Things to see and do in Rome with kids. Our pre-cruise time in Rome was limited to 2.5 days so we had to be very efficient in order to see the highlights in this short period of time.
Prior to our Mediterranean cruise we had 2.5 days to explore Rome with kids. We knew that the first day would be a bit of a write-off due to jet lag so we needed a solid plan to see as much as possible the following two days before departing for Civitavecchia to board the Celebrity Equinox.
Rome is a city in which one could happily spend days, soaking up the history and the culture and pausing often to sample the food. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the luxury of time so we had to be efficient and laser-focused on the highlights. Our game plan was to tour the Vatican one day, Ancient Rome on the second day and spend the balance of the time just wandering the city and enjoying la dolce vita.
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Arrival Day in Rome
Since we had such a limited amount of time available, we opted for a centrally-located hotel in order not to waste precious time commuting to the attractions we wanted to visit. We chose Albergo Santa Chiara, in the historic centre of Rome near the Pantheon, and were able to walk nearly everywhere. The lovely view from our terrace was a bonus.
Read reviews and check current rates for the Hotel Albergo Santa Chiara on TripAdvisor
Our hotel was steps from the Pantheon, a pagan temple which is the best-preserved temple from Ancient Rome, so we headed there after dropping off our bags the morning of our arrival.
The Pantheon is a circular building with a domed roof that is the largest un-reinforced concrete dome ever to be built and was the inspiration for other domes such as the one on St. Peter’s Basilica. There is an opening called an oculus inside the dome and the height to it is precisely the same as the diameter of the dome making it a perfectly proportioned building. This fact may amaze modern-day engineers and architects but my jet-lagged daughters were not particularly impressed.
It took play-time in the Piazza Navona and an early dinner of pizza to improve the mood. We called it a day quite early and headed back to our hotel to get some much-needed sleep.
Day One – The Vatican Tour
The focus for our first full-day in Rome was a tour of the Vatican Museums which we had booked with Context Travel. We weren’t meeting our tour guide at the Vatican until mid-afternoon so we had time for both some exploration and some gelato beforehand.
Our first stop was the Trevi Fountain which everyone recognizes from the movies. It was mid-morning by the time we arrived at the Roman landmark so the area around the fountain was already teeming with people. Each of us was able to toss a coin into the fountain though so we are assured of a return visit.
We walked from the Trevi Fountain to Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps which were constructed in 1725 and named for the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See which was located on the site. The steps are a popular gathering place in the city but it’s necessary to climb the wide, curving staircase to the top for the great views. My younger daughter counted 138 steps – more or less.
As there were a few complaints of heat and exhaustion, we hopped in a cab to the Vatican Museums (the only time that we didn’t walk to and from our destination while in Rome) and discovered a gelato shop conveniently located near the entrance.
We had booked Context Travel’s three hour family tour of the Vatican Museums which is designed to introduce children to art, history and architecture. Our guide, Daniela, was an art historian who impressed me both with her knowledge of the Vatican and her ability to engage the kids and maintain their interest for the duration of the tour. Having an expert guide explain the history of the Vatican and the artwork enhanced the experience for all of us.
Our tour concluded with Michelangelo’s breathtaking masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel, and we then explored St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square on our own.
Day 2 – Ancient Rome
Our second and final full day in Rome had been set aside for visiting the Colosseum and the Forum. Unfortunately, we didn’t get as early a start as we had intended (it happens sometimes when traveling with a teenager) and it was nearly mid-day and extremely hot before we arrived at the Colosseum after walking from our hotel.
We had decided that we didn’t need to book a private tour of the Colosseum and the Forum and then made the mistake of not booking our entrance tickets ahead of time. By the time of our late-morning arrival, the line-ups were intimidating in their length and the August sun was beating down.
We made the further mistake of signing up for one of the tours being offered outside the Colosseum and were led to believe that a tour of both the Colosseum and the Forum would take a couple of hours. In reality it was a 6 hour exercise in endurance including 1.5 hours of waiting to enter the Forum after the completion of our Colosseum tour.
The kids did not take all of this very well but at least there were gladiators to entertain us and at the end of the day we did see the Colosseum and the Forum and both were pretty darn impressive.
While we were busy sightseeing, we also found time to eat lots of pizza, pasta and gelato because it’s impossible to spend 2.5 days in Rome without indulging every now and then – or constantly for that matter!
Tips for a Short Family Trip to Rome
- When time is in short supply, I recommend staying in a centrally-located hotel or apartment rental so that precious time isn’t spent commuting.
- Consider private tours as an option. A competent tour guide will enhance the experience and save time spent waiting in queues.
- If tickets to major attractions such as the Colosseum can be booked ahead of time – do it!
- Don’t schedule every minute. Relaxing in piazzas and playing in fountains is an important part of the Roman experience.
- Gelato is your secret weapon – don’t be afraid to use it!
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Michele {Malaysian Meanders}
I think I would have had a rebellion on my hands if a tour dragged on to 6 hours, even with the gladiators. Your kids are real troopers to hang in there. That Vatican tour, on the other hand, sounds like a great idea.
Lisa Goodmurphy
It honestly wasn’t very pretty, Michele! There was some bribing with food going on and I’m pretty sure that I made some threats about what was going to happen if I left Rome without having seen the Forum! It was just one of those days when absolutely everything went wrong but we survived!
