ROME WITH KIDS

TOP TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL FAMILY VACAY

These are the non-negotiables; follow them for a trip to remember.

Only Plan ONE Major Activity Per Day

Schedule only one major tour or attraction per day, preferably in the morning when energy is highest. Leave the afternoons for leisure.

Skip the Full-Day Tours (Unless Kids Are Teens)

Full-day tours are exhausting for younger children, (and adults if I’m being honest). Keep it focused. A great 3-4 hour experience beats an overwhelming 8-hour day every time.

Build In Free Time

Leave room for wandering, stumbling upon a piazza, playing in the park, or following your kids' curiosity. Some of the best Rome moments aren't on any itinerary.

Let Kids Help Shape the Plan

The more ownership children feel over the itinerary, the more invested they are in the experience. Let them choose an activity each day. (Make sure you offer pre-approved choices you and your partner agree on).

NEVER Skip the Snack Break

A hungry child is a miserable child (and makes for a miserable parent). Build snack breaks into every outing. Rome has incredible street food at every corner!

Your Tour Guide Makes or Breaks It

The quality of your guide is everything. A great family-friendly guide turns a history lesson into an adventure. A mediocre one loses the kids in minutes. Working with me means you get only vetted, experienced family guides.

MUST-DO EXPERIENCES

Ancient Rome

  • Colosseum: Best experienced as a combo with Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum (one ticket covers all three). We would purchase skip-the-line tickets well in advance. If you're visiting during summer, go first thing in the morning, the afternoon heat is brutal and the crowds are at their worst. Extra fun to add in a gladiator experience.

  • Roman Forum & Palatine Hill: Included in the combo ticket with the Colosseum — let the kids play archaeologist as you walk through 2,000 years of history

  • Circus Maximus: Free and open — kids can run around where 250,000 Romans once watched chariot races

  • If you have an extra day, Ostia Antica (day trip): An entire ancient Roman town frozen in time, about 30 min from Rome. Real streets, bakeries, and mosaics still on the floor. Arguably better than Pompeii for families — and barely crowded

Iconic Stops

Many of these are best experienced together via a private golf cart tour or a private guided tour on your first day in Rome, which allows you to hit a lot of ground without literally pounding the pavement.

  • Trevi Fountain: Coin toss is a must — go early morning to avoid the crowds. Important to note that this now requires a pre-purchased ticket with an entry time.

  • Pantheon: Stand under the oculus and watch light (or rain) fall through. Kids find it magical. Book tickets in advance.

  • Piazza Navona: Street performers, gelato, easy wandering.

  • Trastevere

  • Campo di Fiori

  •  Villa Borghese Park: A beautiful park with paddle boats on the lake and electric cars for rent—ideal for a midday reset.

The Vatican + Vatican Museums

I’m only recommending doing this with kids if you have a private tour guide. It's big, it's busy, and without context, it will feel like an endless hallway of old stuff to kids (and to adults).

A great private guide turns the Sistine Chapel into a story and keeps the kids engaged the whole way through. Book both your tickets and your guide well in advance; this one sells out weeks ahead.

More to Explore

  • Explore the Jewish Ghetto

  • Visit Castel Sant Angelo

  • Take a Roman Cooking Class

  • Take a Food Tour

  • Appian Way and Catacombs

  • Capitoline Hill

FOOD: THE REAL STAR

What to eat in Rome

  • Pizza al Taglio: Pizza by the slice — let kids pick their own toppings

  • Supplì: Rome's beloved fried rice balls — a perfect snack stop!

  • Gelato: Allow multiple stops per day. This is not optional.

  • Gnocchi

  • Cacio Pepe

  • Bucatini Amatriciana

  • Fried Carciofi (artichokes)

  • Pasta Carbonara

  • Saltimbocca alla Romana

Top gelato spots

(Skip anywhere with towering mountains of artificially colored gelato! That's the tourist trap signal. Look for natural colors and flavors.)

  • Otaleg

  • Fior di Luna

  • Neve di Latte

  • Fatamorgana (great for unusual flavors)

  • Giolitti

Where to have family-friendly dinners

*Reservations recommended

How to avoid the tourist traps

Rome has incredible food, but it also has a lot of restaurants that we lovingly call the tourist trap. Here's what to watch for…

  • Servers outside, waving menus at you. A good restaurant doesn't need to chase customers.

  • Laminated menus with photos in six languages. This is a major red flag.

  • Tables directly on a major piazza. You're paying for the view, not the food.

  • No locals inside. Peek through the window before you commit.