Interior of the House of Augustus, one of the seven Super Sites in the Roman Forum.

The Roman Forum was fantastic, but the Super Sites really made the visit something special.

When we started planning our trip to the Roman Forum, we quickly found out that the archaeological park had a few surprises waiting for us. The biggest one was the Super Sites ticket, which gave us entry to several extra spots inside the complex that we had never heard of. The Super Sites were smaller locations within the Forum that let us explore more of ancient Rome, whether through colorful frescoes, unearthed artifacts, or a restored imperial palace.

An even bigger surprise was that the Super Sites turned out to be really great, or as Lucie would say, well, super. A lot of the time, these little extras aren't really worth the added cost. But this was the Roman Forum, the center of ancient Rome. A place where the most important decisions of the time were made. A place where Roman Emperors, the most powerful figures of that era, walked, lived, and ruled.

The question wasn't really whether we would visit the Roman Forum, but when. We were eager to dive into Roman history as soon as possible, so we booked our visit for the very next day after landing in Rome. We were also super curious about the Super Sites, which this guide is all about. So let's jump in!

The Super Sites are located within the Roman Forum.

What Are Super Sites?

The complex we were about to explore, usually referred to simply as the Roman Forum (or sometimes just the Forum), consisted of the Imperial Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum itself. These three areas formed a massive archaeological complex filled with ancient ruins. And Super Sites.

A few of these ruins were a bit special, though. First, they allowed us to see some of the most fascinating spots within the Forum. Second, to access them, we needed the more expensive ticket. Surprisingly, that wasn't really an issue, as I'll explain later in the text. Lastly, each had its own schedule and visiting rules, and some could only be entered with a guided tour.

And some even featured digital projections and audio guides.

What made it interesting was that even though the complex included three main areas, all of the Super Sites were located only within the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. The Imperial Forum didn't have any, at least not when we visited. So here's a quick rundown of all the Super Sites we got to explore in the Forum.

House of Augustus

Of all the Super Sites, the House of Augustus was definitely my favorite. It was the first imperial palace built on the Palatine Hill and became the home of Augustus, one of Rome's most famous emperors. This site was a bit different because we could only enter with a guided tour. We didn't need to book in advance, though, just wait for the next entry time, and a staff member led us inside.

Inside the House of Augustus, we saw two wings, many beautiful frescoes in the Second Style of Roman wall painting, and the foundations and walls of palace rooms. The tour also included video mapping and narrated commentary, though the narration came just from an audio recording.

House of Livia

The House of Livia, home of Augustus's wife Livia Drusilla, was Lucie's favorite. It was a separate Super Site located right next to the House of Augustus, though, of course, it was part of the imperial palace complex back in the day.

Like the House of Augustus, the House of Livia could only be visited on a guided tour, which, however, didn't require any advance booking. We just had to show up at one of the scheduled tour times. We originally came to see only the House of Augustus, but since our arrival matched a tour for the House of Livia, we decided to visit that as well.

This part of the palace was much smaller, basically a large atrium with a few surrounding rooms. The tour was in English and included a video show that highlighted and explained the beautifully preserved frescoes around us.

Aula Isiaca and Loggia Mattei

On Palatine Hill, we also visited Aula Isiaca and Loggia Mattei. Technically, these were two sites, but since they were in the same building, they counted as a single Super Site. Of all the Super Sites, we spent the least time here, as it was really quite small. Still, it was interesting.

The frescoes in Aula Isiaca were over two thousand years old.

Housed in the now-ruined Roman Palace of Domitian, Aula Isiaca was a chamber decorated with 1st-century BCE frescoes. We then moved to the Loggia Mattei, a frescoed room in the 16th-century villa owned by the Mattei family. It was just two small sites, and while not exactly must-sees, the contrast between late Roman Republic and Renaissance paintings was actually pretty cool.

The frescoed ceiling in the Loggia Mattei.

Palatine Museum

Right next to Aula Isiaca and Loggia Mattei was the Palatine Museum. We didn't get a chance to see this Super Site because we were behind schedule, and it just wasn't possible to fit it into our itinerary. It was a bit of a shame, but there was no way we could see everything.

The museum is spread over two floors. The ground floor of the preserved Domitian's palace covers the history of Palatine Hill from the 8th century BCE to the 1st century BCE, while the first floor has a nice collection of sculptures, frescoes, and mosaics from the times of Augustus and Nero.

Domus Tiberiana

While the House of Augustus was the first residence built by an emperor on the Palatine Hill, the Domus Tiberiana was actually the first true imperial palace here. It later served as the main home for emperors like Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. Although the palace remains in ruins, its substructures were restored after 50 years and opened to the public.

