Italy with Kids: The 10 Best Places to Go & Everything to Know

Last Updated on September 29, 2026 by Tori

Okay friends, this is a post I have been wanting to write for SO long. We just got back from spending real, hands-on-a-stroller, gelato dripping down your arms, pasta all over the floor time doing Italy with kids, and I have SO many thoughts, tips, and “here’s exactly what to do” recommendations to share with you and suggestions for the best places to go in Italy with kids.

Italy with kids is one of those trips that people love to talk themselves out of. “Won’t the museums be boring for them?” “Isn’t it too much walking?” “What about naps??” And listen, I get it, we asked ourselves all of those same questions. But after spending weeks there with our toddler and our baby, going from cobblestone streets in Florence to a beach afternoon in Cinque Terre to Europe’s largest aquarium in Genoa, I can tell you with complete confidence: Italy with kids is not only doable, it might just be one of the most magical family trips you ever take.

This is your full guide. Every destination below is somewhere we have personally taken our own kids (or, in a couple of cases, somewhere I am giving you my honest researched recommendation because I think it deserves a spot on this list too, and I’ll tell you which is which). I’m covering Florence, Rome, Cinque Terre, Genoa, Capri, and Venice, plus a few more incredible spots to add to your Italy with kids itinerary, my biggest tips, and a full packing list at the end.

Why Trust Me?

Because I have actually done this. We just spent weeks traveling Italy with our toddler and our eleven month old baby in tow. I’ve pushed a stroller through Riomaggiore’s steep streets, worn a baby carrier through Genoa’s caruggi, ridden the carousel in Florence approximately one thousand times, and figured out exactly which villages, restaurants, and hotels actually work when you have little ones with you. This guide is built entirely from that first hand experience, not from a list I pieced together from other blogs.

Map of the Best Places to Go in Italy with Kids

The Best Places to go in Italy with Kids

1. Florence with Kids

Florence might be the single most magical city we visited with our girls. It’s walkable, it’s gorgeous around literally every corner, and there is SO much for little ones to do beyond looking at art.

We spent two full days there, starting with wandering the markets, rubbing the snout of Il Porcellino, riding the carousel in Piazza della Repubblica, and standing in front of the Duomo with our jaws on the floor. One of my favorite stops with kids was actually the Basilica di San Miniato, it’s a bit off the beaten path from the more famous Piazzale Michelangelo, but you get even better views with a fraction of the crowd, which made it SO much easier with a stroller and two little ones. And getting our professional family photos from up there, which I cannot recommend enough. We booked through Flytographer and chose Ken as our photographer. He was outstanding and I’m obsessed with the photos he took!

Day two is all about the food, start with an affogato at Vivoli (Florence’s oldest gelateria, trust me on this one), then a pizza and gelato making class that your kids will be completely obsessed with. We had the best experience with Ciao Florence. Ciao Florence offers tons of tours all throughout Florence, Tuscany, and all of Italy. Any of their tours would be so much fun so find some that work for your Italy itinerary. Use my discount code toripinestravels for 5% off!

Finish the day with a Chianti countryside tour where the kids can run around in the Tuscan sunshine while the grown ups get a glass of wine. Does it get any better? We booked our tour through Winedering, and highly recommend them for your upcoming trip to Italy!

Get every detail, our exact restaurant picks, where we stayed, and the full packing list in my complete Florence with Kids guide.

Quick Plug: No matter which of these places to go in Italy with kids that you choose, you must schedule family photos while you are there. It is absolutely the best souvenir that you can buy from your time there with your family! Use Flytographer to find a local photographer and make the process so smooth and easy! I absolutely loved our photographer Ken in Florence, but every city has amazing photographers to choose from! Get $25 off your first session with my link!

2. Rome with Kids

Rome is the Eternal City, and honestly I would love to live there forever, kids and all. We spent 3 days in Rome and it was the perfect amount of time to see the big sights without being too much busy time in the big city with little ones.

One thing that makes Rome so much easier with kids in tow is building in siesta time every single afternoon. This is such a real, important practice in Italy, and I promise you will thank me for scheduling it into your Italy with kids itinerary. Mornings were for the big stuff, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Vatican City, and afternoons were for resting up before heading back out for aperitivo and dinner in Trastevere (where the locals actually eat, so it’s a wonderful spot for an authentic, unrushed family dinner).

My full 3 Days in Rome Itinerary has every restaurant, every sight, and where to stay, plus my honest tips on how to spot a tourist trap restaurant versus a real one (this matters SO much more when you’re trying to feed picky little ones).

3. Cinque Terre with Kids

I have been to a lot of incredible places in my life, but the one day in Cinque Terre I spent with my family might genuinely be one of the most beautiful, magical, perfect days I have ever experienced. We docked in La Spezia as part of our Mediterranean cruise and spent the entire day exploring with our three year old and eleven month old, and it did not disappoint for one single second. But this is a great day trip from Florence or Milan too, and even better is to stay here for a few days!

