How to see Venice Florence and Rome in 10 days with kids: the itinerary you’ll love [2026 update]

Learn how to plan a family trip to Italy and see Venice Florence and Rome in 10 days: a detailed itinerary with the best things to do each day, the best tours, and transport

Rome, Venice and Florence are the most popular destinations for a first trip to Italy, and 10-day Italy itinerary recommendations for first-timers are among the most sought-after of all Italy travel plans.

So today, I put these two requests together and share a family-friendly Italy itinerary to see Venice, Florence and Rome in ten days!

The itinerary is based on my own experience of these cities as a visitor and a local, my own frequent trips around Italy with my kids and the best family activities we have tried in each of these destinations.

To make sure you have an itinerary that is tried and tested, I have followed closely what we have actually done in these cities as well as some additional recommendations.

Therefore, don’t be surprised if, in some places, we have skipped a ‘must-see’

We have tailored our days to our kids and their interests and some choices are down to that.

When this happened, like in Venice, where we skipped Doge’s Palace, I gave alternatives on what you can slot in a main landmark instead.

Since I am from Rome, you’ll see I give even more options for that part of the trip!

I hope it helps get you started with your plans!

Please note: this post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission.

How to see Venice Florence and Rome in 10 days with kids – top 4 tips

My top tips for planning a 10-day Italy trip to the country’s most famous cities are:

Fly into Venice and out of Rome – this will allow you to maximize time on the ground and avoid backtracking. It will also allow you to start in a quieter place and get over jetlag before tackling the bustling energy of Rome.

Pack light – the temperature will be similar in the three cities and it will be easier to move around with taxis/trains if you’re not weighed down by many big bags.

Use the train – trains in Italy are fast, safe, efficient and family-friendly. On the other hand, city traffic is a nightmare, parking is a headache and, in Venice, you have no cars at all… Traveling by train is the way to go!

You can find here >>> all you need to know about train travel in Italy

Mix unstructured time with local activities such as traditional skills classes – these cities have some very fun activities for kids that help break up sightseeing but also get in touch with real local traditions and artisans. In this post I recommend many, explaining why I recommend each in the specific city it is in.

How to book this itinerary – summary of activities

The activities I recommend on this page are by different providers as I wanted to pick the very best for each. Two providers appear several times: for ease of booking, this is the summery of all their tours I recommend on this page.

LivTours:

Gelato making in Florence, Uffizi tour for kids in Florence, Vatican Tour for kids in Rome, Colosseum and Ancient Rome tour for kids , Vespa Sidecar Tour in Rome, Golf Cart Tour in Rome

GetYourGuide: Accademia entry tickets (Florence), Gladiator class in Rome, Percy Jackson Tour in Rome

Viator: Venice walking Tour for kids, Venice mask making workshop

How to see Venice, Florence and Rome in 10 days with kids at a glance

• Day 1-3 Venice (including arrival day)
• Day 3-6 Florence, with a day trip to the countryside / Tuscan small town
• Day 6-10 Rome (including departure day)

Tip! I know Venice is often daunting if you have young kids. If you have very little ones, I recommend you also read my tips to tackle Venice with a baby and Venice with an active toddler

Day 1 – Arrival in Venice and orientation

• Arrival and transport to your hotel

• 4 pm – This Family Tour of Venice highlights – a really fun and engaging way to discover Venice. The tour is interactive and fun yet informative and a great way to get an idea of the lay of the land and Venice landmarks with a local guide.

• 7.30pm – Dinner at La Conchiglia Restaurant, Fondamenta San Lorenzo, 4990/91 Castello, Venezia VE, Italy

Day 2 – Venice highlights and family activities

This is a very busy day. However, we wanted to do all these activities and couldn’t find them in any differently so this is exactly what we did!

The day was a huge success for us and while I don’t recommend having all days as structured as this one, it most definitely worked for us!

• 8.30am Early morning photoshoot in San Marco area (wonderful to see the piazza without the crowds, we even caught the sunrise over the Accademia Bridge – magical!). Book with Marta of Flytographer (she’s wonderful!) via my referral link – tell her I say hi!

