15 Best Things to See in Venice in One Day with Kids

During my study abroad semester in Ecuador, I remember visiting a bohemian coffee shop with my friends and making a bucket list of all the travel experiences we would like to have someday.

At the top of that bucket list was "Ride a gondola in Venice."

This summer I finally made that dream a reality. Better yet, I got to experience it with my husband, my 4 children, and my parents.

We spent a week touring Italy and a week in Greece, but our first stop was Venice, Italy. We were supposed to have a day and a half in Venice, but due to some flight delays during our layover in Dublin, we ended up really only having 1 full day to see everything there is to see in Venice.

While you could easily spend days exploring everything there is to do in Venice, most people just stop by for a day or 2 as part of a larger itinerary. That was certainly the case for us, so I'll share what we prioritized on our short visit with kids.

I know Venice gets a lot of bad press online for being touristy and crowded, so I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed.

I'm SO thankful to report that Venice far exceeded my expectations! It was just as charming and unique as I had always imagined.

You don't have to go far from the main tourist sites to discover enchanting alleyways and delightful spots to sit along the canal.

1 day in Venice felt like far too little, but it's what we had and we made the most of it. Now I know I'll need to go back someday and really take my time!

Here are the top things to do in Venice with kids if you only have 1 day to explore.

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Is Venice a Kid-Friendly City?

Should you take your kids to Venice? Will you feel safe bringing your toddler to Venice, a city full of canals? These were questions I thought about as I planned this portion of our trip.

Our toddler would be 3 and a half at the time of our visit, so I figured we would be well past the stage of unsteady walking or running away. She did so well, and we just made sure to always have an adult stand between her and the canal if she wasn't already in the stroller.

Here are some reasons I thought Venice was a wonderful place to visit with kids:

We didn't have to worry about keeping the kids away from traffic, cars, and crazy drivers like we did in Rome.
Venice is magical! There are few other places in the world with canals instead of streets and colorful houses.
It's very walkable. When I was putting together our detailed itinerary, I realized that almost all of the major attractions were within easy walking distance of each other.
Pizza, pasta, and gelato. Need I say more?

Is Venice a Stroller-Friendly City?

Well, yes and no. We did have our stroller along with us, and we used it a little bit. The tricky part is that every bridge over the canals has stairs to climb, so you'll have to fold up your stroller every time you cross a bridge. Not great for baby or toddler nap times!

If you bring a stroller to Venice, make sure it's a lightweight travel stroller that's easy to fold up and set up with one hand.

The Zoe Tour+ has been a lifesaver for us on our travels! You can get $15 off a stroller purchase of $200 or more by using my affiliate link!

If you have a very young toddler who is new to walking or needs frequent naps on the go, I would highly recommend bringing a comfortable baby carrier. I've always used and loved the Lillebaby.

When to Visit Venice

There are pros and cons to each season in Venice, so you'll have to decide what is most important to you when choosing a time of year to visit! We decided to visit right after the school year ended, which means we went to Venice right at the end of May.

The crowds were manageable, the weather was warm but not too hot, and it felt like we snuck our visit in before the heavy tourist season began.

Winter: From November to February you'll encounter low crowds, but the weather gets cold. When we lived in Florida, I noticed that a 30-degree day felt much colder there than it did where I grew up in Wisconsin, which may have to do with the humidity. I believe the same holds true for Venice!

So if you go in winter bundle up, and have plans to visit many museums or cafes to escape the cold. Just remember that there may be larger crowds and events for Carnevale in February, which may or may not be what your family is looking for!

Spring: From March to May you'll have mild weather, some rain, and lower crowds. Accommodations will likely be cheaper than summertime prices, but you may experience flooding, so bring some rain boots!

Summer: From June to August the crowds are high, the weather is hot, and the prices are about as expensive as they'll get. Many families don't have the option to avoid summer since it's the only time their kids are off school. That was the case for us, so we went as early in the season as possible.

