Roman Gladiator School: Learn How to Become a Gladiator

Rome, Italy

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.

Don't miss this opportunity to re-create Roman history and life as a gladiator. Dressed in a traditional gladiator tunic, belt, leather protective glove and rudis (training sword), you can let your imagination run wild as you play like Spartacus for a day, fighting off ferocious lions and sword-wielding warriors!

Next, learn the basic techniques of gladiatorial sword fighting and take part in an optional gladiatorial tournament, with the winner receiving a victory prize. All participants receive a certificate of accomplishment.

If you're fascinated by Roman Gladiators but not sure if you're up for it, you can choose to watch friends or family free of charge. There's a great viewing platform.

Are you up to the challenge of this truly Roman experience combining culture, sport and ancient legends!

USD $70.22

Traveler Reviews

Review by: George B	April 2012
Great.

Review by: tkothari	March 2012
Our boys, ages 6 and 8 enjoyed the school and learned some history as well. I think the costs are high for what you get. Enjoyed our gladiator teacher.

Review by: Anthony F	March 2012
Roman Gladiator School was an exceptional experience for both myself and my son. The museum tour was very educational, and helped us to understand the life and times of the Gladiator. Fight training was a blast! We first trained with the ruduis, the wooden sword, then moved to steel spatha, helmets and metal protective shields. Our trainer coached us on the basics of striking and defending, then led us through drills in our full combat gear. As martial artiest both my son and I really appreciated the training and effort our coach gave to us. This was an amazing experience and I recommend it to everyone, from the martial artiest to the entire family.

Review by: Rebecca B	February 2012
Absolutly Fantastic!" Tank you for honouring the lesson to my, 14 yr old, son who was the only participant! He had a one-to-one tuition and thoughly enjoyed it as di we the spectators . The high light of our visit . I sincerely and strongly recommend this outing in Rome. Thanks again, a memory never to be forgotten!

Review by: Belinda H	February 2012
Awesome! It was the best thing my 3 kids and I did in Rome.

Review by: Grant M	February 2012
Our three kids (8,10, 13) all really enjoyed the experience. We were very lucky to have a session to ourselves so it was very interactive and hands on. The staff were amazingly knowledgable and very keen to share the Roman spirit. Great with the Kids and the highlight was learning how to wield the sword (wooden stick). They all got a chance to fight the master and amazingly each one won!!! I will note that our three didn't have to do the physical exercise training bit which we saw the group after us doing and I think our kids were relieved that they spent their time outside the museum doing sword training, practice and eventually the show down! Most appealing for kids in my opinion and still a very special part our our Rome holiday!

Review by: Peter D O	February 2012
This was fantastic. A lot of fun and very informative. My 11 year old son had a great time. Absolutely get a taxi to this venue, it does not cost much and really the only way to get there.

Review by: Angellia M	January 2012
Roman Gladiator School was amazing! My sons and husband had a great time learning to fight like gladiators and learning about Roman history. Our instructor was very informative, very fun, and made sure that everyone had a great day. We would recommend this to anyone, especially those with children. It was the highlight of my boys' vacation!

Review by: George L	January 2012
Very entertaining. Educational and just plain fun.

Review by: pennyo900	January 2012
My 10 year old son loved the school as much as my husband did! The teacher was very funny--I kill you! Haha

Review by: Lesa M	December 2011
A great experience for those who enjoy history. You will learn about ancient Roman Gladiators and then you will learn to play the role. The instructor was knowledgeable, humorous, and patient. We had an amazing experience.

Review by: jennifer	December 2011
Great opportunity to learn about Roman history and become a gladiator!

Review by: Sarah M	November 2011
My kids and I loved this. We have a lot of good memories, pictures and laughs fromthis

Review by: J M M	November 2011
Our two boys (8 and 10) really enjoyed their session. They love Roman history so enjoyed the talk in the museum as well as their time "training" in the gladiator school. I would like to stress that it is essential to phone the local number to confirm as I do not believe they had heard of us before I called. There were three other families booked in the same session which was slightly disappointing as it means more time is spent watching others - both boys would have liked to do more actual fighting. I do feel slightly aggrieved at having to pay higher prices for booking a smaller number of people but then finding the boys were part of a large group anyway, particularly as the total number taking part in the session was more than it is possible to book on Viator. I can understand higher prices for a smaller total number but if the session is full (or over full) then it would be reasonable to assume reduced prices should apply.

Review by: birgitte.thissen	November 2011
Our 7-years old son absolutely loved it! He awarded it 1 million stars. The 'museum tour' was both interesting and fun and the gladiator lessons were fantastic. However, I felt that the price is exceptional high for two persons and even for Rome out of proportion and therefore I am not sure whether I would recommend it to someone.

Review by: Phillip P	November 2011
Excellent. Great fun and Hermes, our instructor, was wonderful.

