Family and kid-friendly tours in Rome

A child-friendly family tour of the Colosseum with a Context Travel docent. (Photo courtesy of Context Travel)

The best family tours in Rome: From walking tours to gladiator lessons, bus tours to private guides, sidetrips to Pompeii and tours of the Vatican

Ancient Rome Discovery

Lasting 1000 years, the period of ancient Rome, with its many emperors, warriors, poets, and myths, can be tricky to understand. This walk is designed to give families an entry point for grappling with Roman antiquity, and thus is an excellent starting point for any Roman adventure. Ancient Rome Discovery brings families into the archaeological heart of Rome where we encounter the stories of Romulus and Remus, the artistic and political achievements of the emperors, and the everyday lives of ancient Roman citizens. Centered around the Colosseum, the emphasis is on engaging with the young people in the group.

Duration: 2.5 hours; Cost: $424 per group

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Vatican for Families

The Vatican is a tough place to bring kids: The lines are long and the crowds inside unforgiving. We've developed a way of approaching the Vatican that will give your children an introduction to art and religion without overtaxing anyone's patience. We begin with the chronologically-arranged picture gallery known as the Pinacoteca, where your docent, who is trained in inquiry-based learning techniques, will conduct an interactive "seminar" on painting from the Medieval period to the high Renaissance, using masterworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and other painters as a backdrop. From here, we'll take refuge from the crowds in the cafe. Here your docent will give the group a primer on the Sistine Chapel

Duration: 3 hours; Cost: $457 per group

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Roman Gladiator School: Learn How to Become a Gladiator

Master the basics of hand-to-hand combat at a genuine gladiator school on the ancient Appian Way. You'll discover the secrets of Imperial Rome's gladiator games, get hands-on with ancient Roman history and have the best fun you can imagine! During your two-hour lesson, your gladiator instructor will teach you how to fight with authentic weapons used by the gladiators of ancient Rome. Lessons are organized and led by members of the Historic Group of Rome who specialize in the re-enactment of Roman life and gladiatorial combat...

Duration: 2 hours; Cost: $63 per person

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Eternally Young: Rome for Children

Stay young in the Eternal City on this tour of Rome's most delightful sites. The tour starts off in front of the Trevi Fountain: the sparkling cascades and waterfalls of this iconic landmark make the stone statues come alive. After tossing a coin into the fountain to ensure your return to Rome, you'll head to the impressive Piazza Colonna, punctuated by the ancient Column of Marcus Aurelius. Further on is the magnificent Baroque church of Sant'Ignazio; your guide will show you just where to stand...

Duration: 3–3.5 hours; Cost: from $319

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Colosseum for Kids: Half Day Family Tour

On this entertaining, 2.5 hour privately guided tour your children will learn about ancient Roman lifestyle, the history of the Colosseum and other remnants of ancient Rome through a magic book. The adventure starts inside the Colosseum where you will sit down in a circle with your kids so your art historian guide can explain just how the "Magic Book" works. Thanks to the historically accurate renderings of the Colosseum, gladiators and the hustle and bustle of Roman life over 2000 years ago, you will discover original and exciting aspects of the amphitheater that really make the monument come alive...

Duration: 2.5 hours; Cost: $464

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Underground Rome for Families

One of the best ways for your family to understand Roman history is to see it literally layer by layer. Lying at times up to 10 meters below the modern city, much of ancient Rome is still being excavated today. On this walk your family will explore the hidden, subterranean levels of Rome, and learn how we are still uncovering bits and pieces of it today. This walk focuses on two sites. The first is the church of San Clemente, a medieval church built on the remains of a 1st century Mithraic temple and Roman structures

Duration: 2 hours; Cost: $332 per group

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Capitloine Museums for Families

One of the largest repositories of ancient art in the world, the Capitoline Museums provide an amazing backdrop for a family-oriented seminar on the ancient world, its gods, emperors, and preoccupations. Overlooking the Forum, with its entrance in a piazza by Michelangelo, the museums hold one of the richest and most eclectic public art collections in the city. From the large fragments of the colossal statue of the Emperor Constantine to the remains of the Temple of Jupiter and the bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the museum is packed full of artworks that can enhance your family's understanding of ancient Rome. During the walk your family will also learn about Roman concepts of beauty

Duration: 3 hours; Cost: $390 per group

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Become a Roman Gladiator For One Day!

