10 Things We Actually Loved Doing in Rome With Kids

1. Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill: Huge Hit with our Kids

I’ll be honest—I wasn’t totally convinced this would be worth it with kids.

It feels like one of those “you have to go” places… but also one where your kids could be over it in 10 minutes.

But it ended up being one of the biggest hits of our trip.

We kept it super simple. No pressure to stay forever, no trying to turn it into a history lesson. We just focused on the fun parts—gladiators, battles, all the slightly “gruesome” details that kids weirdly love. At one point we were literally talking about knives and fighting and they were completely hooked.

That said, we didn’t stay that long—and I think that’s why it worked.

If you try to do the full, in-depth visit with young kids, it’s going to be too much.

What I’d do (and what I recommend) is keeping it flexible. We did a combo ticket with the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill that gave us 24 hours to visit everything, which made a huge difference. No rushing, no meltdowns because we “had to see it all right now.”

This how we did it:

• Colosseum first thing in the morning
• Snack break in the shade when we exited the Colosseum
• Forum late morning
• We ended up skipping the Palatine Hill and just went back to our accommodation for lunch.

👉 If you’re going to do the Colosseum with kids, I’d 100% recommend booking a family-friendly guided tour—especially if your kids are under 8. The storytelling makes all the difference, and it keeps them engaged way longer than just walking around on your own.

Quick tips:

• Go earlier in the day if you can (less crowded, less hot)
• Don’t try to see everything—30–60 minutes is plenty for most kids
• Pair it with a break after (snack, gelato, or just sitting somewhere)

👉 Verdict: absolutely worth it with kids—as long as you keep it short, flexible, and a little bit fun.

Pro Tip: If you want to live the real thing, I highly recommend you book tickets with Arena access. I didn’t even know I had booked that option, but wow, I would have hated myself for missing it!

2. Castel Sant’Angelo (So Underrated — and Way Better Than You’d Expect with Kids)

This was one of those places I almost skipped.

It’s not as “famous” as the Colosseum or Vatican, and when you’re planning with limited time, it’s easy to overlook.

But honestly? Castel Sant’Angelo ended up being one of our favorite stops in Rome.

What makes it so good with kids is that it doesn’t feel like a typical “sightseeing” stop.

There’s space to move around, lots of little corners to explore, and the views at the top are so worth it. My kids were way more into climbing up and checking out the viewpoints than anything historical inside—and that made the whole experience feel easy instead of like we were dragging them through another attraction.

It also just breaks up the rhythm of Rome in the best way.

After a few heavier sites, this felt more like an adventure than a history lesson.

👉 If you’re trying to balance your itinerary, this is such a good swap for one of the more intense attractions.

What worked for us:

• We took our time going up, stopping at different levels
• Focused more on exploring than “learning everything”
• Let the kids lead a bit instead of rushing through

Quick tips:

• Go earlier or later in the day to avoid the heat (there’s a lot of walking up)
• Bring snacks/water—there’s not much once you’re inside
• Plan a relaxed stop after (it’s close to the river, which is perfect for a little break)

👉 Verdict: super underrated and 100% worth it with kids—especially if you want something that feels fun, not forced.

3. Vatican (See It—But Don’t Feel Like You Have to Go Inside)

This might be controversial… but we didn’t go inside the Vatican.

And I don’t regret it at all.

When I was planning, I kept seeing it listed as a “must-do”—but once I looked into it with young kids, it just didn’t feel like the right fit for us.

We’re talking:

• long lines
• a long visit
• lots of standing, waiting, and “don’t touch” moments

With a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old at the time, I knew that would probably end in everyone being tired and frustrated.

So instead, we kept it simple.

We went to St. Peter’s Square, spent about an hour there, let the kids move around, and just took it all in without any pressure.

And then—completely unplanned—we saw Pope Francis speak from his window.

One of those random travel moments you can’t plan… and honestly, way more memorable than standing in line for hours would have been.

👉 That really confirmed for me that you don’t have to “do it all” for a place to be meaningful.

What I’d recommend:

• Go see St. Peter’s Square (it’s impressive and easy with kids)
• Let your kids move around instead of trying to keep them quiet inside
• Only consider going inside if your kids are older or really into it

👉 If you’re short on time or energy, this is an easy place to scale back without feeling like you missed out.

👉 Verdict: worth seeing from the outside—but don’t force the full visit with young kids unless you know they can handle it or this is something you really want to see.

4. Trevi Fountain isn’t worth the midday Crowds: Go early with your kids!

This is one of those places where timing makes or breaks the experience.

We went early in the morning—thanks to my early-rising kids—and it ended up being such a fun little moment.

There were still people around, but nothing like the crowds later in the day. The kids had space, they could actually see the fountain, and they LOVED the whole coin-tossing thing. Something about throwing a real coin and making a wish just felt hilarious and exciting to them.

It was quick, easy, and honestly really memorable.

Then we passed by again another day… around midday.

Completely different experience.

It was packed—like shoulder-to-shoulder, hard to move, hard for the kids to see anything, and definitely not somewhere you want to hang around with little ones.

