Rome has something for everyone, even for the kiddos that can’t quite comprehend how ancient the Colosseum is. While some aspects of the city might be difficult (Rome is not stroller friendly), there are plenty of kid-friendly locales that parents can enjoy too! Rome’s greatest hits, from ruins to city parks, are accommodating for little ones, and there’s no need to miss out on the full Rome experience. Plus, Rome is basically one big museum, so there’s plenty for kids to explore!
With so many things to do in Rome with kids, adults at the helm better can navigate a trip better by learning some Italian. Learn alongside your little ones to make it a fun family activity! Rosetta Stone’s fun, engaging lessons are designed for learners of all ages to ensure you’ll be conversation-ready in no time.
1. Bike or stroll along the Appian Way
Take a bike ride or a walk along one of the oldest precursors to the modern highway. As you move along this road built in the earliest part of the 4th century, you and your children will enjoy beautiful views of Roman ruins and cypress trees. Each time you step on the ancient stones, you’ll be walking in the footsteps of history. This is the same walkway once used by ancient Roman soldiers and senators!
Tombs, mausoleums, temples, villas, and catacombs dot the Via Appia Antica, the Italian name for this road, which UNESCO hopes to permanently put on its World Heritage List. Note that bike rental is available from multiple companies, but be sure to check the details about length and route before you go.
>> The Appian Way is just one of 25 amazing places to visit on our list of the best things to do in Rome!
@sierra.morals Day in Rome:
♬ That’s Amore – Dean MartinMercato Testaccio
2. Check out Italian fruits and street food at Mercato di Testaccio
Not only can you buy fruit, cheese, or bread to take back to your place at Rome’s best outdoor market, but you can also try some of Rome’s best portable dishes. Try the supplì, which are croquettes filled with rice, meat, and mozzarella cheese. Taste the trapizzino, a delicious pizza pocket filled with eggplant parmesan, chicken and bell peppers, or meatballs. And, if you still have room, savor the pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice), invented in Rome and baked in a rectangular pan. The more adventurous may want to try pizza with truffles, asparagus, or potatoes.
Note the unique architecture as you enter and be ready to buy, or just appreciate, some crafts too. Open 7:30 to 3:30 every day except Sundays.
3. Climb the Spanish Steps
A visit to Rome is not complete without going to the Spanish Steps, which connect the Piazza di Spagna at the bottom with the Piazza Trinità dei Monti at the top. The unusual Boat Fountain spurts at the base of the steps, and more historically or religiously minded children will want to visit the Trinity of the Mount Church. Those more inclined toward video games or movies will recognize the steps from Mario Kart and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One.
More than anything, enjoying the open space with its old architecture and pink azaleas under the Roman sun is a pleasant way to spend an hour or two. Take note that it is a steep climb with a total number of 135 steps, so you may want to take breaks or plan to admire it from below. Make sure to save your picnics for the adjacent piazzas, too, as eating is technically forbidden on the staircase itself.
@travel_recs_ ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design
Villa Borghese, Rome
You must rent these boats when visiting Rome. They are so much fun and the park surrounding the lake is beautiful to go for a walk around. It only costs €5 per person for a 20 min rental. 10/10 recommend
#rome #italy #traveltips #villaborghese #boat #rowboat #fyp
4. Rent a rowboat at the Villa Borghese
If you make it to the top of the Spanish Steps, or if you’re coming from the Piazza del Popolo to the west, you’ll find yourself on the edge of the Villa Borghese, a large garden with various attractions. Strolling around the lago or laghetto (little lake) on the Viale del Lago path is a favorite pastime. Keep an eye out for the Temple of Asclepius, which features large columns and a several-story high statue of the ancient Greek god of medicine and healing. Directly across from this structure is the Esculapio Noleggio Barche, where you can rent a boat and sail around.
Rental is around 3 euros per person with discounts for the younger folk, allowing for a 20 minute boat ride. That should give you enough time to explore the lake before heading off to the next stop on our list!
5. Check out the animals at the Bioparco di Roma
You’re traveling to Rome to get a taste of Italy’s history, and that history comes in unexpected places! Rome’s zoo, Bioparco di Roma, is a stone’s throw away from the Villa Borghese boat ride above and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Built in 1911, this center for wildlife was one of the first to replace cages with moats and open spaces.
