Roman Gladiator School: Master Hand-to-Hand Combat on the Ancient Appian Way

1,487 Ratings

Roma

Save

View Gallery (10)

Acquire the fundamentals of close combat at an authentic gladiator academy located on the historic Appian Way. Uncover the mysteries of the gladiatorial games of Imperial Rome, interact directly with the history of ancient Rome, and experience unimaginable enjoyment!

Duration: 2 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

learn more

Highlights

Via Appia Antica, 18 - Parents and/or companions do not have to pay the ticket if they do not attend the course
Your gladiator lesson takes place at the Gladiator School of Rome, located near the Colosseum on the historic Appian Way. Specializing in the reenactment of ancient Roman life and gladiator fighting, your instructors are members of the…

What's Included

Gladiator attire and weaponry included for your lesson!
2-hour immersive Gladiator class
Complimentary drink
Training by the Historic Group of Rome’s experts

What's Not Included

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop off
Food and beverages, unless specified

Additional Information

Minimum age is 6 years

Location

Via Appia Antica, 18

Via Appia Antica

Departure Point: Lessons commence at the Gladiator School of Rome, located approximately 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from The Colosseum Address: Via Appia Antica, 18, 00179, Rome, Italy Directions: Either take Metro (line B) and get off at OSTIENSE and take the bus number 118 OR take Metro (line A), get off at stop SAN GIOVANNI and then take bus number 218. However in the spirit of easy access - we suggest taking a taxi (approx. 10-15 euros) to access the school Dates: Daily Opening hours 9:30am - 1:30pm 2:00pm - 6:00pm Return point: Concludes at the Gladiator School of Rome

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.7

(1487 Ratings)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Enzozus

Mar 3, 2026

Excellent and worth the effort to visit - My 8-year old nephew loved this more than anything else we did on our trip. Teacher was engaging with all the students as well as family. Took a taxi to and from school from Centro Storico. It would be ideal if the school had souvenir t-shirts for kids to purchase but I also appreciate not having to walk through a gift shop and being pushed merchandise (like the Vatican museums). Only suggestion I have is that you cannot rely on having food available nearby before or after the school as the area only really has one restaurant that we did not use. My nephew already wants to return and he has been practising his gladiator moves.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

253louiseh

Feb 22, 2026

Absolute must - An absolute must for anyone with kids interested in all things Gladiators. Although good for adults too! Our guide was so knowledgeable and had our attention from start to finish. This was honestly one of the best experiences of our weekend. Halfway through the experience my 6 year old asked if we could come back tomorrow! Ps recommend catching the 118 bus as it drops off and picks up outside the location.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Brian_k

Feb 20, 2026

What a fun experience. ... - What a fun experience. This was our two daughters top highlight of our trip, and one of our favorites as well. Mirco was so engaging, funny and full of great information. This was a great break from sightseeing to do something truly interactive and unique.

Review provided by Viator

648lissetl

Jan 21, 2026

Very exciting and interesting - My 8 years old son and my 10 y.o. daughter enjoy so much the Gladiator school experience. They trained, they fight, they learnd about roman culture and the Gods. So much, the day after the experience they were already asking to go there again 🤩 Mirko the instructor is amazing with kids, patient, funny and energetic. We absolutely recommend Gladiator school experience 👏 👍

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Gordon_b

Jan 9, 2026

A perfect addition to our Italy trip. - This was such a fun, informative experience! As this was our first time in Italy, we wanted to get the full Italian experience and Gladiator School was just that! Our trainer was so knowledgeable; we learned so much about Roman history. The gladiator training itself was fun and comical as we had no idea what we were doing, but our teacher was encouraging and helped us feel right at home.

Review provided by Viator

Josie_l

Jan 1, 2026

Very highly recommend.... - Very highly recommend. One of the kids’ favorite parts of our trip for sure. I found the whole experience very impressive! My kids already want to go back to do it again!!

Review provided by Viator

Samantha_b

Dec 9, 2025

Absolutely must do when... - Absolutely must do when visiting Rome. Our children (and us) thoroughly enjoyed the experience and all the children asked to go again the next day! Our guide gave an engaging tour of the museum and even had the kids asking lots of questions. He was lots of fun and had us all laughing - especially at our final battle. The kids have all said it was the highlight of their time in Rome

Review provided by Viator

Guiceg2018

Feb 23, 2026

rome gladiator school - The gladiator school is great for young children. You get good value for your money. The staff is really good with choldren.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Brook_w

Feb 19, 2026

This is fun and... - This is fun and entertaining experience. Contrary to the pictures gladiator re-enactors / actors are not present and do not fight nor pose for pictures (at least in February). So be aware it is one man leading the group through training exercises and then prompting everyone to fight each other in the “arena”. It was fun and the kids had a great time but if you’re expecting the gladiators pictured you will be disappointed.

Review provided by Viator

Corinne_m