1 Week Italy Itinerary with Kids: Venice, Florence, and Rome

Are you looking for a 1-week Italy itinerary with kids? Is this your first time visiting Italy? Then this is the blog post for you!

Italy is a great place for a family trip. There's endless pizza, pasta, and gelato. There are historic sites and museums around every corner. The views are stunning, there's great public transportation, and the culture is incredibly welcoming toward children.

However, Italy is such a beautifully diverse country that it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to planning your trip.

Should you choose the big cities? The Amalfi Coast? The Italian Alps? What about places like Cinque Terre or Lake Como?

We visited Italy in 2023 with our 4 kids for the first time. Although we would have loved to spend a month exploring each of these destinations, we eventually settled on the popular tourist corridor: Venice, Florence, and Rome.

It felt like a good place to start. These cities are easily connected by trains, and we wanted to see some of the popular tourist sites and main attractions like the Colosseum, the David statue, and the canals of Venice.

If you're planning a 7-day Italy itinerary for your next family vacation, feel free to steal our Venice - Florence - Rome itinerary!

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Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Arrival in Venice

Day 2: Sightseeing in Venice, and a day trip to Burano

Day 3: Take the train from Venice to Florence

Day 4: Sightseeing in Florence

Day 5: Take the train from Florence to Rome

Day 6: Sightseeing in Rome

Day 7: Colosseum Tour, leave for Greece

As you can see, we didn't even have 7 full days in Italy, since days 1 and 7 included flying in and out of the country.

If I could have done anything differently, I would have made the Italy portion of our trip a little longer.

However, I'm thankful for everything we were able to pack into our trip with the time we had.

7-Day Italy Itinerary with Kids: Venice, Florence, and Rome

Here are the best places to see on your first trip to Italy with kids.

Day 1: Arrival in Venice

Arrival at Marco Polo Airport
Took the Vaporetto from the airport to Venice
Libreria Acqua Alta

We flew Aer Lingus from Chicago to Venice with a layover in Dublin. We were supposed to arrive in Venice by the early afternoon, around 1 p.m. However, we had an issue with our plane door on the flight from Dublin to Venice which delayed our flight by a few hours.

When we arrived at Marco Polo Airport in Venice, we took the Vaporetto water bus from the airport into Venice where we met up with my parents.

We rushed to drop our bags off at our vacation rental, Apartment Minnueto, which we had booked on Booking.com. The apartment easily fit our family of 6, plus my parents, so 4 adults and 4 children.

Unfortunately, we missed our tour at Doge's Palace, which I had prepaid through GetYourGuide. I was upset at first, thinking we were out all of the money we spent on the tickets, but after contacting GetYourGuide customer service, they assured me that I would be able to use the skip-the-line tickets the next day. Problem solved!

We spent the rest of the day wandering around Venice. Our first stop was Libreria Acqua Alta, a bookshop that stores stacks of books in unusual containers like gondolas and bathtubs to prevent water damage to the books in case of floods.

There are a few spots to take photos in the bookstore, so we made sure to do that after browsing to our heart's content.

Afterward, we grabbed some gelato and strolled by the Grand Canal. It was a picture-perfect way to spend our first evening in Italy!

Read my Venice with Kids travel guide here!

Day 2: Sightseeing in Venice and A Day Trip to Burano

Doge's Palace
Piazza San Marco
Island of Burano
Pictures by the Rialto Bridge
Gondola Ride

Our second day in Italy was busy, especially since we had to make up for our flight delay the day before.

We got up early to tour Doge's Palace, and we had no issues using our passes from the night before. We did a self-guided tour, and probably spent around 2 hours wandering through the palace.

Things to see inside Doge's Palace include the Doge's apartments, the Bridge of Sighs, and the armory. Our favorite spot was the Bridge of Sighs, where prisoners used to cross to receive their sentencing. It was said to be their last glimpse of freedom, hence the name.

After Doge's Palace, we considered touring St. Mark's Basilica, but the line to get in was incredibly long. We had not booked any skip-the-line tours, so we decided to skip seeing the inside and grab lunch before our next activity, visiting the Island of Burano.

To visit the island of Burano, take the Vaporetto, or public water bus from Fondamente Nove. You do not need to buy tickets in advance. We purchased our tickets in person at Fondamente Nove.

The ferry ride is about 40 minutes long, and costs around 19 Euro per person.

Burano is a beautiful city known for its colorful buildings and handmade lace. It felt extremely crowded right after exiting the Vaporetto, but once the crowds dispersed it felt like a breath of fresh air and we could truly enjoy the city.

We spent a few hours wandering around, taking photos, and eating more gelato. My mom also did some shopping for the ubiquitous handmade lace.

I would have loved to spend the night and enjoy some time at the sidewalk cafes after the day trip crowds had left for the day, but we had more we wanted to do in Venice before heading to our next destination!

