My Travel Experience
Venice with kids
My Travel Experience
Venice with kids
My Travel Experience: Venice with kids
things to do with kids in venice
Finally, the girls got to visit Italy, too. And they chose Venice (the alternatives were Florence and Rome, of course). When I showed them the options, they were absolutely fascinated by the streets of water… And it turned out they were right: Venice was absolutely amazing. The two of them didn’t want to go home! 😀
Here, you can now read about what we experienced during our three days, in short sections. For more information about the museums and activities themselves, you’ll find further links below.
Enjoy!
Your Céline
What
We Got to See!
Along with museums and activities, I’ll also share a few other tips with you – bridges, food, and other special things to see and experience.
Arrival & Departure
Alilaguna
Taking the Alilaguna from the airport to Venice is definitely the way to go.
- At EUR 18, it’s an affordable alternative to a taxi (from EUR 150), although it’s a little more expensive than the bus (EUR 10).
- You (and especially the kids) immediately realize that Venice is a very special city.
- It’s simply fun!
We had already bought our arrival tickets online, but you still have to exchange them at the ticket counter. So, in the end, it didn’t save us much time, but as a planning-oriented mom traveling alone with my kids, it somehow gave me peace of mind. 😉
When we got to the pier, we made it onto the second boat that arrived. Unfortunately, I can’t remember exactly how long we had to wait. But here’s a tip: go to the bathroom one more time between your flight and the boat!
Depending on your destination, the Alilaguna journey can take quite a while. We got off at the second stop, Fondamente Nove, and the ride took around 30 minutes (there are no toilets on board).
We also chose Alilaguna for our return trip, although this time we bought our tickets at the regular ticket counter. Boats departed every 30 minutes. Depending on the season, it’s a good idea to get to the pier early enough to make sure you get a seat. In September, this wasn’t a problem.
The kids’ verdict: It was fun!
Travel times: You can find the timetable on the official website.
Prices: EUR 18 per person, per journey (including children)
Routes: There are 3 routes, but the most commonly used are the Blue and Red lines.
The Red Line is the one to take if you’re staying on Murano, the Lido, or on the northeastern side of Venice, towards Murano and San Michele (Murano, Fondamente Nove A, Lido).
The Blue Line goes all the way around Venice.
The Orange Line is the one to take if your hotel is along the Grand Canal (Rialto, Ca’ Rezzonico). But this one is not always working…
Video
One Minute on the Go with Kids
A Little Recap!
We saw and experienced so much during those three days… You can definitely tell from this travel report! Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to make videos everywhere. 😀
How did that happen… haha!
But here’s a little compilation of our trip – in moving pictures!
And moms: yes, you can absolutely do a trip like this on your own with your kids, too!
Your Céline
Every Morning
Traghetto
Our hotel was in the Cannaregio district, which is a little quieter. So every morning, we “had to” take the Traghetto. 😉 We could have walked for another five minutes, but since it was so much fun, we looked forward to it every morning.
The prices varied a little: normally, it’s EUR 2 per person. One time, though, I only paid EUR 1 per child. Looking back on it now… maybe it was a little flirtation 😉! And once, we even had the big gondola all to ourselves.
Besides being an unusual way to get around, I also wanted to see whether the girls were ready to “survive” a proper gondola ride. 😉 They weren’t scared, and nobody felt sick – perfect!
The ride itself takes less than five minutes, but it’s simply one of those little highlights of Venice. You have to do it at least once!
Operating hours:
Monday to Saturday: 8.30 – 19.00 h
Sundays and public holidays: 9.00 – 17.00 h
Prices:
EUR 2 for everyone, regardless of age, for non-Venetian residents
EUR 0.70 for local residents
Payment: Cash only – preferably the exact amount.
Waiting times:
It’s hard to say. The gondolas simply travel back and forth…
Once Across the
Rialto Bridge
…or maybe twice or three times. Depends. 😉
If you’re in Venice, getting a photo on the Rialto Bridge is a must. But try to go early in the morning or in the evening when it’s less crowded! During the day, all the day-trippers arrive, and things can get pretty chaotic.
Be especially careful of pickpockets and scams here. But not everyone is your “enemy” – we had other tourists take photos of us, and you can usually tell who’s a genuine fellow tourist. 😉
The fact that there are actual shops on the bridge was somehow a fun fact for the girls – and of course, they wanted to run into every single one and buy souvenirs. 😉 And this was only our first morning! Haha!
