History School Trip to Rome and the Bay of Naples

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A WST tour to the Rome and Bay of Naples can support the study of elements of the following exam board specifications.

Rome

Guided Tours of Rome 

For students on a school trip to Rome, we can arrange guided walking tours for half or full days around the city, which can be tailor made to include your preferred visits. These include:

• Ancient Rome 

• Modern Rome’s Squares 

• Vatican City 

The Colosseum 

This is considered to be one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and is the largest amphitheatre built in the Roman Empire.  Your guide will fire student’s imaginations with their knowledge and descriptions of the events that took place here.

Roman Forum 

This was once the heart of Ancient Rome and the centre of public life. It is the site of public speeches, trials and commercial transactions and housed some of the most important buildings in Rome. Tread in the path of Julius Cesear and stand where Marc Antony publicly displayed the severed head and right hand of his enemy Cicero.

Palatine Hill 

According to Roman mythology this is where Rome was founded. Ideally located looking down on to the Roman Forum, this became the home of several Roman Emperors. Step inside the House of Augustus, primary residence of the Caesar Augustus during his reign and see the incredible frescos. Other sites of interest include the Hut of Romulus and the Imperial palace. The forum also provides a great view of Circus Maximus.

Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel 

The Vatican Museums occupy part of the palaces built by the Pope and is home to one of the most extensive art collections in the world including some of the very finest Greek sculptures. Your guide will also take you to see the world’s most famous chapel, the Sistine Chapel, housed within the Vatican Museums, where you will see the infamous frescoes by Michaelangelo. 

St Peter's Basilica

World famous church and the burial site of St Peter. This is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites. 

The Pantheon 

A magnificent ancient temple that was later converted to a church. Dating from AD125 it is the most superb architectural monument to have survived intact from Ancient Rome. Raphael is buried here. 

The Catacombs 

You’ll need a coach to visit these ancient Christian burial grounds which lie on the edge of the city.  Your site guide will take your underground to explore these large fascinating tombs which were created for Christians who did not have their own land to be buried on in the First Century. We recommend continuing on your coach to visit Ostia Antica or Tivoli.

Ostia Antica

Like Pompeii it’s an abandoned Roman city, unlike Pompeii it wasn’t the victim of a volcano, so it’s far less well known but provides an excellent visit for Classicists. The site is noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, magnificent frescoes and impressive mosaics. Ostia’s amphitheatre especially is wonderfully preserved. A visit to Ostia provides an opportunity to explore a Roman city in its entirety, and allows a glimpse of everyday life.

Tivoli

The medieval hill town of Tivoli, a popular retreat since ancient times sits 18 miles east of Rome. The main attraction for Classics groups here is Emperor Hadrian's Villa built at the peak of the Roman Empire. From here Hadrian was able to rule from outside but still near the capital city. Hadrian, who ruled from A.D. 117 to 138, sought refuge here from the political complexity of court life in Rome. While here it is worth exploring the grounds of the recently restored Villa d'Este, included in the UNESCO world heritage listings.                    

The Bay Of Naples

Expert Local Guides

One of our expert guides can accompany you when you visit the Classical sites. The guides are highly experienced and know the sites extremely well. We recommended their services for Pompeii, Herculaneum, Solfatara, Paestum, Cumae and Capri.  Half and Full day options are available.

Pompeii

Walking in the footsteps of the Romans it’s easy to imagine the ruins as complete houses again. Walk the same roads, stop and admire the atriums, to try and imagine the upstairs rooms, which had collapsed under the weight of the pumice stones and lava. The preserved town of Pompeii has so much to offer Classics groups starting with the Ampitheatre, you’ll also go on to see thermopolia, temples, baths, theatres,  palaestra and a forum.  The best possible way to consider ‘City Life in Roman Italy’ and Cambridge Latin Course Groups will be thrilled to take a peek inside Caecilius’s house!

Herculaneum

Life has indeed been suspended in Herculaneum. Smaller than Pompeii but better preserved due to the way the ash fell here, the more detail can be seen as well as the upper floors of houses. Herculaneum was a wealthy town, possessing an extraordinary density of fine houses, and lavish use of coloured marble cladding. The discovery in recent years of some 300 skeletons along the sea shore came as a surprise, as it had been assumed that the town had been evacuated.

Naples Archeological Museum 

For students on a school trip to Rome, a recommended visit en route to or from the airport, this truly fascinating museum contains a large collection of Roman artefacts from Pompeii, Stabiae and Herculaneum. The collection includes works of the highest quality produced in Greek, Roman and Renaissance times. It is the most important Italian archaeological museum.

Paestum

The ruins of Paestum are notable for their three ancient Greek temples which are in a very good state of preservation. The Romans later built on the site and remains of the Roman Forum and Amphitheatre can also be seen today. Paestum Archaeological museum houses the many pieces including a whole room dedicated to the “Tomb of the Diver”, dated 450 B.C. It is the only example of Greek painting with figured scenes dating from the Orientalizing, Archaic, or Classical periods to survive in its entirety.  

