Art & design school trips to Rome

Capital of the birthplace of Renaissance art, there’s little wonder that Rome is one of our groups’ favourite destinations for an art and design school trip. Develop your students’ understanding of Roman architecture and design through the city’s historic landmarks, before heading to the National Gallery and the breathtaking Sistine Chapel, where they can draw inspiration from world-class paintings and intricate frescoes.

SUGGESTED ITINERARIES


Day 1
  • Depart the UK and travel to Rome
  • Spanish Steps
  • Trevi Fountain
  • Evening meal at local restaurant

Day 2
  • Vatican City
  • Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel
  • Castel Sant’Angelo
  • National Gallery of Modern & Contemporary Art
  • Evening meal at local restaurant

Day 3
  • Colosseum visit
  • Scala Santa
  • Basilica of San Giovanni
  • Evening meal at local restaurant

Day 4
  • Borghese Gallery and Museum
  • Depart Rome
  • Arrive in the UK

Features

ACCOMMODATION

Hotel Luciani

Just down the road from Rome’s Termini train station, family-run Hotel Luciani is perfectly positioned for public transport links and a comfortable walk from the main sights of the city, including the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum.

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Air conditioning
  • Breakfast room
  • TV and lounge area

Concorde

Located in the centre of Rome, Hotel Concorde is just around the corner from Termini train station, where you can easily travel around the city thanks to its metro and bus links.

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Terrace
  • Luggage storage
  • Daily continental breakfast

Hotel Dina

Hotel Dina is a family-run hotel set within the heart of Rome, just 100 metres away from the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore and within walking distance to Termini train station.

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • 24-hour reception
  • Luggage storage
  • Daily italian buffet breakfast

Hotel Luciani

Just down the road from Rome’s Termini train station, family-run Hotel Luciani is perfectly positioned for public transport links and a comfortable walk from the main sights of the city, including the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum.

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Air conditioning
  • Breakfast room
  • TV and lounge area

Concorde

Located in the centre of Rome, Hotel Concorde is just around the corner from Termini train station, where you can easily travel around the city thanks to its metro and bus links.

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Terrace
  • Luggage storage
  • Daily continental breakfast

Hotel Dina

Hotel Dina is a family-run hotel set within the heart of Rome, just 100 metres away from the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore and within walking distance to Termini train station.

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • 24-hour reception
  • Luggage storage
  • Daily italian buffet breakfast

Excursions

Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museum

Commissioned in 1480, the Sistine Chapel is the site of the papal conclave and is home to Michelangelo’s elaborate ceiling and Last Judgment fresco. This powerful building offers an excellent location to discuss the role and selection of the Pope with your students, as they absorb the building’s significance in Rome and explore its wide selection of religious art.

Colosseum Visit

Explore the role and importance of religion in the 2,000-year-old Colosseum, where gladiators and beasts once battled. A legendary site immortalised in film, the Colosseum is always popular among our student groups. Nearby, you can also tour the adjacent Forum and see the ruins of ancient Rome’s most exclusive neighbourhood, where emperors lived in luxury.

Castel Sant'Angelo

Embark on a journey through time at the Mausoleum of Hadrian, which holds many ancient tales within its walls. Initially erected for the Roman Emperor Hadrian more than 1,800 years ago, the building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum which walks visitors through its vast, storied history.

St Peter's Basilica

One of the world’s holiest Catholic sites and largest churches, this cavernous building features a breathtaking dome with masterpieces by Michelangelo and Bernini. It won’t take much encouragement for your students to study the power of Catholicism and the importance of pilgrimage as they experience this Vatican City highlight – one of our favourite excursions in Rome.

Spanish Steps

The widest stairway in Europe, Rome’s Spanish Steps are famous worldwide for their unique design, having been immortalised in several films and television shows. The steps were built in the 17th century to link the Spanish square with the Trinità dei Monti church, and today make up one of Rome’s most-visited attractions. Located at the foot of the steps, the 17th-century Baroque Barcaccia Fountain adds to the site’s grandeur.