We visited Domus Tiberiana while walking from the Roman Forum to the Palatine Hill because it contained the Domitian Ramp, which provided a quick connection between the two areas, originally for emperors, now for tourists. Here we found another Super Site: the Exhibition Hall. Technically, we also saw two more sites here, but we will cover them in a separate section shortly.

So, after a short walk up the Domitian Ramp, we arrived at the Exhibition Hall, which was basically a small museum. It was quite compact but contained interesting items excavated from the Forum as well as useful information about the imperial palace. Since the museum was in vaulted rooms with large windows, we were also treated to some beautiful views.

The museum was accessed via the Domitian Ramp.

Oratory of the Forty Martyrs

Before heading inside Domus Tiberiana, we actually saw the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs, which was actually the main entrance hall to the Domitian Ramp in ancient times. The small hall featured frescoes of Roman soldiers who died rather than renounce Christianity. It was tiny, and while not technically a Super Site, it was a must-see, plus it only took a couple of minutes to explore.

Santa Maria Antiqua

While we were in Domus Tiberiana, we also got to see Santa Maria Antiqua, another really interesting Super Site. It was basically right after we entered the imperial palace, since the entrance to the church was from the Domitian Ramp, just a few meters from the main door.

Santa Maria Antiqua was a 6th-century CE imperial chapel decorated with stunning Byzantine frescoes. It was destroyed by a massive earthquake in 847 CE and remained buried until the 20th century, which actually helped preserve the paintings. The frescoes were fascinating, and the narrated commentary with the video mapping in the adjacent rooms made the experience even more interesting.

Curia Julia

Lastly, I'd like to mention Curia Julia, which was another place where they checked our ticket. While the site had its own opening hours, they were not listed on the official website. It could have been a coincidence, or it might be because they occasionally change what's included in the Super Sites and what isn't.

Anyway, the seat of the ancient Roman Senate was a must-see for us, especially since it was housed in one of the Forum's best-preserved buildings. This was where the Roman Senate met and made Rome's most important decisions about laws, wars, and finances.

Interestingly, the building was much simpler than we expected, considering its importance. On the other hand, it was one of the few structures that survived the turbulent events of the past two thousand years. Inside, there were a few items on display and a beautifully decorated marble floor.

Horrea Piperataria

The final Super Site was Horrea Piperataria, which were the imperial Roman spice vaults. It sounded fascinating, but this one was a bit different from the rest. After taking a quick look at its opening hours, we figured out that it was also the hardest to access (even harder then getting the tickets to Borghese Gallery). It was open only on certain days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) and at set times (English tours started at 10:15, 12:15, and 13:45).

Because of that, we didn't get to visit it since it was closed on Sunday when we were in the Roman Forum. The main challenge was that it could only be visited with a guided 10-person tour (called an Educational Tour). The tour lasted 75 minutes, including a multimedia show, and unlike the others that were included in the ticket, Horrea Piperataria cost an extra €8.

Does Colosseum Have Super Sites?

No, it doesn't. Probably the most confusing part of all this was that we came across plenty of information suggesting the Colosseum was supposed to have some Super Sites. In reality, though, there weren't any Super Sites inside this ancient amphitheater. All the Super Sites were only within the Roman Forum.

That said, the Colosseum did have three special areas that needed separate tickets to enter. When booking, we could choose between the Arena, the Attic, and the Underground. We went with the Arena since it was the only option left, as we booked too late and the other two were already sold out. But again, these are not Super Sites, so we won't focus on them in this guide.

The Colosseum didn't have any Super Sites, but it did feature its own special areas, such as the Arena.

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How Much Time to Set Aside for Super Sites

We made two mistakes when booking the Super Sites tickets. The first one was not setting aside enough time for the Roman Forum. We figured four hours would be plenty, but the place was packed with history and incredible ruins, and we wanted to see everything. That's when we realized the site was way larger than we thought. In the end, it all worked out, but another hour or two would've helped us slow down and take a few more short breaks along the way.

Visiting the Super Sites that required a guided tour naturally took more time.

Looking back, the Super Sites were a huge part of the experience. We kind of assumed that, despite the name sounding impressive, the sites themselves would just be quick, five-minute stops. That was our second mistake. They were actually great, and while some were short visits like we thought, others needed way more time. The issue was that the larger Super Sites took about 30 minutes each, which added up fast.

