A kids guide to Rome: Visit Rome with children

Things to do with children in Rome and plan the perfect family trip

Sorry grown-ups there are some things in Rome that are best done while young. See the eternal city through fresh eyes with our selection of the top family-friendly activities in Rome. Get ready to have fun!

Awesome attractions

Escape the crowds and the queues at these secret sights:

See three countries and their capitals through one tiny keyhole at the top of the Aventine Hill. Peak through and you will see a garden path that leads to the Vatican. On the walk up don’t miss out on the orange tree gardens!
Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta
For a journey through time head to the Basilica San Clemente where you can still see a 2^ndcentury Mithran temple and the remains of a Roman house two floors below ground.
Via Labicana, 95; Mon-Sat 9-12:30 and 3pm-6pm, Sundays and holidays 12pm-6pm; 5€ full, 3.50€ reduced.
Experience ghostly thrills in the crypt of the Capuchin monks. The skeletons of around 4,000 friars are kept in the catacombs under the 17^thcentury church. Not for the faint of heart!
Via Vittorio Veneto, 27; every day 9am-7pm; 6€ full, 4€ reduced.

Active adventures

Watch your kids perk up with these lively activities:

Have fun discovering the gems of Trastevere and Villa Borghese with an interactive treasure hunt with Foxtrail. Each trail combines technology and creativity, offering interactive installations and clues that take you through off-the-beaten path areas in Rome, for a fun day out in the open with your kids.
Enhance your senses through immersive activities, colours, smells and textures at Ikono Rome. The immersive journey, lasting about 1 hour on average, unfolds through a series of unique and breathtaking environments that replicate the thrill of traveling to different worlds, cultures and times without ever having to leave the city. Buy tickets to Ikono Rome.
Discreetly tucked behind the grandeur of Piazza Venezia, the Museum of Light emerges as a haven of both enlightenment and wonder. Upon crossing the threshold of this historical palace, visitors are transported into a mesmerizing amalgamation of scientific exploration and pure wonder.
Live a day in the life of a gladiator with Rome’s legit Gladiator School or immerse yourself in ancient Rome at Roma World at Cinecittà World. From private gladiator shows and reenactments, “Gladiator for the Day” experience, to their formal training to be an official gladiator where you’ll learn the techniques of gladiatorial combat–Gruppo Storico Romano and Roma World offer really fun and unique open-air activities that are perfect for those with (and without) kids.
You can rent boats, bicycles, segways and rollerblades at the Villa Borghese gardens and whizz around its beautiful green paths. For an overview of the park’s main sights hop on the miniature train which runs everyday from 10:30 till sunset.
Metro Popolo/Spagna, 20€ per hour for a quadricycle seating six.
While you’re in Villa Borghese, head to Bioparco. The zoo has 222 different species and a special butterfly greenhouse until July.
Piazzale del Giardino Zoologico; everyday 9:30-18:00; 16€ adults, 13€ until 1o years old, free for a children under 1m.
Beginning in April, Rainbow Magicland theme park, with its 35 rides and 3 theatres, is a full day of fun for the family. Located 45 minutes drive from the center of Rome, it is also accessible by train and shuttle bus.
Valmontone; From April 15th. Full ticket 35€, reduced 29€ and kids under a 1m go free. magicland.it
If your kids crave a challenge, head to the ropes courses at EurPark Adventure, a short walk from the Palasport metro. A dozen courses are rated according to difficulty, with multi-lingual instructors on hand to review safety procedures. Or try your hand with a bow and arrow.
Parco Carlo Ciocci, Piazza Pakistan. Open Mon-Sun, 10am-8pm. Entry fee €12 for kids, €18 for adults; archery priced separately. eurpark.it

Learning Fun

Who says learning can’t be fun?

