An Unforgettable Experience Awaits
Our cross-curricular school trips to Rome and the Bay of Naples are perfect for discovering two culturally rich and varied Italian destinations, and covering multiple subjects and student interests.
Trip Highlights
The Colosseum, largest amphitheatre in the world
Renaissance splendor at the Vatican
The curious, preserved Roman city of Pompeii
Climb Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano
Recommended excursions
Herculaneum
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD, the city of Herculaneum was engulfed in an avalanche of mud that preserved the buildings and streets. The excavated city today can be explored on foot, giving students a fine example of Roman lifestyles and architecture.
Tip: Herculaneum is a lot less busy than the more famous Pompeii.
Mount Vesuvius
A hike up to the crater of this famous active volcano provides splendid views and a fresh perspective on the landscape. The whole Vesuvian area was turned into a national park in 1995. Your group can discuss the disastrous eruption of 79AD, which destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae.
Pompeii
Probably the most famous archaeological site in Italy, Pompeii is located just 25km away from Naples. Life in this rich and prosperous city was dramatically and brusquely interrupted in 79AD when Vesuvius erupted and totally buried it. A visit to the excavations gives students a pretty good idea of what life must have been like here two thousand years ago.
Capri Island
A ferry trip from Sorrento to the Island of Capri gives students a great opportunity to observe the geography of the coastline from a different perspective. The island is famed for its lemon groves, natural beauty and expensive boutiques, with highlights including the impressive Villa San Michele.
Amalfi coast
The Amalfi coastline is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, offering steep rugged cliff tops adorned with lemon groves, beautiful vineyards and picturesque villages such as Ravello, Amalfi and Furore. This is a magnificent setting with views of the sea and fine examples of architecture, geography and historical monuments.
Naples Underground
Descend 40m below the streets of Naples into a subterranean world of quarries and tunnels dating back 2,400 years. The caverns and passageways not only provided building stone for the city but have also been used as an aqueduct and cisterns, Roman access passageways and most recently provided shelter during WWII. The visit also includes the ruins of a Greco-Roman theatre where the Emperor Nero once performed.
Sorrento
Sorrento has grown from a small fishing village to one of the largest tourist destinations along the Amalfi Coast. Winding stone stairways lead to piazzas that are filled with the sound of traditional Italian. Enjoy stunning sea views, pick up souvenirs and watch the world go by.
The Race for Time – E3 City Trail
The Race for Time trail is a teacher-led, self-guided city tour showcasing top landmarks. Fun activities along the way promote teamwork and dynamic thinking, turning a normal walk into a sightseeing adventure! Each trail pack includes comprehensive teacher’s notes and a risk assessment document (MFL and Enrichment version available).
Colosseum, Rome
The Colosseum is the most spectacular surviving edifice of ancient Rome and the largest amphitheater in the world. See the arena where senators, Vestal Virgins and the masses watched gory gladiatorial conquests, battle reenactments, executions and mythological dramas. A visit here helps students to understand the importance of the spectacle in Roman society.
The Roman Forum
Visit the centre of classical Rome with your students, and stand on the spot where the great orators made their names. Now a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments in the city centre, the Forum was the site of processions, elections, public speeches and criminal trials. Tip: A visit here is a good starting point for discussions on the life and times of Cicero.
Palatine Hill
Overlooking the Forum, this was once the smartest address in the Roman Empire. Students can investigate the remains of extravagant palaces built here for emperors including Tiberius and Domitian. The hill is said to be where Romulus killed Remus in 735BC, and in 2007, a sacred sanctuary dedicated to the brothers was unearthed here beneath the house of Augustus.
The Vatican
The centre of the Roman Catholic Church is home to the awe-inspiring Renaissance masterpiece Basilica di San Pietro and the Vatican Museums, with rich collections from classical sculpture to Egyptian pieces, Renaissance paintings and the legendary Sistine Chapel. Students learn how the Vatican gained its position and explore its contemporary meaning.
Spanish Steps
Students on their own ‘Grand Tour’ can join the likes of writers Byron and Honoré de Balzac in being inspired by the view from the longest and widest staircase in Europe. The hillside was transformed in 1723 – 1725 in honour of a diplomatic visit by the king of Spain, with the staircase linking the Piazza di Spagna to the Trinita dei Monti church.
Trevi Fountain
This fountain at the junction of three roads – tre vie – marks the end point of one of the aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. Completed in 1762, it’s a baroque extravaganza of carved seashells, sea beasts and mermaids incorporated in a stately triumphal arch. It famously featured in the films Three Coins in the Fountain and La Dolce Vita.
Piazza Navona
Originally built as a stadium in the first century for athletic contests and chariot races, Piazza Navona was laid out in its ruins in the 15th century, and is now a lively place where locals and tourists hang out. Students can watch the street performers, enjoy an ice cream and admire the baroque palaces that line the square.
