Should one get a Tour for the Vatican/Colosseum, or better to wait in line? Are food tours worth it?

How about taking a self-guided tour using Rick Steve’s Rome guidebook? That’s what I did and highly recommend it.
Fortunately the line moves quickly at the Vatican. It's been a while since I visited the Colosseum but I don't remember waiting in a long line to get in.
Furthermore, Rick Steves' recommends local mom and pop tour guides in his books, another good reason to buy one.

Viator is basically a consolidator. It sells other company's tours. So you pay more and the guide gets less. I would look in the Rick Steves guides for recommendations on local guides. One that comes by is Francesca Caruso.

We used Walks of Italy for both the Vatican and Colosseum
The Pristine Sistine tour is worth every penny to get in early and avoid most of the crowding
The Vatican Museum was a nightmare, maybe post COVID it won’t be so bad but I have no need to go back as it was

Money well spent for both
For our second visit to Colisseum/Forum we self toured using RS guide, very good
Everyone has to go thru security lines so you can’t avoid that
You need a pre booked timed entry for Colosseum

As mentioned Viator doesn’t conduct any tours they are a reseller
Go to the actual tour company website
Walks of Italy
Through Eternity
Both get very good mentions here

I've been to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's a few times, seems I'm always dragging new people with me, ha ha. I think it's worth it time-wise to get a guide for the Vatican museum especially since you say you sort of zoom through parts of museums. I like Walks of Italy too and I'm looking at one of their tours that is a sort of express through the long hallways but includes what I want to get to like the Raphael Rooms, Sistine Chapel, etc. The "back door" to the basilica is a plus on these tours.

On the other hand, I took a Walks of Italy tour of the Colosseum and Palatine hill and though I loved it, being a history nerd, my companion was bored. Having seen the inside I think I could have been content with only seeing it from the outside and would not do a tour for that again. The Palatine was very cool though especially on a hot day because it's green and there's some welcome shade. I'd do a tour of that area again.

Buon viaggio!

My brother and I spent 3 days in Rome in 2019. We booked tours for both the Colosseum/Roman Forum and the Vatican through Viator. Both were wonderful experiences with really great guides. I didn't think they took too long and was extremely grateful we didn't have to spend hours waiting in line. Totally worth it for us! We also booked through Viator for tours at the Uffizi and Accademia in Florence - both of those were also positive experiences and worth it. If you're worried about time I would definitely book something that skips the line. I hadn't yet discovered RS at this point and wasn't in tune to finding guides/tours another way but this worked perfect for us.

We’ve loved every food tour we’ve done
Eating Europe Trastevere am tour was wonderful
Many here also give high praise to the Trastevere Twilight tour

Whether it’s “worth it” is subjective
It’s tons of yummy food, local history with entertaining knowledgeable guides and a small group of like minded travelers

From my understanding, for at least the Vatican (I have yet to see if this is also the case with the Colosseum), there really is no need to skip the line. On their site they state the line is primarily a result of people buying tickets, so if you buy online, theoretically you shouldn't really be in line for very long. The ticket itself is just 17 euros for the Vatican, they have one with a happy hour (ironic tattoos are bad, but no problem drinking alcohol) for 34 euros, which I"m thinking of getting since you see everything, line is stated to be short if you buy online, and its significantly cheaper than the tours (which while providing historical context, do somewhat restrict your freedom in how long you spend in each exhibit)

I haven't been to the Vatican recently, but from what I've read here and elsewhere, the issue at the Vatican doesn't end when you get through the ticket line. The Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel) are usually absolutely mobbed to the point that the tourist experience is seriously affected. If there are significant capacity reductions because of COVID-19, that could improve the situation, but it's not something I'd count on. The only way I know of to improve the visitor's experience is to pay for an early-access entry (cheapest from the Vatican website) or take advantage of the late hours offered--I think--one day a week. I've read here that the Vatican Museums aren't as crowded in the evening.

The Vatican Museums are massive. Unless you are prepared to make multiple day-long visits, I don't think you can see everything. Google tells me that walking through all 43 galleries would add up to over 4 miles. There are 20,000 items on display.

Sorry, but the line for what?

Tickets? You can skip the tickets line getting them in advance on the official sites.

Security? Nobody skips it.

