Are you currently planning a trip to Venice with kids?
With its ancient bridges, winding canals crossed by gondolas, the centuries old churches and palaces, there’s a whole world to discover for children in Venice!
Exploring the Lagoon city with your little one might not be the easiest city break that you’ve ever imagined, but trust me when I say, it’s absolutely worth it.
With a bit of planning, the right equipment and a list of activities to keep your family entertained, you’ll be well ahead of the game. Be sure to keep reading this guide to learn how to prepare for a trip to Venice with children and what to expect!
Venice with kids
Are you unsure whether Venice with kids is a good idea or not? Being surrounded by water is an inherent risk after all. I won’t make it sound like it’s all fun and games, because Venice will present you with some challenges as a parent while here.
This is especially true when travelling to Venice with toddlers (1 to 4 years old) that love running wild and are completely unaware of the surrounding dangers.
Fear not, because this is also a city that will surprise you and with the extensive list of unique things to do in Venice it is 100% worth discovering with your little ones.
In this guide, I’ll share my personal reasons why it’s worth visiting Venice with kids, things to know before your trip and some cool things to do that they’ll love!
Is it worth visiting Venice with children?
There are many valid reasons to travel to Venice with kids. Apart from being a walkable city full of attractions and things to do for all ages, it’s a place that will excite your children simply for the fact that it’s a city out of the ordinary.
See my favourite reasons why Venice is a child-friendly destination below:
- 1. Educational activities available in the most famous sites: children in Venice can learn about art and history in fun and engaging ways! For example, they can go on a Lion scavenger hunt inside the Doge’s Palace, turn into Art Detectives at the Correr Museum or embark on a sensorial journey at the Natural History Museum. The list of activities just keeps on going.
- 2. It’s a car-free city: whether your child is taking his/her first steps or is independently exploring a new place, in Venice you can relax as no cars, buses or trams are crossing the streets! However, never let your guard down because there are canals everywhere, so keep always an eye on them.
- 3. Hands-on workshops to unleash your children’s creativity: there are many activities that are outside and not limited to inside art galleries and museums that can keep your children entertained and spur their creative side. Carnival mask masking workshops or child-friendly walking tours and glass blowing demonstrations in Murano are just some of them.
- 4. Exploring Venice from its waterways is fun! Navigate Venice’s canals and the lagoon to have a lot of fun with your children for little money. For example, you can get a vaporetto ticket or pass and take the scenic water bus line 1 to navigate the Grand Canal. Going on a gondola ride is much more expensive, but there’s no doubt that your children are going to love it!
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Visiting Venice with kids (10 things to know)
Let’s now dive into this list of tips for travelling to Venice with kids. I suggest that you consider this as a starter pack guide to help you understand how to prepare for a trip to Venice with kids as well as what to expect once you get there.
Walking around Venice with kids
Walking around Venice with children can be both magical, as you see them staring amazed in front of imposing palaces, churches and bridges, but also challenging.
Strolling around the city’s streets and squares for too many hours can be overwhelming for little legs. Be sure to keep them entertained along the way by showing and explaining all the wonderful things that make Venice, Venice!
Learn more about what Venice is famous for and be armed with fun facts and curiosities about famous attractions so you won’t arrive there with no clue!
Similarly to what I recommend for adults, it’s important to ensure comfort with sturdy shoes and comfortable clothes so they can walk around freely.
Carry with you a lightweight stroller and a baby carrier (I use this one) and plan your day so you can mix it up and for example, use the stroller in the morning and the baby carrier in the afternoon or vice versa. This plan has worked our great for me.
Keep them busy with on the-go activities!
Travelling with kids can be a daunting experience but in Venice there are many ways to keep your children occupied and forget about all the walking they are doing.
Some of the things I suggest you do are, take gelato breaks, visit quirky bookshops like the Libreria Acqua Alta or a Carnival mask shop, go on a self-guided scavenger hunt or simply follow a map to discover the city’s landmarks.
Simply get a map of Venice, some stickers and as you follow your Venice itinerary, every time you reach a landmark, your children can add a sticker on the map!