Enjoying the View…
St. Mark’s Campanile
This is something you should definitely book in advance, especially during the summer months! Even if, like me on this particular day, you might wish you had a little more flexibility. We could have gone up two hours before our scheduled time slot, but you have to stick to the time you booked.
But it wasn’t a problem – it gave us time to go back to the hotel and charge our phones before heading to the mask-making workshop.
So, what was it like at St. Mark’s Campanile? Once again, it was absolutely fantastic! After my somewhat disappointing Eiffel Tower experience with the kids, I was a little worried that we’d be done after five minutes – but not this time! We stayed up there for ages! Eventually, I had to encourage them to move on!
They loved the view, moved from window to window, wanted to take photos… I explained a few of the sights to them, and it was simply a lovely experience!
Opening hours:
Daily, 9.30 – 21.15 h
Last admission: 20.45 h
Prices:
Official website:
EUR 15 for adults
EUR 7.50 for ages 10–18 and seniors over 65
Free admission for children up to age 9
With me and my Partner agency:
EUR 25 for adults – this also includes the Gallery of the Gondola Yards and a VR experience!
Perfect for Kids
Mask-Making Workshop
For our first day in Venice, we booked a mask-making workshop!
Important: Try to do this early in your trip, too – the masks need plenty of time to dry, and you may not be able to take them home until the following day.
One more thing: Where is the workshop located? Well… you have to walk through the Museum of Torture to get there. It’s okay, but if you’re traveling with very young children, it’s something to keep in mind. When we were there, there was also a particularly creepy exhibition/installation in the lower rooms. I had the kids look away while we passed through.
But apart from that, everything was great, and we really enjoyed it!
First, there’s a short introduction to the different colors and the individual steps. Then you get to choose a mask and start decorating. You first paint the mask in one color as a base coat, and then you can let your imagination run wild!
Every now and then, the masks need to be blow-dried so that the layers can dry. At the end, you can add little silver and gold details to your mask – and that paint takes a loooong time to dry. That’s why you have the option of picking up your mask the next day, so nothing gets smudged.
Times: Daily from 9.30 h. Last session at 16.30 h.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Prices: EUR 55 for adults and children aged 12 and over
EUR 43 for children up to age 11
Something Really Special
Gondola Ride
The last time I was in Venice on my own, I took a shared gondola ride: EUR 39 for a short guided tour and a 30-minute gondola ride, together with other people. Since children pay the same price on these tours, I thought I’d try negotiating directly with a gondolier this time. 😉
Normally, the price is supposed to be EUR 90 (for up to 5 people). BUT, of course, there are now different routes and different lengths of time. And that’s where it gets tricky. For EUR 90, we would only have gone underneath the Bridge of Sighs and straight back. The next longer route already cost EUR 130. I didn’t have that much cash with me (some gondoliers accept cards, but this particular stand didn’t).
So I told them that I will ask somewhere else… and the negotiation began. 😉 In the end, we got the longer route for EUR 100. That worked for me. 😉
And then the three of us enjoyed the ride with Sebastiano. He didn’t tell us a huge amount about the sights, but that was totally fine. We had a great time, and the girls immediately wanted to go for another round… Of course, neither of them had brought any pocket money! 😜
Our route:
We started along the waterfront next to the Bridge of Sighs, heading toward the historic Castello district. We passed the Fondazione Querini Stampalia and Santa Maria Formosa, then turned at Palazzo Grimani and headed back toward the open canal, where things got pretty choppy. Every time we got there, I couldn’t help thinking that the gondoliers really do some seriously hard work in this part of the city!
The View from the
Bovolo Staircase
The Bovolo Staircase, with its beautiful spiral staircase leading up to the viewing platform, is part of the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. After the Contarini family died out, the palace served various purposes over the years. The first floor also hosts small exhibitions from time to time – especially during years when the Venice Art Biennale is taking place! Like in 2026! So we got to experience a little bit of the Biennale, too. 😉
But the real highlight – apart from climbing the staircase – is the view over Venice! It’s not very crowded at this little tower (you absolutely need to book a timed ticket), and from the top you can look out across the city’s rooftops – all the way to the rooftops of St. Mark’s Basilica and its bell tower!
The kids’ verdict: Very good!
Opening hours:
October 30 – February 25: Daily: 9.30 – 17.30 h
February 27 – October 29: Daily: 10.00 – 18.00 h
Last admission is one hour before closing.
