Considering a trip to Venice with kids? Between walking and water taxis, you can cover the very best of Venice in 1-2 days. 2 days in Venice is the perfect amount of time to experience this colorful floating city – even with kids.
This post outlines what to do in Venice Italy over the course of 2 days to maximize your visit – including fun things for just the kids, and must-sees for adults too. Find how to get around in Venice, where to stay, top things to see in Venice, and of course, where to go for the best gelato.
Pin to use for your Venice with kids trip!
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Table of Contents
How To Get Around In Venice With Kids
Upon arrival in Venice, the first thing to do is purchase transportation for the duration of your stay. There are no cars in Venice. Absolutely none! It’s crazy but the city is truly by foot and water taxi.
What to use for transportation:
Buy a 2-day (48 hours) Vaporetto ticket upon arrival at the airport. You can purchase 1-day or multi-day pass options. There is a Vaporetto ticket information desk in the Venice airport once you collect your bags and exit customs. The Vaporetto ticket also comes with kids’ discounts that can be used for entry at major attractions.
Your ticket will grant you access to the bus (take #5) to the Venice station, Piazzale Roma Bus Station. From the Venice bus station, find the correct water ferry to take you to your hotel. Use Google Maps to direct you, or if it’s confusing ask a friendly Italian (watch my video for help on how to use Google Maps).
The Grand Canal is truly the best way to see Venice. By purchasing a Vaporetto ticket, Venice’s public transportation ferry, you not only get to where you need to go but it doubles as an attraction, too.
Other transportation options from the Venice airport to hotel that are faster than the Vaporetto:
- Shared water taxi @ £28pp
- Alilaguna Boat @ £15pp
Simply in love with this Giudecca yellow house
Where To Stay in Venice
Venice Central
Most hotels are on the main island of Venice. The upside of staying in Venice central is that you have easy access to attractions, cafes, and restaurants without needing a water taxi. The downside is that the main island is incredibly busy and crowded. However, for just 1-2 days it’s totally doable.
And if you can stay at Hotel Danieli, where Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, and other Hollywood A-listers check-in while in Venice, then dealing with a lot of tourists is 100% worth it.
Giudecca
A quieter alternative neighborhood to Venice Central is Giudecca, the island just south of main Venice.
We stayed at the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, which coincidentally has the best skyline rooftop bar, the best-rated restaurant in Venice (Bacaromi) and I daresay one of the best Italian cafes, Majer.
Watercolor views from the Hilton Skyline Bar on Giudecca
Although there are no tourist attractions to see in Giudecca, it offers amazing colors and scenes of local living.
Whether you stay in Venice central or not, add Giudecca to your list of things to do in Venice for a more laid-back view of the culture and people that live there compared to Venice central.
Top thing to do in Venice is simply wandering the colorful alleys
Things To Do In Venice With Kids
As luck would have it, our family visited Venice during Carnevale Festival. This festival occurs annually in February.
Colorful masks and costumes take over the streets during Carnevale and weekends turn into massive parties. It was completely unexpected on our part to visit on one of the busiest weekends of Venice in the year. Because of that, the crowds were unexpected but we witnessed an amazing spectacle.
With Carnevale aside, here are the best things to do in Venice with kids in 1-2 days.
Day 1 In Venice With Kids:
This list is organized in a way to see Venice sights sequentially or in close proximity to one another. This will maximize your time in Venice and minimize repeat walking for little legs.
Grand Canal
Take in major sites and colorful architecture simply by going up and down the Grand Canal.
Grand Canal Venice
Rialto Bridge
Rialto Bridge is not only the oldest bridge in Venice, dating back to the 12th century but is also the opening scene from Spiderman Far From Home.
Get the kids excited about Venice by watching Spiderman before your trip or visit The Venetian in Las Vegas – the hotel has an actual Rialto Bridge replica! Relating the movie to Rialto Bridge makes it a cool thing to do in Venice for the kids.
The amount of time needed for the bridge and street shopping is < 1 hour.
Rialto Bridge Venice Italy
T Fondaco dei Tedeschi
Address: Rialto Bridge, Ramo del Fontego dei Tedeschi, 30100 Venice
Enjoy a free rooftop view from Venice’s luxury department store. Tickets must be pre-booked 2 days in advance. Sunset slots are the first times to go so plan in advance. Book rooftop tickets here.
Scuola Grande di San Marco
The square is open for kids to run around with the most magnificent-looking building by famous Venetian architects, now the city’s hospital.
Next door is Basilica S.Giovanni E Paolo where you can enjoy a free peek. This is a great square on the canal for photos without all the crowds.
