Best tour company & tour of the Coliseum & Forum & the Mamartine Prison

I can speak to our experience with Walks of Italy. We took the Premium Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Our guide was knowledgeable and engaging. We were fortunate that we had a small group of eight. Our reason for choosing this company was based on positive reviews from friends and contributors from this Forum. At the present time their is a 15% discount ending Dec. 9. They have more options as well. www.walksofitaly.com

About 3 weeks ago I had a fabulous tour of the Colloseum, Palatine Hill, and the Forum with Context Travel - their maximum group size is 6, and our guide was an archaeologist who gives tours with them part time. (He even pointed out the dig he would be working on after lunch.) His insightful comments and descriptions really brought everything to life......it was like he was showing us a skeleton fully assembled instead of a pile of bones. I can't recommend Dimo enough!

Speaking just for the Mamertine (Carcer Tullianum)...

There's very little to that one so definitely no need to engage a tour company. In fact, I'd skip it as trying to take in the Vatican Museums+ St Peter's + the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine in a single day is expecting a LOT.

The previous recommendation for the Walks of Italy tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine is a good one. Editing to add, Context gets a lot of 👍 reviews from RS posters whom have used them as well.

We used Through Eternity Tours for the Colosseum/Forum and a full day tour the next day of the Vatican. By far the best tour company we've used anywhere in Europe. https://www.througheternity.com/

My wife and I (in Aug) had an excellent morning Vatican tour with Through Eternity Tours. I posted a review on the forum: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/early-morning-vatican-tour-with-sistine-chapel-with-through-eternity-tours-excellent
During the evening of the same day we had a worse-than-forgettable Colesseum Tour with The Roman Guy: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/vip-colosseum-at-night-tour-by-the-roman-guy-a-great-disappointment

Hi Jeff, which tour company do you work for?

We did Roman Guy Coliseum and Forum 3rd week of October - it was fine, guide was engaging. She was better in the Forum than in the Coliseum but that was primarily due to having to move along whilst on the floor. One additional plus for her was that she was an archaeologist
Was worth the price and we did bypass quite a few groups going in.

Hi RoxburyLad. I am happy that you had a great experience, and respect your review of it.
Jeff

In addition to my previous posting, I have to say 99.9 % of the guides we've used in the past have met our expectations. That said, our first experience in Rome 2006 did not meet our needs. It was a private guide we used to see the Forum. He was an Archeologist and was extremely knowledgeable and personable, but it was "way over our head." The tour was at the end of a 3 week journey and maybe we were just too tired to comprehend? In contrast, his colleague who owned the tour company was excellent. We took a Jewish Tour and an evening walking tour of major sites. As mentioned up thread, Walks of Italy was one of the best tours we've taken in our travels. That said, we all have different expectations and that's ok.

I have visited the Colosseum multiple times on my trips to Rome. Make sure you research what areas of the Colosseum you want to visit. You can not enter the Colosseum and casually visit the entire area, since some are restricted. The 3rd Tier is gated and a restricted area. The arena floor and underground are restricted areas. I booked a night tour with Walks, with access to the underground and arena floor. It was less crowded and eerie at night under the stars, very cool. I have booked a day tour with 3rd level access and The Forum with Walks. You get some great views from the 3rd Tier of the Colosseum as well as the area surrounding The Colosseum. I just booked again with Walks for next September.

Has anyone used Dark Rome for tours?

Backing up here....

we have 2 nights & one full day in Rome. We're seeing the Vatican in
the afternoon of our first day to Rome.

Is this "first day" the same day you'd be arriving in Rome on an international flight? I hope not. Along with the risk it is to book a tour for arrival day - it's not unknown for flights to be late or cancelled, and most bookings are nonrefundable - the mob + the Vatican Museum's vast collection are plenty difficult enough to handle without adding jet lag on top of it. So is Rome falling elsewhere in your itinerary and not at the get-go? Or are you trying to do the Colosseum, Forum and Vatican (museums and basilica) all on your one full day?