There’s so much information in this post about our trip to Rome with kids. I tried to break it down into what we did each day, things that are helpful to remember each day, and a section of general "good to know" things before you head to Rome with kids. I also added in our favorite places to eat and stop for gelato, because you can't go to Rome without getting some incredible food!
This post also includes where we stayed, the stroller we brought, and my map of over 163 places in Italy that we visited throughout our trip. The map is so helpful when you’re traveling because you can see where everything is in relation to where you are. It helped us decide on so many dinner places and routes during the day)
HOTEL: Pantheon Luxury Apartment. We have found that using booking.com has been the best way to find places in European countries for big families. This was a great spot for a big family and a 5 min walk from the Trevi Fountain!
THE STROLLER WE BROUGHT: we loved having a jogger stroller for the majorly bumpy rough roads. This one is the only one I recommend because it folds up quickly and easily so it worked well when we needed to collapse it quick on a train or in a restaurant. Here’s what we used: https://go.shopmy.us/p-39141978
FOOD RECS: These were all restaurants that were recommended to us. We didn’t make it to all of them obviously but I wanted to include them. Pick one that is close to you and go. You can’t go wrong! (At the end of my Italy posts I’ll have a google map link with every place saved which makes it easy to find things in relation to where you are, so be sure to follow @minivoyager_ to see when that is released!)
- Alfredo alla Scrofa $$$ (where fetuccine Alfredo was invented). Make a reservation!
- Maccheroni
- Ciampini Roma
- Sorbillo Roma (pizza)
- Cul De Sac
- Suppli deu Coronari (supplì is a must-have when in Rome!)
- Rosscioli (highly recommended! Make a reservation)
GELATO:
- Venchi (touristy but so, so good!)
- Giolitti (our other top fave)
- GROM
- Gelateria La Romana
ITINERARY:
Day 1 (arrive)
- Arrived in the afternoon and booked an Uber to the hotel
- Get to hotel, unload bags
- Walk around and just let the kids stretch their legs and explore
- Dinner at one of the recs from my map
- Quick stop to the Trevi fountain in evening (loved being able to show the kids it in the night time as well as day time
Day 2
- Everyone will likely wake up early due to jet lag, so make the best of it. Get up and go (I’m talking EARLY! Like 5 or 6 am) to the Trevi Fountain. The crowds will be almost nonexistent, you’ll get incredible pictures in beautiful morning light
- Grab breakfast and then back to the hotel to nap
- Pantheon (FREE on Sundays. Check the website for tickets)
- Golf cart tour in the afternoon with @turtle_tour_rome. Easily the TOP thing we did in Rome. Check out my reel on it a few posts back or comment ROME for a link to it and all the info. Highly recommend doing this with kids. We saw the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, Piazza del Popolo, the Colosseum, and more!
- Dinner at one of the recs from my map
Day 3
- Gladiator school with Gruppo Storico Romano(SO fun for the whole family. Took the bus there. Check out my post on this later this week)
- Colosseum (make sure you get tickets. The “extra” tours you can do there sell out early)
- Roman Forum
- Dinner at one of the recs from my map
- If you want to make these places even more exciting for kids, look up a “kid-friendly” tour guide for the Forum and Colosseum. They make the history come alive for kids and is a great way to keep their attention. We didn’t do it this time due to budget but I think it’s a great thing to consider spending on if your kids would like it. Takes the pressure off you of being a tour guide for the family too.
- Note: if you don’t NEED a stroller, this is the day to ditch it. Much harder to get around everything we did today with a stroller, but possible
Day 4
- Head out for your next destination in the morning
NEXT STOP: Pompeii! Be sure to check back on social media and this website for our itinerary there soon!
A FEW NOTES:
- If this is your first stop in Italy like it was for us, you may need to adjust your plans slightly for jet lag. I try to keep us going through the day because I’ve found that if we are outside for a lot of the first day, it helps us all adjust faster. But plan accordingly.
- I don’t recommend renting a car in Rome. It’s almost impossible to drive in the city- in this place, I recommend spending a little more on a hotel or AirBnb close to things you want to do and take a bus to anywhere further.
- After Rome we headed down to Pompeii. I didn’t include any train info in the guides because depending on where you go next well determine your transportation. The easiest way to figure out the trains is ChatGPT. That’s how we coordinated our travel between each place.
- We loved having a stroller in Rome. You do so much walking. People in my polls were pretty split on bringing a small stroller vs a jogger. Ultimately we went with a jogging stroller and were happy with it (ours folds up and was so easy to bring)
- We would have loved to do the Vatican with the kids, but you have to get tickets early and we just didn’t get them in time. I think our big kids would have appreciated it, but it definitely would have been hard for our younger kids (3 & 6).
- Be sure to check out the map for some other top recommendations for what to do in Rome with kids!