Trevi Fountain

No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Trevi Fountain – a firm favourite among Equity staff. One of the most famous and photographed fountains in the world, the fountain dates back to the 17th century and features incredible Baroque details which will amaze your students. We recommend visiting in the evening to enjoy the view of the fountain lit up. Don’t forget to throw a penny in! Who knows, you may return to Rome…

Vatican

As the seat of the Catholic religion and home of the Pope, there’s nowhere better for your students to explore the history and development of Catholicism than in Vatican City. In the Apostolic Palace, your group can experience the wonder of the remarkable Sistine Chapel, and explore the world’s largest museum complex while appreciating the power of this independent state.

National Gallery of Modern & Contemporary Art Rome

Containing works from some of the best artists across Europe, Rome’s Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna is one of the best art museums in Italy. The museum’s collection includes over 5,000 paintings and sculptures across a variety of styles, with plenty of inspiration available to your students. Works of particular note including those by Paul Cezanne, Antonio Canova, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.

Scala Santa

Said to be the very same staircase that Jesus walked up at the residence of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, the Scala Sancta are a set of 28 marble steps brought to Rome by St Helena in the 4th century. Since the 1500s, the staircase has become a site for pilgrims across the world who climb the stairs on their knees on their way to the Sancta Sanctorum – an ancient private chapel of Popes.

Basilica of San Giovanni

The Pope’s main place of worship for more than 1,000 years, this monumental cathedral is an essential stop on school trips to Rome, offering your students the perfect setting to contemplate the significance of religion in the city’s history. Built in the early 4th century, the archbasilica is dedicated to Jesus Christ and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, ranking superior to all other churches of the Roman Catholic Church since its consecration.

Borghese Gallery & Museum

A mandatory stop for school groups on an art trip to Rome, the Borghese Gallery and Museum housed what’s often referred to as the ‘queen of all private art collections’, with paintings by Caravaggio and Raphael displayed alongside exquisite sculptures by Bernini. Don’t miss a quick stop in the gallery’s surrounding English-style gardens, which were once part of the estate but are now a separate attraction.

National Roman Museum

A prerequisite for any history or classics visit to Rome, the National Roman Museum comprises exhibits from the pre- and early history of the city, spread across several sites. At the Palazzo Altemps, students can see a great collection of classical sculpture from the celebrated Ludovisi collection, while the Crypta Balbi contains fascinating archeological remains from the period.

Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museum

Commissioned in 1480, the Sistine Chapel is the site of the papal conclave and is home to Michelangelo’s elaborate ceiling and Last Judgment fresco. This powerful building offers an excellent location to discuss the role and selection of the Pope with your students, as they absorb the building’s significance in Rome and explore its wide selection of religious art.

Colosseum Visit

Explore the role and importance of religion in the 2,000-year-old Colosseum, where gladiators and beasts once battled. A legendary site immortalised in film, the Colosseum is always popular among our student groups. Nearby, you can also tour the adjacent Forum and see the ruins of ancient Rome’s most exclusive neighbourhood, where emperors lived in luxury.

Castel Sant'Angelo

Embark on a journey through time at the Mausoleum of Hadrian, which holds many ancient tales within its walls. Initially erected for the Roman Emperor Hadrian more than 1,800 years ago, the building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum which walks visitors through its vast, storied history.

St Peter's Basilica

One of the world’s holiest Catholic sites and largest churches, this cavernous building features a breathtaking dome with masterpieces by Michelangelo and Bernini. It won’t take much encouragement for your students to study the power of Catholicism and the importance of pilgrimage as they experience this Vatican City highlight – one of our favourite excursions in Rome.

Spanish Steps

The widest stairway in Europe, Rome’s Spanish Steps are famous worldwide for their unique design, having been immortalised in several films and television shows. The steps were built in the 17th century to link the Spanish square with the Trinità dei Monti church, and today make up one of Rome’s most-visited attractions. Located at the foot of the steps, the 17th-century Baroque Barcaccia Fountain adds to the site’s grandeur.

