Planning a trip to Rome with kids? It can feel exciting and a little overwhelming, especially when you’re deciding how to visit Rome with kids in a way that keeps everyone happy.
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On our family trip to Rome, we quickly learned that the city offers far more than just ancient ruins.
It's also full of stories, open spaces, and experiences that captivate both adults and children. Rome has some of the best things to see for all ages!
- If you are exploring the Mediterranean by sea, check out our MSC Fantasia Cruise Review to see how Rome fits into a wider itinerary.
This guide shares a relaxed, family-friendly itinerary designed to help you explore the Eternal City at an enjoyable pace while creating meaningful memories together.
Continue reading for tips for visiting Rome, tours of Rome you can book, the best things to see in Rome with kids, and more.
You can even check my guide for personal tips when traveling with kids. My husband and I were brave enough to spend a week in Barcelona last time and bring the kids along.
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On another note, food ends up being part of the planning, too, especially with kids in the mix, so I also put together a separate guide focused on where to eat in Rome with kids.
Just like in our Barcelona Food Guide, finding authentic eats in Rome requires getting off the main tourist drag and ducking into the smaller side streets when you want meal ideas that feel local but still family-friendly.
Spending Two Days in Rome With Kids
The Eternal City can be an exciting and manageable adventure for parents traveling with children.
There are many things to see in Rome, Italy with kids, from awe-inspiring ancient ruins to lively piazzas where little ones can run around and enjoy a scoop (or two) of gelato.
With thoughtful planning and a relaxed pace, families can experience the highlights without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
This 2-day Rome itinerary for families is designed to balance iconic attractions with kid-friendly stops, rest breaks, and fun moments. It would definitely make Rome feel less like a history lesson and more like an unforgettable family experience.
Getting Around Rome
Rome is a very walkable city, especially in the historic center, where many major sights are clustered close together. That said, mixing walking with public transportation helped us save energy.
Planning each day around one area also helps keep walking distances reasonable and leaves room for rest stops along the way.
The metro is the fastest way to cross longer distances, and thankfully, it’s very simple. There are only a few lines, and they connect many major sights.
For visitors traveling with kids, the metro can be a time-saver, especially during hot afternoons. However, not all stations have elevators or escalators, which can be a challenge with strollers or for older travelers.
Rome’s buses cover almost the entire city and reach many areas the metro doesn’t, making them especially useful when you don’t want to tackle another long walk on cobblestone streets.
We used taxis in Rome as a comfort option. Taxis are metered, and for most rides within the city, we paid roughly €10–€15, with slightly higher fares at night or on Sundays. Longer trips, depending on traffic, sometimes reached €20–€25, but splitting the cost as a family made it feel reasonable.
One thing I noticed: all through Rome, you're going to find little golden plaques in the cobblestones that have names on them. These denote people who perished in the Holocaust. Absolutely mind-blowing to come across.
Things to Do in Rome in 2 Days
If you only have a short time in Rome, choosing the right activities can make all the difference in creating a memorable trip.
Rome is packed with history, culture, and family-friendly attractions, so focusing on the best things to do helps you maximize each day without feeling rushed.
This part highlights the places to visit in Rome that fit perfectly into a two-day plan, allowing families to experience the city’s highlights while keeping the schedule balanced, enjoyable, and kid-approved.
Walk Around Piazza Navona
Location: Piazza Navona, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
This lively square is full of energy. It has stunning Baroque architecture and beautiful fountains, including the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers.
Walking around with kids is a treat! They’ll love spotting the fountains and watching performers, and there’s plenty of space to stroll without feeling crowded.
Visit the Pantheon
Just a short stroll from Piazza Navona, the Pantheon is a massive concrete dome. My kids were mesmerized by the oculus, which is the open hole in the ceiling that lets in beams of sunlight (and the occasional rain shower!).
Do note that it's an active church, so make sure your shoulders and knees are covered. Entry is a ticketed €5, so I encourage you to pre-book your time slot to avoid the long lines, especially if you have children and a senior in tow.