👉 That said, we did find a way to still enjoy it later on without dealing with the chaos.

One afternoon, we grabbed gelato from a spot right across the street and just sat there looking at the fountain while eating. The kids were happy, we got the view, and no one had to fight the crowds.

Honestly, that ended up being just as enjoyable—if not more.

What I’d do:

• Go early in the morning (the earlier, the better)
• Keep it short—this isn’t a long activity
• Or do the “gelato with a view” version if you’re there later

If you can’t make it early? Don’t stress—you can still enjoy it without getting stuck in the crowd.

👉 Verdict: worth it for the experience — but only if you time it right (or get strategic with gelato 😉).

5. Trastevere – Our Favorite Area to explore in Rome

If I had to pick one place in Rome to just slow down and enjoy it with kids—it would be Trastevere.

This ended up being our favorite area. No big agenda, no rushing between sights… just wandering and soaking it all in.

We went in the evening, and it was honestly perfect.

There are little lights everywhere, street performers popping up, people out enjoying dinner—it just has this really fun, relaxed energy that feels totally different from the more “touristy” parts of Rome.

We grabbed dinner, got gelato (of course), and just walked around while the kids took everything in. No pressure to “see” anything specific.

And that’s what made it so good.

After a few days of sightseeing, this felt like a reset:

• kids could just be kids
• we weren’t telling them to be quiet or stay close every second
• and we actually got to enjoy the moment too

👉 It’s also a great place to just follow your instincts—pick a restaurant that looks good, stop for dessert when you feel like it, let the evening unfold a bit.

What I’d do:

• Go in the evening (that’s when it really comes alive)
• Don’t overplan—this is not a checklist stop
• Plan this after a busier day so it feels like a break

👉 If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your itinerary, this is exactly the kind of experience you need to balance things out.

👉 Verdict: 100% worth it—this is where Rome feels the most fun and relaxed with kids.

Full disclaimer: we love Trastevere so much that this is the area where we stayed on both of our trips!

6. Hop-On Hop-Off Bus (Best Way to Start Your Trip Without Exhausting Everyone)

We almost always do this when we land in a big city—and in Rome, it was such a good call.

Especially coming from North America, there’s a good chance you’re arriving on a red-eye… which means everyone is tired, a little off, and definitely not ready for a full sightseeing day.

This is exactly where the hop-on hop-off bus saved us.

On our last trip, we didn’t try to “use it properly” or hop off at every stop.

We:

• stayed on most of the time
• hopped off once for a quick stop
• then got off near our accommodation for lunch

And that was perfect.

It gave us:

• a super easy way to see the city without walking a ton
• a chance to point things out to the kids (“look, that’s the Colosseum!”)
• time to figure out what we actually wanted to visit later

All without anyone getting overwhelmed on day one.

👉 It also just helps you mentally settle in to a new place, which makes a huge difference when you’re traveling with kids.

What worked really well for us:

• Doing this on our first day (low pressure, low energy)
• Not overusing it—just treating it as a gentle intro to the city
• Pairing it with an early lunch and a chill afternoon

If your kids are tired (or you’re tired), this is one of the easiest ways to start your trip on the right foot.

👉 Verdict: 100% worth it for your first day—especially after a long travel day when no one’s up for much else.

7. Gelato Breaks (Our itinerary in Rome 100% included Gelato All Day Every Day)

Our family motto in Rome: gelato all day every day.

And honestly? It just made everything easier.

When it’s hot, you’ve walked way more than planned, and the kids are starting to fade… gelatos fix a lot of things.

We didn’t overthink it at all. We just used them as little breaks throughout the day:

• walking too much → gelatos
• moods dropping → gelatos
• need to sit for a minute → gelatos

Some of our favorite moments weren’t even the big attractions—they were just us sitting in a piazza with gelatos while the kids ran around chasing pigeons and we finally got to breathe for a second.

We even did this near Trevi one afternoon—grabbed gelatos from across the street and just sat there looking at the fountain instead of getting stuck in the crowd. Way better.

👉 Honestly, don’t plan this too much. There’s a gelato shop everywhere.

Just lean into it.

👉 Verdict: non-negotiable. This is part of the Rome experience 😄

FAQ – Visting Rome with Kids

How to Turn This Into an Actual Trip

If you’re feeling like… okay this all sounds great, but how do I actually fit this into a few days without completely exhausting everyone—you’re not alone.

That was honestly the hardest part for me.

Rome has so much to see, and it’s really easy to either:

• try to do too much (and end up with tired, cranky kids)
• or not plan enough and feel like you missed out

What made the biggest difference for us was having a realistic day-by-day plan that balanced:

• a few key sights
• built-in breaks (hello, gelatos)
• and slower moments where the kids could just be kids

👉 If you want help putting this all together, I mapped out exactly how I’d spend 4 days in Rome with kids—including what to do each day, how to pace it, and where to fit in all of these spots without it feeling overwhelming.

It’s the plan I wish I had before our first trip.

👉 You can read it here: 4 Day Rome Itinerary with Kids