Scuola Di San Marco
Scala Contarini del Bovolo
Scala Contarini del Bovolo is a bit tricky to find but possibly my favorite building and thing to see in Venice. Do you agree?
Located in Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, this is an amazing 15th-century spiral staircase of a Venice palace. In February, aside from masked locals, no other tourists flock here.
Scala Contarini del Bovolo – simply gorgeous!
VizioVirtù Cioccolatieri
Address: Calle del Forner, 5988, 30122 Venice
This chocolate shop sells mini chocolate masks and is near where Marco Polo lived. Between chocolate and Marco Polo, it’s a fun thing to do in Venice with kids.
SuSo Gelatoteca
For the best gelato experience in Venice, take the kids to SuSo. SuSo is unlike any of the others and we tried our fair share. In fact, enjoying lots of gelato is allowed for lunch…maybe even breakfast!
But before you take the first lick or bite, make sure to have your camera ready.
I Tre Mercanti
If gelato isn’t your thing, head south of SuSo for the best tiramisu. Experiencing the very best Italian food is a must thing to do in Venice for the whole family.
St Mark’s Square
St Mark’s Square is the most famous square and busy Venice piazza. Find cafes, street traders, and designer shopping.
St Mark’s Square
Basilica di San Marco
Basilica di San Marco is free entry and doesn’t require a skip-the-line ticket in February.
However, it’s recommended for the high season in Venice which is April through November. The Basilica isn’t open all day on Sundays or holidays so plan accordingly.
Certain exhibits require payment to enter. With kids, you can enjoy the magnificent gold ceilings and architecture without spending any money. Plan on less than 1 hour, unless you pay to see all the exhibits.
Basilica di San Marco
Campanile di San Marco
Campanile di San Marco is a belltower with 360 views of Venice. Located across from Basilica di San Marco. Entry is 8 € per adult and 4 € for 6-18 years old. If you hit the luxury department store rooftop or the Hilton’s skyline bar for free, the kids might not care to see another 360° view, but it’s a cool thing to do in Venice all the same.
Doge’s Palace
Plan on at least 1 hour at Doge’s Palace, possibly 2 or 3 depending upon how much time you spend looking at art.
Entry isn’t free and it’s open 8:30-7pm. It’s recommended to buy a skip-the-line ticket for the high season which is April through November. In February, there is no (to minimal) wait to get in and kids can freely roam around and climb in and out of prison cells.
Doge’s Palace Venice Italy
Tip 👉🏻From the 2nd-floor bathroom after entering Doge’s Palace, you can take stranger-less photos of the Bridge of Sighs.
Bridge of Sighs
The Bridge of Sighs is made of white limestone that passes over the Rio di Palazzo. It connects the prison to the interrogation rooms at Doge’s Palace. It’s called the Bridge of Sighs because this was typically a prisoner’s last walk before being hung.
Gondola Ride
Albeit super expensive but absolutely worth it.
I highly recommend a gondola ride in Venice with kids towards the end of the day when tiredness sets in. As parents, you’re more willing to spend the money, and for the kids, the Venice gondola ride is a top highlight. Plan on at least 80 € for 30 minutes.
Tip 👉🏻 Towards the end of the day you can offer less money because gondoliers are ready to head home. We got ours for 60€.
Santa Maria Basilica
This is a church that can be seen by water from the Piazza San Marco, just at the southern entrance of the Grand Canal. The church is free and not open between 12 and 3.
Favorite thing to do in Venice with kids
Day 2 In Venice With Kids:
For day 2 in Venice with kids, venture to the other islands and take in the sights from the waterways. Book a tour in advance or if visiting Venice during the off-season, you can book with a vendor by the waterfront of San Marco. Tour guides are walking around offering island tour deals.
Burano
Burano is the most colorful island that’s famous for lace making. If you have time for only one island, this would be the one. For the best of what to do in Burano and how to get there from Venice, snag tips from the blog Our Escape Clause.
Murano
Murano is the Venice island known for glass blowing. To visit both Burano and Murano, bundle a tour with island hopping.
Venice Waterfront For Murano & Burano Tours
Tips For Venice With Kids
To enjoy the best of Venice without disappointment, prepare your visit with these 4 top tips.
- Bring Euros – Needed for sitting down fees, loos, etc.
- Pack a sarong or shawl– No shoulders, please. If you visit during hot summer months, be sure the kids have appropriate tops to enter the churches.
- Gondola ride – Ask the gondolier what sights you’ll see on the path of the ride. Be sure it’s interesting and not back alleyways of nothing. An alternative to spending 60-80 € per ride is to find strangers willing to split the cost. You can have a max of 6 in a gondola.