Those who book the very expensive official tours of the Vatican Museums in the early morning** enjoy the shortest security line, for obvious reasons.

** very early, basically you arrive in the Sistine chapel even before the Holy Ghost

We've been to the Colosseum twice, 20 years apart. First a self tour, then a tour with The Roman Guy. There's no comparison - get a tour guide. This monument is so spectacular you cannot appreciate it by reading alone. The Roman Guy tours are very very good.

I have always used one of the tour companies. They have early entry and skip the lines which do cut down on wasting your time waiting. The guides know the tricks of the trades, such as taking you directly to the Sistine Chapel when you get the early entry when it is not crowded. You get great insight from the guides and you can be inquisitive and ask them questions. The Colosseum has many options for your entry. Just be aware, you can not go anywhere you want in the Colosseum. You need a special ticket for the 4th and 5th level, you need a special ticket to walk onto the floor. I have also gone on the Colosseum night tour. It was great under darkness with the moonlight. It went down to the dungeon level and onto the gladiator floor. I have booked tours with Take Walks and Through Eternity Tours and have never been disappointed paying for their tours.

Like ChristineH, I have enjoyed every food tour I have taken. They tend to be run by locals who are passionate about their cuisine, and take you to places NOT over run with tourists. I also enjoyed the Eating Europe Trastevere tour.
And yes, Viatour is a reseller.

I used Viator for a shore excursion to visit the Vatican, have lunch near Piazza Navona and tour the Colosseum, all in one too short day. Could never have managed it without the tour. The Vatican museum was an absolute joy but incredibly crowded, was so glad to have a professional guide us through. My takeaway from my short visit was that there is so much more I wanted to see and experience in Rome, I have to get back there, which I am doing this September.

Where your hotel is seems to be a critical factor on how you will experience Rome. Having bought the RS Guide, I landed on the hotel Smeraldo, which is easy walking distance to many of the sites most are interested in experiencing. I'm relying completely on the guide book and this forum to navigate my Rome adventure this time around.

Throwing my vote in with the rest to book a tour of both the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum/Palatine/Forum....but do it directly through a company like Walks of Italy, the Roman Guy or others recommended above. Don't do it through a re-seller like Viator.

The Colosseum is not a difficult thing to understand on one's own with just some reading but the Palatine and Forum are more complex sites that benefit from explanation of the various piles of stone by a knowledgable human guide.

The Vatican Museums are VAST: you would not cover the miles (yes, miles) of corridors/rooms in a single day, either on your own or with a tour. A good tour will guide you to a selection of highlights plus tell you WHY they are highlights. As mentioned before, the museums have also historically been mobbed during most of the hours they're open to the general public: people either not taking a tour or taking one which isn't on an "early entry" schedule. Those at least get into the Sistine before it's a complete zoo in there; a good amount of visitors sadly really don't care about anything BUT the Sistine so the line down in the corridor leading into that one can be long. This year? Crowds are reported to be lighter in Rome right now so if your trip is soon...

You mentioned that Happy Hour/guided tour ticket for 34 euros? The reduced price for that tour (through the museum website) is € 38,00. That price only applies if:

Reduced tickets are for children aged between 6 and 18 years old (18
years old included). Reduced tickets are also for students up to 25
years of age on presentation of a student identity card or an
International Student Card on the day of the visit.

Otherwise it's € 47,00. Click "more info" under "Vatican Museums - Guided tours and happy hour" on this page:
https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home/fromtag/1/1626843600000/Biglietti-Musei

They also have the 2-hour "Guided Tours for Individuals - Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel" tour for € 30,00 full price ticket or reduced € 21,00: see that one on the same page. It's an option if the other companies suggested are too pricey for your budget. I'm sure you can choose to do more exploring of the museums at the end of your tour if desired; just let the guide know in advance as they likely usher the group to an exit door at the end.

They don't have an issue with tattoos, just images that are lewd, violent or divisive. Same with images on t-shirts. Note the dress code spelled out on the website.

Editing to add: if someone is interested in the Happy Hour option then be careful not to book under the tour for groups of up to 10. There is a € 270.00 guide fee for that one.

In planning and having heard similar as the OP, I'm following this excellent thread. Thanks!

