With kids · Venice · Italy
Venice with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Children love Venice's boats, bridges and glassblowers, and there is no car traffic to worry about. The challenges are the many bridge steps for strollers, crowds in summer and few green spaces, so plan boat rides, island trips and a Lido beach afternoon. Top picks: Grand Canal by vaporetto, Gondola ride and Murano. Families usually base themselves in Castello.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Castello
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- May–September
Best things to do with kids
Experience · Grand Canal
1.Grand Canal by vaporetto
The slow Line 1 water bus runs the length of the S-shaped, 3.8-km Grand Canal between Piazzale Roma and San Marco, stopping at most landings and passing some 170 palaces, including the Ca' d'Oro, the Rialto Bridge and Santa Maria della Salute. It costs a fraction of a gondola or water taxi.
Board at Piazzale Roma or Ferrovia to get a seat at the front or rear outdoor sections, and ride towards San Marco.
- Time needed
- About 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Experience · San Marco
2.Gondola ride
A gondola ride through the small back canals is expensive but memorable. Official rates are set by the city per boat for about 30 minutes, with higher prices in the evening; up to five people can share. For a quick taste, a traghetto, a gondola ferry across the Grand Canal at a few points, costs a couple of euros.
Pick a gondola station away from St Mark's for quieter canals, agree the price and route before boarding, and try a traghetto at Santa Sofia or San Tomà.
- Time needed
- 30–40 minutes
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Couples
- Kids
- Photo spot
Island · Northern lagoon
3.Murano
Venetian glassmakers were moved to Murano in 1291, and furnaces still operate here. Watch glassblowing demonstrations, visit the Glass Museum, and see the 12th-century mosaic floor in the Basilica of Santa Maria e San Donato.
Ignore touts offering a 'free boat' to a factory; find a furnace on the island yourself and look for the Vetro Artistico Murano mark when buying.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Shopping
- Art
- History
Island · Northern lagoon
4.Burano
A fishing island in the northern lagoon where every house is painted a different bright colour along small canals. Burano is known for needle lace, displayed in the Lace Museum, and for biscuits called buranelli and risotto made with lagoon fish.
Take vaporetto line 12 from Fondamente Nove (about 45 minutes) and arrive in the morning or late afternoon to avoid tour groups.
- Time needed
- Half a day with Murano
- Cost
- Free
- Photo spot
- Kids
- Couples
- Free
- Iconic
Beach · Lido
5.Lido di Venezia
The barrier island between the lagoon and the Adriatic has a long sandy beach, Art Nouveau villas and hotels, and the Palazzo del Cinema of the Venice Film Festival. Public beach stretches sit alongside private stabilimenti that rent cabins and umbrellas.
Rent a bike near the vaporetto stop and ride south along the sea wall to the fishing village of Malamocco.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Active
- Nature
Viewpoint · San Marco
6.St Mark's Campanile
The bell tower of St Mark's, nearly 99 metres tall, collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt exactly as before. A lift takes visitors to the belfry for views over the domes of the basilica, the lagoon and, on clear days, the Alps.
Go early or just before sunset; avoid being up there on the hour when the bells ring loudly.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Iconic
- Kids
- Photo spot
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for quiet stays, families, budget and culture
Castello
Castello stretches east from St Mark's past the Riva degli Schiavoni to the old Arsenale shipyards and the Giardini, the main Biennale venues. Further east, Via Garibaldi and the island of San Pietro di Castello feel like a working neighbourhood, with washing hung across lanes and local trattorie.
- Good
- Walkable to St Mark's but quieter; Green space at the Giardini; Local trattorie
- Watch out
- Eastern end is far from the station; Riva degli Schiavoni is crowded
- Nearby
- Arsenale, Giardini della Biennale, Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Riva degli Schiavoni
Family travel tips
- Bring a lightweight stroller or a baby carrier; nearly every bridge has steps.
- Children love a glassblowing demonstration on Murano and the colourful houses of Burano.
- The Giardini in Castello and Sant'Elena have playgrounds and shade.
- Spend hot summer afternoons on the Lido beach rather than in the crowded centre.
- Young children travel free on ACTV vaporetti; check the age limits when buying passes.
Day trips for families
- Brenta Riviera (About 45 minutes by bus, or a full day by canal boat) — Venetian nobles built summer villas along the Brenta Canal between Venice and Padua.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–May and September–October. May–September are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Venice good for kids?
Children love Venice's boats, bridges and glassblowers, and there is no car traffic to worry about. The challenges are the many bridge steps for strollers, crowds in summer and few green spaces, so plan boat rides, island trips and a Lido beach afternoon.
+What can kids do in Venice?
Grand Canal by vaporetto, Gondola ride, Murano, Burano and Lido di Venezia.
+Where should families stay in Venice?
Castello: The Arsenale shipyards, Biennale gardens and laundry lines on Via Garibaldi.