Over 100 years later, Rome’s Biopark is dedicated to the protection of endangered species and is home to around 1,100 animals. Stroll through the zoological gardens to enjoy the highlights, including orangutans and pygmy hippos, as well as some lesser-known furry friends, like the fennec fox.
Ticket prices range from 9 to 18 euros, but the little ones under a meter high (about 3 feet) get in free. Remember to bring a stroller if you want to enter the reptile house!
6. Enjoy an outdoor show at the Baths of Caracalla
No need to take the kids to a stuffy theater! The Baths of Caracalla host operas, ballets, and concerts right under the Roman sky from late May through mid-August. Enjoy music from international pop artists like John Legend, or immerse yourself in something quintessentially Italian. On select nights, the Baths of Caracalla are known to highlight theater shows and popular films, too!
It’s all organized by the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, where you can find the programming and buy tickets.
What makes the Baths of Caracalla so special is that the stage is set within the actual ruins. You can spend the day exploring the expansive remains of Rome’s former spa, and then top off your day with an unforgettable concert. Tickets cost around 10 euros for adults, but children enter for free. Though the baths open at 9:00 a.m., a night visit is particularly spectacular. The ruins close an hour before sunset except on Mondays when they close at 2:00 p.m.
7. Be a gladiator at Gruppo Storico Romano
There aren’t many places in the world where kids can pretend to be a historical figure in their place of origin, and there are even fewer where they can be a gladiator, complete with costumes and fake swords. This nonprofit organization takes history seriously, and the training and reenactment are not just for kids: the whole family, including kids age 6 and up, can attend!
First, you’ll visit the museum and armory to learn more about the popularity and social significance of gladiator games. Then, you’ll set up camp before gladiator training begins! Training is paced according to ability, so most can participate. After that, fight practice takes place before the final event: the performance.
The Gruppo Storico Romano, known popularly in English as the Roman Gladiator School, is located off the Appian Way in case you want to coordinate your activities. Remember to leave the fancy clothes behind, though! Being a gladiator is dirty business.
8. Admire the local cats at Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)
Despite what Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, says about the emperor’s murder, historians believe he died at the Torre Argentina, not the Roman Forum. Perhaps a bit of poetic justice exists when it comes to the legacy of the Roman Empire’s short-lived dictator—the site of his murder is now overrun with none other than the sweetest of feline friends. Only the skeletal remains of columns, steps, and walls stand, but the area is brought to life by the recent renovation of the historical ruins and the living presence of hundreds of cats.
Nowadays, feral cats, some of which are sick or disabled, inhabit the formerly sacred space, oblivious to the blood spilled on the Ides of March, 44 AC. But the cats are not left completely on their own. Some folks care for, feed, and neuter them. As cats tend to do, these Roman strays love to bask in the afternoon sun. It’s the perfect place to swing by before your Roman merenda (afternoon snack).
9. Get hands-on with science at Explora: Il Museo Dei Bambini di Roma
Put a day’s worth of lessons in front of your kids on vacation, and they might protest. But place them in a fun, interactive setting with hands-on learning materials? It’s guaranteed to be a day they’ll remember.
Enjoy a brief respite from navigating the city at Explore: The Children’s Museum of Rome. Here, you kids can learn about “conscious consumption” in the kitchen, explore the ocean in the Sea of Creativity, and play a fast-paced round of Economiamo to boost their financial literacy. Those are only a handful of activities and topics to discover!
Get info on tickets and visiting times at the official Explora museum site!
10. Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain
Not your everyday fountain, the Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s most recognizable landmarks. It is as much defined by its water feature as it is by the many sculpted characters above it. Designed by Nicola Salvi in the 18th century, these travertine stone figures include Oceanus, the god of water, at the very center, pointing to the technical marvel of Rome’s ancient aqueducts and the central role water plays in the city’s history.
Behind the fountain, you’ll find a printmaking museum now housed in the Palazzo Poli. The Palazzo itself was also altered to bring it into harmony with the fountain. Together, this elaborate fountain, the Palazzo, and its many sculptures mark the spot where three roads (hence the name trevi or tre vie) meet. It is also the end of Rome’s ancient Aqua Virgo aqueduct.
