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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE OF THINGS TO DO IN ROME WITH KIDS

INSIDE: Roam the Gnome’s Guide to the Best Things to Do in Rome Italy with Kids. 

Hello, and welcome to our Rome Travel Blog.

Together with Roam the Gnome, we explore all the best family-friendly adventures for kids in Rome, and share our finds with you.

If you are looking for things to do in Rome Italy with kids, you have come to the right place.

Rome, Italy’s capital, is a gorgeous cosmopolitan city full of history, culture, and legend.

When on a Rome vacation, you’ll be immersed in 3,000 years of globally influential art, architecture, sculptures, stories, and culture.

Visit ancient ruins such as the Forum, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Circus Maximus (the ancient Roman chariot racing stadium), and the tens of Piazzas.

Check out our list of Rome attractions below and click the links to add these family friendly ideas to your list of top things to do in Rome.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, we may receive a small commission at NO extra cost to you.

Things to see in Rome- Spanish Steps Ned Cartwheeling pic

Best Things to do in Rome Italy with Kids and Family? 

We share:

  • Famous Rome points of interest (including the Spanish Steps, pictured above) 
  • Other MUST DO places to see in Rome 
  • All the SUPER FUN things to do in Rome with children, and
  • Rome travel tips so you can find these places quickly and easily.

We hope our tips help you to compile your Rome Sightseeing Bucket List with kids quickly and easily.

We are thinking about creating a 2 day Rome itinerary or what to do in Rome in 3 days section.

Let us know in the comments or email us direct at [email protected] if a Rome with Kids itinerary would be useful to you.

We’d also love to know about YOUR finds:

  • What places did you love?
  • What Rome surprises did you find?

If you are planning to visit ROME with kids, Roam the Gnome Family Travel Blog will help save you time, stress & money when planning to BOOK YOUR NEXT TRIP!

best place to stay in rome with kids - rome cavalieri hotel kids club pic

ROME ACCOMMODATION FOR FAMILIES

Best place to stay in Rome with kids

Rome Cavalieri Hotel

Wondering where to stay in Rome with kids? 

Here’s your answer. 

The Rome Cavalieri Hotel has a KIDS CLUB! (It’s one of the only ones you’ll find in the city.)

Which means you can leave them – guilt free- at the hotel while you head out for a bit of grown-up exploring.  

Check latest prices.     Read full review.

More Rome Hotels for Families coming soon…

What-to-Buy-in-Rome-Gladiator-Suit

SHOPPING IN ROME

The Best Things to Buy in Rome? 

One of our most visited pages is Roam the Gnome’s Guide to the TOP 5 Italy souvenirs and gift ideas you can buy in Rome.

If you are wondering what to buy in Rome, or ideas for unique Rome souvenirs, this is the guide you need.

Pinocchio Toys Shop - postcards

No.1: Pinocchio Rome Toy Shop

A special mention must go to the Pinocchio shop in Rome.

It’s our go-to shop in Rome for cute souvenirs and home decor for kids and kids-at-heart.

little-big-town-rome-toy-shop-pinocchio-toys

No.2: Toy Shops in Rome

Looking for a toy store in Rome?

Need to buy toys or souvenirs for kids?

Little Big Town Toy Store in Rome has all the Italian toy brand favourites, and popular toy brands too.

Plus a wall of Italian chocolate gifts to choose from.

original image - italian leather shop

No.3: Leather Shopping in Rome

Visit this Rome Shopping Street to find:

  • leather handbags
  • leather totes 
  • leather shoulder bags
  • leather gloves
  • leather shoes, and
  • leather purses.

Stumbling upon this street was a gift from above.

Our story has helped the THOUSANDS of visitors who come to Italy looking for leather in Rome since.

Things to do in Rome. Porta Portese market Trastevere pic

No.4: Best Rome Markets?

Should you go to the Porta Portese markets in Trastevere?

Read our review to find out our thoughts on it.

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BEST PLACES TO EAT IN ROME

Eating in Rome with Kids?

Committed foodies will be in heaven in Rome, and so will the kids – with every kind of spaghetti, pasta, pizza and gelato you can imagine- right at your fingertips.