Pozzuoli, Solfatara and Cumae 

These 3 Classical sites are all in close proximity and so can be visited as part of a full day excursion together.

At the preserved amphitheatre in Pozzuoli, students have a unique opportunity to take steps down and to see the underground corridors where slaves and animals were held in cages before being sent up to fight.  

At Solfatara, you can walk in the mouth of this low lying volcanic crater and see fumeroles calmly escaping from the earth; with the overpowering smell of sulphur, feel the heat coming from the steam and see the ground’s bubbling mud.  A site the students will really enjoy.  

Cumae was the first Greek colony on the mainland of Italy and the seat of the Cumaean Sibyl. Visit the long echoing cave of the Sibyl visited by Aeneas (even if only in legend). See the Acropolis and the entrance to this tunnel built by Agrippa around 38BC to join his harbour in Lake Avernus to the sea. In Roman mythology, Lake Avernus was seen as a route Aeneas used to descend to the underworld.

Vesuvius

A must for any group visiting this region.  Your coach will take you most of the way up, before you park, and descend the last 200m on foot, accompanied by a guide along a wide and secure pathway offering spectacular views over the region. Upon reaching the rim of this magnificent active crater, your guide will tell your group about the volcano’s history and it’s most famous eruption.

Naples Underground Tour & Museum 

Forty meters below the lively streets of Naples, you find a different world, isolated by time, but deeply connected with the world above. Take a 2 hr guided tour and travel to the past, a world 2400 years old and where every historic epic, from the foundation of Neopolis, to the bombs of WWII, has left it’s mark on the walls of the yellow tufa stone. 

Capri

Capri was the favourite island retreat of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius. Take the boat from Sorrento to this beautiful island. Villa Jovis, a must for all Classical fanatics is the best preserved of Tiberius’ villas, and can be visited after a panoramic walk. The walk and the site of the villa itself afford incredible views.    

Villa Poppaea in Oplontis 

An excellent visit to the villa situated in the ancient Roman town of Oplontis buried by Vesuvius, about ten metres below the modern ground level. Evidence suggests that it was owned by the Emperor Nero, and believed to have been used by his second and rather notorious wife, Poppaea Sabina, as her main residence when she was not in Rome.  

ROME

Spanish Steps

The famous steps where locals and tourists alike congregate to people watch and soak up the atmosphere. The Spanish Steps are close to Via del Corso, one of the well-known high end shopping streets of Rome, so window shopping  in the many designer shops is a popular pastime.

Trevi Fountain

A must see- this is one of the most famous fountains in the world. The Trevi Fountain is located close to the Pantheon so many people choose to visit both together.

Keats - Shelley Memorial House

Located on the Spanish Steps, this is the final home of John Keats. It contains an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture and manuscripts which celebrate the lives of Keats, Shelley and Byron.  

Rome by Night – illuminated tour

This night time tour will last approx. 2 hours on board a coach and will take in key sites:  Piazza Venezia, Capitoline Hill, Jewish Quarter , Castel Sant‘Angelo, St Peter’s Basilica, Ancient Aurelian Walls framing Villa Borghese Park. 

Time Elevator - 5D Experience 

You will experience a simulated ride where you will travel through the rich history of Rome. Starting with its foundation, through the glorious days of the ancient Roman empire, the Renaissance with its masterpieces of architecture and art, the events of the 20th century, culminating in an aerial flight over the Rome of today.

Free Time

Most people choose to spend their free time in Rome either visiting the shops or relaxing in one of the many squares where you can pick up a coffee or an ice-cream and soak up the culture of the city. 

BAY OF NAPLES

Sorrento Lemon Farm Visit

Enjoy a 45 minutes walk-through this beautiful garden that has been around for several generations. Benches line the paths so that visitors can relax among the trees. It’s very peaceful inside. The grove owners grow orange trees, too. At the end of the walk is a store that sells various home made goods.

La Fabbrica Della Pasta di Gragnano Pasta Producer

Step into the world of one of Italy’s most iconic foods at this family-run business. During a guided tour of the factory, see the whole production process creating different types of pasta from short-cut extruded pasta such as Penne, to ribbon-cut noodles such as Fettuccine. After the tour students will receive a small memento from La Fabbrica Della Pasta.

Amalfi Coast Drive

A beautiful scenic drive, where a ribbon of road clings tightly to steep rugged cliff s interspersed with picturesque towns.  Take time to stop in Amalfi for a couple of hours, and perhaps visit the town of Ravello with its incredible views.

Hotel Meeting Rooms use in the Evenings

Most of our hotels are happy for groups to make use of their facilities for evening catch-ups or quizzes.

Sorrento Bowling

The Sorrento bowling alley is within easy walking distance from the centre and provides a good option to entertain your group.

The Sorrento Musical 'Tarentella' Show

The Sorrento Musical takes its cue from the “Tarantella”, a typical dance of the southern regions.  This is a popular show with tourists which takes your through Sorrento's history.