It was still delightful and magical - you just may have to work a little harder to avoid the crowds! Also, be aware of the mosquitoes! Bring bug spray, or purchase some when you arrive at a pharmacy. We slept with our windows open since the air conditioning wasn't working in our vacation rental, and a few of us ended up with tons of mosquito bites.

Fall: In September through November the weather will start to cool off as the summer crowds fade. Expect some rain and cool weather just like in the springtime.

Where to Stay in Venice with Kids

There are several neighborhoods to choose from in Venice called sestieri. We booked our apartment only 4 months ahead of time, and we had 8 people in our party. I would not recommend waiting that long to book a place since our options were limited. I found our vacation rental called Apartment Minuetto on Booking.com and we ended up in the Santa Croce neighborhood.

We ended up being very happy with our place, as there was plenty of space for us to spread out. Another thing we absolutely loved was that the neighborhood was very quiet and felt a little more local with many small, charming streets and quiet little bridges where you could enjoy the views of the canal. The restaurants near our apartment were never crowded or overly busy.

We did have to walk a bit to get to Plaza San Marco and Santa Lucia train station, but it was doable. If you prefer to stay closer to landmarks and transportation, you might prefer the San Marco neighborhood, though I would imagine accommodations would be more expensive.

If you book far enough in advance you'll have your pick of hotels or vacation rentals!

One-Day Venice Itinerary for Families

We had originally planned to have a day and a half in Venice, but due to a flight delay during our layover in Dublin, we really only ended up having one day to explore. We arrived in Venice in the early evening, so we had just enough time to see a few things before sunset.

We landed around 4:30 p.m., but after going through customs and immigration, waiting on our water bus, and dropping our bags at the hotel, we started walking around at 6 p.m.

How to Get to Venice from Marco Polo Airport

The best way to get from Marco Polo Airport to Venice is the Alilaguna Public transportation. This water bus is the most economical way for a larger family, and very easy to navigate. We followed the signs in Marco Polo Airport that said "Water Transport" until we found the ticket booth.

The kids waiting for the water bus at Marco Polo Airport to get into Venice

I don't believe we bought our tickets ahead of time. We just purchased tickets in person at the ticket booth. I had messaged our vacation rental ahead of time to ask what the best way to get there was, and they let us know to take the Orange Line. Just message your hotel or vacation rental in advance and they can point you in the right direction.

6:00 PM: Libreria Acqua Alta

Due to our delayed flight, we missed our timed entry tickets to Doge's Palace, so we decided to have a low-key evening. We stopped at Libreria Acqua Alta which I had seen in my Instagram and TikTok research on what to do in Venice with Kids.

Libreria Acqua Alta is a unique bookstore overflowing with new and used books in the Castello neighborhood. Due to frequent flooding, the books are kept in gondolas, bathtubs, and other waterproof containers.

This is a quick stop, and totally optional.

7:00 PM: Gelato by The Canal

Jetlagged and emotionally drained from our eventful travel day, we knew gelato would be just the thing to lift our spirits.

We slowly made our way toward our apartment, and passed by several gelato shops until we realized how hungry we were. We were all set to park ourselves in a nearby plaza when I noticed one of the alleys led to the Grand Canal. It wasn't busy at all, so we wandered over and enjoyed our gelato canal-side.

This was the moment it finally sunk in that we were in Venice, one of the most magical cities on earth. I had dreamed of this moment since childhood, and there I was surrounded by my family, enjoying a sweet treat as a gondola passed by. The sun was setting, and at that moment everything was perfect.

9:00 AM: Doge's Palace

We had booked skip-the-line tickets to Doge's Palace, otherwise known as Palazzo Ducale, through GetYourGuide, and even though we had missed our time slot the day before, when I contacted customer service at GetYourGuide they said that I would be able to use the tickets at any time during our visit.

Sure enough, the next morning we showed up right as Doge's Palace was opening and we got right in with no issues.

We didn't take a guided tour but rather wandered through the rooms of the palace at our own pace. Our favorite part was the famous bridge of sighs and the prisons.