Additionally, I've seen a couple of food tours. I'd LOVE to go and try
out different local cuisines and fresh food from the local regions.
But are these just tourist traps with foods "designed" for tourists to
enjoy, or is it an authentic experience that gives you a taste of
local cuisine.

Just to expand a bit more on this-
Our guide for the Trastevere morning tour grew up in the neighborhood the bulk of tour takes place. We visited about 7-8? locations- from bakery to gelateria and everything in between. (suppli, porchetta sandwich, local cheese and meats, fruit at the market, trapizinno, beer/wine, and more).
These were all authentic neighborhood shops- really not a tourist in sight other than the 6 of us on the tour- and entering with our guide being cheerfully greeted by the owners was so cool. They had all known him since he was a child.
All the food is authentic, local and delicious. Don't eat too much for bkft before and you will not need lunch, we were stuffed by the end of tour.

This blog reviews the tour with some pics
https://deliciouslydirectionless.com/best-street-food-in-trastevere-rome/

I see that right now Eating Europe is only showing the Twilight Tour, I think they are just getting up and running again, so the AM tour is not listed.

As mentioned up thread we also used Walks of Italy for the Forum and Colosseum Tours. We took the "Premium Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill." The guide was knowledgeable & engaging. We enjoy either private or group walking tours and this was one of the top tours we've taken in Italy. You will find many positive reviews on this company. There were only 8 of us on the tour and it ended up we all went to lunch following the tour! www.walksofitaly.com

In regards to the Vatican- the first visit we were on a guided tour so we had a local tour guide. Our second time in Rome we revisited on our own. I would recommend a guide if it's a first time to Rome.

We did both Pristine Sistine and the colosseum tours with Walks of Italy. Both excellent. Visiting the Sistine Chapel, you need to get there right at the start. Even then it is almost shoulder to shoulder. For the colosseum, if you don‘t have some sort of skip-the-line, it is a looong wait

It's interesting the difference between the posts here, and some of my local friends in Rome response. They unanimously stated a tour is a waste of money, and you can go in yourself. Yet here is unanimous that a tour is the best way to experience it. Although ironically, they don't comment much on the crowds (maybe they're used to them?). Isn't the Sistine Chapel at the end of the Museums? All the tours I've seen end with the Chapel, they don't start with it.

As to the 34 euro happy hour, the happy hour is 17 euros, and the entrance fee is also 17 euros (no tour).

Also, since so many were talking about walks of italy, does anyone know if transportation to the Vatican is included in this: Pristine Sistine™ Early Entrance Small Group Vatican Tour

I'd love to go to the Vatican when no one is there (sounds like a very unique experience). Additionally, I can't tell if the tour ends in the Basilica, since I'd love to leave there and go to the top of the Dome (which doesn't seem like its included)

On the Pristine Sistine tour you go immediately through the museum to the Sistine Chapel, then go tour the rest.

Of course, but the inside of the buildings are still crowded. Which is why if I were to do a tour, that early access one sounds perfect. Going in before it opens? Having the entire building to yourself (or a small handful), now that's a unique experience worth a tour. They even offer breakfast inside the Vatican, although I don't know how that works and whether its worth it or not (i.e. is it just here is some bagels before we enter the building). It also seems common that the Museum is huge, and seeing as how its my first time, and I probably won't be going back in quite awhile, I think a tour would be beneficial since I'll see everything there is to see in one go (e.g. the main attractions, rather than spending time trying to find them). A lot of locals tell me not to do Tours, but they've also been there multiple times, and have easy access. So they're advice may be just the fact they look at it as a normal day trip to a Museum, rather than a once in a lifetime opportunity to see said Museum.

Another recommendation for food tours. We took them in Paris and Florence and thought they were well worth the money. We would even consider doing them again in those cities because we enjoyed them so much.

I'll join in to say that on our trip to Italy - we did a Food Tour in Rome in the Trastevere neighborhood and in Venice. We still talk about both to this day --- such a wonderful way to not only see the city but also immerse in the culture (and of course try more local cuisine than you would otherwise!).
We now look to do a food tour on all of our trips!

So, I think there are a lot of things getting muddled together here. The first thing to bear in mind is that, at this point at least, you need to buy a timed entry ticket for just about everything - this is true in a lot of the world, including the museums in my hometown. If you buy it ahead of time, regardless of whether you also get a tour, you should only have to wait in a security line to get into most sights. Not getting a timed entry ticket will mean you most likely are stuck in a long line, either waiting to get to the ticket booth, or waiting for them to let you in whenever someone with a reservation doesn't show up.

