The ruins look like a muddle of columns until you have a Roman Forum map in your head, and the cure is to walk it in the order of the old main street. This page gives you a Roman Forum map you can read, the route I would take through it, and a short note on each stop. If you still need an entry ticket, my comparison of tickets for the Roman Forum shows which ones include it, since it shares a park ticket with the Colosseum and Palatine Hill.
Roman Forum Map: Entrances, Stations and Sights Around It
The map below shows the Roman Forum with its entrances, the nearest metro stations and the landmarks around it, from Google Maps data.
The nearest station is Colosseo on Metro line B. By Google Maps coordinates it is about 420 m from the Forum, roughly a 7-minute walk by my estimate. The official page also lists buses 51, 75, 81, 85, 87 and 118, per colosseo.it. The Colosseum is about 520 m away, around 8 minutes on foot, and the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II at Piazza Venezia is about 390 m, around 6 minutes. These walking times are my estimates: straight-line distance multiplied by 1.3 at 4.8 km/h.
I looked for an official Roman Forum map to link and found none on the park’s Roman Forum page, so I am not linking one. A map from a third-party site could be wrong, and the ruins are fenced into marked paths that change when areas close for work. What I give you is my own reading order, built from the monuments the official site names and the itineraries in the tour listings. The park’s itineraries page is the official place to look for more.
The Route I Would Walk Through the Roman Forum
This Roman Forum map works as a walk, from the western end to the Palatine side. I have left the times blank on purpose: no source gives a time per stop, and a guess would mislead you.
My route through the Roman Forum
1Entrance and Via SacraTicket check, then the main street
2Temple of Antoninus and FaustinaChurch built into a temple
3Curia IuliaThe Senate house
4Arch of Septimius SeverusTriumphal arch from 203 CE
5Column of PhocasThe last monument added
6House of the VestalsHome of the Vestal priestesses
7Arch of TitusWhere the route climbs to the Palatine
Entrance and the Via Sacra
The official address for the Forum is Largo della Salara Vecchia 5/6, and your named ticket is checked there. Several guided tours meet elsewhere: the Rome Tour listing starts at Largo Corrado Ricci 43, and Art Ticket and Tours meets on Via in Miranda, in front of the church of Santi Cosma e Damiano. Read your confirmation, because the meeting point can change with the option you pick.
Once inside you follow the Via Sacra, the old main street of the city. Wikipedia describes the Forum as a rectangular plaza surrounded by the ruins of ancient government buildings, per Wikipedia. Keep the street as your thread and every ruin has a place on your Roman Forum map.
Temple of Antoninus and Faustina
This is one of the first sights on the official list. The temple front still stands, and a church was built into it later. It is a good place to learn that nearly everything here was reused: temples became churches, and the Temple of Romulus is now part of Santi Cosma e Damiano, per the official site. Look for the tall columns and the church roof behind them.
Curia Iulia
The Curia Iulia was the Senate house. The official site notes that it is now the church of Sant’Adriano. Stand outside and look at the plain brick front: the building is small for the weight of what happened in it. This is a stop where a guide earns the fee, because there is little to read on the walls. One reviewer of the guided tours wrote that the guide’s knowledge made the buildings come alive.
Arch of Septimius Severus on the Roman Forum Map
The arch dates from 203 CE, per the official page, and is easy to spot at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. Look for the carved panels over the side arches. It makes a useful orientation point on the Roman Forum map, because the Rostra and the Column of Phocas are right next to it.
Column of Phocas
The Column of Phocas was set up in 608 CE, per the official site, which makes it the youngest of the big monuments on the square. A single tall column on its own is hard to miss. It is the last piece of the Forum’s open square, so I use it as the point where I turn toward the Temple of Saturn and the Temple of the Dioscuri that the official gallery shows.
