Italians adore children, the ancient ruins are awesome at any age, and nobody argues with pizza and gelato. Rome can be a surprisingly satisfying city for families - if you slow down and let the kids help steer.
Last updated August 23, 2026
In a nutshell: slow down, book ahead and eat early. The Colosseum and the Pantheon work their magic at any age, the ancient core hides plenty of free thrills, and Villa Borghese is the great escape when little legs run out of steam.
Rome might not seem like an obvious place for small children, yet it can be a deeply satisfying city to visit with young ones. Italians are openly fond of kids, so expect plenty of friendly attention. The huge ancient sites, the Colosseum and the Pantheon above all, are awesome for travellers of any age, especially when children can imagine just how old these structures are. Many impressive ruins can be viewed any time of day, without long lines. And you won't hear many complaints about the cuisine: pizza and gelato.
Rome's squares are traffic-free, with plenty of space and lots of pigeons to feed while parents enjoy a coffee at an outdoor table. For more room to run, pack a picnic and take advantage of Villa Borghese, Rome's version of Central Park, or the Appian Way. Italians love strolling the streets in the evening, and your kids and teens will too. It can be worth adjusting your sightseeing schedule to allow a siesta in the hot midafternoon, so your children have energy to stay up later than they normally do. For a suggested strolling route, see practical tips. Buona fortuna!
Involve your kids in the trip planning. Have them read about the places you might include in the itinerary, even the hotels you are considering, and let them help with the decisions.
Rome offers plenty of food options for children. For the full rundown of trattorias, pizzerias and gelaterias see where to eat; the pointers here are the ones that matter most with a family in tow.
The key to a successful Roman family vacation is to slow down and incorporate your child's interests into each day's plans.
Get your kids into the spirit of the Eternal City with these books and movies.
Before your trip gets underway, talk to your kids about safety and money.
Some ancient sites, such as the Colosseum, are naturally captivating for kids; others, like the Roman Forum, may be a snooze. To keep them engaged, consider picking up a copy of Rome: Past and Present, a book with plastic overlays showing how the ruins used to look. It is available online and at stalls near the entrances of the ancient sites, and prices are soft, so negotiate.
These spooky tunnels just outside the walls of the ancient city are goblin pleasers. Kids will get a thrill out of descending into this underground tomb and seeing some of the 40,000 burial niches carved for Christians from the second to the fifth century.
Tip: Visits are by 45-minute guided tours in English.
The most macabre place in Rome is decorated with bones, and it is fascinating for children and adults alike, though it may be too creepy for younger kids. In the basement below the Church of Santa Maria della Immacolata Concezione, the bones of about 4,000 friars who died in the 1700s decorate a series of six crypts.
Tip: Your introduction is the Crypt of the Three Skeletons, where the ceiling carries a scythe-wielding skeleton, a bony chandelier and floral motifs made of ribs and vertebrae. Other chambers are named for the bones that line them: the Crypt of the Shinbones and Thighbones, the Crypt of the Pelvises and the Crypt of the Skulls are a few that will keep you awake at night.
In Vatican City, the climb to the top of St. Peter's is great for its dizzy railing view into the church from halfway up the dome, and the hike will tire out young adventurers.
These extensive museums feature mummies, sarcophagi, ancient statues and armour, old maps and the bedrooms of Renaissance popes, and there is an audioguide designed for families. Full details in Vatican City - St Peter's and the museums.
This emperor's tomb turned castle has one of the best views of Rome from the rooftop, including striking vistas of the Vatican. The weapon displays will appeal to young knights.
This church's riot of Baroque illusions will intrigue kids: the colourful ceiling fresco fools the eye into thinking you are looking up at a dome, with false two-dimensional columns that look like extensions of the real columns below.
Tip: Kids might also get a kick out of seeing the headquarters of the carabinieri police force across the street.
Your children can get a whiff of Egypt by visiting Rome's funky little pyramid. Also check out the cat hospice in the adjacent park and climb on the chunk of old Roman wall across the street.
Tip: Via Raffaele Persichetti, Metro: Piramide.
If your kids, or you, need a break from the heat and crowds, the two museums atop Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio) are among the best places to soak up the grandeur of the Roman Empire while avoiding the tourist crush and the hot sun.
Tip: With the help of a good children's audioguide, your family can wander among massive statues, including impressive body-part chunks from a 30-foot Emperor Constantine, and enjoy wide views over the ancient Forum.