Though not apparent from afar, you can walk right up to the fountain to make a wish with a coin! It is tradition to throw it with your back to the fountain just over your left shoulder. Turn in time to see your coin hit the water, and you’re destined to make at least one more trip to Rome one day—or so the superstition says!
11. Explore the Quartiere Coppedè
The Quartiere Coppedè is one of Rome’s lesser-known gems, though film lovers might recognize it from Martin Scorcese’s recent release, House of Gucci. Full of interesting architecture, this neighborhood is filled with surprising details that are fun to point out with kids of all ages: spider grates, colorful tiles, and slightly spooky sculpted faces that line archways between buildings.
Look for the Villino delle Fate (Fairy House), a two-story house with a turret and a balcony jutting out over the street. Eclectic in design, much of its facade is adorned with earth-toned illustrations, including clipper ships or winged lions. Painted archways and an eclectic sundial are eye-catching features, but the Latin messages painted on the building’s sides are especially fun to decipher.
Be sure to visit Piazza Mincio and Fontana delle Rane (Frog Fountain) located right across from the Fairy House. Water spurts from the frogs’ mouths and trickles from clamshells. From certain views, it blends with the Fairy House, creating a playful vantage point for kids!
12. Catch a puppet show at Teatrino di Pulcinella al Gianicolo
Watch classic stories come to life on Rome’s tiniest stage! Handmade traditional puppets are the actors at this small wooden theater atop Gianicolo Hill. The somewhat grumpy Pulcinella is the show’s star, and even if you’re still mastering Italian, you can interpret the plot from context and gestures.
Want to take a puppet home? Plush versions of many characters are available at the adjacent store and small enough to fit in your suitcase. After the show, enjoy the impressive vista at Piazzale Anita Garibaldi, a popular gathering spot in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood.
The theater has no website, but details about the show and tickets can be found on its Facebook page or through email, both listed on Rome’s official tourism website.
@90min A look inside the Stadio Olimpico
♬ Countless – Official Sound Studio#footballstadiumtour #bestfootballclips #roma #lazio
13. Cheer on a football match at the Stadio Olimpico
All over the world, soccer—known as football to most and calcio to the Italians—is a beloved sport to play and spectate. At Rome’s Stadio Olimpico (Olympic Stadium), you can watch regional Italian teams compete for glory, including Rome’s very own football club, Associazione Sportiva Roma.
Cheer for your favorite team in the stands, or treat your kids to a special interactive experience with Stadio Olimpico’s High Five Tunnel! Here, kids aged 11-16 can high-five players before the game starts.
Note that luggage is not allowed in the stadium, so make sure to leave large bags at home!
14. Explore the catacombs at the Crypt of Capuchins
For your morbid-leaning teens (but not the younger kids), the Crypt of Capuchins earns its believe-it-or-not status. Hiding beneath an unsuspecting Capuchin church are the skeletons of what historians suspect to be the remains of several thousand Capuchin friars. The friars took it upon themselves to use the skulls and loose bones, even a few with some dried flesh still attached, in order to make sculptures and designs on the crypt walls.
A few full skeletons donning the Capuchin habit stand before the walls as a reminder to the friars, and perhaps us, not to be too vain or greedy since we’ll all end up the same.
There’s a small museum, which includes a painting by Caravaggio, that walks you through the history of this religious order.
Get to know Italy even better with Rosetta Stone
From training as gladiators to sampling delightful street food, Rome’s unforgettable kid-friendly activities make it a fantastic place to visit with kids.
There’s plenty to do for younger children and teens alike! Helped by our guide and a little bit of planning, the whole family is guaranteed to get plenty of fun out of this historic city. If you come with a partner and want to leave them with the kids so you can go off on your own, check out our guide to museums in Rome.
No matter how you organize your trip, learning Italian with Rosetta Stone can help you navigate the city and connect with local communities. Jump right in with the basics and work your way up to more advanced topics. Either way, we’re here to help you feel confident every step of the way!
Written by Rowena Galavitz
Rowena Galavitz is a Spanish translator, bilingual copy editor, and language and literature instructor with three master’s degrees who loves Spanish and all things Mexico.
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