CityEyes Private Tours
Colosseum Arena and Roman Forum Small-Group Tour
★4.8 (736 reviews)
3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The small-group option for the Forum itself: 3 hours, English, 4.8 from 736 reviews, $144, with the arena and a guided Forum visit.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Official tour guide
✓ Colosseum entry
✓ Access to Colosseum Arena floor
✓ Roman Forum guided tour
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Palatine Hill guided tour
✕ Food and drinks
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Languages: English
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“This was one of the best experiences of my life! The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about history, and she knew how to answer all of our questions. I'd definitely recommend this tour to anyone who loves Roman history!” – GetYourGuide review
The Temple of Vesta and the Vestal House (Atrium Vestae) are on the official monument list. This is the quietest corner of the walk and a good place to sit down. Look for the rectangular garden and the water basins. The Santa Maria Antiqua church, with the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs and the Ramp of Domitian, is also on the official list, and the Forum Museum sits in the Cloister of Santa Maria Nova. I cannot confirm from the sources I read which of these are open on a given day, so check the official site before you go.
Arch of Titus and the Climb to the Palatine
The Arch of Titus appears in the official photo gallery and closes the Forum walk. From here the route leads up toward the Palatine Hill, which every ticket I compared also includes. Between the arch and the Colosseum, the Basilica of Maxentius on the Velian Hill and the Temple of Venus and Roma are the large ruins to look at on the way out.
The tour that follows this order most closely, by its stop list, is the arena floor tour, which lists the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
the tour guy
Colosseum Arena Floor, Roman Forum & Palatine Tour
★4.7 (2,717 reviews)
1 - 3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The tour whose stops run Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Roman Forum, Palatine: $39, 4.7 from 2,717 reviews, English and Spanish.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert English-speaking guide
✓ Pre-reserved Colosseum entry tickets
✓ Pre-reserved Arena Floor tickets and guided tour (full tour only)
✓ Roman Forum and Palatine Hill entry tickets
✓ Guided tour of the Colosseum 1st & 2nd tiers
✓ Guided tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (full & basic tour only)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Guide tips
Meeting point: This activity has 3 meeting points. Your meeting point depends on the option you select. Fontana del Colosseo, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English, Spanish
Duration: 1 - 3 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 3 days in advance for a full refund
“Our guide Kate was extremely engaging, informative, knowledgeable and entertaining. She made the whole tour extremely fun!” – GetYourGuide review
The official Roman Forum page lists an accessible area, a lift or hoist, toilets, baby changing stations, an info point, audio guides, a refreshment point and a bookshop. It does not say which monuments the accessible route reaches, which means I cannot mark it on a Roman Forum map, so contact the park before you plan around it. The surfaces are ancient stone and dirt, so I would wear shoes with grip, and the Forum has little shade, which is worth knowing in summer.
Hours depend on the season. Google Maps lists 9 am to 4:30 pm every day, and my Roman Forum opening hours guide has the last-entry detail and the dates when the park closes. If you want a guide to explain each ruin on the Roman Forum map, my page on Roman Forum tours compares them, and the background is on my Roman Forum history page. When you are ready to book, compare all Roman Forum tickets in one place. The home page lists the other attractions I cover.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official Roman Forum map?+
I could not find a downloadable map or plan on the park's own Roman Forum page at colosseo.it when I looked, so I have not linked one. The page does name the monuments and services, and the park also publishes itineraries and offers audio guides.
Where is the entrance to the Roman Forum?+
The official Roman Forum page gives Largo della Salara Vecchia 5/6 as its address. Metro line B stops at Colosseo and the page also lists buses 51, 75, 81, 85, 87 and 118. Your ticket is named and your ID is checked at the entrances.
What are the main things to see in the Roman Forum?+
The official site names the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Curia Iulia, the Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina, the Temple of Vesta and the House of the Vestals, the Column of Phocas and the Basilica of Maxentius. The gallery also shows the Arch of Titus, the Temple of Saturn and the Temple of the Dioscuri.
How long do you need to walk the Roman Forum?+
The tours I compared that include the Forum run from 1.5 to 3 hours, but most of that time covers the Colosseum and Palatine Hill as well. I give no per-stop times because no source does.
Is the Roman Forum accessible for wheelchairs?+
The official page lists an accessible area, a lift or hoist, toilets, baby changing stations, an info point, audio guides, a refreshment point and a bookshop. The ground is ancient and uneven, so check the park's accessibility information for your own needs before you go.