Are you ready to become a real Roman gladiator? This 2-hour shared lesson is interactive fun for the whole family. You and your kids will learn the fighting techniques developed more than 2,000 years ago by professional swordsmen in ancient Rome. The lesson starts with a tour of the Gladiator Museum to provide some insight on the history of Rome and the daily life of a gladiator (or "gladiatrix," as female gladiators were known). ...

Duration: 2 hours; Cost: from $185

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Myths for families: Raphael and Trastevere

Spend some time in a museum with a kid and you quickly realize that an understanding of myths and mythology is crucial to understanding art. This workshop takes place in and around the Villa Farnesina, which was the private villa of Agostino Chigi, on the banks of the Tiber River, where the Renaissance painter Raphael (and others) painted some of the most important mythological works in the world. A quiet refuge from the bustling city—and uniquely situated off the tourist track—this is the perfect setting for a fascinating discussion of myths, art, and the world of the Renaissance

Duration: 2 hours; Cost: $332 per group

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Galleria Borghese for Families

Small and manageable, yet filled with masterpieces of Renaissance and Baroque art, the private collection of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, housed in the Galleria Borghese, offers one of the best opportunities for children (and their lucky parents) to learn about art and history in Rome. Using inquiry-based learning techniques to stimulate discussion between children and adults, our expert docents will create a narrative based on the individual stories of the artists, how they lived, and how they created their masterpieces

Duration: 2.5 hours; Cost: $356 per group

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Ghost and Mystery Walking Tour of Rome

Tour the dark heart of Rome on a night-time Ghost and Mystery Walking Tour. When the sun sets over Rome, another side of the city comes to life - an older and more mysterious city where fact and legend are intertwined, stimulating the imagination as much as the eye. Discover a Rome known only to a few on this nocturnal stroll through the city's ghostly and curious sites

Duration: 1.5 hours; Cost: $29 per person

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How long does Rome take?

Planning your day: Rome wasn't built in a day, and you'd be hard-pressed to see it in that brief a time as well. Still, you can cram a lot into just a day or three.

To help you get the most out of your limited time in the Eternal City, here are some perfect itineraries, whether you have one, two, three, or four days to spend in Rome.

» Rome itineraries

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Useful links

SIGHTS

Tourist info
Turismoroma.it

Other useful sites
060608.it (tourism info database)
Vatican.va (Vatican)
Coopculture.it (major sights/ruins)
Archeoroma.beniculturali.it (civic archaeology department)
Museiincomuneroma.it (civic museums)
Comune.roma.it (city site)
Sovraintendenzaroma.it (city cultural department)

LODGING

TRANSPORT

Public transportation:

Agenziamobilita.roma.it (all transit and driving/parking info)
Atac.roma.it (bus & Metro/subway)

plane

Rome airports:

Adr.it

Airport transfers:

Trenitalia.com (express train: €14)
Viator.com (private car: €14–€16.50)
Terravision.eu (bus: €4)
Cotralspa.it or Sitbusshuttle.com (bus: €5)
Taxi: €45–€55

Airfares:

train

Trains:

automobile

Driving/parking:

Sabait.it (Villa Borghese garage; €18/day)
Atac.roma.it (outlying commuter parking lots; from €5 per day)
Agenziamobilita.roma.it (more on the ZTL)

Car rentals:

Car resources
Emergency service/tow: tel. 803-116
Highway agency: Autostrade.it (traffic info, serivce areas, toll calculator, weather)
Italian automotive club (~AAA): Aci.it
ZTLs: Ztl-italia.blogspot.com (lightly outdated, but handy, links to cities' traffic-free zones)