Florence with kids

Best things to do with kids

Religious site · Piazza del Duomo

1.Florence Cathedral (Duomo)

Santa Maria del Fiore's red-brick dome, engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi and completed in the 1430s, is still the largest masonry dome ever built. The nave is free to enter; the dome climb (463 steps, passing close to Vasari's Last Judgement frescoes), Giotto's bell tower, the Baptistery and the cathedral museum are covered by combined passes.

If the dome slots are gone, climb Giotto's bell tower instead: it has 414 steps, landings to rest on and a view that includes the dome itself.

Time needed

Half a day with the climbs

Cost

Mid-priced

Book ahead

Dome climbs need a timed reservation that sells out days ahead in spring and summer; book on the official Duomo site.

• Iconic
• Architecture
• Views
• History
• Kids

Garden · Oltrarno

2.Boboli Gardens

The terraced Medici gardens behind the Pitti climb past Buontalenti's grotto, a stone amphitheatre and the Neptune fountain to the Kaffeehaus and the Porcelain Museum, with views over Oltrarno rooftops and olive-covered hills. Shady avenues such as the cypress-lined Viottolone make it a good escape on a hot afternoon.

Wear proper shoes for the steep gravel paths and head for the top terrace by the Porcelain Museum for the widest view.

Time needed

1.5–2 hours

Cost

Low cost

• Outdoors
• Kids
• Views
• Couples

Museum · Uffizi riverfront

3.Museo Galileo

Beside the Uffizi on the Arno, Museo Galileo displays the Medici scientific collections: Galileo's two surviving telescopes, the lens with which he discovered Jupiter's moons, astrolabes, giant globes and, in a glass reliquary, the middle finger of his right hand. Working models of early instruments make it a good stop with older children.

Use it as the rainy-afternoon option near the Uffizi, then walk the Lungarno to the Ponte Vecchio.

Time needed

1.5 hours

Cost

Low cost

• Kids
• Rainy day
• History
• Off the beaten path

Palace · Piazza della Signoria

4.Palazzo Vecchio

The fortress-like town hall, begun in 1299, is still the seat of Florence's city government. Inside, the vast Salone dei Cinquecento is lined with Vasari's battle scenes, and the Medici apartments include the Hall of Geographical Maps with its painted map cabinets and huge globe. The Arnolfo Tower climb gives a close-up view of the cathedral dome.

Climb the tower first, because it closes in rain and high wind; the museum runs family tours that include secret passages.

Time needed

1.5–2 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• History
• Art
• Views
• Architecture
• Kids

Viewpoint · San Niccolò

5.Piazzale Michelangelo

This terrace above the south bank looks across the whole city, from the dome and the Palazzo Vecchio tower to the hills of Fiesole, with a bronze copy of David in the middle. It is free and busiest at sunset. Walk up from San Niccolò by the Rampe del Poggi stairs, or take bus 12 or 13.

Continue five minutes uphill to San Miniato al Monte for the same view with far fewer people.

Time needed

1 hour

Cost

Free

• Free
• Views
• Couples
• Photo spot
• Iconic
• Kids

Market · San Lorenzo

6.Mercato Centrale

The 1874 cast-iron market hall has butchers, tripe counters, cheesemongers and greengrocers on the ground floor and a modern food hall upstairs with counters for fresh pasta, pizza, lampredotto and Tuscan wine at long shared tables. The streets around it are lined with the San Lorenzo leather stalls.

Shop downstairs in the morning when the traders are busiest, then eat upstairs, which stays open into the evening.

Time needed

1 hour

Cost

Low cost

• Food
• Shopping
• Rainy day
• Kids

Rainy-day ideas

• Museo Galileo — Use it as the rainy-afternoon option near the Uffizi, then walk the Lungarno to the Ponte Vecchio.
• Mercato Centrale — Shop downstairs in the morning when the traders are busiest, then eat upstairs, which stays open into the evening.

Where families should stay

Family travel tips

• Under-18s enter Italian state museums such as the Uffizi and the Accademia free, though a booking fee may still apply.
• The dome climb is tight and steep and not suited to very young children; Giotto's bell tower has landings where you can stop and rest.
• Palazzo Vecchio runs family tours and workshops, including visits to its secret passages; check the museum programme.
• Plan the hottest summer hours indoors or in the shade of the Boboli Gardens, and refill bottles at the fontanelli drinking fountains.
• Trattorias welcome children, and simple dishes such as pasta al pomodoro are easy to order.

Day trips for families

• Pisa (About 1 hour by train) — The Leaning Tower stands with the cathedral, Baptistery and Camposanto on the lawns of the Piazza dei Miracoli.
• Lucca (About 1 hour 20 minutes by train) — Lucca's intact Renaissance walls carry a tree-lined path of about 4 km that you can walk or cycle all the way round.
• Fiesole (About 20–30 minutes by bus) — The hill town above Florence was an Etruscan settlement long before Florence existed and keeps a Roman theatre and baths in its archaeological area.

When to go with children

The best months overall are April–May and September–October. June–July are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.

Questions travellers ask