Tip: A good place to spend time in the evening
The Catacombs, Rome
Explore the underground burial chambers tucked beneath the Eternal City, on a guided tour of Rome’s Catacombs. An eerie experience for even the bravest of hearts, your students will gain a fascinating insight into the city’s history by exploring what lies beneath its streets. Photo © Dennis Jarvis.
Tip: The Christian catacombs house important examples of early Christian art, from before 400AD
The Galleria Borghese
The Galleria Borghese is set within the Villa Borghese Pinciana, renowned for its gardens. A substantial part of the Borghese collection of paintings, sculptures and antiquities come from the 1st-3rd centuries AD including classical and neo-classical sculptures such as the Venus Victrix and a beautiful ceiling fresco by the Sicilian artist Mariano Rossi.
Gladiator Training School
This sporty workshop lets students walk in the shoes of gladiators. Instructors teach them ancient combat techniques and explain the gladiators’ life and times. Students wear a traditional tunic, Roman sandals, belt and protective gloves, and use a wooden training sword. On completion they receive a medal declaring them a ‘Tiro’, or first level gladiator.
Virtual Reality Experience at Pompeii
Enhance your students experience at Pompeii and see the ancient city in a new and exciting way. At key points of interest put on your Virtual Reality headset and travel back 2,000 years in time. The streets, temples, theatres, markets, shops and houses come to life before your eyes in 3D and in 360°. The visit will be accompanied by tour assistants to help with the equipment. It is also possible to add a qualified guide.
Cuma Archaelogical Park
This is the oldest Greek settlement on mainland Italy known as Magna Graecia and was founded in the 8th or 9th century BC. Excavations in the early 20th century unveiled ancient crypts, tunnels and caves. The ruins abound with Greek mythology including Virgil’s tale that it was here the Cumaean Sibyl directed Aeneas to Hades. The Temple of Apollo is built on the site where Daedalus is said to have flown in Italy escaping King Minos in Crete. At the top of the ancient acropolis are the ruins of the Temple of Jupiter.
Flavian Amphitheater Pozzuoli
This is the third largest amphitheatre in Italy and it is likely the structure was built by the same architects who built the Coliseum in Rome. The original interior is largely preserved thanks, in part, to the Solfatara volcano which partially buried the amphitheatre. This is a great location for pupils studying Roman history.
Typical accommodation
Hotel Tourist ★★★
Why groups like it:
- Near the old town centre, station and tourist port
- Easy access to the Island of Capri, Pompeii and Herculaneum
- Friendly and helpful staff
Facilities:
- Swimming pool (seasonal opening)
- Private bathrooms
- Air conditioning
Hotel Luciani ★★
Why groups like it:
- Located perfectly for public transport, it’s 50m from bus and Metro stops
- 100m from the Stazione Termini
- 24-hour reception desk and multilingual staff make this great for groups
Facilities:
- Snack bar and Wi-Fi access
- TV room
- Continental breakfas
Itinerary suggestion
1 Flight to Rome. Flight time approximately 2 ½ hours
2 Coach transfer to your accommodation
3 Evening meal. Own evening sightseeing to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps
1 Breakfast
2 Your own sightseeing – The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill
3 Evening meal. Own evening sightseeing
1 Breakfast
2 Your own sightseeing – St Peter’s and the Vatican Museum then onto the Pantheon
3 Evening meal. Own evening sightseeing to Piazza Navona
1 Breakfast
2 Travel to the Bay of Naples by coach with a stop at Monte Cassino
3 Evening meal. Own sightseeing in Sorrento
1 Breakfast and packed lunch
2 Visit the ruined Roman city of Pompeii (coach)
3 Ascend Mount Vesuvius (coach)
4 Evening meal
1 Breakfast and packed lunch
2 Boat trip along the spectacular Amalfi Coast
3 Pizza making
4 Tarantella show. Evening pizza meal
1 Breakfast and packed lunch
2 Flight times permitting travel to the airport via Pozzuoli. Connect with your return flight to the UK
Learning outcomes
Subject focus
Students can:
- Experience learning outside the classroom in another country – the language, culture, history, art, architecture and religion
- Practise speaking a foreign language
- Gain a deeper understanding of classical history and Christianity
- Understand more about volcanic hazards, plate tectonics
- Build confidence and learn to value the skills and techniques needed for personal and team success
- Broaden the mind through the study of another culture
- Discover, explore and have fun with fellow students and teachers
Student outcomes
Students will have had an opportunity to:
- Visit a foreign country and experience another language and culture
- Identify Rome’s place at the centre of a classical empire and the Catholic Church
- Gain independence and self-confidence
- Strengthen existing friendships and make new friends
- Understand personal organisation, co-operating and working with others in a variety of environments
- Gain knowledge and experience connected to many subjects through learning outside the classroom
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The smooth running of the trip demonstrated excellent organisation.
King Edward VI High School
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