Get ready for your trip to Venice by involving your children in the trip planning phase by reading together this colourful Venice fact file.
Finally, why not get a travel book with activities or a travel journal for older children? They can spend some time completing the proposed activities or write thoughts, impressions and things they did during the duration of your holiday.
Best time to visit Venice with kids
I have talked a lot about the weather here. I believe that the best time to visit Venice with children is during the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn.
Avoid the worst times to visit Venice like the peak summer months when the city is packed with tourists making it difficult to walk around the crowded streets.
Additionally, temperatures soar, making it uncomfortable for little ones and challenging for you to look after them. Travelling to Venice in April and May or September to October guarantees milder temperatures and fewer crowds.
You can also have a better chance of finding cheaper flights and securing a deal for family-friendly accommodation if you end up travelling in shoulder or low season (with the only exclusion of events such as Christmas and Carnival).
Finally, if you’re travelling with a baby or toddler, I suggest going on city exploration in the early morning or late afternoons to avoid crowds and heat.
Navigating Venice with a stroller
Navigating Venice with a stroller is tiring as you’ll have to cross many bridges. First opt for a lightweight, fully collapsible and compact stroller that you can easily manoeuvre through narrow alleyways and carry on water taxis and water buses.
After doing some research I found that this is one of the best strollers for travelling on the market! Just be prepared to lift the stroller or pram over bridges and stairs.
As mentioned earlier, I strongly recommend using baby carriers for easier mobility, especially whilst visiting palaces, churches and museums or the city’s crowded areas.
My current strategy is to take regular breaks, and you can too, just mix up the use of stroller and baby carrier so you can take a breather from one or the other.
Free attraction admissions for kids (under 5 years old)
No matter whether you’re on a budget or not, free attraction admissions for kids in Venice is a great perk for families exploring the city of all types!
Not only can you save money on tickets and some of the Venice city passes that are on offer, but you can also live an immersive experience one of the many museums dotted around the city with your children, without worrying about additional costs.
Did you know that children under 5 years old can access for free the MUVE Foundation museums such as Doge’s Palace, Natural History Museum and Ca’ Rezzonico? They also offer ‘on demand’ workshops for children.
The Chorus circuit churches also guarantee free admission for children aged 10 or under. When looking at things to do, be sure to check the desired attractions website to see if there’s any workshop or activity organised for children during your visit.
For example, at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, you can visit the museum while children are busy learning and playing during Kids Day every Sunday.
Knowing what to eat in Venice with kids
In Venice there are plenty of dining options for children, from traditional foods to classic children menu that you can find in many restaurants around the city.
As you explore Venice’s labyrinth, every once in a while you can take a break from walking around and taste the Venetian cicchetti, perfect for a quick savoury snack.
Street food in Venice that your little ones will love include:
- Focaccia
- Pizza al taglio
- Tramezzini
- Polpette (meat or vegetarian balls)
There’s no need to say that gelato is a favourite of all children and you can find many artisanal gelato shops in Venice. The cicchetti toppings have bold flavours, think about the sarde in saor (sweet and sour sardines) or the baccalà mantecato.
For example, my 1 year old absolutely loved the crouton with the baccalà spread, in any case, you can find several toppings like cheeses, cured meats and vegetables.
Finding toilets for kids in Venice
There are 13 city toilet points scattered all around the city centre of Venice, and one public toilet site in Murano, Burano and Torcello.
They charge 1,50 euros for the ordinary fee and it’s free for children under 6. I recommend you keep this public toilet map handy where you can also check opening times and facilities provided such as changing tables and nursery.
In peak season and hours, it’s not unusual to find long queues in front of them. Also, bear in mind that not every bar and restaurant has a toilet, especially the smaller premises, and very often no changing facilities at all.
The good news is that you can find toilets and baby changing tables in all the main attractions such as museums, palaces and art galleries.
Taking the vaporetto with kids
There’s no better adventure for a child in Venice than taking the vaporetto! Venice is such a unique city and a great way to discover it is through its canals.
The water bus is a great mode of transport with children because it’s fun, affordable and practical. You can reach the main locations of the city and get to other islands in the lagoon such as Murano and Burano by water bus.
