C.I.S. Tours · Oppian Hill
C.I.S. Tours meets you at Colosseo metro with tickets for Nero's Golden House on the Oppian Hill, a separate site from the Forum, and a guide leads you through its halls before a VR headset rebuilds one of them. It's the better-reviewed of the two Domus Aurea listings, though like the other it's non-refundable.
Ten minutes' walk from the Colosseum, under the Colle Oppio park, Nero's Domus Aurea survives as a warren of vaulted rooms kept at about 10°C. It's on the Oppian Hill, not in the Forum, and it opens only Friday to Sunday. C.I.S. Tours hands you a timed ticket at the green kiosk by Colosseo metro (lower floor or street level), and from there it's a short walk up the hill.
Inside, it's the official guided visit with VR, which costs €26 on the official Domus Aurea site against $80 here. You pay for the ticket handling and a confirmed slot. The guided part takes most of the 1.5 hours; the VR comes at the end, and one guest called it "short but cool". Groups are capped at 20.
Thirteen reviews, mostly five stars. The lower ones are fair: one guest found the corridors samey and the visit half an hour too long, another wanted a livelier guide. Both still praised the VR. The booking is non-refundable and can't be changed, so fix your date first, and pack a sweater for everyone, children included.
In front of Colosseo metro, on the lower floor or at street level. Staff carry a C.I.S. Tours sign.
Across Via Labicana and into the Colle Oppio park to the entrance on Via della Domus Aurea.
Corridors, frescoed rooms and the great Octagonal Room with its oculus.
A headset rebuilds one hall as it looked under Nero.
A short walk downhill to the Colosseum and the Forum gates.
★★★★★An excellent experience - one of the best we had in Rome Despite being peak session it wasn’t crowded and wasn’t too hot as we were underground - bonus when it’s 37 degrees outside
★★★★★Less popular than many of other attractions in the area so it was a nice quiet and peaceful break from the crowds. [...] Fascinating piece of history- gives context of the construction of the colosseum.
★★★★★The Domus is remarkable and the virtual reality experience was amazing. The tour should appeal to those with a deep interest in ancient Rome.
★★★★★This amazing facility would be impossible to understand without a knowledgeable guide like Sara. She made it come to life.
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Close, but separate. It's on the Oppian Hill across Via Labicana, about ten minutes' walk from the Colosseum, with its own ticket and its own days (Friday to Sunday).
Both are the official guided visit with VR. This one (C.I.S. Tours, $80, 4.7) hands tickets over at Colosseo metro. The Once Upon a Time version ($86, 3.7) meets on the Oppian Hill and emails the e-ticket, and its reviews report more logistics problems.
No. The listing is non-refundable and can't be changed for any reason.
Only if the official €26 slots are sold out, or you want the ticket put in your hand at the metro. Otherwise book direct; see our Domus Aurea guide.
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The Domus Aurea with a guide and a VR reconstruction, tickets handed over at Colosseo metro.
Domus Aurea Guided Tour with VRNero's Domus Aurea on the Oppian Hill with a guide and a VR headset. Fridays to Sundays, non-refundable, 3.7 for logistics.★ 3.7 · 1.5 hours · from $86
Roman Forum, Palatine and Domus Tiberiana TourThe one guided tour that starts in the Forum: 45 minutes there, then the Palatine and the Domus Tiberiana. No Colosseum.★ 4.4 · 1 h 45 min · from $53
Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill TourAll three sites in 2.5 hours with the fairest split: an hour in the Colosseum, then 45 minutes each in the Forum and Palatine.★ 4.6 · 2.5 hours · from $56