Review by: Darren O	October 2011
So much fun! My 9 and 10 year old boys and I all really enjoyed the session. There was a short historical overview followed by a pretty solid work out with wooden swords and padded batons.

Review by: lincoln m j	October 2011
A LOT of fun, and it gives you a real "feel" for the training of gladiators. Great for History teachers!

Review by: Denise	October 2011
Although a little tricky to find the place, once we arrived we were met by Marcus who made sure we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. His historical knowledge was outstanding and he is extremely passionate about the history of Roman Gladiators and his teaching of gladiator tactics. We highly recommend this to anyone visiting Rome!! I am so glad we booked this.

Review by: DIMITRIE S	October 2011
Got kids aged 6-13? This is an absolute must do. We took four kids (aged 11,9,7,6 - 2girls, 2boys) after a morning at the Coliseum. This is still their favorite thing in Italy.

Review by: Karen M V	September 2011
all of the guys in our group had a great time and the girls enjoyed taking all the pictures...a good time by all. the instructor was great

Review by: Amy M	September 2011
fantastic and unique experience

Review by: Cynthia B	September 2011
Our entire family became gladiators (my three boys, 9, 13 and 15, and my husband and me) and we had an absolute blast! We would have liked to have spent a little less time in the museum and more time in the arena, but apart from that, it was a very fun experience!

Review by: Phillip O	August 2011
Excellent fun and educational too. The kids - and my husband - thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Try and avoid middle of the day as there is little shade and it can be quite energetic!

Review by: Brian W	August 2011
Outstanding! My husband was a bit worried that it might be a something more for just kids. The class lasted quite a while, husband got a great workout, teacher was outstanding. Photos and videos I took are priceless. Would recommend this to anyone who goes to Rome and is looking for something beyond the typical tourist activity. Great!

Review by: Madelaine S K	August 2011
Great fun and information that I never would have learned without this experience.

Review by: Anne L	August 2011
This experience was so much fun! My boys loved it! They really felt like true gladiators! The museum part was neat too. The history regarding this subject is fascinating.

Review by: Shannon T	August 2011
Great fun - the kids loved it, and we learned so much about that time period in history. Definitely recommend it!

Review by: Theresa P	August 2011
Aside from having a great deal of trouble finding the Gladiator School, we felt that this was a wonderful experience and the trainer was wonderfully passionate about the content and the history. We attended this one right after our Colosseum tour, so it was a great continuity and follow on.This event is well worth it if you want an authentic feel for gladiator fighting, and don't mind getting hot and sweaty. I would recommend you take a taxi to the venue and make sure that the taxi driver actually knows where you are going, or you could be up for a very long walk as we were. Good event and worth it. Great individual attention. Go for it !

Review by: Strangward J	July 2011
This was by far THE best thing we did in Rome. My 13 yo daughter and 12 yo boy were enthralled by the introduction to gladiator life - as was I. Trying on helmets, holding shields, holding swords was a thrill but best of all was the lesson in how to fight. Our guide / teacher - Pierre - was brilliant and had the children totally engaged. We're still practising our moves at home! I couldn't rate this highly enough.

Review by: Anna	July 2011
The entire family enjoyed this activity. The tour is private and the guide is very knowledgeable and answers all questions. The lesson was fun!

Review by: Gillian S	July 2011
My kids (9 year old boy and 6year old girl) plus my husband loved this activity. The kids especially didn't want it to end! Very informative and fantastic fun. Thanks to the teacher for accommodating our whole family, and for being so friendly! Highly recommended

Review by: michelle s	July 2011
great fun thoroughly enjoyed ourselves - lots of interesting facts on this experience.

Review by: Janet C	July 2011
It was a great tour. The history behind the gladiator was very interesting and the hands on fighting was the best. It gave you a true sence of the weight of the armour and swords. My boys and I had a great time, plus we met some real nice people.

Review by: Bernadette B	July 2011
My two children did this and loved every minute of it. The museum is pretty neat and instruction fun. My kids wanted to "spar" longer but I think that is just my kids

Review by: Paul S	July 2011
Had a blast and became a citizen of ancient Rome too.

Review by: Lindsey P	July 2011
What fun and out of the ordinary activity to do while in Rome! It was one of the best tours we did in Rome. I'm a 48 year old mom and my son is 14. I'm not sure who had more fun! I would recommend this tour to young and old alike. This is interactive and our gladiator teacher/guide was most patient and fun. Even when this 48 year old mom had a hard time remembering all the proper move with my sword. Thanks for offering this tour. That way more people would know about this activity.

Review by: Loulou	July 2011
Our children are still talking about the Roman Gladiator School, Hamish (9) because he constantly got "into trouble for not being a good gladiator" and Alexandra (11) because she was "the best at all the moves". Prior to going to Rome, we read previous reviews on this activity and the tip about catching a taxi there was a very good one. It is very small and the "museum" is perhaps not showcased to its best in a dusty old shed out the back. However, the Gladiator who explained all the artifacts really brought everything alive and made it interesting for young and old alike. We would recommend this as a very worthwhile activity to do in Roma.