Children tired of walking and you of carrying them on the stroller or baby carrier? Hop on a vaporetto and make life easier! You can carry a stroller or pram with you, and the vaporetto is easily accessible, but if it gets busy, you’ll be asked to collapse it.
To get more information, this interactive vaporetto map offers a great way to be able to see all the stops and view timetables. You can also use Google Maps or the app Che Bateo? To see exactly where the closest vaporetto stop to your actual location is.
Riding a Gondola with Kids
Riding a gondola in Venice with kids is a unique experience that I am sure your children will remember for many years to come! Imagine their excitement as they board this elegant rowing boat, ready to navigate the city’s canals. Priceless!
A private gondola ride costs 90 euros during the daytime and 110 euros at night but you can also share the gondola ride for a much more affordable price. With toddlers, however, it might be a better idea to take the gondola traghetto.
The traghetto da parada is also known as the cheapest gondola ride in Venice. In fact, with only 2 euros per person, you get to cross the Grand Canal from one side to the other. It’s a 5/10 minute ride and it’s a good alternative to the classic gondola ride.
Finding the best area to stay in Venice with kids
Knowing the best areas to stay in Venice for families makes life easier. Since you can ensure you’ll have the desired amenities or attractions close to where you’re staying.
Factors to consider when looking for the best place to stay in Venice with kids:
- Find family-friendly accommodation;
- Neighbourhood and things to do in the area with children;
- Nearest water bus stops;
- Closeby dining options;
- Supermarkets in the area in case you need snacks, wipes, nappies or milk and bottled water for your children (read about drinking water in Venice for more);
- Your budget.
I recommend that you take a look at this selection of family-friendly hotels in Venice to suit all budgets. Some properties have spacious family rooms, others apartments with annexes, while others will let your children stay for free or provide free cots.
When it comes to neighbourhoods in Venice, Dorsoduro is a great area to stay in Venice with kids, because it’s peaceful but not too far from major attractions. Children can play in Campo Santa Margherita or along the Zattere waterfront.
The other family-friendly neighbourhood is Cannaregio, perfect to immerse into yourself Venetian life. Children can play in Campo di Ghetto Nuovo and visit the children’s book shop Sulla Luna. There are great water bus connections from both neighbourhoods, plenty of restaurants and bars and supermarkets to buy essentials.
Things to do in Venice with kids
To give you some extra ideas on what to expect while in Venice I would like to share some real activities that you can get involved with when traveling with a little one.
Here’s a list of some of the best things to do in Venice with kids:
- Visit the dinosaur and crocodile skeletons at the Natural History Museum.
- Book a workshop with the Museums for Families ‘On Demand’ by Fondazione MUVE (for children aged 5 to 14).
- See the ‘Bucintoro’, the former Venice’s doge ship and a submarine at the Naval Museum.
- Ride the 2 euros gondola and cross the Grand Canal from one side to the other.
- Join Kids Day at Peggy Guggenheim Collection every Sunday (for children between 4 and 10)
- Play with other children in Campo Santa Margherita, in the Dorsoduro district and Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio, in the Santa Croce district.
- Get the vaporetto line number 1 and navigate the Grand Canal.
- Go to a glass blowing demonstration in Murano.
- Walk around the colourful streets of Burano.
- Visit the contemporary art collections at Palazzo Grassi and Pinault Collection with current exhibitions game guides.
- Get lost looking at second hand books at the Acqua Alta bookshop.
- Enjoy a rooftop view of Venice from the T Fondaco dei Tedeschi.
- Attend a Carnival mask workshop at Ca’ Macana.
Travelling to Venice with kids
Still asking yourself, is a trip to Venice with kids a good idea? The answer is yes!
Not only is it possible to visit Venice with children of all ages but you can have a great time and create memories that you’ll cherish for many years to come.
There are many child-friendly activities that you can do in Venice from gondola rides to engaging museums to explore. Best of all, some the best ones are free!
By booking suitable accommodation and knowing your transport options, you can expect to have a magical experience in Venice with your little ones!
While you’re here, see my guide to the day trips from Venice for more practical ideas.
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