Make a plan to find these Top 10 Italian dishes to try in Rome with kids! (This is a post on Rome for Teenagers, with a big section of what to eat in Rome at the end) 

You must also stop by this fabulous authentic pizza shop, Pizza Florida for what we think is the best pizza in Rome

The Top 10 Italian Dishes You Must Eat in Rome with the Kids! - italian hot chocolate

Italian Hot Chocolate

Do one thing for certain.

Order an ITALIAN HOT CHOCOLATE.

Be sure to ask for a spoon to drink/eat this thick hot chocolate.

A return to Rome is on our bucketlist – to write an Italian Hot Chocolate comparison guide! 
rome colosseum with kids

FAMOUS PLACES TO VISIT IN ROME

Bring the former Roman Empire to life through tours, stories and experiences such as these

Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel 

If you are travelling in Rome with kindergarten or school aged children, visit Vatican City. 

Visit the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, to see Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes and St. Peter’s Basilica too.

Worried about the queues and the crowds at the Vatican?

Take this skip-the-line family tour of the Vatican and Sistine chapel.

This private tour has been designed with kids in mind, and includes games and fun facts.

rome colosseum for kids - entrance queue by jimmy harris

Image credit: Jimmy Harris via Flickr CC BY-2.0 

3 BEST THINGS TO DO IN ROME WITH KIDS

No.1: Villa Borghese bike rental 

Our other favourite thing to do in Rome on our last trip was to jump onto one of the electric pedal-powered cars in Villa Borghese Gardens to explore the place thoroughly.

Hot tip: Be sure to have cash on you if you want to hire a bike too. They don’t take cards.

No.2: Trevi Fountain Wish 

Make your very own wish at the Trevi Fountain before you leave this historical city.

It’s said to guarantee you’ll one day return to this ancient city.

The Trevi fountain is a must see in Rome.

No.3: Explora Museum Rome

The Rome Explora Museum for kids is a must-do.

See the Museums in Rome for Kids section below for full details.

gladiator battles at gladiator school tour pic

Best Rome Tours with Kids

Looking for the best tours in Rome for kids and families? 

Take a look at these four best Rome tours for kids:

No.1: REAL LIFE Gladiator School Rome Italy

THIS is the best Rome tour we’ve ever done.

We personally vouch for it.

Visiting the real life Gladiator School is not the cheapest guided tour in Rome, but it is THE BEST way to make Ancient Roman history come alive for kids. We HIGHLY recommend it.

Read our review of the Gladiator school tour here.

We visited the Colosseum after a morning well spent on a tour, experiencing what it was like to be a real life Gladiator.

No.2: Colosseum – Gladiator’s Entrance Tickets & Arena Floor

Taking the kids to see the Roman Colosseum is a no-brainer but it’s helpful to go with a storyteller to bring it to life.

This tour is tops and not your everyday experience of the Colosseum.

Walk in the footsteps of the Gladiators on this tour when you enter THROUGH the same gates that the Gladiators would have taken to enter the arena, ready for battle! 

Book it now. 

Hot tip: Watch out for pickpockets near the outrageously expensive ice-cream vendors positioned outside the Colosseum. Skip the icy treat here, and head back into town to find one of the more affordable gelato bars.
colosseum by navin75

Image credit: Navin75 via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0

No.3: Colosseum and Ancient Rome Family Tour for Kids

Here’s a real child friendly tour of the Colosseum and the Roman forum, with skip the line entry to both.

This tour includes fun games and activities for the kids to learn more about life in Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire.

There’s even a prize for every kid at the end.

No.4: Rome: 2-Hour Vatican Museums Highlights for Families

Take the kids through one of Rome’s best art collections on this specially designed 2-hour Vatican Museums family tour  for children aged between 7 to 12-years-old.

The best bit?

Everyone wears a headset so kids will always be able to hear what the guide is saying.

Tour includes Skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica.

Touring Rome with kids from other families may be one of the best things you’ll ever do in Rome. 

piazza del popolo street entertainment 800

MORE Fun Things to Do in Rome With Kids

Check out the street entertainment in the Piazza del Popolo on your way to the Rome Children’s Museum.

(It’s just a few hundred metres away).

Piazza del Popolo 

Piazza del Popolo is less touristy than many of the other sites in Rome, and definitely more of a local’s hangout. The space is welcome too – kids can let off steam here without worrying about annoying anyone or running into traffic.

