reviews · 90 minutes - 2 hours · from $34Our pick

You’ll enter the Colosseum at a reserved time, with an optional Arena Floor upgrade, then explore Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum independently. The downloadable POPGuide app provides commentary in several languages, while staff at Via della Polveriera help with check-in and setup. Bring your own phone, headphones, ID, and a full battery.

“It was great! It was really nice to go at my own pace with the audio guide”

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2.St. Mark Basilica Ticket, Audioguide+History Gallery

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 4,780 reviews · from $23

Visit St. Mark’s Basilica with priority entry, a downloadable audio guide, and an optional escorted tour led by guides such as Valentina, Elena, Andrea, or Francesco. See the five domes and 43,000 square feet of mosaics, then use virtual reality to view St. Mark’s Square across the centuries.

“Special thanks to our Tour Guide VALENTINA who gave us interesting insights in the history of the Dome as well as in the City of Venice. It was both entertaining and informative. A pleasure!”

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3.Colosseum, Ancient Rome Tour or AudioGuided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2,879 reviews · 2h 30m · from $54

Choose an English guided visit or a self-guided smartphone audio tour of the Colosseum’s first and second tiers. Your dated ticket also covers the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill for 24 hours, with 44 audio stops in several languages. Expect security checks, stairs, and plenty of walking.

“Our guide was wonderful. This was fun third guided tour, having gone once by mysel, then twice when relatives visited. This was the best of the three. Our Gide was very knowledgeable, funny and engaged.”

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4.Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Entry and Audioguide

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 2,475 reviews · 3 hours · from $44

Visit three major Ancient Rome sites with a self-guided audio experience in English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, or Chinese. You’ll see the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill, with optional Arena Floor access. Bring headphones, a charged phone, your passport, and allow time for security and ticket checks.

“the experience was amazing and not a single issue with tickets.”

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5.Taormina: Ancient Theater Skip-the-Line Ticket & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,412 reviews · 1 day · from $28

Visit Taormina’s Ancient Theater at your own pace with a one-day skip-the-line ticket and audio guide in English, French, Spanish, or German. Exchange your digital voucher at the box office, pass security, and explore a Greek foundation reshaped by Roman emperors, with views across Taormina, Giardini Naxos, and Mount Etna.

“Definitely worth doing to skip the line! I purchased this while at the back of the line and then I could go straight to the front. If you’re short on time, it’s definitely worth doing.”

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6.Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Visit + Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 1,522 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $21

Meet near the Arch of Constantine, receive help with entry, and explore the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill on your own. The Colosseum audio guide runs through an app, so bring headphones, a charged phone, and reliable internet. Hosts such as Sak, Zak, and Be Sal have helped visitors navigate this busy site.

“Disappointing, no time to visit the Palatine Hill, all access closed at 3:30 pm. Why such a high price if you can't even visit the site?”

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7.Roman Forum Super Pass Entry with Audio Guide App

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 750 reviews · 30 days · from $25

Walk Rome’s ancient center at your own pace with entry to the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Imperial Forum, museums, frescoed houses, and special archaeological sites. The $25 pass has no time reservation and includes a digital audio guide. Download the app before you arrive, allow at least three hours, and note that the Colosseum is not included.

“Well worth the price of the pass, a nice place to experience and quiet, even when Rome at its busiest. Note however the pass does not work on “free days” (first Sunday of the month and liberation day 25th April) when you have to go and get a first come first served entry ticket.”

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8.Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Guided Tour or AudioGuide Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 631 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $31

Visit Rome’s Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum in about two and a half hours. Choose a guided visit with hosts such as Francesca, Massimo, or George, or use an offline audio app at your own pace. Expect security checks, outdoor walking, limited Colosseum access, and Roman Forum views from Palatine Hill.

“There are so many other tour options—do yourself a favor and use any other tour! They change the time of the reservation once it’s past the cancellation window and then tell you that they can’t accommodate you despite having had this reservation for months. Was able to book our desired time with a different tour immediately after- they’re running a scam with this one hoping people just pay and don’t care about the start time.”