At the legendary Mouth of Truth, in the porch wall of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, kids can test their truthfulness, and their bravery, by sticking a hand into the mouth of the stone face; liars will have their hands gobbled up.
Tip: Expect hordes of tourists and long waits.
This old chariot racetrack, with gushing fountains, street performances and good people-watching, is open all day and night.
An afternoon on the Appian Way showcases Rome's oldest road, Christian catacombs and wide-open spaces in a peaceful setting. It is best visited on a Sunday, when the road is closed to most car traffic.
Its location in an old power plant may be even more interesting to young visitors than the ancient statuary. Kids can inspect the defunct centrifuges, boilers and steam turbines that mingle with the statues of muses and satyrs. A plus: no crowds.
This children's museum is a hands-on wonderland for kids 12 and under. The interactive exhibits will have your little ones doing the shopping, pulling toy carrots in the garden, puttering in the kitchen, creating cartoons and experimenting with weights and measures, among many other activities. Descriptions are in Italian, with some English, but kids probably won't care.
Tip: A 10-minute walk north of Piazza del Popolo at Via Flaminia 82, Metro: Flaminio; helpful English-speaking staff; +39 06 361 3776
Official site →Respected historical reenactors, and actual modern gladiator athletes, from Gruppo Storico Romano offer a high-energy two-hour training in which kids try on armour, handle weapons and learn offensive and defensive moves with wooden swords and shields, while learning about gladiators in ancient Rome. The finale is a mock battle before the Roman emperor.
Tip: Via Appia Antica 18, near the Domine Quo Vadis Church.
Official site →Rome feels safe at night, and you can easily take your kids on the walks suggested in these chapters. On the Heart of Rome walk, children love slurping chocolate gelato at the Tre Scalini gelateria on Piazza Navona and tossing coins in the Trevi Fountain. Consider letting your child act as tour guide for an hour by leading one of the walks.
These sprawling gardens are Rome's version of Central Park, and this may be your best bet in Rome to get your kid pedaling in a leafy, bike-friendly area. The best kids' zones are near Porta Pinciana, where you will find rental bikes, pony rides and other amusements. Summer weekends at the gardens include classic Roman puppet shows at the Teatro dei Burattini. The zoo, Bioparco, in the northern section of the park, houses about 900 animals, including the endangered black lemur, pygmy hippopotamus and Komodo dragon.
Tip: Viale del Giardino Zoologico 20: take bus 910 from Termini to the Pinciana stop, or tram 19 from Metro: Ottaviano to the Bioparco stop. Cafés and picnic areas; +39 06 360 8211
Official site →Beyond the ruins of Ostia Antica, the sandy beaches of modern Ostia are easily accessible via a Metro and suburban train ride. As elsewhere in Italy, most of the shoreline is occupied by private clubs that charge a fee to use their facilities: rows of beach chairs and umbrellas, with most offering cafés, toilets, changing rooms, lockers and lifeguards, and some even full-service restaurants and swimming pools. Bring a towel and a picnic, and expect to be surrounded by a thoroughly local scene.
Tip: Any club will work; if you walk south from the public pier, the Pontile di Ostia, you will pass several. Il Capanno, about 15 minutes from the pier, is a nice and unpretentious choice; Il Venezia, a five-minute walk from the Cristoforo Colombo station, has a very clean stretch of beach and a pool. Public beaches are free year-round but few and far between, and may not be clean. Getting there: a normal Metro ticket covers the journey of 45 minutes to an hour from central Rome; take Metro line B to Piramide, follow the signs to Lido, and ride the Roma-Lido train for about 30 minutes without validating your ticket again. Lido Centro station is about a 15-minute walk through town to the pier; Stella Polare station is a five-minute walk from Il Capanno.
Official site →Just outside Rome, this big water park has looping slides, several swimming pools, terraces of chaise lounges with umbrellas and a snack bar. A great change of pace from museums and churches, and perfect for a hot Italian summer day.
Tip: Vicolo del Casale Lumbroso 200, exit 33 off the ring freeway west of the city; +39 06 6618 3183
Official site →One of Italy's oldest, but fully modernised, amusement parks, with rides and activities well suited to younger children, nestled amid parks and gardens in the E.U.R. district south of Rome. In summer it includes a fun water park.
Tip: Via delle Tre Fontane 100; take Metro Line B to Magliana, then walk 10 to 15 minutes.
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