Steve
I don’t understand. You mean to tell me that your teenager isn’t up at the crack of dawn and ready to go by 7 am? That doesn’t sound right to me.
What does sound right is Gelato as a secret weapon. I’d wait through a 6 hour tour with no problems as long as you kept feeding me Gelato.
Jennifer Howze
Nice itinerary. I can’t wait to take our kids to Rome.
Anwar
I survived many a day in Italy on Gelato. One of our days in Venice I think that’s all we ate.
Salika Jay
Gelato I had there wasn’t all that good unfortunately. But I’ve only heard good things about it. So maybe next time I’d have better luck. Should go to Trevi Fountain before that 🙂
Lisa wood
Oh wow – sounds like there was so much to see and do. Funny but I never think of Rome as being hot, not sure why that is?
The fountain look so refreshing!
And the icecream with the watermelon was mouth watering!
Funny how teenagers take forever to get out the door, great pic with the Gladiators. Would you return to Rome to explore more because you were only there for 2 days?
Lisa Goodmurphy
Rome was lovely! August probably wasn’t the ideal time to visit because we had quite a bit of complaining about the heat but we survived!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Gelato is very important for hydration purposes! 😉
Tracy
I’d love the see the Sistine chapel. Good tip re booking tickets ahead of time. I’m fairly certain even with ice cream and pasta my kids would have lost it waiting that long in the sun … actually not a bad plan if you want the Dad to be forced to take the kids off to do something else and leave you to explore to Colosseum solo 🙂
Sonja
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Rome, and never have been with kids. It’s on the family travel list, but time is running out as the kids keep getting older!
Crystal
Lisa I love this post for several reasons. First, I’m glad we aren’t the only ones that make travel mistakes, you just can’t plan everything perfectly. And second, we use eis (German for ice cream) as a regular bribe when traveling for good behavior. And lastly, I love when you can find tours that are geared towards the kids with guide that can get them engaged! Great post!
eileen at FamiliesGo!
I think certain experiences, like seeing the major sites of Rome you hve to push through however you can and trust that in retrospect they’ll appreciate the opportunity.
I also think rome is one of those very big cities, like New York, paris or London that you have to see twice — the first time to hit all major high profile tourist attractions and the second to get to know the “real” city in quiet neighborhoods away from the tourists. it can be hard to do both in 1 trip unless you have a lot of time.
Cathy Sweeney
I know what its like to have those whirlwind visits to a place — you just have to see what you can. Looks like you came up with a good plan and saw some awesome sights. Love the view from your apartment — I can definitely see myself there.
Red Crane Travel
Hi,
Great photos! Love the destination, thanks for sharing this inspiring post!
rome city tours
You all look great! I am glad you had the chance to visit this amazing place. Great choice!
Ariana
I can see that your girls are enjoying the trip and they probably love eating ice cream to fight the heat… Well I’d like to visit and explore Vatican and I’d surely bring lots of cold water with me.
Lisa Goodmurphy
The trick is to eat it constantly and you’re bound to find the good places! 😉
Lisa Goodmurphy
I would go back, Lisa but my husband didn’t love Rome – I think we’ll have to explore other regions of Italy first.
Lisa Goodmurphy
The heat is unbearable and I don’t know why we didn’t get tickets ahead of time. I think I’d heard that Rome is empty in August so many times that I wasn’t expecting crowds – I learned that it’s all relative!
Lisa Goodmurphy
It’s amazing how little time there actually is to travel with kids before they are off on their own. That’s why I always tell people not to wait until the kids are older to travel – there are just too many places that you will want to visit with them!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Crystal! Ice cream is like a magic potion in our family – it fixes everything! 😉
Lisa Goodmurphy
I agree on both counts, Eileen! I have told my kids more than once that they would some day regret not having seen something like the Colosseum so we have to make sure we hit all the highlights. Also agree that there’s so much more to major cities beyond the highlights and it’s fun to go back and really explore once you don’t feel the need to hit the tourist hot spots.
Lisa Goodmurphy
The view was amazing – I could have sat out there for hours if we would have had more time!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thank you for your comment!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thank you, Rome is a beautiful city!!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Water and gelato are both very important for exploring Rome in the summer heat!
eyeandpen
The kids look like they had an awesome time! Great pictures as well! They turned out nice!
Meagan Shamy (@MeaganShamy)
I love Rome and we are so hoping to take our kids there this summer. I loved looking through your pictures and seeing what y’all did.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, we did enjoy our visit albeit short!!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Rome is a great city to visit with kids – just be prepared for the heat if you are going in the summer!
simony
Good advises here, thanks! Just a hint: Sistine chapel master piece …. is from Michelangelo, and not Leonardo.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks for pointing that out – I’ve corrected it. Not sure how I managed to make that slip and not catch it in proofreading!
Wanderlust Crew
Heading to Rome in a few weeks with our 4 kids! Can’t wait. Thanks for these tips! Definitely considering a private tour of the colosseum and vatican!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Private tours of both are definitely the way to go especially with kids. Our tour of the Vatican was awesome and I wish we would have booked a private tour of the Colosseum – it would have saved me a lot of grief!!