Rome had been on our bucket list forever.
We wanted our kids to enjoy the magic of the Italian capital; to trace the steps of gladiators in the Colosseum, to slurp gelato by the Trevi Fountain, to skip up the Spanish steps and to get lost wandering the winding streets of Trastevere. So we were super excited to be going to Italy over the Easter break.
Our enthusiasm was all there; now we just needed to find a tour guide capable of bringing the history to life for us.
Enter Emanuele aka Funny Guide in Rome.
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He seemed to be exactly what we were looking for. A licensed tour guide with the knowledge we wanted to learn, and a passion for making his tours interactive, unique and fun. That sounded spot on for our three spritely kids. Afterall, what 8 and 10 year old boys wouldn’t prefer roleplaying being gladiators, rather than just hearing about them?!
Our tour combined an exploration of Ancient Rome (exploring the Colosseum and Roman Forum) and the Fountains and Squares tour.
Emanuele made our tour incredibly child-friendly and fun. I’ve watched my fair share of Shakespeare plays in a National Trust property, but never before have I performed a historical character inside a Roman ruin. Russell Crowe, eat your heart out! We had great fun performing a gladiator scene in the Colosseum and I’m sure it will remain in our children’s memories forever.
Emanuele taught us how the trapdoor system worked, allowing animals and gladiators to suddenly appear on the Colosseum floor. This was taught through roleplay at the base of the Colosseum, helping our children to understand the engineering genius, in a really fun and tangible way. Emanuele has been acting since he was a teenager and he loves to get his guests participating in drama too, to create fun memories.
Emanuele also organised a scavenger hunt for the children, with the promise of gelato at the end! He showed photos on his Ipad which the children had to spot, once they spotted them, he would give us some interesting nuggets of information and some points! This kept our children
engaged for the duration of the tour. If us parents got side-tracked asking questions of our own (all of which Emanuele answered with ease and expertise) our 8 year old would exclaim, “how many points are we on now?” or “what are we hunting for next?!”
One of the best parts of exploring historic sights with a tour guide is skipping the queues and knowing the best places to go. We felt like VIPs as we snuck under ropes, saw the best views, and had Emanuele take some of our best holiday photos.
If you’re uncertain whether or not to go on a family tour while in the eternal city, let this be your sign, and let Emanuele be your guide.
Funny Guide in Rome offers these tours:
– Ancient Ostia
– Ancient Rome
– Appia Antica and Catacombs
– Borghese Gallery
– Christian Rome
– Fountains and Squares
– Trastavere and Ghetto
– Vatican Tour
– Experiential tours with theatre, drawing, writing and psychodramatic techniques for personal growth
– Vespa and Golf cart tour
– Food and gastronomic tour
Pricing
The pricing of tours depends on the number of people on the tour.
Emanuele can accommodate 1- 40 people in a tour, but a private family tour is best for having a personalised experience.
Tours last 4 hours
Up to 6 people is €400
6 to 10 people is €420
10 to 20 people is €500
20 to 40 people is €600
Fares do not include site entrance tickets, advanced booking is advised to get the best price on attraction entrance tickets. You can book your tour with Emanuele here.
