Ancient Rome Tour for Kids: Discovering the Colosseum and Roman Forum

Explore Roman antiquity and make history come alive

$421

Private

N/A

Semi-private

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Tour Details

About the Tour

Private Tour: $ 421
Category: Family, Colosseum
Duration: 2.5 hours
Location: Rome

Photos & Highlights

Explore the construction and history of the Colosseum through hands-on activities and discussions
Led by an expert guide trained to teach children
Colosseum and Roman Forum

Tour Description

In our two-and-half hour Ancient Rome tour we’ll visit the Colosseum and archaeological areas nearby, using hands-on activities to engage young people in the group and make history come alive. Our specially trained guide will help us explore the construction and history of this spectacular monument and paint a vivid picture of its history by using inquiry-based learning techniques to stimulate a lively discussion. (For more on our approach to family learning, see our Family Tours Program.)

Our walk will bring families into the archaeological heart of the city, where we will encounter the story of Romulus and Remus, the artistic and political achievements of the emperors, and the everyday lives of ancient Roman citizens. If the stories of gladiators interest the group, we'll look at the exterior of the Gladiator School, or Ludus Magnus: a training area for gladiators from which they would enter the Colosseum via an underground tunnel. We'll also stroll down the via dei Fori Imperiali and touch on the Imperial Fora, a string of open piazzas, temples, and other structures built by the emperor Augustus and his successors as Rome grew and expanded during its incredible rise in the Imperial period. To assist you in planning your Ancient Rome tour, read our guide How to Tour the Colosseum and Ancient Rome for some helpful tips.

Getting To Know You

In order to plan the best possible experience for your children, it would be helpful for us to know some background. Have they traveled to other countries? If so, where? Have they studied any subjects in school that would relate to the walk? Are they interested in art, music, even food? The more you can tell us, the better.

Due to the very interactive nature of this program and given the educational environment our docent aims to evoke, we adhere to a very strict maximum of 6 participants. Groups larger than 6 will need to book two separate walks that can run concurrently with different docents.

Skip-the-Line Colosseum Tickets

We highly recommend either an 8:15 a.m. start or later in the afternoon when the morning crowds have thinned out. Due to new security measures the queue at 9:00 a.m. tends to be much longer than the other times.

Note: Children under 18 are able to access the Colosseum with a free ticket and a reservation fee of 2 Euros. However, this requires the group to pass through a second, additional line, which can be quite long during peak seasons. If you would like to take advantage of the free ticket option for your children please note this as you place your order.

FAQ

What is a private tour?

Our private tours are limited exclusively to travelers in your party. They are designed to provide a learning experience that is completely tailored to you and your traveling companions. Private tours give you more flexibility with scheduling (you decide when the walk best fits in your trip), the ability to tailor your itinerary (we'll work to match the itinerary to the interests and dynamics of your group), and more personalized time with your guide.

What is a semi-private tour?

Our semi-private tours cover many of the same itineraries as our private tours, but they place you with other travelers in groups of 6 or less. They operate on a pre-scheduled calendar, and are designed to provide an opportunity to engage with and learn from other travelers. Most of our semi-private tours require at least three (3) participants to run, although there is some variation from walk to walk. However, there is some variation from walk to walk. As you sign up for a tentative walk we display the minimum number required in order to confirm.

If children under 18 qualify for free tickets, why am I required to purchase a ticket for my child?

While children may enter for free, they are required to stand in the general entrance line if they do so. In order to save time and expedite the walk, we purchase skip-the-line tickets so they may enter as quickly as possible.

I have purchased the Roma Pass, can I use it on my Context walks?

No, you can't use the Roma Pass on your Context walks. Roma Pass holders have to wait in the long line for the non-reserved public entrance to the Colosseum. In order to save time and expedite the walk, we purchase skip-the-line tickets so you may enter as quickly as possible.

Does this include the Gladiator School (Ludus Magnus)?

We will visit the site, and observe it from outside, but will not enter it. Your docent will talk about gladiator training and life as a gladiator.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Liz

Liz, a native of San Francisco, California holds degrees in architecture from the University of California at Berkeley and Università degli studi "La Sapienza", Rome. She specialized in restoration and urban design. Her restoration projects have brought her to work in direct contact with the rich historical layers of Rome and Italy. She has been leading study walks for Context Rome since its beginning and has lived in Rome since 1988 practicing architecture, researching design and lecturing at university study abroad programs.

Patrizia

Patrizia holds a Master's degree in Medieval archaeology and has studied at the Vatican and at the University of Aix-en-Provence. Her experience excavating in Rome is extensive, including major work at the Crypta Balbi in the 1990s, arguably the most significant archaeological excavation in central Rome in the last century. She worked for FAI - Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano (Italian National Trust) as Rome's cultural attache for over 20 years. Patrizia is the author of the guidebook to Villa Gregoriana (Tivoli). She is an accomplished teacher and guide whose knowledge of the city of Rome (and passion) is boundless.

Vannella

Vannella earned her Master's in art history from the Sapienza University of Rome, with a special focus on teaching. She is an accomplished lecturer and teacher, and has been organizing on-site learning and tours in Rome for nearly thirty years. Vannella is an official guide for the Vatican Museums and has worked in such Roman museums as the Borghese Gallery, Castel S. Angelo, Galleria Colonna, and Galleria Doria Pamphili.

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231 Reviews - (4.76)

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.

Alessia was fabulous - she brought the colosseum and forum to life for my three children, ages 8-14. Highly recommend her!

Christine

Jul. 19, 2019

Alessia was great. The tour was about 45 minutes longer than it needed to be. By the time we got to the forum we were all tired and hot and my teens zoned out. I would recommend shortening the tour a bit. Also, my teens would have liked more stories about the gladiators and less about the stones used - there was a lot of discussion about the stones/bricks.

Gina

Jul. 16, 2019

This tour was not geared toward my children like I had hoped. My sister had a different guide that geared the entire tour toward her children and they were engaged the entire tour. My children lost interest very quickly. It was geared toward art and history, but not the actual events that took place at the colloseum. I was disappointed.

Rosa

Jul. 11, 2019

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Tour Experts

All Context Experts are scholars or specialists in their field.

Liz

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Patrizia

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Vannella

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