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Is Venice Good to Visit with Kids?

This might not be the most popular opinion but Venice, Italy is one of my favorite places for kids. So many people ask: is Venice good to visit with kids? I asked it too and am here to answer YES! Both times we took all of the kids to Italy, Venice wasn’t in the initial plan….

The first time, back in 2018, when I was planning our month in Italy my husband requested Venice. He had never seen it and really wanted to. I vetoed it. I thought it would be hot, crowded and impossible to have 4 kids not fall into a canal get lost or be bored. I also thought there was zero chance you could bring a stroller there. I had been there in college and from what I remembered: it wasn’t a good spot for kids. But, I also felt bad that my husband had never seen it and it was his only request for the trip… so I added it to the itinerary. It ended up being our favorite part of the trip. A lot of it was finding the perfect spot to stay (more of that below) but the kids loved the city and we really had the best time there.

Fast forward to our 2022 trip. The kids wanted to go back to Venice. This time I said we should see new places in Italy and not visit the same spots. My husband agreed and I booked everything. Well when Tom got hurt and couldn’t join us in Europe, I had to change a lot of the plans, part of which was new flights home. I was on the hunt for the cheapest way to get home and was willing to venture around Italy for the airport with the best deal. That airport was Venice. I mentioned to the kids that while we wouldn’t get to go onto Spain as planned we might get to spend the last few days in Venice… they literally were jumping for joy. They were so excited to go back to Venice. The second trip was much shorter and I was solo with all 5 kids so I did a lot less, but still… our time in Venice last summer was memorable, fun and led me to decide: Venice with kids is awesome.

Is Venice Good to Visit with Kids?

Yes, here’s why:
1. There’s no where else like it
I know that sounds cliche to say but the simple fact that my kids had never seen anything like Venice, made them instantly interested and intrigued. Even for adults it’s a wonder to see and getting to see my kids reaction to a city with water for streets… was really awesome. I think that’s why they really wanted to go back. There’s no where else they can go “instead” because it’s so unique.
2. Gondolas
A ride on a gondola is like a magical ride at Disney World (but a whole lot better in my opinion). You’re in a beautiful, funny shaped boat, there’s singing, ducking to go under bridges, and while it seems wildly overpriced when you first hear the cost, you hop off the ride thinking “that was totally worth it”. Besides riding on a gondola, watching the gondolas is really fun for kids too. My kids love to stand on the bridges and wave to the gondoliers and other families on them as they go by.
3. Narrow Little Streets 
My kids love the narrow little streets in Venice. It’s like wandering around in a fairytale. There are streets so narrow that they could reach both sides when standing in the middle, something they certainly can’t do in a city back home like NYC! What’s amazing is that even though there are so many tiny streets, canals and plenty of places to get lost… Google Maps works perfectly.
4. Quiet Streets & Piazzas
We visit Italy in the summer because the kids have off of school, but if I could choose any other time of year I would because: crowds. Venice is extremly crowded in the summer, like most places, BUT what makes it different is there are so many qiuet little streets and piazzas away from the main squares. There were so many times when we were in Venice, both times, that there wasn’t a person around. We loved grabbing a treat to eat and ducking onto an empty street to enjoy a quiet canal or running around an empty piazza. I was really suprised to find so much quiet in Venice in the summer.
5. No Cars 
Traveling around Italy with kids is awesome but one thing that’s a little tricky in most cities: lots of cars and Vespa’s with super narrow sidewalks. I’ve grabbed many a kid by the shirt as they hopped off a tiny sidewalk a little too close to a car. The beauty of Venice is there are no cars to worry about. I thought all the water would be worse but I 100% felt much more like someone would get hit by a Vespa in Florence than they would fall into a canal. It’s my favorite city to stroll around with the kids because there’s no fear they’ll get hit by a vehicle.
6. The Bridges
My kids were in awe at the different bridges in Venice. There are big bridges, small bridges, old bridges, new bridges…. they’re all so different but key to getting around. We’d sit down for a meal and they’d talk about their favorites.
7. The Islands of Burano and Murano
Another reason why I think Venice is such a great spot to take kids is that were are 2 super unique little islands to visit with EASE. Murano is neat for kids to learn about all of the glass in Venice and even try making some. Burano is my personal favorite and one of my favorite days we’ve spent with the kids in Italy.
8. The Shops 
My kids loved popping in and out of the shops in Venice. There are so many that are magical for kids: the masks, the tiny glass animals and our favorite: Librairie Acqua Alta. Like so many things in Venice, the shops feel magical for the kids. Oh and the pastry shops! Picture kids buying canoli’s bigger than their heads.
9. St. Mark’s 
My kids got to St. Mark’s Square at the end of a month in Ireland and Italy… so they had seen A LOT of churches. To say they were still impressed to see St. Mark’s church says something ha! It looks more like a castle to kids with it’s cool shape, ornate details and shinny gold. The square in front with it’s pigoens, music and people make it an exciting spot for kids. The inside of the church was cool for them to see too.
Tip: do not try to eat with kids in St. Mark’s Square – over priced and not so kid friendly
Good to know: the bridges along the main canal walk from St. Mark’s to the Vaporetto or neighborhood mentioned below have ramps so you CAN use a stroller.
10. Neighborhood to Stay In
One of the things that “made the trip” the first time in Venice was the neighborhood we stayed in. If you are going to Venice with kids I would highly recommend trying to stay in the Castello neighborhood and inside the Giardini Pubblici if possible. You can still walk to everything, there’s a Vaporetto stop right at the park’s entrace but you have a really quiet place to come back to after touring around. There’s a playground, great restaurants (that are MUCH cheaper than eating in the touristy neighborhoods) and lots of green space for the kids to run around. Here’s a link to the specific apartment we rented. It was perfect. For more on the neighborhood and what we did while we were there, visit this post. 
11. Easy to Get To
Venice is very easy to reach by train from many other places you might be visiting in Italy before or after. Both times we visited we took the train. Once you get off the train you can hop on the Vaporetto or a water taxi to where you are staying. The first time we took the Vaporetto to our apartment and dropped our bags. The second time since we were staying out near the airport, we took a taxi to Piazzale Roma (the closet cars can get) and walked around from there.
12. The Airport and Airport Hotel 
This most recent trip we were flying home to the US from Venice. It’s hands down the best Italian airport experience I’ve had and will now look from flights in/out of Venice. It’s small but there are direct flights to the US. The lounge upstairs is huge and even has outdoor areas. I was in an airport alone with 5 kids, our flight was delayed 4 hours and we still had a great experience… We stayed at a Marriott near the airport. It wasn’t as fun as staying right in the city center BUT for ease of getting to the airport it was great.

Looking for more travel information on visiting Italy with kids?    Check out these posts:

15 Fun Things to Do in Florence with Kids 

Best Places to Eat in Florence

The Perfect Florence Rental with a Pool

Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence

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