Back in Venice, we enjoyed dinner, an Aperol spritz (the adults), and Fanta (the kids) before checking off an item that had been on my bucket list for over a decade: riding a gondola.

A gondola ride costs 80 euros and can take up to 5 passengers. Since my parents were with us, we split up into 2 gondola rides: 2 kids came with my husband and me, and 2 kids went with my parents.

The rides last about a half hour, and the gondoliers share facts about the city. It was exactly as magical as I imagined it would be!

Tip: Do NOT forget to take cash out before your gondola ride! They do not accept credit cards.

Read my Venice with Kids travel guide here!

Day 3: Take the Train from Venice to Florence

Venice Santa Lucia Train Station to Florence Santa Maria Novella Train Station
Pitti Palace
Boboli Garden
Ponte Vecchio
Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy, the world's oldest pharmacy

Our apartment in Venice was located about a mile away from the train station, so we hauled our stroller, suitcase, and backpacks over bridge after bridge until we reached a cafe near the train station.

(We packed super light for our trip to Europe - read all about our strategy here!)

We left ourselves plenty of time to eat breakfast before our scheduled train ride to Florence.

We booked our train tickets on Trenitalia. The journey from Venice Santa Lucia to Florence Santa Maria Novella train station was around 2 hours. We chose the base standard fare, which cost 57 euros for adults, and 28 euros for kids. The prices for trains can vary based on season, time of day, and the popularity of the route.

The train arrived in Florence just before noon, and our Airbnb host allowed us to drop off our bags at our apartment right away, which luckily was just about a block away from the train station!

We purchased the Firenze Card for our time in Florence, which allowed us access to many museums around Florence, including Pitti Palace. Pitti Palace is a former residence of the Medici family. There are several museums to explore within Pitti Palace, including a costume gallery, royal apartments, and a gallery of modern art.

Behind Pitti Palace, you have access to Boboli Garden with incredible views of Florence.

Ponte Vecchio was a short walk from Pitti Palace, so we stopped there and admired the views.

Before going back to our Airbnb for the night, we stopped at the world's oldest pharmacy, Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy, since it was so close to our apartment. My kids were still pretty young when we visited, and I was stressed the entire time about them touching or breaking things, so maybe save this for a visit with slightly older kids. The inside is majestic, but filled to the brim with fragile glass bottles.

Read our entire Florence itinerary here!

Day 4: Sightseeing in Florence

Uffizi Gallery
Accademia Gallery to see the David Statue
Piazza del Duomo
Piazza della Repubblica
Vivoli - oldest Gelateria in Florence
Piazza di Santa Maria Novella
Fontana del Porcellino

On our one full day in Florence, we had an early reservation for the Uffizi Gallery. We got up early to have breakfast at a cafe just steps away from the Uffizi.

Just a note about reserving times for the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery: both require advance reservations several weeks in advance. I waited until only a few weeks before our trip, and all of the times of the official website, GetYourGuide, and Viator were sold out. My only option was to purchase the Firenze Card since time slots are reserved for those with the Firenze Card. I had to get on the phone and call a number to reserve my time slot, but we could get in and skip the line.

Another note: museums in Florence are free for kids under the age of 18, so you do not need to purchase the Firenze Card for them. You still need to include them on your reservation, though.

At the Uffizi Gallery, we particularly enjoyed "Adoration of the Magi" by Leonardo da Vinci, "Birth of Venus" and "Spring" by Botticelli, and "Medusa" by Caravaggio.

Our next stop was the Accademia, where we saw the David Statue. We also used our Firenze Card here to skip the line.

Michelangelo's David far exceeded my expectations. We've all seen replicas of the statue, so I was expecting to be somewhat disappointed when I saw it in person. If you've ever visited the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and been underwhelmed by its size, you may understand what my expectations were.

However, when I turned the corner of the museum and caught sight of the 17-foot-tall statue, it actually took my breath away. It is 100% worth it to see this masterpiece in person. The attention to detail, the scale, and the perfect proportions are appealing to adults and young children alike.

Once you've finished admiring Michelangelo's David, there's not a ton more to see in the Accademia, especially after spending all morning in the Uffizi staring at art.

We made our way out of the busy tourist areas and back to Piazza di Santa Maria Novella for lunch. This was the plaza nearest our apartment, so we grabbed some pizza and pasta before taking the kids back to the Airbnb for some quiet time. We expected a lot out of them touring two museums in one morning, so we wanted to make sure they got a little downtime to rest, journal, or watch a movie before heading back out for more sightseeing.

While we were resting, my parents went back to the Piazza del Duomo and explored the cathedral.

We joined them after a few hours, then stopped at Vivoli the oldest gelateria in Florence, and the Fontana del Porcellino, which is a bronze statue of a boar where legend has it that if you rub the nose you will return to Florence!

Finally, we let the kids ride the carousel in Piazza della Repubblica.