We visited both the House of Augustus and the House of Livia, spending just over 20 minutes in each. Realistically, the whole thing took just under an hour since we had to wait in between. Aula Isiaca and Loggia Mattei were smaller, and seeing both took no more than 5-10 minutes, as they mainly featured two frescoes. The exhibition at Domus Tiberiana was also quite small, and I think we finished it in about 15-20 minutes, though we definitely would've stayed a bit longer if we had more time.

The restored Domus Tiberiana contains two Super Sites.

Santa Maria Antiqua was also fairly small, but it had video projections, so we spent another 10 to 15 minutes there. Then came Curia Julia, which had the marble floor and a few displays, so that was another 10 to 15 minutes.

Altogether, we spent just under two hours visiting the Super Sites, which was basically half of our time in the Roman Forum. That left us with about two hours for the Forum itself, which was fine since the Super Sites really enhanced the whole visit. Obviously, if you're really into history, it's easy to spend a full day in the Roman Forum, especially if you plan to see all of the Super Sites.

This is how the digital projection at the House of Augustus worked.

Needless to say, we had to skip the Palatine Museum, and as we mentioned, Horrea Piperataria was closed. The museum was small but had two floors, so I'd say 20 to 30 minutes would've been enough for a quick look. I'm guessing based on the Antiquarium we visited at Hadrian's Villa, so take that estimate lightly. And if we had been able to see Horrea Piperataria, it would've added another 70 minutes to the visit.

Do Super Sites Have Special Opening Hours?

Yes, they do, and from what we found out, the hours change with the season. For example, the House of Augustus was open from 9:30 to 6 PM when we visited, which was during the summer season, but only from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM in the winter, basically from the end of October to the end of February. Most of the other Super Sites within the Roman Forum seemed to follow the same rule.

Each of the Super Sites had its own opening hours.

Another thing we had to keep in mind was that some sites were closed on certain days. The House of Augustus was closed on Mondays and the House of Livia on Tuesdays, which worked out fine for us since we went on Sunday.

We also noticed that the Roman Forum offered free admission on the first Sunday of every month, and on a few other dates as well. That's great news for budget travelers, but not ideal for anyone wanting to visit the Super Sites, since they stay closed on those days.

At each Super Site, we were required to show our tickets.

Which Super Site Ticket to Get

The important part when we were buying a ticket to the Roman Forum was getting one that included the Super Sites. In our case, we also wanted access to the Colosseum, which we planned to visit right after the Forum. The thing was that while the Roman Forum had its own ticket, the Colosseum didn't, and that basically shaped our next step.

The most affordable and straightforward option was the €18 Forum Pass Super, which covered the Roman Forum and all its Super Sites. We soon realized it didn't include the Colosseum, so we kept looking. Another option was the 24H Only Arena ticket, also €18, which included the Super Sites but limited access at the Colosseum to the Arena area only. That wasn't what we wanted, since we wanted to explore the whole amphitheater. There was also the 24H Colosseum and Roman Forum ticket for the same price, but it lacked the Super Sites, so that wasn't right for us either.

We even saw a tiger in the Domus Tiberiana museum (okay, it was just a statue).

Once we crossed those off the list, we looked into the Full Experience Tickets. There were three types, all priced at €24 and including the Super Sites. The only difference was that each one offered entry to a specific special area of the Colosseum, the Arena, the Attic, or the Underground, along with the standard visitor route. We ended up picking the Full Experience Ticket with Arena since the others were already sold out.

To sum it up, the Full Experience Ticket made the most sense for us. It gave access to the Super Sites in the Roman Forum as well as the Colosseum and its Arena. It cost only €6 more, and considering how much we got to see, we thought it was a great deal overall. We booked our ticket through the official site, but in case it was sold out, it might be a good idea to check GetYourGuide.

Is Super Sites Ticket Worth It?

The Roman Forum was easily one of our favorite attractions in Rome, and the Super Sites really added to the experience. While I wouldn't call them absolutely essential, they gave us a new perspective on the archaeological park that we wouldn't have gotten just by walking among the scattered ruins. And for just a few euros more, we got to see so much more of Rome's ancient history.

The ancient frescoes were the highlight of all the Super Sites.

The main issue was that we ended up spending quite a bit of time exploring them. Normally, that would be a good thing (and it really was), but we later regretted not budgeting more time for the visit. Looking back, we simply should have set aside more time for the Roman Forum, so this was really just a blunder on our part.

Besides the history, one of the things we really liked about the Super Sites was that they let us escape the crowds. The Roman Forum is one of Rome's most visited attractions, so the crowds were unavoidable. But we were pleasantly surprised that the Super Sites were actually pretty quiet.

Travel Resources

Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.

Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.

Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.

We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.

Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.

Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.

Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.

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What's Super Site Ticket to Roman Forum (and Is It Worth It)?