Vigamus is a museum dedicated entirely to video games. Along with a history of gaming, the museum offers the chance to play retro arcade games and experience a virtual reality in 3D.
Via Sabotino, 4; Tue – Sun 10am to 8pm; adults 8€, kids 5€. vigamus.com
Just for children, Explora is a totally interactive museum near Piazza del Popolo where young visitors can learn about history, society and science.
Via Flaminia, 80/86; Tues – Sun 10am – 5pm; 1 -3 yr olds 3€, 3+ 7€, children under 1 Free. mdbr.it/en/
Zoomarine is the water amusement park of Rome, located in Torvaianica, about 23 miles (37 kilometers) from the city. It covers an area of 40,000 square meters, featuring thrill rides, a 4D cinema, pools, and a water park. Inside, there is also a marine zoo: immersed in the Mediterranean vegetation, you will have the opportunity to visit The Dolphin Island, The Bay of Seals, The Parrot Forest, and The Raptor Plain.
Via dei Romagnoli, Torvaianica – Pomezia; 10am – 5.30pm; tickets from €21
CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS
Finding a museum program that engages children is not easy in Rome, but Art and Seek fills that gap. The non-profit group leads children through various exhibitions around the city, discussing the art in ways kids can relate to, followed by a hands-on art activity. In English or Italian.
Tours meet at the museum featured. Timings vary, but most take place at 4 or 4:30 pm on Saturday or before noon on Sunday. Entry fee €15 per child; includes art materials.

Best city workshops

Learn something cool in the eternal city:

Learn to make gelato with an amazing gelato-making class inside an authentic Roman gelateria.
Get hands-on and spend two to three hours in a mosaic-making workshop in a beautiful studio in Trastevere. Learn the techniques behind mosaic-making and create your own mosaic to take home with you.
Cinecittà offers workshops and daily guided tours for families, revealing cinema secrets from the most famous of Italian film studios.
Via Tuscolana, 1055; every day (except Tues) 9.30am-6.30pm; Exhibition Family ticket for 2 parents and 2 children 25€ and Guided Tour Family ticket 45€. cinecittasimostra.it/en
Don’t just go see art in Rome – make it! The Casina di Raffaello in the Villa Borghese is a museum dedicated to kids between the ages of 3 and 10 every weekend using workshops, activities, and a large game room.
Villa Borghese; Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm; Sat-Sun 10am-7pm; Full 7€, reduced 5€. casinadiraffaello.it
Ever wondered what it would be like to be a gladiator for the day? At Rome’s only Gladiator School, just off the ancient Appian Way, you can take part in a two-hour lesson and train to become a true little warrior.
Via Appia Antica 18, reservation required. Book here

Tranquil Times

Need a break from all that adrenaline? Take a moment to chill at one of these spots:

The Little Reader is a bookshop, library and café all rolled into one. The shop also hosts events for little readers, such as storytelling in both English and Italian.
Via Conte Verde, 66; Mon – Sat from 10am – 6.30pm. thelittlereader.it
During the warmer months, everything comes up roses at the fragrant Orto Botanico, or botanical gardens of Rome. Take a stroll through the beautiful greenery and see over 3000 species of plant life.
Largo Cristina di Svezia, 24; 9am – 5.30pm (November-February) or 6.30pm (March-October); Adults €8, under 11’s €4, under 5’s free. ortobotanicoitalia.it/lazio/romalasapienza/
Up the Janiculum lies the green, hilly expanse of Villa Doria Pamphilj Park, a bigger, less crowded alternative to Villa Borghese. The park offers playgrounds, paths for jogging and biking, fields for soccer and frisbee, streams, a pond full of turtles, and a museum, the former country house of the Pamphili-Doria family. Stop by Vivi Bistrot for hummus, barley salad, burgers, or organic chicken nuggets for the kids.
Multiple entrances on Via di San Pancrazio, Via Aurelia Antica, etc. Open daily, 7am-sunset. Free entry.
Add some music to your day! Accademia Santa Cecilia at Auditorium Parco della Musica hosts many family friendly concerts, often on Sundays, with live classical music and a friendly atmosphere.
Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30; check santacecilia.it

Best tours with kids in Rome

Want to visit the Eternal City stress-free? Check out our private tours for a great experience!

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