Read our entire Florence itinerary here!

Day 5: Take the train from Florence to Rome

Piazzale Michelangelo
Train from Florence Santa Maria Novella Train Station to Rome Termini Station
Pantheon
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
World's Most Beautiful McDonalds

Before taking the train to the Eternal City we had one more spot we wanted to visit in Florence. We woke up early to take the long walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo, a viewpoint overlooking the city with fantastic views of the Florence skyline - featuring the magnificent Duomo.

From the city center, you'll need to cross over to the South Bank of the Arno River where you'll begin to see signs for the viewpoint. (Or just plug it into Google Maps!)

Many people visit this popular viewpoint at sunset, but with impending rain the night before, we decided to try sunrise. And while we didn't quite get up early enough for sunrise, it was still early enough that we had the entire place to ourselves - a rare thing in Italy during the summer months!

After breakfast, we took the train from Florence Santa Maria Novella Train Station to Rome Termini Station. We arrived just after noon, and our apartment rental was within about a 15-minute walk of the train station. We dropped our bags off at the apartment before heading out into the city.

Because it was a travel day, we decided to walk around and check out the free historic sites in Rome, starting with the Pantheon. The line to get into the Pantheon was quite long, but it went very quickly. You don't need a lot of time inside the Pantheon, especially with young children, but it's still really neat to see the architecture of the dome and the oculus that lets natural light into the building.

Next, we visited the Trevi Fountain, and it is every bit as crowded as those videos you see on social media. However, we noticed that the crowds were all polite, and everyone took turns getting a photo or video in front of the fountain before moving aside so someone else could have a turn. As always, when you're in the midst of a large crowd at a tourist site, be aware of your surroundings and keep a hand on your belongings.

Our final stop was the Spanish Steps, and after seeing them we had dinner at one of the most beautiful McDonald's restaurants in the world just steps away.

Check out my guide to planning a trip to Rome with kids!

Day 6: Sightseeing in Rome

Vatican City & the Sistine Chapel
St. Peter's Basilica
Pizza Making Class

On our one full day in Rome, we took a small group guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. A guided tour is the easiest way to see the Vatican because you can skip the lines, get insider information about the artwork and architecture, and learn more about the history of the Vatican.

Our guide also told us about the Sistine Chapel before we entered because you're not supposed to talk or take pictures or videos while you're inside. She prepared us really well for what to expect once we got inside.

The tour ends at St. Peter's Basilica where you'll see some of Michelangelo's early sculptures as well as the Apostle Peter's burial site.

After taking a short break back at our Airbnb, we went to the Pizza Making Class we had booked ahead of time, also on Viator. We had the best time learning from a local Italian chef, and he even showed the kids how to toss their pizza dough! The class was about 2 and a half hours long, and you get to eat the pizza you make for dinner, so this counts as an activity and a meal! This is truly one of the best things you can do in Italy with kids.

Day 7: Colosseum Tour and Leave for Greece

Drop bags off in a storage locker at the train station
Colosseum Guided Tour
Take the train to the airport

On our last day in Italy, we packed up, checked out of our Airbnb, and then headed to the train station to drop our bags off at a storage locker. We wanted to make the most of our day and didn't want to have to worry about a late checkout with Airbnb, so this option made the most sense for us.

We scheduled a small group guided walking tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill for the morning, and enjoyed learning all about Ancient Rome. I think a guided tour is the best way to see the Colosseum and the ancient ruins around the Roman Forum because your guide can explain the history and show you pictures of what it used to look like.

Our tour guide was warm and funny, sprinkling in anecdotes and his own theories in between historical facts. He kept our kids engaged the entire time even though they were the only kids in the group and it was not a private tour. This tour was one of our favorite things we did on our entire trip!

The tour finished on the floor of the Colosseum where gladiators once stood, and it was truly a surreal feeling.

After the tour, we didn't have much time to get from the Colosseum to the train station. We had scheduled tickets on the Leonardo Express, a high speed train that goes between Rome Termini station and the Fiumicino Airport.

We had an evening flight to continue our European adventure in kids in Greece, where we visited Athens and the Greek Island of Paros.

Thoughts on Our Itinerary

I didn't feel like we had nearly enough time in Italy to really soak it in, but I was glad we got to see the major cities on our first trip.

There are so many small towns in the countryside that would be incredibly charming to visit if you had a rental car. There are coastal towns in southern Italy, and mountain towns in Northern Italy that I wish we could have visited.

However, we made the most of the time we had, and now I know we want to return someday to experience slow travel through Italy.

If I could do one thing differently, I would schedule in one free day to just wander and let the kids play at playgrounds without any scheduled tours or museums. I'd like to say that I wouldn't move around so much because the travel time eats a large part of the day, but I actually think I would do it all over again because I want to see it all!

For more information about our trip to Italy, the following articles might be helpful!