11:00 AM: St. Mark’s Square

When we finished up at Doge's Palace, we intended to go into St. Mark's Basilica, as it's one of the main attractions in Venice. Unfortunately, we didn't have skip-the-line tickets, and the line was very long at that point, so we decided to just wander around Piazza San Marco to enjoy the views before eating lunch and heading to our next destination.

12:30 AM: Day Trip to Burano

After lunch, we took the ferry at Fondamente Nove to the island of Burano which is known for its colorful buildings and handmade lace. This was one of my favorite parts of our time in Venice! The island was so enchanting, and we could have spent hours just wandering around, ducking in and out of the small shops.

This is a photographer's paradise, and each time we turned another corner the views were better than the last. I got a few great photos of the kids looking out over the bridges at the colorful buildings. It's a destination I'll remember forever!

My mom shopped for handmade lace while we took the kids for some gelato to tide them over, since they were starting to get hungry and hot again. As much as I wanted to stay and meander every side street and along each canal, we knew we had to return at some point because we had big plans in Venice for the evening.

5:00 PM: Rialto Bridge

After returning to Venice, we made our way to the most famous bridge in Venice, Ponte Di Rialto. On our way to Fondamente Nove earlier that day we had taken a wrong turn on the narrow streets and accidentally ended up in a line of people. A lady yelled at us that we were skipping the line, and I got confused because we were just trying to get to the ferry. I realized when I looked up that the sidewalk ended there and it was a beautiful spot with the best view of Rialto Bridge where people were gathering to take photos.

Anyway, it ended up being a lucky mistake because we made a mental note to come back and take photos there. Thankfully there were only one or 2 people taking photos there when we got back, so we grabbed a few of my favorite photos from our trip!

5:30 PM: Dinner

We had no idea where we wanted to eat, but we knew the kids were getting hungry, so we made our way back toward our neighborhood, knowing it was a quieter part of town.

I can't remember the name of the place where we ate, but the pasta and Aperol spritzes were incredible, and they even had little chicken nuggets for some of my pickier kids. (And I was happy to get some protein in their bodies).

6:45 PM: Gondola Ride

A gondola ride had been on my bucket list since college, so I was thrilled to finally be checking it off with my husband, kids, and parents along!

Only 5 guests are allowed in each gondola, and they cost around 80 Euro per ride, so we split up into 2 groups. I'm so glad my parents were with us because as a family of 6, my husband and I would have had to split up taking 2 kids each, which would not have been nearly as fun.

This way, my husband and I got to take the girls in one gondola, and my parents took the boys in another.

We had the best time floating along the canal, listening to the gondolier tell us all about his city. We even got to see Marco Polo's birthplace!

I'll share more about the logistics of riding a gondola below.

And that's our 1 Day Itinerary for Venice! Early the next morning we walked to the train station to head to Florence and continue our trip. At that moment I knew I would return someday to this beautiful city that captured my heart.

Best Things to Do in Venice with Kids

Now that I've shared our itinerary, I want to share a list of all the kid-friendly things to do in Venice so that you can use our schedule as a jumping-off point to create your own Venice travel itinerary! Here are the main sights to visit if you're only in Venice for a short time.

1. See the Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is the main waterway in Venice that essentially divides the city in half. You can see it from alongside the canal, from atop one of its 4 bridges, and even from the water.

Because the canals are used as transportation routes instead of roads, you can take public transport on the Grand Canal to get from one tourist sight to the next. The traghetto will take you from one side of the canal to the other if you're not near a bridge.

Another option would be to take a Grand Canal Boat Tour on a motorboat to see the sights from the water while you learn about the history of the floating city.

2. Visit Rialto Bridge

Rialto Bridge is an ancient stone arch bridge located at the narrowest point of the Grand Canal. It's one of the most iconic sights in Venice, and almost always bustling with tourists. Built during the Renaissance, this was the only way for pedestrians to cross the Grand Canal until the 1850s. It's a true work of art!

You'll likely find yourself crossing the bridge multiple times during your visit, but at some point be sure to slow down and take in the sights! One of my favorite photos from our trip is from atop Rialto Bridge.

