Nine Days in Italy With Young Children: The Ultimate Itinerary

Italy is a great destination for young children for a variety of reasons. First, Italy has some famous sites your kids have probably learned about in school (Colosseum, Leaning Tower of Pisa, David Statue, and the Venice canals, among others). The food is enjoyable for young palettes, as most kids like pizza and pasta and of course gelato. Additionally, most cities are connected by easy and relatively short train rides. Embarking on a journey through Italy is sure to be an experience your family will never forget. This nine-day itinerary aims to capture a memorable first trip suitable for your young ones.

Below are some tips for families with young children to help you thrive and make the most of your time in Italy:

• When it comes to the daily itinerary, keep expectations reasonable.  Don’t try to do too much in the same day and build in leisure time.  
• A little planning goes a long way. Whenever possible, reserve tickets ahead of time for hot sights such as the colosseum and Uffizi.  Nobody wants to waste valuable vacation time waiting in avoidable lines.
• Be strategic when booking accommodations, with an emphasis on maximizing the ability to walk to different points of interest.  In Florence, find a hotel that is walkable from the train station as cars are limited in Florence (and there are many quality hotels within a fifteen minute walk of the station. In Rome and Venice, it may be more difficult to find options close to the train station.
• Choose accommodations that offer breakfast - this will save energy and time each day.   Breakfast is also a great place to discuss the day’s activities with the family before hitting the road.
• Uber works well in Italy’s big cities.  Utilize it when walking becomes unbearable. If you have smaller children, check out these great inflatable car boosters.<Amazon link>
• Make reservations ahead of time at child-friendly restaurants to avoid brutal searching when everyone is hangry.  See list of Rome, Florence, and Venice Restaurants with kids menus (link)
• For an affordable alternative to dining out, consider packing a picnic lunch. Hit up public places such as Villa Borghese in Rome or a spot along the Arno River in Florence.  Just a heads up that St. Marks Square in Venice forbids picnicking. 
• For sights that may test your children’s attention span, such as museums or historical sights, consider turning the visit into a game.  For our trip to Italy, I created scavenger hunts for the Roman Forum, Uffizi Gallery and Accademia.  Create your own or download mine here <link>

Day 1: Arrival in Rome and an Easy Day to Shake Off Jet Lag

Morning: Land in Rome and take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to your hotel.  Leave your luggage with the front desk and hit the streets. Pick an outdoor sight or two to see, such as the Trevi Fountain or Spanish steps.  

Afternoon: Pick up some “to-go” lunch such as sandwiches, pizza, or picnic supplies.  Head to Villa Borghese (Rome’s Central Park) to let the kids run around while the parents relax.

Evening: Have dinner at a restaurant near your hotel, where you can savor the local cuisine and then shuffle exhaustedly back to your accommodations.   Get a well earned night of sleep.

Day 2: Ancient Rome

Morning: Beat the crowds by heading to the always-popular ancient Roman sights early in the day.  You can choose to tour the Colosseum, or enroll the kids in Gladiator School, which they may find more exciting!  

Walk to the nearby Roman Forum to explore some ruins.  To help keep the kids’ interest, consider making a scavenger hunt or downloading one here.

Afternoon: The morning sightseeing was pretty intense, so keep the afternoon light.  Consider heading across the river to funky Travestere or finding a plaza or park to relax in.

Evening: Conclude your day with a long Italian feast at a restaurant with kid-approved food options. 

Day 3: The Vatican and Rome’s Famous Sights

Morning: Walk or Uber to Vatican City.  If interested, tour the Sistine Chapel and/or Vatican Museums.  At the very least, walk into Vatican City so that everyone can check another country off their ‘visited’ list!

Afternoon: Use this time to hit any famous sights you haven’t seen yet, including the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Campo de’Fiori

Evening: Another Italian Feast (why not!) followed by a scenic evening stroll.

Day 4: Train to Florence/David Statue

Morning: After breakfast at your Roman hotel, take an Uber or taxi to Termini Station for a train to Florence (1.5 hours). Upon arrival in Florence, walk to your hotel to drop off your luggage.

Afternoon: Walk to the world-famous Duomo for an impressive first welcome to Florence. If you are so inclined, climb the tower for excellent views. From there, head to the Accademia to see the even-more-famous David Statue (reserve tickets ahead of time).

Evening: Dine at a cozy Trattoria with a child-friendly menu.

Day 5: Morning at the Uffizi and Afternoon at the Boboli Gardens

Morning: Walk to the Uffizi Gallery, home to a multitude of Renaissance masterpieces.  Bring along a scavenger hunt to keep the kids’ attention (or download here).

Afternoon: Cross the Arno River via the iconic Ponte Vecchio.  On the other side of the bridge is the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. Considering you are probably over the museum quota for the day, skip the palace completely and tour the gardens.  There are many places to relax and enjoy the scenic beauty.

Evening: Head to dinner at a kid-friendly restaurant. 

Day 6: Half-Day Trip to Pisa and Pasta Making Class

Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, take a short train ride (1 hour each way) to Pisa for Leaning Tower photo-ops. The Tower is an easy walk from Pisa’s train station.  Grab lunch in Pisa before leaving or in Florence upon return.

Afternoon: Get your hands dirty (or flour-y) with a pasta making class.  Then, eat your masterpiece for dinner.

Evening: Stroll the scenic streets of Florence after dark before returning to the hotel.

Day 7: Train to Venice

Morning: After breakfast at your Florence hotel, walk to the train station for a morning train to Venice, which takes about 2 hours.

Afternoon: Arrive in Venice.  Take the vaporetto (aka the water bus) to a stop near your hotel.  Drop off your luggage and grab lunch.

Evening: Go on a family-friendly cafe crawl, grabbing cicchetti (small bar bites) at each stop. The kids will love the novelty of eating dinner at multiple places in one night.

Day 8: Gondola Ride and Other Venice Vibes

Morning and Afternoon: No tours or museum visits today. This is a free day to explore Venice, a city unlike any other on Earth. After breakfast at the hotel, take a long leisurely stroll through Venice’s skinny, meandering streets to St. Mark’s Square and cross over the Rialto Bridge.  Spring for a gondola ride. Grab lunch at a canal side cafe.

Evening: You have an early departure tomorrow to head home, so no bar crawl tonight!  Have a nice long dinner at a Trattoria and enjoy the quiet calm of Venice after the cruise ship tourists have vacated the island.

Day 9: Head Home

Morning: Head to Marco Polo airport for your flight home.  For a truly memorable experience, head out via water taxi.

This nine-day itinerary offers a blend of Italy's heaviest-hitting sights with activities your children will cherish and remember forever. Happy planning!