In terms of the value of a tour, that's really a personal thing. On the scale of casual engagement to deep dive knowledge and information, where do you want to fall? And that can vary from site to site. Personally, I like to study some sites to the point where I can practically give an art history lecture myself - and some sites I'll just show up with very little information. In the first case, I might grab an audiotour a la Rick Steves, or I might just wing it myself, depending on my comfort level. In the latter, I'm a lot more likely to sign up for a tour or hire a private guide.

And then there's the fact that the value of a tour can be less about the information the guide provides, and more about access and time savings. Early access Sistine chapel tours get you in earlier, and there are a lot fewer people (note - there are several early access tours at any given time, so don't expect it to be super empty). Heck, there's even an astronomically expensive one where you help unlock the chapel, if you've got cash to burn. If they're running the happy hour/evening openings, crowds are thinner than at peak times, but it's not empty. Another example is Pompeii - I'm planning to pony up for a private guide, not so much because I need extensive narration from them, but because I want to be able to say which parts I want to hit, and have them get me there without me having to wander around.

As for local friends saying they don't think the tours are worth it...have you traveled/toured with them before? Do they have a similar style to you? I have a friend whose idea of seeing the sites in a city involves walking around the city, but not going into ANYTHING. She doesn't see the point. If she's walked by it, she's "seen" it. I don't really take her advice on these sorts of things. Another friend shares my love of quirky museums, and I definitely listen her. Just something to keep in mind.

If as you say, money is not the issue, then book a Private Guide just like Rick Steves does. We did this in Rome after our RS Village Italy tour and it was absolutely the BEST money/value we have ever spent and totally catered to whatever WE wanted. Our guide took us to places that normally we would not have been able to get into or totally overlooked. (He took care of all the tickets/reservations for us) At the Colosseum, we were the people on the ground floor that other people were wondering how did they get in there?....we also did skip all the lines...10 minutes tops to get in anywhere. On a previous Rome visit, we did do the Vatican tour with a big group, it was very much the cattle call with long wait times and humungous crowds.

Take a tour.

Yes you can do it yourself but unless you research online, read books, or watch videos you might not learn interesting facts…

Such as:
What you think are paintings inside the Basilica are not. They are meticulous mosaics….

i’ve always taken Context tours. The guides are excellent and the number of people is limited, maybe four or five. They are pricey but well worth the money. You can also book them privately. I’ve never done that but it’s an option.

I love food tours! I have taken them in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Rome, Venice and even New York! As a solo traveler, I have found them a good way to have some company for a meal and to try some foods that I might not have discovered on my own. Groups have been small, no more than 6-8 people, and the other travelers have been interesting folk. The tour guides have been delightful young people who are enthusiastic about their city, culture and food. My experience has been that these tours stop at locations where locals eat or shop. They generally went to places I would not have found (or been confident about trying) on my own, particularly “street” food.

In Rome, our Rick Steves Best of Rome tour included a food tour (we broke up into small groups) in Trastevere - wonderful with stops at local shops and take-out locations, followed by a sit-down meal! Later, I took a food tour on my own that included the Jewish ghetto. It was run by Eating Europe https://www.eatingeurope.com/rome/. Also excellent!

Having been to the Vatican museums before with a Rick Steves' tour guide, I would recommend booking a tour to get the most out of the museums. It's huge! I am taking the 'get there before the Holy Ghost' [clever posting by someone else!] tour given by previously mentioned Walks of Italy to minimize the crowds. We arrive at 7 am.
In terms of the Colosseum, you definitely need to book in advance these days. However, the coopculture.it website is currently only showing dates through June. If all goes as planned, they will open July through September on Tuesday, June 22, 4 pm - Italy time. As others mentioned, I would skip a tour here and use the info in Rick's guidebook or free downloaded audio tour.
I love food tours and have done them in many cities around the globe. It's a great way to taste a variety of foods and the tour guide usually adds info about the area. I have not been able to book an open food tour yet for our trip in 3 weeks and opted to pay more for a private guide. I will change to the less expensive option should that become available. I'm using Secret Food tours and have used them in the past in other countries.