Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.comRoman Gladiator School: Learn How to Become a Gladiator
based on 60 reviews of Roman Gladiator School: Learn How to Become a Gladiator
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Roman Gladiator School: Learn How to Become a Gladiator. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
We really enjoyed our training - it was hard work but lots of laughs. Clearly the instructor loves what he is doing at the Scuola and loves to share his passion with others. We were also pleased to have some training with a Gladiatora. We got a tour of their little museum, some training with wooden swords then we graduated to dull metal swords, and finally the fisherman net fight. We also had a break with water and watermelon. By the way we are adults in our late thirties and early forties, so it is an experience for all ages. Even with the map provided by Viator it was hard to find and our taxi driver could only drop us off in the vicinity and leave us to search it out. I would suggest a much more detailed map.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, Canada, July 2008
We went to the school and had a great time. Our instructor's wit and humor made my our boys feel comfortable. The location was very hard to find. We took the city bus and drove right past it! We ended up at the catacombs and had to walk back along the Old Appian way. I was very glad to have found a friendly traveler who had a cell phone to call the school and tell them that even though we had left an hour ahead of our scheduled time, we were still going to be about 35 minutes late. Our instructor stayed there until we arrived and we had a fun filled afternoon. The museum was also fascinating. Our boys are 17, 18, and 14 and I believe at any age anyone would find a good time. Thank you for waiting for us and making us feel welcome. It will be good when you get your new location. In the meantime I would recommend that your guests take a taxi and bypass the bus system.
Reviewed by: Sandy K, United States of America, July 2008
It was a lot of fun, but it is a workout, so I would suggest having some shorts or sweatpants. The gear was a lot of fun, and the instructor was very knowledgeable.
Reviewed by: Jana K, Canada, May 2008
A great afternoon; wonderful that English was spoken, too! Better signposting on the Appia Antica would have been helpful.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, Italy, April 2008
My son loved this activity. It was a highlight of his trip and will give him special memories for the rest of his life. I was not quite as keen on it as he was. First off, the place is hard to find. It's tucked away off a main road in a somewhat industrial area of town. It's right under a train track, so it's a bit of an adventure to find it. The signage is alway very poor. When we arrived there was another group going and my son was eager to get started. However, when it came our time, we learned we were the only ones signed up for that time. He got a one-on-one lesson; I am not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. I think it would have been more fun if more people would have been there. The guide seemed tired and not very in to the whole thing. Friends kept stopping in and he would stop and chat, leaving my son to just stand there. Our two hour lesson was actually forty five minutes. It was fun for my son and he loved the active part of it, however very little history of gladiators was presented. The so-called museum is just a room with some displays on Roman life and gladiator equipment. I would not recommended it, it's a little messy and not professional. I am torn about this event. My son loved it, I did not. If we had friends going with a teenage son, I would suggest it to them, but with a bit of a warning.
Reviewed by: Patrick D, United States of America, April 2008
My 18-year-old son had a blast. If you have a teenager interested in events like this, it is definitely worth doing. Do not go via public transportation; grab a cab as it is definitely tough to find.
Reviewed by: Alex O, United States of America, April 2008
I was skeptical as the reviews mostly said 'great for kids'. My husband and I are both in our late 20's and we both did this and it was awesome!! It was alot of physical activity though, and I won't lie, we may not have been able to walk very well the next two days due to aching muscles!! We were the only two in the class this day, which was good for having the personal attention, but the contest would have been more fun with a large group! The $100 fee each was a little pricey, but it was worth it!
Reviewed by: Tanya D, United States of America, October 2007
The place was off the beaten track; we had to get a taxi, and the driver didn't know where to go. Once we found it we had a great time. We were told lots of historical facts, and when the other gladiators went on a parade, we had exclusive access to the teachers, who spoke English well. It was too hot to dress in tunics, but we used the swords and helmets in strenuous exercises and mock fights. There were drinks and cakes in abundance. I'm so glad I booked this as a birthday surprise. Thank you! I would never have known about it had I not seen it on your website.
Reviewed by: Ray A, United Kingdom, July 2007
Could have been better our instructor was a sweet little five foot Italian girl who could not speak English, no men instructors available on the site. Expected to do more as per web site like knife throwing but still had fun. Next time would confirm the itinerary. We were three middle aged Russell Crowe guys! With our wives 25th wedding anniversary the little Italian lady was more interested in our spectating ladies than us.
Reviewed by: REGINALD GLEN S, United Kingdom, November 2008
Great ideas and interesting museum, but a little amateurish.
Reviewed by: Melvyn J, Australia, October 2008
Lovely people. Really just the outcome of a back yard job.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, Australia, January 2008
The gladiator school is a great concept. The instructor was also very knowledgeable. The problem is the location, which is on the other side of Rome, down a dirt road and located near a junkyard in a very poor section of town. We did not feel comfortable there after the cab let us off. The time he spent with us and what was taught was not a good value. It also is advertised that you get to keep the tunic and sword, which you do not. I would not recommend this tour to anyone!
Reviewed by: Dominic C, United States of America, July 2007 Note from Viator: We apologize for the misunderstanding. We listed Gladiator clothing and weapons on our website as included in this package, meaning your use of these items is included during your lesson. Unfortunately, this is not equipment you get to keep.
It was good for kids, and our sixteen year old thoroughly enjoyed it. A little hokey for adults. Also, they were quite hard to find: even the cab driver had problems!
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, June 2007
I don't recommend this to anyone. I was sold on the ad to try the school out. It seemed to be very fun and interesting, as well as educational. I thought this would be something fun that me and my girlfriend could try and was also looking forward to the many pics we would take. The ad says train and fight with weapons. It's not weapons it's weapon. The only weapon trained on was the sword. The three offensive and three defensive moves we learned we could have googled. What took two hours to learn those moves could have been taught in 15 minutes or less. We spent more time exercising than anything else. If we wanted to workout we would have went to a gym. I didn't get the point of running and jumping over boards picking up a sword and placing another one on the ground in it's place.
The ad says receive a victory prize and a certificate, which didn't happen. Also, the instructor kept stopping to tend to other people. This was a complete waste of time that I could have spent going somewhere else. For the money you spend do it on something you can actually have fond memories of.
We didn't get to do this as we got lost when we did find it we were not sure if we had the right place as it was down a small road we couldn't see any houses and dogs were coming out barking and it didn't look safe at all. Not at all happy with this experience. They need to put a sign up so at least you know that you're in the right place.
Reviewed by: Kristy J, Australia, July 2007
