Rome guided tours

I used Walks of Italy and Dark Rome for small-group tours of the Colosseum area and Vatican respectively. I checked briefly into using a private guide instead but found for the prices prohibitive. Both these companies have websites with itinerary and pricing information. The group size was about a dozen people and the guides were English-speaking, informative and personable. Walks of Italy I would give a slight edge to as I really liked their guide. And, I would have been totally overwhelmed trying to take in all the ruins around the Colosseum without a guide. It was money well-spent. Also, you won't wait in line for admission to the sites.
Good luck,
Cynthia

I will check both of these companies' sites. Thank you for your advice.

We took 4 Through Eternity tours when we were in Rome and they were all informative, interesting, in small groups (as small as 4, largest was 10), well organized, and led by guides who have a passion for what they do. We got so much out of our week in Rome because of our tours. Our guides opened our eyes to the wonders behind the treasures and artifacts! The Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill tour was over 5 hours, as was the Vatican and St. Peter's, but even my 13 year old son was captivated. There is a break for lunch. The pace of all the tours was good. For 3 of us the tours ranged in price from $146 to $223.

We just returned from a week long visit to Rome. We used Europe Odyssey Tours to hire a private guide for a 4 hour Vatican tour. Francesca, our guide, was very knowledgeable and easily obtained our tickets so we didn't have to wait in the long line. At 60 euro an hour, we viewed this as an investment that greatly enhanced our visit. Would highly recommend this company for their communication and booking process. Have a wonderful trip.

We just returned from Rome and used Through Eternity for 3 different tours in 3 days. Each tour was 3 to 5 hours long, and we saw the old Roman sites, the Vatican, and toured sites of early Christianity. Each guide, Ivana, Eugenia, and Thomas, were outstanding and very passionate about their topics. In our opinion, guides bring history alive. We avoided long lines, and tickets were in hand or obtained very quickly. We walked, used the subway, and were driven depending on the tour. We were met at our apartment by each guide. We highly recommend Eternity Tours.

Thanks to all of you for the help. We are looking forward to this trip and the advice from this group has been very helpful. Less than 2 weeks to go..