The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Venice with Kids

Venice is a top travel destination renowned for its striking architecture, winding canals, and beautiful islands. Whether you’ll be visiting Venice for a short stay or a longer break, you’re bound to have a fantastic experience discovering its rich heritage and scenic beauty.

While Venice has developed a reputation predominantly as a romantic destination, it’s also a fantastic place for a family vacation. So, if you’re planning a visit to Venice with the kids, don’t worry, because there’s something to keep everyone entertained in equal measures. From reading tales of the city’s rich history to seeing captivating workshop demonstrations, exploring Venice with family has never been more fun.  

So, if you’re ready to take on Venice with the kids, we’ve made it simple with this guide! Rest assured that essential family travel tips, including recommendations of where to eat, stay, and what to do, can all be found here so you can get stuck into the best of Venice, together!

Why a Family Vacation in Venice is Great 

Whether you’re traveling with teenagers, toddlers, or adult children, Venice’s diverse landscapes and unique attractions offer something for everybody. For example, Venice’s museums and historic palaces pique the interest of teenagers keen to learn about the city’s fascinating past, and younger children love memorable experiences like Gondola rides along its canals.

The city’s car-free streets mean it’s super safe to explore and visit the top attractions in Venice on foot when you’re on vacation with kids. This gives you the peace of mind to wander the city freely and easily with children of all ages. 
There are also plenty of interactive experiences and engaging family-friendly activities in Venice to be enjoyed. Whether you take guided tours of the city’s most popular landmarks like the Doge’s Palace or watch a live demonstration of glassmaking in Murano, these family-focused things to do in Venice are almost endless and offer unforgettable moments for families to cherish.

When to Visit Venice with Kids

If you’re planning a vacation to Venice with family, you’ll want to know what time of year is best to jet off on your adventures. There are several great periods in which you could organize a visit to Venice with kids to make your getaway magical, depending on your preferences and constraints. 

Summer offers a super season when school is out to head to Venice with family, which you could combine with other Italian vacation destinations nearby, including Bologna or Milan for a multi-destination Italian adventure. But, this is the peak tourist season in the city, and temperatures are at their highest, so you can expect Venice to be much busier and hotter. Temperatures typically reach highs of 84.2°F, which could mean younger children are left hot and bothered as you explore the city! 

An alternative time of the year for a family vacation in Venice is during spring break. Exploring Venice during this period offers pleasant temperatures with fewer crowds compared to the summertime. Temperatures in March and April, for example, can reach highs of 62.6°F, just warm enough to be comfortable, especially when the sun shines. The rain is also easing off during this time of year. 

Or, the fall season can offer a prime time to experience Venice with kids. Temperatures start to cool down after August ends and crowds dissipate as many schools return for the year. This is a great time to make the most of the city’s many outdoor activities, like visiting the nearby islands of Murano, Burano, and Lido. 

Just be conscious before you go on a family vacation in Venice that the city has high water seasons. Known as the ‘Acqua alta’ – meaning ‘high water’ – this takes place during October and March and can disrupt what you do and where you can visit in the city. So, if you want your vacation in Venice with kids to be as straightforward as possible, you may want to travel outside of the Acqua Alta.

Where to Stay in Venice with Kids

You want to know that, when you’re not exploring Venice, you have the perfect setting to retreat to with your kids to have some much-needed downtime. That’s why we’ve broken down your best options for where to stay in Venice with kids to help you out.

Family-Friendly Accommodation Types

The most obvious option for where to stay in Venice with kids is at a family-friendly hotel. The city is filled with fantastic hotels – from boutique to more budget-friendly – that cater to families with family-sized rooms and child-friendly amenities. Many luxurious hotels will offer a more personalized service, making your stay in Venice with family all the more comfortable. 

If you’d prefer something more private, you could think about choosing a vacation rental. There are plenty of apartments dotted around the city that you can have exclusively to yourself, with private kitchen facilities, larger living areas, and balconies with fantastic views of the city. This offers the additional privacy and flexibility you might need as a family to suit your needs and routines. 

You could even expand your horizons and stay on one of the many islands nearby to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Some of Venice’s most popular islands include Murano, Burano, and Lido. If you seek a more tranquil experience while you’re visiting Venice with kids, consider staying for a night or two in the spacious accommodations here, and simply take a water taxi into Venice’s city center as and when you want!

Top Family-Friendly Locations

When it comes to thinking about where to visit in Venice with kids, there are a few locations in the city that you should add to your list. 

For one, the area of St Mark’s Square – also known as Piazza San Marco – is a hive of activity that you should visit. Children will enjoy feeding the pigeons, and parents can admire the spectacular architecture of the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica. 

Beyond exploring Venice’s city center, you should discover its nearby islands for a change of scenery as they can offer respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are plenty of fascinating activities and experiences on Venice’s islands too, such as glass-blowing demonstrations on Murano or spotting the iconic colorful houses on Burano, which offer the perfect backdrop for a family photo!

And if it’s outdoor spaces you’re after, Giardini della Biennale is a beautiful park in Venice with tree-lined footpaths and lawns where you can sit and have a picnic in glorious weather, and even playgrounds where children can let off some steam!