As I mentioned in our itinerary, there is also a great photo spot where you can pose with the Rialto Bridge in the background. On the west side of the bridge (the San Polo neighborhood side, not the San Marco neighborhood side), there is a sidewalk that comes to an end where lots of people take photos with the stunning bridge as the backdrop.

3. Explore Doge's Palace

Doge's Palace is a Gothic-style palace built for the Duke of Venice. It's one of the top sights in Venice, and we found that our older kids were especially interested in the history and artwork inside.

This beautiful building is located in located in St. Mark's Square and there are normally long lines to get in. We purchased a skip-the-line reserved entry ticket on Get Your Guide to save some time.

You can also reserve a guided tour, but we weren't sure how much our younger children would get out of that. I'm very happy. we decided to explore the palace on our own, as we could move as quickly or slowly as our kids wanted. I believe we ended up spending around 2 hours total inside.

If you're an art lover, you'll really enjoy the Doge's Apartments where you'll get to see the private art collections and the golden staircase. Our kids loved the Chamber of the Great Council, a large gilded room, and the prisons.

You can cross the Bridge of Sighs from inside, too!

4. Take a Gondola Ride

There are few things more Venetian than a gondola ride! We knew this would be a very touristy and expensive activity, but we didn't care. Floating along the canals with a local guide and waving to the people on the bridges above was a surreal experience.

Here's what to know if you want to take a gondola ride in Venice with kids.

A gondola ride costs around 80 euros for a 30-minute ride. This may vary by time of day. For example, if you want a gondola ride after 7 p.m. you will likely end up paying more!

You can have up to 5 passengers in a gondola. This would have been tough for us since we are a family of 6. If my parents had not been there, we would have had to split up into 2 gondolas with 1 adult and 2 kids in each. I think it would still be magical that way! Luckily my parents were with us and were generous enough to take 2 of our kids in their gondola.

How do you book a gondola ride? There's no need to book a gondola in advance. There are gondola stands all around Venice, and you can chat with the gondolier ahead of time to see if you like their personality!

Once you hire your gondolier, they will help you into their boat, and you can sit back and enjoy the ride. At the end, you'll need to pay in cash, so you might want to make sure you know the price ahead of time and definitely have enough cash on hand.

What's the best time to take a gondola ride? You could go early in the morning with kids since the city will be quieter and less crowded. We ended up going around 6:45 p.m. and it was magical. Yes, we saw many other gondolas around us, but it didn't affect the experience at all!

Is a gondola ride in Venice worth it?

In my opinion, it was 100% worth it to take my kids on a gondola ride in Venice. It's a memory I'll treasure forever. I think if you go in with the expectations that it is a touristy thing to do, but it's all part of the Venice experience, you'll find something to love. Make sure you like the personality of the gondolier you hire, too! I'm sure that can make or break the experience.

Ours was friendly, shared some history, and pointed out famous landmarks, but he also gave us some quiet time to just soak in the experience, which I really appreciated.

Each experience will be different, but I think you'll end up regretting it more if you don't ride a gondola in Venice at least once.

5. See St. Mark's Square

St Mark’s Square is the main public square in Venice, and it's also where the Campanile di San Marco, St. Mark's Basilica, and Doge's Palace are located.

Get up early and enjoy a cappuccino at one of the cafes in St. Mark's Square as you watch the plaza come to life. Let your kids chase some pigeons. You can also simply wander around the square and take in the stunning architecture.

This is one of the most crowded areas in Venice, so we didn't spend too long here. I would imagine it's quite peaceful in the early mornings or late evenings, so if you're staying nearby, it might be more fun to visit at one of those times.

6. Go Inside St. Mark's Basilica

As I mentioned before, by the time we left Doge's Palace the line to get into St. Mark's Basilica was incredibly long. Since I didn't plan ahead well enough, we didn't have skip-the-line timed entry tickets either.

Inside you can check out the paintings and sculptures along with the Pala d'Oro altar.

