With kids · Rome · Italy
Rome with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Livioandronico2013, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Rome works well with children who like gladiators, ruins and gelato. The Colosseum, Castel Sant'Angelo and Villa Borghese's boats, bikes and zoo are easy wins, and traffic-free piazzas become playgrounds in the evening. Cobblestones and summer heat are the challenges, so plan short sightseeing bursts around a long midday break. Top picks: Colosseum, Villa Borghese park and Castel Sant'Angelo. Families usually base themselves in Prati.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Prati
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- May–June and September
Best things to do with kids
Historic site · Colosseo
1.Colosseum
The largest amphitheatre of the Roman world was inaugurated in AD 80 and held an estimated 50,000 spectators for gladiator fights and animal hunts. Standard tickets cover the public levels and are combined with the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill; separate tours visit the underground passages (hypogeum) and the arena floor.
Book the first slot of the morning or a late-afternoon slot, and visit the Forum and Palatine at a different time of day on the same ticket to spread the walking.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours (half a day with the Forum)
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets are required and sell out days or weeks ahead in high season; buy from the official Colosseum site or authorised resellers.
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Architecture
Park · Villa Borghese
2.Villa Borghese park
Rome's central park covers about 80 hectares above the Spanish Steps, with a small lake where you can rent rowing boats, the Bioparco zoo, bike and pedal-cart hire and the Pincio terrace overlooking Piazza del Popolo. The Borghese Gallery and the National Gallery of Modern Art stand in the grounds.
Hire a four-person pedal cart near the Pincio for a family loop of the park, then watch the sunset from the terrace.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Views
Castle · Borgo
3.Castel Sant'Angelo
Built as Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum in the 2nd century, the drum-shaped fortress later became a papal stronghold linked to the Vatican by the Passetto di Borgo, an elevated corridor. A spiral ramp climbs through papal apartments to a terrace beneath a bronze archangel, with views of St Peter's and the Tiber; Bernini's angels line the Ponte Sant'Angelo below.
Time the terrace for late afternoon, then cross the Ponte Sant'Angelo towards Piazza Navona at dusk.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Views
- Kids
- Architecture
Landmark · Trevi
4.Trevi Fountain
Nicola Salvi's Baroque fountain, completed in 1762, shows Oceanus in a shell-shaped chariot drawn by sea horses against the back of Palazzo Poli. Tradition says a coin thrown over your shoulder ensures a return to Rome; the coins are collected for charity. Seeing it from the piazza costs nothing.
Come early in the morning or late at night to see it without a wall of people, and keep a hand on your bag in the crowd.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Couples
- Photo spot
Historic site · Colosseo
5.Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
The Forum was the political and religious centre of ancient Rome: temples, the Senate House (Curia), the triumphal arches of Titus and Septimius Severus and the Via Sacra run through the valley. Above it, the Palatine Hill holds the ruins of imperial palaces and gardens with views over the Circus Maximus.
Climb to the Farnese Gardens on the Palatine for the best overview of the Forum, and carry water — shade is scarce.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Entry is included in the combined Colosseum ticket; reserve in advance.
- History
- Iconic
- Views
- Outdoors
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for families, first-timers, quiet stays and shopping
Prati
Built after Italian unification, Prati's grid of broad, tree-lined streets lies just east of the Vatican. Via Cola di Rienzo is a long shopping street, the covered Mercato Trionfale is one of the city's biggest food markets, and Ottaviano and Lepanto stations on line A reach the Spanish Steps in minutes. It is calmer and more residential than the centre.
- Good
- Short walk to the Vatican; Calm streets and family-friendly hotels; Metro line A
- Watch out
- Few ancient sights nearby; Less atmosphere in the evening
- Nearby
- St Peter's Basilica, Vatican Museums, Castel Sant'Angelo, Mercato Trionfale
Family travel tips
- Under-18s enter state museums and archaeological sites such as the Colosseum free, though a reservation is still required.
- Young children travel free on Rome's public transport with a paying adult; check the current age limit on the ATAC website.
- Explora, a hands-on children's museum near Piazza del Popolo, is designed for under-12s.
- A sturdy stroller or a carrier is essential; cobblestones and stairs make lightweight buggies hard work.
- In summer, plan indoor or shady stops in the early afternoon and refill water bottles at the nasoni.
Day trips for families
- Ostia Antica (About 40 minutes by train) — Ancient Rome's port is a sprawling, pine-shaded archaeological site where you can walk into apartment blocks, bakeries, a theatre and public latrines, with mosaics of shipping guilds in the Square of the Corporations.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–May and September–October. May–June and September are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Rome good for kids?
Rome works well with children who like gladiators, ruins and gelato. The Colosseum, Castel Sant'Angelo and Villa Borghese's boats, bikes and zoo are easy wins, and traffic-free piazzas become playgrounds in the evening. Cobblestones and summer heat are the challenges, so plan short sightseeing bursts around a long midday break.
+What can kids do in Rome?
Colosseum, Villa Borghese park, Castel Sant'Angelo, Trevi Fountain and Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
+Where should families stay in Rome?
Prati: Wide boulevards, local shopping and the Vatican on foot.