- Don’t sit down – It’s illegal to sit down in most public places in Venice. This seems less of an issue during low season, but make sure the kids know where it’s okay to take a seat.
Where To Eat In Venice With Kids
Let’s be honest, eating Italian food is always a must thing to do on a trip to Italy. From dinner to topping up with an Italian cappuccino, don’t miss out on some of these best places to eat in Venice.
Try The Best Venice Restaurants
After walking all day you’ll want a hearty meal without the hassle of being turned away. Top restaurants require advance reservations. Most restaurants offer pasta as a kid’s meal when nothing else is suitable. Otherwise, most menu items can be served as a kids portion.
Here’s my top list of best places to eat in Venice with well-behaved kids. We only had time for the first two but the others are on my short where to eat in Venice list.
Best Venice Italy Restaurants List:
- Bacaromi – At the Hilton located on Isola Della Giudecca. Bacaromi is also one of the few Venice restaurants you can book online.
- Da Carletto – Raved by so many so we went for dinner. Unfortunately, we’re confident we didn’t order the right thing: pasta. My husband and I shared a white fish, while my son raved about his spaghetti carbonara. The restaurant was incredibly popular – even in February. If you don’t book Da Carletto ahead, you won’t get in.
- Antico Forno – Recommended pizza spot for lunch or dinner located near Rialto Bridge.
- La Zucca – Recommended pizza place but closed on Sundays.
- Ostaria al Vecio Pozzo – Super popular restaurant that requires advance reservations.
- Spaghetteria 6342 A Le Tole Pizzeria – Recommended for dinner.
- GLAM at Palazzo Venart – This is a Michelen-star restaurant that looks amazing but is questionable to take kids.
- All’Arco – If your kids are food adventurous, try Cicchetti. This is a family-run restaurant located under a historic arch on a quiet back street. Address: S. Polo, 436, 30125 Venice
Enjoy Venice Sweets & Coffee
A visit to Venice with kids isn’t complete without knowing where the best cafes, bakeries, and beverages are to fill up.
- I Tre Mercanti – For takeaway tiramisu. If you’re too full from everything else, this tiramisu bakery is still worth a walk-by, and why it’s included above in the top things to do in Venice with kids.
- VizioVirtù Cioccolatieri – This chocolate shop sells mini-masks – a great gift idea. They are expensive and so pretty that you likely won’t want to eat them. It’s located near where Marco Polo lived and why it’s on the list of things to do with kids. Address: Calle del Forner, 5988, 30122 Venice.
- Torrefazione Cannaregio – For the best coffee, tea, and eclairs.
- Il Mercante – For cocktails…
Splurge On Gelato
Gelato is an absolute must thing to do in Italy, and truthfully, Venice wins over Rome IMO. If you only hit one gelateria, Suso is THE ONE to go to.
You can buy gelato on nearly every corner, but if you want more options or more of an experience, save yourself for one of these.
- SuSo Gelatoteca – Get the panna cotta and take a fun photo at the nearby bridge. Address: Calle Della Bissa, 5453, 30124 San Marco, Venice
SuSo is THE GELATO place to go in Venice
- Gelato Fantasy – This place is impossible to find but was on our gelato list. Sadly we’ll try it next time and I’ll share tips on how to find this gelato place.
- Nico – For people staying on Giuducci, hop across the waterway for a trip to Nico on the waterfront.
What To Buy In Venice With Kids
If you’re looking for inexpensive gift ideas or souvenirs from Venice for the kids or yourself, street Salizada San Lio offers many shops with unique food and gift ideas. Some of my favorites include the following:
- La Bottega del Tartufo – Taste test truffle-everything. Even the kids enjoy this foodie haven and fully appreciate its value after moving back to America. A box of fine truffle pasta can cost you 10€.
- Nino & Friends – Taste test fine Italian cookies, chocolate, oils, and more.
- For kids, even adults, a mask from Venice is the perfect souvenir. Masks can be purchased nearly everywhere. If you’re looking for something special, go to the secret Venice mask shop famous for creating the masks for the Stanley Kubrick film Eyes Wide Shut. Address: Dorsoduro, 3172, 30123 Venice.
Venice with kids during Carnevale
Final Tips For 1-2 Days In Venice With Kids
Looking back at this itinerary it does seem like a lot of things to do in Venice for 1-2 days, but Venice is compact. You’ll be surprised how much you can see in just a few hours.
You really don’t need more than 2 days to enjoy the very best of Venice with kids.
And if you’re looking for things to do near Venice with kids during winter months, consider the Italian Alps. It’s a 3-hour bus ride away but skiing Cortina d’Ampezzo with kids does not disappoint. Ciao!