• 10.30am Mask-making workshops. Mask making is a quintessential Venetian activity which taps into the unique history of the Venice carnival and is lovely for artsy kids as it allows them to hands on make their own mask and bring it home as a souvenir. Depending on where in Venice you are staying, this mask making workshop is lovely (and perfect if you are following this itinerary step by step) or I very much like this one in Giudecca, which is in a quieter area and absolutely wonderful for all ages.

• 1.00pm Lunch in La Colonna in Cannaregio, Campiello Widmann già Biri, 53/29, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy

• 3.00pm Rowing class with RowVenice. Click >>> here <<< to book direct. An absolutely highlight! If you book nothing else in Venice, I recommend you book this as it is a fabulous way to experience the canals, escape crowds and really get in touch with the very soul of Venice!

• 4.00pm walk back to our hotel via Cannaregio and wonderful Acqua Alta Bookshop, which is a touristy yet fun spot to see.

• 19.00 Dinner at Orto dei Mori, Campo de’ Mori 3386, 30121 Venice Italy

Day 3 Venice and train to Florence

• Free morning out and about Venice. We loved to keep this morning free and wandered the area of Dorsoduro, Arsenale (Castello) and San Giorgio Island with great pleasure. However, you can also spend this morning visiting Doge’s Palace or, train schedule permitting, visiting the Islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.

• 12.30pm – Lunch in Osteria dei Pugni, Fondamenta Gherardini, 2836, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy

• 2.00pm – Vaporetto to train station to see Rialto bridge on the way (we bought the ticket there and then. For this stay, we did not need a Vaporetto pass.

• 4.00pm – Train to Florence

• Arrival in Florence and Check into your hotel

• Dinner in Martare, Via Degli Alfani 93/r, 50121, Firenze

Day 4 – Florence

• Morning – Self guided Florence city center itinerary with scavenger hunt. You can use my Florence itinerary to see Florence’s highlights in your own time. It is easy to add to this itinerary a visit to the Accademia too, and see Michelangelo’s David: you do not need a guide for this one but do get tickets ahead of time online.

• Lunch at Fuoco Matto, Via Ventisette Aprile, 16, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy. A lovely restaurant with excellent meat and Tuscan specialty as well as a cool indoor play area for kids.

• Afternoon – Gelato class. Did you know that gelato was born in Florence? It was and the tradition is kept alive and passed on by a fantastic gelato artisan who also happens to be an amazing story teller and a super fun personality, excellent with kids! You can book it here.

• Dinner at the nearby and super family friendly Nerone restaurant, Via Faenza, 95/97/R Centro Storico, 50123, Florence Italy

• Sunset view from Piazzale Michelangelo for views: you can walk / take the bus here or come in comfort with a short taxi ride

Day 5 – Day trip to the Tuscany Countryside

• All day trip – The Tuscany countryside is a dream but it is not easy to visit in a short amount of time or without a car, but we’ve found a way!

A short train ride from Florence lies Tenuta Chiudendone, a gorgeous hilltop villa that offers a one-day experience to have a full immersion in Tuscany in a day.

With them, you spend a day wandering around the garden, visiting their vines, cooking a delicious meal, eating and lounging at their pool, all in a family-friendly atmosphere!

Contact Isabella via their website tell her Marta from MamaLovesItaly sent you >>> Tenuta Chiudendone

Winter alternative: outside of the good season, I recommend you bring the kids to Lucca instead and get bikes to go along the walls of this pretty Tuscan town. Find here >>> our guide to Lucca with kids

• Dinner at SignorVino, for a quick platter and wine after a day with a lot of food! Via de’ Bardi, 46/R 48/R, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy Ask them if they have the tasting option available that allows you to taste three local wines with your meal!

Day 6 Florence Uffizi Museum and train to Rome

• Morning visit to the Uffizi with a kid-friendly guide: for me, a must-have in such a large and traditional museum. See price and book here >>> Uffizi Family experience

• 1.30 pm – Lunch at Mercato Centrale (upstairs)

• Early afternoon – Train to Rome and taxi to your hotel. Check-in and settle in.