Grab your Via dell’Amore + Train Card, and start in Riomaggiore for breakfast right on the water. From there, walk the Via dell’Amore, the famous Path of Love, to Manarola. This trail is flat, paved, and completely stroller friendly, and it might be the most beautiful 20 minutes I have ever spent anywhere in the world. Just remember to book your Via dell’Amore time slot in advance, spots fill up fast in the summer. Enjoy the viewpoint and shopping in Manarola before hopping back on the train.

End your day in Monterosso, the only village with a proper sandy beach and the most family-friendly of all five. We grabbed beach chairs, ordered pizza, and let the kids splash in the warm Mediterranean water while the mountains turned golden behind us. It was, without exaggeration, one of the best afternoons of my entire life as a parent.

Be sure to read my full Cinque Terre with Kids post with every single detail, the exact train routes, restaurant picks, and packing list!

4. Genoa with Kids

Okay, I’m going to be honest with you about Genoa because that’s what this blog is about. One day in Genoa was our least favorite port stop on our Mediterranean cruise, and I want to give you a real, useful rundown rather than pretending it was perfect.

Genoa is gritty, a little rough around the edges in spots, and the walk from the aquarium area toward lunch felt a little sketchy in a way I wasn’t expecting with kids in the stroller. BUT, it is also the birthplace of pesto, and the lunch we had ended up being one of the most delicious meals of our entire trip. We spent our morning at the Genoa Aquarium, (the largest aquarium in Europe!) which the kids enjoyed even though I personally think it’s a bit overpriced for what you get, and then ate our weight in pesto alla Genovese at a little spot I found after reading exactly one good review online. It was exceptional.

If I went back, I would skip the aquarium and either take the boat tour to the fishing village of Portofino or do a rooftop pesto and pasta cooking class instead. Genoa isn’t going to be everyone’s favorite stop, but it has real magic hiding in its corners if you know where to look (hint: it’s the pesto).

Read my full honest One Day in Genoa with Kids guide for the complete itinerary, restaurant picks, and packing list.

5. Capri with Kids

Capri stole my heart, one giant Capri lemon at a time. I mean, we named our daughter after that island after all! Our day trip to Capri from Positano was arguably the best day we had in all of Italy, and I mean that.

We took a small group boat tour from Positano, which is genuinely the way to go if you’re based on the Amalfi Coast. You’ll cruise along the coastline, stop for swimming and photos near the Faraglioni rocks, and get a few hours of free time on the island. Start at Marina Grande for a lemon granita, then head up to Capri town to browse the boutiques and get the kids a totally unique souvenir, a pair of custom, handmade leather sandals crafted right onto their little feet. Then walk to the Gardens of Augustus for the single best photo spot on the island, with views over the Faraglioni for the perfect family photo.

For all the details on getting there, what to do, and where to eat, check out my full 1 Day in Capri guide.

6. Venice with Kids

Venice is a vibe, not a checklist, and it’s an incredible one to experience with kids. There is something so magical about little ones seeing a city with no cars, just canals, boats, and bridges everywhere you look.

Grab a 48 hour Vaporetto pass right when you arrive and hop on your first ride down the Grand Canal, it’s the perfect welcome to the city and the kids will be glued to the window the entire time. Spend your second day taking a Vaporetto out to the islands of Murano and Burano. Burano was hands down my personal favorite part of our time in Venice, with its rainbow colored houses lining every canal, it’s basically a live action coloring book and the photos you’ll get are unreal.

But if you’re considering Venice with kids, it’s soooo important to know that there are tons and tons and tons of stairs. It is really not worth bringing a stroller out at all while in Venice. So either come here with bigger kids, or be prepared to carry them the whole time.

Get my full two day plan, restaurant picks, and hotel recommendations in my Perfect 2-Day Venice Itinerary, plus even more ideas in my Best Things to Do in Venice post.

7. San Gimignano

We have actually been here ourselves as a day trip from Florence, and it might have the best gelato in all of Italy (it is literally world renown!). This medieval hill town, famous for its towers, is small and walkable, which makes it such an easy, low stress add on with kids. Find a VRBO in the hillside for the ultimate dreamy experience with kids. Make sure you’ve got a pool to relax in and the kids can run around on the lawn overlooking the rolling hills. Then head into town to eat, shop and explore the cobblestone alleyways.

8. Lucca

This walled Tuscan town is one of the most underrated stops in the whole country for families. The top of the city walls has been turned into a wide, flat, tree-lined path that circles the entire town, and it is basically a giant walking and biking track that kids absolutely love. Rent a surrey bike as a family and just ride the loop, it’s one of the easiest, most joyful afternoons you can plan into an Italy with kids itinerary. Tuscany is also the region with the BEST food (yes I said it), so you’ll want to eat your weight in meals here. You won’t regret it.