Prices:
Official website
EUR 9 for adults
EUR 7 for children aged 12–26
Free for children under 12
Through me and my agency
EUR 10 for adults
EUR 9 for children aged 12–26
Free for children under 12
By booking through my agency, you also support the work that goes into this site. 🙏
A Little Break in the Shade
Giardini Reali
We spontaneously stopped by the Giardini Reali near St. Mark’s Square. The goal was simple: a place to sit and some shade! We found the shade, but had to wait a little while for a seat. 😉 Apparently, other people had the same idea…
On the way to the gardens, you’ll come across various market stalls… Well, that cost me EUR 30. 😉 Two Venice T-shirts and a sun hat for me… But hey, that’s how it goes, right?????
The little break definitely did us good! Afterwards, we were refreshed and ready to head to the mask-making workshop and up St. Mark’s Campanile!
Learning & Fun
Leonardo da Vinci Museum
On the morning of our second day, we visited the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. There are two different ones in Venice – we went to the Da Vinci Interactive Museum next to the Scoletta di San Rocco.
At first, the kids couldn’t really imagine what to expect, but once we got there, there was no stopping them! I could barely keep up with answering all their questions. At every “machine,” I was bombarded with questions… And there wasn’t much time to answer them, because while I was still dutifully reading the information panels, the two of them had already moved on to the next exhibit and were firing more questions at me!
They really tried everything: they drew, built bridges, and experimented with all the machines and interactive screens.
We stayed for a really long time – a complete success!
The kids’ verdict: Absolutely amazing!
Opening hours:
Daily, 10.00 – 17.30 h
Last admission: 16.45 h
Prices:
EUR 17 for adults
EUR 12.60 for children aged 3–17
There currently seems to be a 40% discount on the regular prices.
A Little Art
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
When asked whether they preferred old or modern art, the answer was very clear: MODERN! So once again, I didn’t make it to the Accademia – haha. But never mind, off to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection we went!
At first, I thought one audio guide would be enough for the two of them, but taking turns listening to it turned out to be too slow. So I sprinted back to the ticket desk and got a second one. Together with the free treasure-hunt booklet, this turned the visit into a real adventure for them.
The collection isn’t huge, but we still spent a long time exploring. There was so much to discover!
The girls had already heard a lot about Picasso, Calder, and Anselm Kiefer, but suddenly there were Pollock, Fontana, Magritte, and so many more… They listened to almost every audio-guide number, and in the end, we sat by the canal and enjoyed a well-deserved break.
The kids’ verdict: Top!
Opening hours:
Monday, Wednesday–Sunday: 10.00 – 18.00 h
Tuesday: Closed
Prices:
EUR 17 for adults
EUR 14 for seniors over 65
EUR 9 for students under 26 and children under 18 (with ID)
Free for children under 10 and visitors with disabilities + one companion
EUR 1 online booking fee
Booking through us costs EUR 2 more, but you’ll be supporting our work on the site.
Gelato, Pasta & More
The Kids’ Favorite Foods
Let’s take a little culinary break here: Venice isn’t just about sights and museums – you have to treat yourself to something delicious, too. And that’s exactly what we did for three whole days… 😀
Breakfast
Tramezzini: The morning highlight! One of the twins is usually a real sweet tooth… But when I gave them tramezzino to share (white bread, ham, mozzarella, and mayo) it was gone within seconds. I was allowed exactly one bite! Outrageous. After that, we got one each every day. 😉
Cannelloni: This sweet treat may not exactly count as breakfast, but hey – WE WERE ON VACATION! So we tried one filled with pistachio mousse and pistachio pieces. It wasn’t bad, but it was definitely a little too much for breakfast!
Croissants: If you like to keep things classic, there was a great bakery right near our hotel with lots of different croissant varieties. It’s a chain called Farini, with several locations mainly around Cannaregio and Castello. Really good! You can also sit down and enjoy a coffee there.
Lunch
Pizza: Even though Venice isn’t exactly famous for its pizza, we obviously had to have some… We were never particularly hungry at lunchtime, so pizza was a great option that we could easily share. We didn’t try them, but there are also places selling pizza by the slice to take away. We wanted to sit down and relax, though…
So we ate at, among other places, Trattoria Pizzeria Antico Capon in Dorsoduro (4.6 from 2,583 reviews). Another option in Cannaregio is Ristorante Al56zeroOtto (4.8 from 4,179 reviews) – we actually ate there twice because it was practically right next to our hotel!