Take a Detour at the Cartoleria Pantheon
Location: Via della Maddalena, 41, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
This historic stationery shop (dating back to 1910) is famous for its stunning hand-marbled paper, a traditional Italian craft. You can find everything from intricate notebooks to pencil holders draped in these swirling, vibrant patterns.
You can pick up a leather-bound journal or a wax seal kit here. For a special touch, they can often emboss journals with gold leaf initials on the spot. They're great for souvenirs!
Bike to Trevi Fountain
Designed by architect Nicola Salvi and completed in 1762, the fountain’s name is derived from Tre Vie (three roads) because it sits at the junction of three streets.
Today, the tradition of tossing a coin over your left shoulder ensures a return to the Eternal City, with over €3,000 collected daily and donated to the charity Caritas to help those in need.
I highly recommend renting e-bikes and pedaling through the quiet, cobblestone streets to reach the Trevi Fountain just after sunrise. Arriving during these early golden hours is a total game-changer for a multi-generational group.
We had the Baroque masterpiece virtually to ourselves, allowing my mom to comfortably admire the intricate sculptures of Oceanus without being jostled by crowds. It also gave the kids plenty of space to toss their coins into the turquoise water.
Book a Food Tour
If you want to skip the tourist traps and eat like a true Roman, booking a guided food tour is the ultimate way to win over both picky kids and seasoned travelers like my mom.
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- Our family did two: Eternal Rome Food Tour: Jewish Ghetto, Campo de’ Fiori and Trastevere by Eating Rome and Testaccio Small Group Food Tour by The Tour Guy.
We spent a few hours wandering through local markets and hidden back-alley bakeries, tasting everything from crispy supplì (fried rice balls with melting mozzarella) to authentic Roman pizza al taglio.
It was such a relief to have a local expert lead the way, sharing the stories behind regional specialties while also making sure we found spots that were easily accessible for my mom and welcoming to the children
Jewish Ghetto
We also spent time wandering the Jewish Ghetto as part of our food tour. It was incredible and I highly, highly recommend making it a part of your Rome visit if you're interested in Jewish culture. It feels like a little slice of Jerusalem right in the heart of Rome. The Synagogue is a work of incredible architecture!
Go on a Vatican City Tour
Honestly, I was slightly terrified of tackling the Vatican’s massive crowds with my mom and two restless kids in tow, but booking through The Tour Guy was a total sanity-saver for our family.
Our guide was a natural storyteller, somehow managing to keep the kids wide-eyed with fun facts while also making sure the pace was perfectly comfortable for my mom as we navigated the endless galleries.
Walking through the Vatican Museums felt like navigating a beautiful labyrinth.
Location: VA, 00120, Vatican City
The absolute highlight for the kids was the Gallery of Maps, a 120-meter hallway of vibrant, 16th-century frescoes where they loved spotting sea monsters in the painted oceans and "upside-down" cities.
I find it very convenient to book in advance, especially when traveling with children.
When we finally reached the Sistine Chapel, the sudden hush that fell over the room was striking. Every visitor instinctively lowered their voices, as if speaking too loudly might disturb the centuries of art surrounding us.
Looking up at Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, the sheer scale and detail of the fresco felt almost overwhelming.
We finished the morning inside St. Peter’s Basilica, which is so impossibly massive that it made us all feel tiny as we stood before the heartbreakingly beautiful Pietà and the towering bronze Baldacchino that marks the center of the church.
Visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum
No trip to Rome is complete without seeing the Colosseum and the nearby Roman Forum gives a sense of what daily life was like in ancient times. Kids will love imagining gladiators and battles that once dominated the Colosseum.
We stood inside the massive stone amphitheater, admiring the sheer engineering genius of the 1st-century arches. The kids explored the underground tunnels (the hypogeum) wide-eyed, walking where lions and gladiators once waited for their grand entrance.
Afterward, we wandered over to the Roman Forum, the original "downtown" of the empire; it’s basically an outdoor playground of history where we could walk on the original basalt stones of the Via Sacra.
