Departing for Italy next week with family. Still dithering about Colosseum tour.

I did a tour of the Underground and Third Ring a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. The tour guide at that time was an archeologist and gave so much good information. And - it was amazing to go underground and see the workings of the Colosseum. I really think your daughters might enjoy it also. I've always just wandered in the Forum so don't have any input other than pre-booking would be safest to me.

I had the same dilemna last year and I opted for the Walks Of Italy Coloseum Tour, Forum and Palantine Hill. It included the underground and the upper circle. I really enjoyed the tour, our guide was amazing. It was worth the little extra cost for me as I didn't want to read out of a guidebook for that long covering everything. I figured also with the guide I wouldn't have to figure out which line or where to go. I liked being on the areana floor and the top tier with only a few people. Some great pictures. The underground area was nice too. It was about a 3 hour afternoon. The only thing was we wanted more time in the Forum then the guide allocated. We saw the highlights but I wanted to see some other area's so we bought a single ticket back to the Forum after our tour was over. For me i enjoyed the tour and considered the extra cost was worth it.

I actually enjoyed Ostia Antica more then the Forum which we did on our own a couple of days later. There were no ropes so we could walk inside all the houses and markets. It's easy train ride near the airport to visit Ostia.

One nice thing about Rick's audio tour -- if you decide you want to sit down in the shade, Rick will wait for you while a group tour needs to move on. We did Colosseum and Forum with NO reservations, just a Roma Pass and Rick (and eavesdropping on tour guides who were in our vicinity) -- and lots of stops to just absorb our surroundings. Personal preferences. YMMV.

Another vote for the Walks of Italy tour. I went with a 16-year-old and we really enjoyed the underground and top tier, where we took some great photos. I used Rick's audio tours for some museums, but at outdoor sites I prefer an actual guide.
Cynthia

Seeing the lower level of the Colosseum and having the guide describe how the plumbing worked for flooding the arena for mock sea battles was fascinating. Being a few months out of surgery, the guide allowed us to take the elevator to the 3rd level, avoiding a lot of stairs.

Palatime Hill was confusing, even using Rick's guidebook, and we had to do some routefinding and backtracking. A guide might make the most of your time there.

I really appreciate the helpful responses. It does sound like the underground and 3rd ring tour would be fascinating and well worth the time. Thanks!

When in doubt, hire a guide. I have never regretted joining top quality tours.

I would prebook with a reputable company though and not join one of the groups that are 'gathered' around the Colosseo.

I have heard and read many good things about Walks of Italy. If I had any interest in the Colosseo underground, I would consider their offerings.

You can book the underground tour directly through the official website for an additional 9 euros each. There is no need to book with an expensive private company unless you want to. The underground tour is really interesting and the guides make sense out of what you're seeing. It's a worthwhile tour if you're interested in the history of the building.

Donna

I haven't done the Colosseum tour, but there seems to be a lot of support for the idea, including from yourself, Alexandra. If it sounds like fun, then splurge and do it. I would not hire a guide on-site from among those milling around.