9. Lake Como

Postcard-perfect villages, mountains rising straight out of the water, and a slower pace than a lot of the bigger cities on this list, Lake Como is a gorgeous spot to slow down for a couple of days, especially if your kids need a break from museum-and-cathedral mode. Take the ferry between towns like Bellagio and Varenna, it’s an activity in itself that little ones love.

10. The Dolomites

If you want mountains instead of coastline on your Italy with kids trip, the Dolomites are unbelievably stunning and there are some genuinely fantastic family-friendly hotels up there. The Cavallino Bianco Family Spa Grand Hotel and Sonnwies Dolomites are both known for being incredible with kids, think dedicated kids’ clubs, family pools, and mountain views that will make your jaw drop. This is a wonderful option if you’re looking for a slower, nature-focused chapter of your Italy trip.

South of Italy

Sicily is such a fantastic, underrated option for families. Think laid back beach towns, ancient Greek ruins that kids actually think are cool (hello, real life ruins to climb around and imagine), and some of the best granita and arancini you will ever eat. Towns like Taormina and Cefalù are gorgeous, walkable, and have a slower island pace that is so welcome after a few busy days in the bigger cities.

Puglia is another one I would love for more families to consider. The whole region has such a unique, storybook feel, with whitewashed towns and the famous trulli, those adorable little cone-roofed stone houses in Alberobello that kids will think look like something straight out of a fairytale. Puglia is also home to some incredible beaches along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts, plus a slower, more rural pace than a lot of the rest of Italy, which can be such a nice change of scenery partway through an Italy with kids trip.

My Biggest Tips for Traveling to Italy with Kids

I could talk about this forever, but here are the tips that made the absolute biggest difference for us.

Build in siesta or downtime every single day

Italians take a break in the afternoon for a reason. Little ones (and let’s be honest, big ones too) need it. Don’t over pack your itinerary.

A baby carrier is non-negotiable

So many of the most beautiful parts of Italy, hillside villages, ancient stairs, narrow medieval alleys, are simply not stroller friendly. A great carrier saved us again and again. If you have a baby or small toddler going with you, this Mabē baby carrier is a must.

Bring a stroller anyway, but know its limits

For flat stretches, long museum days, and giving tired little legs a break, a good stroller is still worth every bit of luggage space. Just know which spots (looking at you, Riomaggiore) you’ll want to park it and carry instead.

Don’t try to see everything

This is the single biggest mistake I see families make. Pick two or three real experiences per day instead of cramming in every sight on the list. You will enjoy Italy with kids SO much more this way.

Always have a backup restaurant plan

Reservations, snacks, and a mental list of backup spots will save you from the “hungry toddler meltdown in a country you don’t speak the language of” situation. Ask me how I know.

Cash is still king in a lot of small towns

Especially for gelato, street focaccia, and smaller trattorias. Have euros on hand.

Eat the local specialty everywhere you go

Pesto in Genoa, seafood and lemons in Capri and Positano, bistecca in Florence, pasta in Rome. It makes the food part of the trip even more special for you and shows your kids what real, regional Italian food actually tastes like.

For even more general planning advice, check out my full Italy Travel Tips post, and if you’re flying over with little ones for the first time, my guide to Traveling to Europe with Kids is a must read before you go. If part of your trip includes a cruise like ours did, my European Cruise with Kids guide covers everything you need to know there too.

Packing List for Italy with Kids

Packing for Italy with kids takes a little more thought than a typical trip, but here are the items that made the biggest difference for our family. For the full breakdown by age, check out my Italy Packing List, my Baby Packing List, and my Packing List for Toddlers.

Mabē Baby Carrier: Hands down the most comfortable carrier I have ever used, and an absolute must for the hillier, stair-heavy villages. Use my link for 10% off!

Umbrella Stroller with Double Wheels: Handles cobblestones so much better than a standard stroller, and gets you fast tracked through certain lines too.

Level 8 Suitcase: My favorite suitcase brand for handling Europe’s brutal cobblestone streets.

Stroller Fans: A must if you’re visiting in the summer heat like we were.

Sunscreen Stick and Sunscreen Powder: So much easier to reapply on the go with little ones than lotion.

Pick-Pocket Proof Backpack: Keeps everything secure while you’re exploring crowded piazzas and markets.

Shawl: For popping into any of the beautiful churches, shoulders and knees must be covered, even for kids in some cases, so keep one handy.

Portable Battery Pack: You will take more photos in Italy than anywhere else on earth. Don’t let a dead phone battery slow you down.

Outlet Converter: Italy’s outlets and voltage are different from the US, this is essential for keeping electronics safe.

Italy with kids is one of the most special travel experiences you will ever have as a family. Yes, it takes a little more planning. Yes, you’ll do more baby carrier miles than you expected. But watching your little ones’ faces light up at a carousel in Florence, splash in the Mediterranean in Cinque Terre, or get their own custom sandals made in Capri? That is what this whole traveling with kids thing is all about. Go eat all the gelato, take all the naps, and make the most incredible memories.