If you were to do one guided tour in Rome...

Hi Eleanor,

Check out the https://theromanguy.com/

Maybe browse/watch some of their videos of Rome. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=romanguy&sp=mAEB

I enjoy watching them. They have some really valuable information for first timers and those needing a refresh. Sean is one of the lead guides. He is down-to-Earth, practical and funny in some videos. (I don't know Sean personally, I just enjoy the videos from time to time.)

You may be able to navigate most of Rome and a lot of its attractions by watching the videos and reading on this forum. Rome is very easy to walk about, take a bus or metro. Outside, it's a walking museum. Around every corner is a surprise and beautiful, old architecture and structures, amazing buildings, beautiful church facades as well as inside the churches with ornate statues, altars and awe-inspiring mosaics. Love it!

If you're really interested in history or the arts, then maybe a full tour with a professional may be beneficial and memorable.

Also, another big tour guide company is https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/rome

Each company has similar price points and itineraries. I think? walksofItaly offers a better "bundle discount for multiple tours." Check out the site for accuracy and changes.

eta: In case you're not aware. You need tickets to get into the Vatican Museums which will include the Sistine and St. Peter's Basilica. If you don't go to the Vatican, you don't need tickets to enter St. Peter's Basilica; it is free. You just need to go through security.

Skip the line tickets that are sold around the Vatican are not worth it. Either buy your own and wait in line or invest in a tour with one of the above.

The Vatican gift shops in the piazza sell "tours" for the Vatican -- one of them is called Capriotti. They start at about 30+€ I took one two years ago. Was not impressed. But, in that defense so to speak, I happened to book it on one of the busiest days in December -- the 8th which is the Feast of the Immaculate Mary. It seemed like all of Italy and then some were there. It was a bit rainy that day and not even shoulder room in the Vatican.

The Sistine was so beautiful; we stayed about 20 minutes or so! The guide then left us at the terrace to St. Peter's. What a relief! It was like a whole new World. I was tired and hurting a bit since I had been overdoing "running around." I had to rest. I found peace at an altar that had pews. I sat, reflected, energized and was good to go. (ha, I know, TMI!)

Oh, when I exited St. Peter's, I got to witness the Swiss Guards changing. It was fun to watch.

There are stairs there, but with a wrought iron railing. But people are running down and every which way. I was using a cane back then and one of the outside security guards ran up to help me down the stairs. How nice! And, when they start to speak Italian...well...lol, I "forgot" about my mobility issue at the time.

Last year was my second trip to Rome -- same two weeks. I chose not to visit the Vatican this time (maybe another time.) But, I visited St. Peter's a number of times. I have a lot of warm memories. Sans having to use a cane this last trip, I enjoyed Rome more, of course. I revisited the friends I made the first year as well as made a couple more the second trip. I love Rome, so I'm a wee bit biased ;)

The only guided tour we took was for the Vatican. i think that was worth it, although you are definitely rushed through the Sistine Chapel.

Actually, we used Rick Steves' audio tours throughout Italy and thought they were great. We used them for the Forum and Coliseum in Rome.

I liked my Context tour in the Roman Forum very much

I highly recommend a guided tour for the Vatican Museum, if we didn't have one we wouldn't have known most of what we were looking at. If you really want to do something different get the Vatican Scavi tour, we're going in July and it looks fascinating.

Pristine Sistine with Walks of Italy! You get access to the Sistine Chapel before it’s open to the public so you see it in quiet/calm. You can even get a seat on the bench along the edge if you want. Then they go on a tour of the museum - very helpful - then through the group passage to St Peters. Without a tour you’d have to exit the museum and walk a fair ways, then stand in line again for St Peters.
Only “complaint” is that by the time you get to St Peters it is noon and very crowded in there. But you can’t be in 2 places at 8AM!

Another option is a food tour. We did one thru eating Italy that wasn’t a tour, but a guided dinner with wine pairings and discussions. That was great. In other cities we’ve done walking tours of food markets etc - great way to try multiple things in interesting places.

We did 3 Walks of Italy tours- all were fantastic
I would rank them as such:

1. Pristine Sistine was worth every penny.

2. Colosseum- we had a wonderful guide- he was a retired civl engineer and as a cvil engineers daughter I really appreciated his focus.

3. Cyrpts & Catacombs- also very good with a really good guide and since the 3 locations are pretty spread out it was nice to have that van ride between them

I was in the Vatican Museums in 1994, and even then the crowds made it a pretty miserable experience. If I ever go back, it will be with one of the early or late tours. These are available through Dark Rome, Walks of Italy, and the Vatican itself. If I couldn't get on one of these tours, I wouldn't go back - the tension and crowding were that unpleasant.

So, even though I'm not one to take tours generally, I'd absolutely insist on that one.