We love this Rome piazza.

You can also spend a few hours undercover playing the games and taking turns on the coin operated rides in the retro style games arcade at Villa Borghese

best gardens in rome - villa borghese

Villa Borghese Gardens in Rome

The Villa Borghese Gardens are a hidden treasure but boy, it’s not easy to find the entrance!

Follow our tips, and you’ll wander past our favourite leather handbag shopping street in Rome mentioned above.

Here’s a list of our top 13 things to do in Villa Borghese gardens with kids.

We highly recommend a visit. 

800px-Pygmy_hippopotamus_Rome bioparco zoo

Image credit: Zoo Institutes via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Best Zoos in Rome and Wildlife Sanctuaries

Visit the Bioparco Zoo at Villa Borghese to see:

  • Indian elephants
  • giraffes
  • brown bears
  • pygmy hippos, and
  • camels.

There’s also a reptile house, chimpanzees, lions, tigers, leopards and lynxes.

Entry is €16.00 for adults, and €13.00 for kids over 1 metre tall and under 10 years of age.

There’s FREE entry for kids under 1 metre tall. (Strange that height is a factor, but true!)

The Bioparco train costs an extra €1.50 per person.

villa borghese playground by michael mcroberts

Image credit: Michael McRoberts

Best Playgrounds in Rome?

Wondering where to find Rome playgrounds? So are we.

We found one kids playground in Rome at Villa Borghese, but otherwise, we saw very few ‘playgrounds’ around.

There is a kids playground, Parco Giochi per Bambini at the Giardino Botanico botanical gardens south of the Colosseum.

Let us know what you’ve found. ([email protected]

PIN things to do in rome with kids

Best Theme Parks in Rome

Luckily, Rome does have quite a number of ‘theme parks’. 

You can easily fill in three days in Rome with kids with a few sightseeing adventures coupled with a theme park or two. 

We haven’t been to any of these Rome attractions yet, but they are on our list of fun theme parks to visit in Rome next trip.

See below for details.

hydromania-rome pic

Hydromania Rome

Hydromania water park is Rome’s answer to Wet’n’Wild with wave machines, slides, and extreme water rides

With the exception of Hydromania, the rest of Rome’s theme parks remind me of a travelling carnival fair, now permanently set up at a fixed address in the suburbs of Rome. They have the same kind of atmosphere.

Each one is a random eclectic gathering of vintage coin-operated rides, arcade games, jumping castles, inflatables, dodgem cars, and the odd roller coaster. 

Fun for kids, but without the polish or price tags of Disneyland or Universal studios.

Hence the charm!

Oasi Park

Another small Roman theme park that won’t break the bank.

A fun place for a few hours time out from the history and artefacts for the kids.

eden-park rome

Image credit: Eden Park

Eden Park Rome

There’s water boats, mini rollercoaster, pirate ship, shows and entertainment, ball pits, dodgem cars, arcade games, playground equipment, and slightly dodgy looking dressed up characters!

Il Fantastico Mondo del Fantastico 

A neighbourhood version of Disneyland, in a castle!

Parco Morelli

This Family Park, 18 minutes from the Pantheon via taxi, has:

  • swing chairs
  • inflatables
  • dodgem cars
  • small roller coasters
  • coin operated rides, and
  • playground equipment.

A great place to meet the locals.

eurpark rome

EurPark Energy and Adventure

EurPark is the amusement park for outdoor sports in Rome.

Adventure Park has:

  • acrobatic paths on the trees
  • a 4-sided climbing wall
  • an archery range
  • free games (table tennis, table football, petanque, volleyball, etc.)

Energy Park has:

  • an inflatable that doubles as a human table football field, and a place to play soapy football
  • a tactical field dedicated to fights for LaserTag and Soft Archery
  • two Pump Track slopes (for children and adults)
  • a wave to practice Surf Skate
  • an open-air gym, and
  • a “marines” training course.

Eden Park Amusement Park Rome

Eden Park is a Children’s amusement park with roller coaster, trampoline & bumper cars, plus a playground & cafe.

rainbow magicland via facebook

Rainbow MagicLand Amusement Park Rome

Rainbow MagicLand theme park in Rome is about a 20 minute train ride from Termini station. 

This one is one of the biggest theme parks in Europe.