• Dinner at Emma (Book in advance!) Via del Monte della Farina, 28, 00186 Roma RM, Italy Right in the center!

• Top tip! Emma is right in the city center. Depending on where you are staying, you should be able to take a lovely evening walk around the Pantheon/ Piazza Navona / Trev Fountain, wonderful at night!

Day 7 – Rome Colosseum and city center

• 9.00 am Family tour of Rome Colosseum with arena access by LivTours. There are a million tours but this is my top pick for kid-friendliness and access to the arena floor (where the gladiators fought!)

• 12.00 Light lunch in Cafe Cafe Bistrot, Via Dei Santi Quattro 44, 00184 Rome Italy (or proper sit down one in nearby Naumachia or even in Birreria Peroni near Piazza Venezia)

• 2.00 pm Relax in Colle Oppio park, with coffee and a view over the Colosseum

• 4pm – City center treasure hunt tour, a simple and fun, engaging way to explore the city center in your own time with tasks for kids to stay engaged and learn about what they are seeing. To keep the amount of walking manageable, I recommend for this afternoon you focus on Trevi Fountain to Pantheon area – find itinerary and links to scavenger hunt printables here.

Top tip! If you think all the walking would be too much for your kids, you can also book a golf cart tour with LivTours (they can also coordinate it with your Colosseum booking). A fun and relaxing way to explore!

• Dinner at Grappolo d’oro, P.za della Cancelleria, 80, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Day 8 – Rome city center and cooking class

• Morning – free morning wandering around Rome city center. This may sound like a repetition of the previous day but it is very much not as Rome has so much, the center is huge! You can use my guide on Amazon to help you find top spots and hidden gems! Piazza Navona / Piazza della Minerva / Jewish Ghetto area is packed with things to see. Treat the kids to a fun stop at Ikono Roma interactive space should they need a break from sightseeing or, if you have cat lovers, make sure you stop at Largo di Torre Argentina where you find the place where Julius Caesar was assassinated which now hosts a colony of cats!

• 1.00pm Lunch at Enoteca Corsi, Via del Gesù, 87/88, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

• 3.30 pm Castel Sant’Angelo – once tomb of the emperors, then Papa fortress and finally a museum, this is one of the best places in Rome to visit with kids and one you can easily enjoy without a guide.

• Dinner – Kid-friendly pasta class with Lucilla, a fantastic hands-on class that will teach you to make pasta and will have you have a lovely dinner in a local’s home! Contact her on Instagram and tell her I sent you!

Day 9 Rome: Vatican and Borghese Gardens

• Morning in Vatican City – if visiting the museums, I highly recommend booking a kid-friendly tour such as this one, to keep them engaged in such as vast, traditional and busy museum. You don’t need a tour of the basilica or the piazza although if your kids have the energy, they may love to climb up the dome!

• Have lunch in Il Sorpasso, Via Properzio, 31/33, 00193 Roma RM, Italy, then gelato in Cremilla nearby!

• Afternoon in Borghese Gardens: hop on a taxi and relax in the stunning Borghese Gardens, where you can rent boats and bikes. Make sure you regain the center via the Pincio terrace (view) and then the Spanish Steps.

• Dinner in cul de sac, Piazza di Pasquino, 73, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Day 10 – free morning and departure

On your last day, I recommend you get a vespa sidecar tour so you can zip around the city and see not just the main sites in the city for a last round of photos but also some sites a little further afield such as the Fontanne on Janiculum Hill.

While this tour may sound a repetition of what you have already see, it offers more than it may seem: the vespas cover a lot to ground, you see way more viewpoints and sites than just by walking and is it a fun way to ‘recap’ what you have seen in Rome and say a goodbye to the city!

As an alternative, you can find here >> 70 things to do in Rome with kids that can help you fill the time no matter how long / little time you have. My absolute favourites you can easily include in are: Percy Jackson Tour for mythology lovers (Capitoline Museums), Gladiators Class (careful if traveling this day as you will need a shower after this one!), St Peter’s dome climb if not already done during Vatican City day.

I hope you enjoyed this 10 day Italy itinerary to see Venice, Florence and Rome in ten days with kids. Safe travels!