The Best Things to Do in Venice With Kids

It can be hard work filling your vacation itinerary with enough to keep the kids occupied. But, fortunately, in Venice, that’s never a worry. To get you started with planning your perfect vacation here, here are a few of our favorite things to do in Venice with kids.

Sightseeing Things to Do with Kids in Venice

Visit St Mark’s Basilica

You cannot visit Venice with family without heading to the iconic St Mark’s Basilica. This glorious 9th-century religious temple houses sacred relics alongside the remains of St Mark, the disciple of St Peter, who wrote the Gospel in Rome. With unmatched beauty in its Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic architecture as well as striking gold mosaics, it’s a spectacular structure that will leave adults and kids alike awe-struck. 

Head to the Doge’s Palace

Another of the best things to do in Venice with kids to get your sightseeing fix is heading to the exceptional Doge’s Palace. Rich in history, this Gothic architectural masterpiece houses works by artists like Tintoretto and Veronese, which adults will love to see. Children are fascinated to learn about life in the palace and discover its many hidden chambers and corridors.
Here at Italy4Real, you can opt for a guided tour of both St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace to experience Venice’s rich history in all of its glory with your family.

Fun Things to Do with Kids in Venice

Take to the Water!

Exploring Venice with your kids has to be done not only in the city’s streets but also along its waterways. A gondola ride is one of the most popular activities in Venice, and a must-do when you visit with children. Glide along the narrow canals and view the gorgeous historic streets of Venice from a new perspective! If you want an unforgettable Gondola experience for your family, you can book one with our team today! 

Alternatively, why not have a private boat tour of Venice and its enchanting islands? Our itinerary takes you to the tranquil waters of the Venice Lagoon to sight some of its most iconic landmarks, as well as to the islands of Murano and Burano. 

Watch a Puppet Show 

Venice has developed a reputation for its puppet shows, which have been performed from the second half of the 17th century. There are theatres around Venice that still host puppet shows to entertain people of all ages, including the Carlo Goldoni Museum in Palazzo Centani. It has a puppet theatre performing a scene from a comedy ‘The Servant of Two Masters’ which visitors can watch. This theatre is the most famous 18th-century Venetian puppet theatre too, with the largest collection of original marionettes. 

There are plenty of shops throughout the city that still craft and sell puppets if you fancy taking home a souvenir with you from your trip to Venice with family.

Interesting Things to Do with Kids in Venice

Explore the Natural History Museum 

The Museo di Storia Naturale is a fantastic museum that will keep children of all ages engaged. Filled with interactive exhibits, there’s much to learn about history, wildlife, and natural phenomena here to keep curious minds entertained! 

See Murano Glass Blowers 

In many of Venice’s glass shops, and on the island of Murano, it’s possible to see glass artists blowing glass to craft beautifully intricate and colorful pieces, like vases, ornaments, and glasses. Children are often fascinated by these craftsmen at work, and you can take a souvenir home with you to keep as a memory of your family vacation in Venice too.

Eating in Venice With Kids

Especially if you’ve got picky eaters, it can be a concern knowing whether your kids will like the food in a destination you’re visiting. Well, you’re in luck, as Italian cuisine is a firm favorite among children, making a family vacation in Venice all the more simple. 

All around the city, there are restaurants to suit all budgets serving delicious pastas and pizzas that children love to sink their teeth into! There are plenty of traditional Venetian delicacies that adults and more adventurous children can try too, including cod purée and Sarde in Saor – deep-fried sardine fillets marinated in dried fruit, pine nuts, and onions. Cichetti, which are small platters of foods like meats and cheeses, are also popular and likened to Spanish tapas. Your best bet is to sample these in an osteria – a casual Italian restaurant serving simple yet hearty food – or a bácari – a traditional Venetian bar. 

For those with a sweet tooth, gelaterias are found throughout the city serving creamy, freshly-made gelato in fan-favorite flavors like vanilla and nutty pistachio, and even unique options like white peach.

Getting Around Venice with Kids

As a city on the water, there’s only one right answer to how you’ll be getting around Venice with kids, and that’s by boat. 

There are public boat systems all around the city, with timetables available online and at Venice’s tourist information office, which offer the best way to sightsee its many islands.

However, these public transport systems, known as the Vaporetto, have been known to be unreliable and – during peak season – overcrowded. So, when you’re visiting Venice with family, you may be better off paying for private boat tours and taxis to streamline your sightseeing adventures. 

When you’re exploring Venice on foot, one of your best bets is to let your kids guide you and allow them to lead the way. Not only will this keep them engaged, but you may also organically find some sights or hidden gems that you wouldn’t have otherwise come across!

Summary

Venice boasts everything you could want for a family vacation. Whether it’s experiencing fun activities like gondola rides, or exploring its many gorgeous sights like the Doge’s Palace and nearby islands,  you’re spoilt for choice of things to do during your stay here. 

We hope this guide has brought you one step closer to having your dream trip in Venice with family, from offering insight on what to eat and how to get around or where to stay, you’ll be making magical memories that will last a lifetime. 

Are you ready to embark on a family vacation to Italy? Get in touch with our team to craft the perfect itinerary for you and your kids today!

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