Guided tours or not

I rarely take guided tours, primarily because I read about the places I go ahead of time and the guide is telling me what I already know. On the other hand, my wife and kids are much more likely to listen to a guide than me - so factor that in. Guided tours can bring a place to life for those who haven't read about the local history before visiting (which, face it, is most people). One guided tour I wish I had taken is the Secret Itineraries at the Doge's Palace. With that tour, you visit places you can't otherwise see. I'll more than likely take it, next time I'm in Venice. I'm now inclined to strongly consider tours if they take you somewhere you can't otherwise visit or if they're a bargain (e.g. Barcelona's Gothic walking tour run by the TI - very reasonably priced; Gibraltar's taxi tours - on a windy day it's the only way you will see Gibraltar's sights).

Personally I'd chose 2 or 3 sites that are the most important and of most interest to the group and use a guided tour for those. You don't need a guide for the Amalfi coast, unless you are going to Pompeii, then use a guide. The Jewish Ghetto..not needed, you can walk around there, the synagogue was pretty new, we didn't go in (and I'm Jewish) (we've had guided tours in the synagogue in Florence and the Jewish Ghetto in Venice) I'd use a guide for the Colosseum/Forum. Not for the Pantheon....you can read up on that - it's just beautiful inside, but not much to really see. If you do you research before you go, take a vote from your group and see where they'd like to spend the most time and get the most info. For me, just looking at art work, I don't need a guide, I'm not into art - I do appreciate it, but it gets overwhelming (we usually skip the galleries now)

Eating Italy Food Tours!!!! Not cheap but worth every penny!!

I am fortunate to have been to many of the places you mention. I regretted not having a guide at the Roman Forum. It was difficult to follow a written description of what we were seeing. If I go back, I will pay for a guide to help it "come alive."

Personally we almost always use a guide. They add a dimension that you can not get from guidebooks or audio. They can answer questions and tailor the tour to what you want to see most. Some people spend thousands of dollars to get to a site and then bulk at paying the last $20 to give them the most meaningful experience. Check with the local TI for guides.

The only time I take a guided tour is if I am somewhere I really have no knowledge of and really want to know more about OR if it's a place where you really can't tell what you're looking at otherwise! One of the best tours I've taken in Europe was Palatine Hill. The ruins are interesting by themselves but there is really no way you know what you are looking at unless you have a guide...we were lucky to take a tour with an archaeologist who has been working on the hill for many years. She was very interesting to listen to and really added to our amazement of this site! Just keep in mind that taking tours will add a lot of time to your visit but if you are really wanting an in-depth look at a place it's entirely worth it! I say just pick and choose a few and do-it-yourself for the rest. Have a great trip!

I have been to almost all on your list St. Mark's Basilica-no Doge's Palace "Secret Itineraries" -is a tour Uffizi and Borghese Gallery - If you don't know much about art perhaps yes but audio guides are another option (I think Rick may have some to download free) Colosseum (underground tour?); Forum; Palatine Hill; Pantheon- Yes you can get a private guide for most of that, we hired a guide for 4 hours in Rome a few years ago did Colosseum ( but not underground tour), Forum, Palatine Hill and Pantheon- Jewish Ghetto/synagogue (Rome) probably to get most out of it. Amalfi Coast- Have you hired a driver and van?
Vatican as you said yes Have fun!

Hi Rob. I personally find that tour guides (either group or private tours) enhance my travels and I tend to take a lot of tours when I travel. They do add up in terms of cost but I feel that I may not get back to a lot of these places and I want to get the most out of the experiences. In Rome, we joined a group tour to see the Forum, Colosseum, Vatican & Palatine Hill. My husband & I got a lot out of these tours. I would say that a tour group/guide is definitely necessary for the Vatican because it's SO big and you could wander around aimlessly for days in the Vatican museums and the guide really helped to point out the most important pieces of art there. I don't think you need a guide to visit the Pantheon; use RS free audio guide for that. There are other places on your list that I would not hire a guide for but it's simply a matter of personal preference and dependent on my interests. I would hire a driver for the Amalfi Coast if you can afford it so that you won't have to worry about the logistics involved in navigating around the coast. You can maximize your time if you have a driver so that you don't have to wait for buses and hope you get a seat on the bus, wait for the next one, etc. As for the other places, I would take a group consensus and see which places are the most intriguing to everyone and then utilize a guide or tour for those places, but not all of them.