While the ruins of the Senate House and the Temple of the Vestal Virgins can feel a bit abstract, the panoramic view from the Palatine Hill tied it all together for us, showing how the city grew from a few huts to the center of the world.
Just a tip: the Forum has very little shade and quite a few steep slopes, so we made sure my mom had a shady spot to rest near the Arch of Titus while the kids burned off their extra energy climbing toward the villas above.
Stroll Through Trastevere
To wrap up a busy second day, a stroll through the Trastevere neighborhood is the perfect way to soak in the "real" Rome at a slower pace.
This medieval area, located just across the Tiber River, feels like a village within the city, characterized by its labyrinth of narrow, ivy-clad cobblestone alleys and vibrant atmosphere.
Seven Hills of Rome
The Seven Hills of Rome are more of a historical concept than a single attraction you visit in one go. You won’t “do” them all in a day, and that’s perfectly fine. Instead, you’ll naturally encounter a few as you explore, like the Palatine Hill near the Colosseum or the Capitoline Hill by Piazza Venezia.
Where to Eat
After two full days of sightseeing, we realized that food in Rome was not just a practical break between stops. Meals became the reset button, especially with kids who needed something familiar and my mom who appreciated slower pacing and comfortable places to sit.
Rome made it surprisingly easy to balance both, because there are plenty of casual spots for quick bites and also sit-down places that still feel relaxed for families.
If you are wondering where to eat in Rome without falling into tourist traps, these are the places that worked best for us:
- La Taverna del Ghetto - their deep-fried Jewish artichoke is beyond my wildest dreams. Heaven!
- Poldo e Gianna Osteria - this was the meal where my daughter truly fell in love with Italian pasta, and honestly, with their, who wouldn’t?
- Barnum Roma - A great stop for brunch, pastries, or just a really good coffee, especially if you’re starting your day nearby
- Ancient Pizzicheria Ruggeri - If you want to experience authentic Roman charcuterie, this place is the best spot.
- Trattoria della Stampa - Drogheria al Pellegrino - Cute breakfast place near our accommodation!
- Le Tartarughe Eat & Drink - Adorable bar‑style café right on Piazza Mattei.
- Ristorante Spirito Divino - Has an interesting wine cellar that's older than the Colosseum itself!
- Voglia di Pizza - Gluten Free - This place had the best GF pizza I've ever had in my entire life.
If you'd like to know more of my thoughts about these places, I talked about them in detail here! I've also gone to plenty of gelato spots that I would also want to recommend.
Where We Stayed in Rome
I honestly can’t recommend Holiday Suites Navona enough. It’s right in the heart of Rome near Piazza Navona, so everything is within walking distance, which is a huge plus when traveling with kids and family. Our suite had two separate rooms, which gave everyone space to relax.
The building itself is stunning, full of charm and history, with several floors each offering different short-term apartment rentals. Even if you can’t snag a spot in Holiday Suites Navona specifically, it’s worth checking out other apartments in the same building.
Our second hotel was Maison Pellegrino. It's in a good location as well, which makes it convenient for exploring central Rome, but the apartment itself didn’t feel quite right for us. It lacked a certain warmth and personality. You could tell it was very much set up as a short-term rental.
While everything was functional, it didn’t feel cozy or inviting. For that reason, I wouldn’t recommend it, particularly if you’re traveling with family and want a place that feels more like a home than just a rental.
Cherishing the Little Moments on Our Rome Family Getaway
Ending our trip, we realized that Rome is one of those places that truly brings everyone together. For us, family travel here meant slowing down, laughing through wrong turns, and appreciating the little moments just as much as the famous sights.
Even with just a weekend in Rome, following a flexible two-day Rome itinerary made it easy to enjoy the city without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. We found that Rome is a destination you can genuinely visit with kids, where history feels alive and everyday moments feel special.
Looking back, our family holiday in Rome wasn’t just about where we went; it was about the memories we made together along the way.