We felt like our kids saw as much art as they could handle inside Doge's Palace, so we weren't too broken up about skipping St. Mark's Basilica. Note that there is likely a dress code for visiting churches in Italy, so come prepared with shoulders and knees covered (even for men and boys), or bring a scarf along to cover up if needed.

Since we didn't go inside, I'm not really sure how strict they are, but it's better to be prepared!

7. Climb the Bell Tower

Another thing to do in St. Mark's Square is to climb the Bell Tower known as the Campanile di San Marco, for incredible views of Venice and the lagoon from above.

The Campanile is 99 meters high, and you can get to the top by elevator, which if good news if you're visiting with young children!

8. Tour the Canal on a Vaporetto

If you're not ready to drop 80€ on a gondola ride, consider a few alternatives! The Vaporetto is the water bus system in Venice, and much cheaper than a gondola ride! Of course, it will be much more crowded, but you'll still get to enjoy some iconic views of Venice from the water.

Another alternative that actually feels more like a gondola ride and is MUCH cheaper would be the traghetto (which I mentioned earlier). The traghetto costs only a few Euro and takes you from one side of the canal to the other. It's a much shorter ride but at least it's in the traditional gondola!

And if you want to get to your destination more quickly, you can always pay for a water taxi, which look like little speed boats in the canals!

9. Visit the Libreria Acqua Alta

The Libreria Acqua Alta is an iconic albeit touristy bookshop where you can see how books are stored to keep them away from the rising water. It's adorable, and if you can find a time to visit when it's not super crowded (maybe earlier in the morning), I think it would be fun to browse the old books. I LOVE bookstores and really wanted to take my time there, but with the crowds shuffling along there really was no way to stop and look without interrupting the flow.

There are several photo opportunities, such as an outdoor spot where you can climb a large stack of books and pose on top.

10. See the Bridge of Sighs and Share the Story

We saw the Bridge of Sighs from inside Doge's Palace, but I think see it from the outside and telling your kids the story of the Bridge of Sighs is a fun and free thing to do in Venice.

The Bridge of Sighs, or Ponte dei Sospiri, is an enclosed bridge crossing the Rio di Palazzo between Doge's Palace and the Prisons. The bridge gets its name from the legend that prisoners would walk through the enclosed passageway and catch one last glimpse of the beautiful Grand Canal (and freedom) as they walked to the courtroom or back to the prison.

It's a sad tale, but one that will likely capture your children's imaginations. Plus, legend has it that anyone who kisses beneath the bridge of sighs while riding a gondola will have eternal love.

11. Take the Ferry to the Island of Burano

Burano is an island in the Northern Venetian Lagoon about 45 minutes away from Venice, and it was one of the best places to visit near Venice! I'm so glad we made time for it! This is known as one of the most colorful places in the world thanks to the vibrant houses that line the canals. Apparently, the homes were painted in bright colors to help returning fishermen find their homes from the water and to define property lines.

Burano is also known for its handmade lace, so be sure to go shopping for something special in one of the many shops!

You can also visit the leaning bell tower or San Martino church, try one of the Burano cookies (Esse) from a bakery, or simply wander the car-free streets taking in the sights.

You can always book a guided tour of Burano, but I prefer exploring on our own.

12. Take a Walking Tour

If your kids are curious about Venice and want to learn more, consider booking a walking tour! This one, for example, will take you off the beaten path to see the most unusual places in Venice. It's a small group tour and will help you dive more into the history of Venice!

13. Eat Gelato along the Canal

In my opinion, this should be one of the first things you do when arriving in Venice! Grab a gelato, find a quiet spot along the canal, and just take it all in. You are in one of the most magical places on earth, eating some of the most delicious gelato known to man. Life is good!

14. See Glassblowers in Murano

Murano is another island in the Venice Lagoon that you could visit instead of or in addition to Burano. Murano is known for its glassblowers, which we decided to skip since we still have a toddler and some other young children. Glass didn't seem like a great idea for us.

I would love to come back someday and see the famous glassblowers in action, and even take a souvenir home.