Review by: Wes	July 2011
Fun for someone who wants to role play as a training gladiator. You don't use real gladiator uniforms but still fun. The teacher was great and the group that was there was enjoyable. You also learn a lot about how gladiators trainied and what they used.

Review by: felicity ann Y	July 2011
My 12 year old son had a fantastic time. I agree the school is hard to find, down the end of a dirt road (so would say a taxi is a must), but one there he was lucky to have one on one instruction for the 2 hours and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Review by: Jade	July 2011
Very fun experience. Was a bit sceptical at first because we got a taxi to the school and we were thinking hmmmm where are we going???? but arrived and it was all good. My fiance and I were the only 2 in our group which was great and got to use real metal swords instead of wooden ones which was more authentic. Had the best time trying on all the different helmets and swords and shields. Probably more of a macho boys afternoon activity to do - fighting and sweating it out with each other before hitting the pub afterwards but yes it was a very enjoyable couple of hours.

Review by: Robert S	June 2011
This is a fun diversion from the fabulous but crowded Rome attractions (e.g. Coliseum, Forum, Vatican etc), particularly for kids. It is in a quirky out of the way location a couple miles south of the Coliseum. The gladiator 'trainers' are very knowledgeable, playful gentlemen who make for a very fun, interactive experience. School starts with a walk through the small and very interesting gladiator "museum", in which the trainer walks participants through a fun and interesting history of Roman gladiators and soldiers, using the actual weapons, garb and tools used by the gladiators and soldiers. The history lesson is followed by a full on training session in which participants learn basic gladiator combat moves. The session closes with live "combats" between the participants. It is strictly voluntary and highly choreographed so as to insure safety. All in all, a good clean fun activity and a great way for kids to get a hands on taste of Roman gladiatorial history.

Review by: Preston R B	June 2011
Definitely a fun and worthwhile activity for me and my teenage sons who were burnt out on museums, art, and cathedrals! We needed some time to tussle around without worrying about damaging hotel furniture and this was the perfect thing for us. Our instructor did a great job of playing an ancient Roman drill instructor and my kids willingly went along with it knowing it was all just part of the experience. In addition to learning how to hack each other with wooden swords, it was also very educational as our instructor discussed ancient Roman life with hands-on replicas of armor and weapons. I believe my kids will remember almost every historical fact they were told because of the immersion into the setting. It only takes a few hours and I would definitely recommend it as part of your vacation adventure and make some fun memories with your family.

Review by: brina73	June 2011
My family (me, hubby and 2 sons - ages 10 and 16) did the Gladiator school in early June. We were staying in the Campo de Fiori area and we had no problems finding a taxi that could get us to the school. We showed him the address and were there in about 10 mins/cost about 7 euro. My kids LOVE Roman history, mythology, gladiators, etc. so I knew this would be up their alley. I signed my husband and myself up too...b/c we're big kids at heart and I figured after a few days of serious site-seeing we'd probably enjoy the chance to let loose a little. The first hour is spent in their "museum" getting your history lesson - which I didn't mind, but some of the younger kids in the class had trouble being still/quiet/interested. The Gladiator teacher was not happy with this and called the kids out if they yawned or played with the swords. He took it/himself very seriously. We only ended up with about 45 mins for actual sparring - we learned 5 offense and 5 defense moves and then practiced with opponents. Then we had fought one another until there was a victor. My kids had a great time- I had fun, too. I do, however, think it's overpriced and we didn't get our drink either. I also think this is best for older kids who have a longer attention span as there is a lot of information/history in the first hour or so. All in all, it was a good time and since everything in Rome seemed expensive it wasn't that big of a deal.

Review by: James W, Singapore	July 2010
We had an amazing time great for all ages. You get to use real swords and other weapons. The highlight of the trip.

Review by: Susan M, Ireland	June 2010
If you have children this is great fun and they get to learn alot. I had my two teenagers with me and they had a ball, learning how to fight. The instructor was very good and gave time to each person.The two hours flew by. The only down side is its hard to find and you would need a taxi. 15-17.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	June 2010
Excellent trainer, he was so good with the kids. They had a ball!

Review by: James G, United Kingdom	June 2010
Had an excellent time at the Gladiator school. Very authetic gladiator school and had 1 on 1 lesson for my 40th birthday while in Rome. The people were great - especially Pietro. Best thing we did while in Rome for 5 days.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	June 2010
We attended this with our two sons 9 & 7 and we all had a blast. The instructor was professional but fun. It was the highlight of our trip!!

Review by: Dorothy L, United States of America	May 2010
We had great fun doing this. We were the only 2 people that session. Very much enjoyed the one on one attention.