Trevi Fountain

No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Trevi Fountain – a firm favourite among Equity staff. One of the most famous and photographed fountains in the world, the fountain dates back to the 17th century and features incredible Baroque details which will amaze your students. We recommend visiting in the evening to enjoy the view of the fountain lit up. Don’t forget to throw a penny in! Who knows, you may return to Rome…

Vatican

As the seat of the Catholic religion and home of the Pope, there’s nowhere better for your students to explore the history and development of Catholicism than in Vatican City. In the Apostolic Palace, your group can experience the wonder of the remarkable Sistine Chapel, and explore the world’s largest museum complex while appreciating the power of this independent state.

National Gallery of Modern & Contemporary Art Rome

Containing works from some of the best artists across Europe, Rome’s Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna is one of the best art museums in Italy. The museum’s collection includes over 5,000 paintings and sculptures across a variety of styles, with plenty of inspiration available to your students. Works of particular note including those by Paul Cezanne, Antonio Canova, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.

Scala Santa

Said to be the very same staircase that Jesus walked up at the residence of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, the Scala Sancta are a set of 28 marble steps brought to Rome by St Helena in the 4th century. Since the 1500s, the staircase has become a site for pilgrims across the world who climb the stairs on their knees on their way to the Sancta Sanctorum – an ancient private chapel of Popes.

Basilica of San Giovanni

The Pope’s main place of worship for more than 1,000 years, this monumental cathedral is an essential stop on school trips to Rome, offering your students the perfect setting to contemplate the significance of religion in the city’s history. Built in the early 4th century, the archbasilica is dedicated to Jesus Christ and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, ranking superior to all other churches of the Roman Catholic Church since its consecration.

Borghese Gallery & Museum

A mandatory stop for school groups on an art trip to Rome, the Borghese Gallery and Museum housed what’s often referred to as the ‘queen of all private art collections’, with paintings by Caravaggio and Raphael displayed alongside exquisite sculptures by Bernini. Don’t miss a quick stop in the gallery’s surrounding English-style gardens, which were once part of the estate but are now a separate attraction.

National Roman Museum

A prerequisite for any history or classics visit to Rome, the National Roman Museum comprises exhibits from the pre- and early history of the city, spread across several sites. At the Palazzo Altemps, students can see a great collection of classical sculpture from the celebrated Ludovisi collection, while the Crypta Balbi contains fascinating archeological remains from the period.

Trip details

All Equity packages are tailor-made to suit the needs of our groups. Here are our standard package inclusions:

  • Return travel by air or coach (air packages include overseas airport transfer. Coach to UK airport from school is available as an optional extra)
  • All security charges, airport and local taxes
  • 1 free staff place for every 10 full paying passengers by air OR 1 free staff place for every 8 full paying passengers by coach
  • Full-board accommodation
  • Excursions
  • Full use of your coach in resort (this applies to coach groups only and is subject to EU drivers hours regulations)
  • 24-hour emergency service support
  • All travel documentation, luggage labels and resort information
  • Lunches 
  • Meals en-route. While travelling to and from your destination you need to consider meals. These are not included in the package prices
  • Air passenger duty. Any paying passengers over the age of 16 at time of travel will be charged a small tax fee
  • Tourist tax 
  • Damage deposit

Prices are subject to change based on intended dates of travel and final numbers, the Equity team are here to offer you advice and guidance from start to finish, ensuring your school trip runs smoothly and is a great success.

Travel by: Air

Nearest airport: Rome-Fiumicino International (Leonardo da Vinci) (FCO) / Ciampino International (G. B. Pastine) (CIA)

Transfer time from airport: 1hr

Best times to travel: April, May, October

Suggested tour length: 4 days, 3 nights / 3 days, 2 nights