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9.National Archaeological Museum Ticket & Audio App

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 617 reviews · from $29

Visit Naples National Archaeological Museum with a one-day admission ticket and digital audio app. See Pompeii and Herculaneum frescoes, Farnese sculptures, Greek and Roman antiquities, Egyptian artifacts, coins, and the Secret Cabinet. There is no live guide, so you can set your own pace. Allow at least three hours, and more if you want to see it all.

“Very large but awesome museum. Got to see what we wanted to see.”

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10.Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Admission With Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 586 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $32

You’ll enter Rome’s Colosseum at a reserved time, then explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill at your own pace. The English audio guide works through an app on your phone, so bring headphones and a charged device. Arena Floor access may be added, but the underground level is not included.

“Two stars just because we skipped the line at the Colosseum (but we had to wait in line for the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill). Children are admitted to the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum for free, but ours were charged anyway because of that useless app called "Ola Guide", which is just a Wikipedia geolocated repack (it requires play store services, so rejoice ungoogled phone users)”

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11.Colosseum & Roman Forum Entry with Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 429 reviews · 1.5 - 2 hours · from $30

Meet the GV Tours Global team near the Colosseo Metro Station, then enter the Colosseum at a reserved time. Use the downloadable audio app in your language as you explore the amphitheater, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill independently. An optional Arena upgrade lets you step onto the former gladiator floor.

“Great! Enjoyed going at our own pace with the audio”

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12.Colosseum Arena & Roman Forum,Palatine Access With Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 265 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $65

Visit the Colosseum Arena, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill with timed admission and an English audio guide app. You explore independently after security, with stories about gladiators, animal hunts, Romulus, emperors, and Roman public life. Allow about three hours, arrive 15 minutes early, and bring matching photo ID.

“Always a must see on any Roman trip but in the midst of a summer heatwave, even a 9am start doesn’t allow for a comfortable visit when there’s minimal shade and high humidity. Our youngest teenager didn’t really cope with the open expanse of the Palatine Hills and Roman Forum.. but did appreciate the Colosseum.. preferable to do it in another season”

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13.Sassi di Matera Historical Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 183 reviews · 365 days · from $4Best value

Use the ITGUIDES app to explore Matera’s Sassi with more than 30 geolocated audio stops in English, French, German, or Italian. Expect stories about caves, cisterns, rock churches, Byzantine frescoes, and daily life in this UNESCO-listed quarter. It is self-guided, valid for 365 days, and does not include entrance tickets.

“The audio guide was very easy to follow and allowed me to explore Matera at my own time.”

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14.National Archaeological Museum Tour & Digital Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 177 reviews · 1 day · from $40

Visit Naples’ National Archaeological Museum for one day with an entry ticket and downloadable smartphone guide. See Farnese sculptures, Pompeii and Herculaneum frescoes, mosaics, Egyptian pieces, and the Secret Cabinet at your own pace. Download all audio content before arriving, bring earphones, and watch for ticket instructions sent the day before.

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15.National Archaeological Museum audio guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 155 reviews · 3 hours · from $4

Use the ITGUIDES app to explore Naples’ National Archaeological Museum at your own pace. The three-hour guide covers 85 points of interest, including the Farnese Hercules, Venus Callipigia, Pompeii mosaics, Egyptian artifacts, Magna Grecia, and the Gabinetto Segreto. Download everything before arriving, since museum admission is separate.

“Really complete. I had been 2 years ago and had taken the audio guide from the ticket office, but it was really bad, boring and with little information, so I looked for a different product. This one is completely better, it has at least double the audio of the one in the ticket office, it is organized following the various collections and it is very up to date. It also has the recently opened part of Campania Romana. My advice to make the most of it is to buy it at least the day before the visit and start studying the museum because it is huge.”

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