Cicchetti: Of course, I also made sure to include some of these typical Venetian little bites in our meals. Every now and then, I’d grab something quick and traditional with a little glass of wine (for me, of course). The girls chose two “little sandwiches” because they weren’t quite sure about the other options. I ordered two typical cicchetti for myself… Guess who ended up eating them and then wanted more?????
For this, we went to Enoteca Al Volto, which Susi had already checked out for us.
Dinner
Bruschetta: This was a real revelation for the girls. They’re not usually tomato fans, but they actually tried it on our very first evening – and from then on, it became our daily companion and a must-have with every (!) meal! That actually worked out really well because the three of us could share the bruschetta and two pasta dishes. More than enough!
Where did we have our first one? In Cannaregio: Restaurant Diana (4.1 from 850 Google reviews).
Pasta: Of course! We worked our way through the classics, from Bolognese to Carbonara, while I enjoyed some seafood pasta. One of the girls even ordered gnocchi with Gorgonzola. My personal highlight was the spaghetti ai frutti di mare – absolutely fantastic! We were able to sit outside and enjoy the atmosphere.
Where? Ristorante Ca’ Dolfin (4.8 from 8,905 Google reviews).
Every Day, Any Time!
Gelato: No question about it – we had gelato every single day!!! 😀
We went to Suso three times, once to Baraco de Gelato, and once to Gelato di Natura! You can read more about it in our gelato guide!
The kids’ verdict: Italy is simply delicious!
Something Different
Natural History Museum
We hadn’t visited this museum before, so the article about it is still a work in progress. But after seeing so much art, I thought it would be a nice change of pace!
Since we still had the whole morning available on our departure day, we decided to stop by. And it was really, really an eye-opener for me, too. The exhibits were presented beautifully and in a very modern way. The different themed sections were clearly separated, so each new “world” felt exciting all over again. Especially for the girls, it was a fantastic change of pace.
So if you’re interested in dinosaurs, human evolution, the history of wildlife, marine life, mammals, and birds – you’ll find all of that here!
Opening hours:
June 1 – September 30: 10.00 – 18.00 h (last admission: 17.00 h)
October 1 – May 31: 9.00 – 17.00 pm (last admission: 16.00 h)
Closed on Mondays.
Prices:
EUR 15 for adults
EUR 7.50 for children and teenagers aged 6–14, students aged 15–25, and seniors over 65
Free for children aged 0–5 and ICOM members
An Exhibition at
Palazzo Fortuny
The Palazzo Fortuny itself was nice to see with the kids, and together with the exhibition and the chance to become part of the artwork themselves, the visit was a complete success.
But as I mentioned, even without the exhibition, the girls were interested in some of the regular displays. Fortuny created, among other things, designs and models for the theater, and you can see some of them throughout the palace. Surprisingly, the girls absolutely loved these miniature sets!
There are paintings, sculptures, lots of beautiful and expensive fabrics, his studio, his library, and much more to discover – even suits of armor!
I’m not sure whether the Palazzo Fortuny alone would have been enough for me to recommend it as a kid-friendly attraction, but combined with Erwin Wurm’s exhibition, it definitely was!
Since this was our first visit to the Palazzo, the main article is still to come.
Opening hours:
April 1 – October 31: 10.00 – 18.00 h
November 1 – March 31: 10.00 – 17.00 h
Last admission: one hour before closing
Closed on Tuesdays
Prices:
EUR 15 for adults
EUR 7.50 for children aged 6–14, students aged 15–25, and seniors aged 65+
Free for children under 6 and ICOM members
Other
Bridges in Venice
In Venice, you’ll inevitably cross sooooo many bridges. I just want to highlight two special ones (in addition to the Rialto Bridge mentioned earlier in this article).
The Ponte dell’Accademia, for example. It’s one of the three bridges spanning the Grand Canal. It’s made of wood and offers a wonderful view – perhaps even the most beautiful view of the canal!
The bridge takes its name from the Gallerie dell’Accademia, which is located on one side of the bridge. The wooden bridge designed by architect Eugenio Miozzi opened in 1933.
The second, much smaller bridge that deserves a mention is the Ponte dei Pugni in Dorsoduro. It’s also known as the “Bridge of Fists” or the “Fighting Bridge.” But why? You can see four footprints embedded in the bridge. They are said to mark the starting positions of fighters who once faced off here in battles between rival clans, trying to knock each other into the canal.
Text and Image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2026