Find:

  • a Virtual Reality Time machine ride
  • Europe’s largest planetarium
  • a haunted hotel
  • rollercoasters
  • Jungle Camp (the largest playground in Italy!)
  • ride on cars driving school for kids, and
  • Tonga Land for the kids with a water park and magic spinning cup rides! 

Open Friday to Sunday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Parco Scuola del Traffico (Fun Traffic park)

Parco Scuola del Traffico is a park where kids can drive ‘cars’ throughout the driving courses. Kids over 12 can ride ‘motorcycles’ too.

They need to navigate through all the normal traffic signage and follow the road rules.

There’s also stops to fill up their ‘cars’ with petrol and more. 

Address: Via Delle Tre Fontane, corner of Via Romolo Murri 

Parco Neverland

Parco Neverland is a local children’s amusement park with:

  • coin operated rides
  • jumping castles
  • dodgems, and
  • play equipment

Baby Luna Park Rome

Baby Luna Park is another indoor amusement park, similar to the one above.

There’s an indoor swing carousel, jumping castles, inflatables, indoor trampoline park, a quad riding track and a games arcade. 

Gnomilandia

Gnomilandia is an indoor childrens play centre for toddlers and young kids on the outskirts of Rome.

You’ll find inflatables and party rooms here. 

Find it at via Prenestina 1500, 00132 Roma. 

piazza del popolo rome

Culture & Art Galleries in Rome for Kids

The thing about Rome is that not all their art is indoors.

You’ll find LOTS of centuries old sculptures and iconic Roman statues outdoors too, especially in the piazzas around town.

See the fountains at Piazza Navona.

Even on an overcast day, they are spectacular.

If you are wondering what other things to see in Rome with kids, we recommend the Spanish Steps.

We literally stumbled upon them.

When visiting Rome, you can also try the Castel Sant Angelo, and Piazza Venezia. 

Galeria Borghese Museum has amazing Gladiator mosaics too. 

rome children's museum explora

Fun Museums in Rome for Kids

Wondering what to do in Rome on a rainy day?   

Visit the Rome EXPLORA children’s museum.

Be sure to book your session ahead of time.

It’s very popular with families in Rome, two levels of hands-on activities plus a playground outside too.

This is something to do in Rome with toddlers, the best of the child friendly Rome attractions.

group of kids by alan kotok

Image credit: Alan Kotok via Flickr CC BY-2.0

Must Do Rome Events 

Keep an eye out for the latest issue of Romeing Magazine.

They share latest events and fun family things to do with kids in Rome too.

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THE INSIDE SCOOP- ROME TRAVEL BLOG

Correct at time of publication on Roam the Gnome. Please check with venue for updates. We apologise in advance if there have been any changes we are unaware of. All prices in AUD dollars, unless otherwise stated

Rome Weather 

What is the weather in Rome today?

Click here to find up-to-date Rome Weather reports.

rome transport by jan willem broekema

Image credit: Jan Willem Broekema via Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0

Getting Around Rome

The Rome Tourism Board has all the details of getting around Rome

  • on foot
  • by bus, tram and metro
  • by taxi
  • by bike
  • by boat, and
  • by train.

roma pass by jan willem broekema

Image credit: Jan Willem Broekema via Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0

VISIT ROME ON A BUDGET 

Looking for free things to do in Rome?

These attractions should be top of your list of free stuff to do in Rome. 

Try these:

  • The Pantheon
  • Toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain
  • Piazza Navona
  • Piazza Campo dei Fiori (Field of flowers public square) 
  • Spanish Steps
  • Saint Peter’s Basilica 
  • Papal audience (Wednesdays, reservation required)
  • Vatican Museum on the first Sunday of the month (crowded though!)
  • Appia Antica (or Appian Way) – this is home to the Gladiator School Tour in Rome
  • Square of the Mouth of Truth disk (Piazza Bocca della Verita) 
  • Walk around Trastevere & Testaccio on ancient cobbled streets 
  • Aula Ottaganale Ancient Roman sculptures 

Buying the ROMA Pass is another tip for budget travel in Rome.

Toadstool Rating: Top Things to Do in Rome with Kids

rome travel blog review

LOOKING FOR MORE FUN CITIES TO VISIT WITH KIDS?

Click the links in blue below for our Ultimate Destination Guides.