Venice with children: what to do with kids Article

Venice with children: what you need to know before choosing

Venice is not a city designed for children, but it often suits them better than you might think. There are no cars, boats are already an attraction, and many museums offer workshops for ages 5–14. The constraints are real: hundreds of stepped bridges make using a stroller difficult, dense crowds around St Mark's and the Rialto, and many quays that border the water directly.

This page gathers activities and places that work for families, with the ages and free-entry details to know. The prices and opening hours cited were checked in November 2026 on official websites and in travel guides: they change, and up-to-date details are in each place's listing. When information could not be confirmed, it is followed by ^{to be checked}: it is better to check it before booking.

Age guide

• Under 6: parks, boats, Lido beach, Libreria Acqua Alta; free public transport; baby carrier recommended.
• 4 to 7: Guggenheim Kids Day, mask workshop, Family workshops at the museum from age 5, rowing, Lido.
• 8 to 12: Doge's Palace workshops, natural history museum, Leonardo da Vinci museum, treasure hunts, Campanile.
• Teenagers: rowing, Murano glass, cycling on the Lido, Doge's Palace workshop (up to age 14).

Before you go: planning and budget

Getting around with children

For very young children, a baby carrier is more practical than a stroller because of the bridge steps. On public transport, children travel free until their sixth birthday. From then on, they need a ticket: a 75-minute ticket for €9.50, or a 24-hour to 7-day pass (€25 for 24 hours, €45 for 72 hours). Those aged 6–29 can also buy the 72-hour Rolling Venice pass for €27, plus a €6 card. These are the fares shown by the operator in November 2026. All the details are in the article Transport in Venice.

Free entry and reduced prices

The civic museums, such as the Doge's Palace, the natural history museum and the Murano glass museum, are free for ages 0–5 and offer a reduced price for ages 6–14. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is free for under-10s, and St Mark's Campanile is free for under-6s.

Access fee and season

The access fee applies to day visitors on certain dates; it is explained in our article Practical tips for planning your trip. In 2026, the fee applied only to people over 14; under-14s were in principle not required to register^{to be checked}. For 2027, the City has approved 72 days, from 26 March to 15 August, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the arrangements (registration, exemptions) have not yet been defined. Check the official website before you come. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. In summer, it is better to plan outdoor activities early in the morning or late in the day and keep museums for the hot hours; see Weather and climate in Venice and Acqua alta. For accommodation, the choice of neighbourhood is detailed in Where to stay in Venice.

Museums children love

The City of Venice lists, among the museums offering children's programmes, the Doge's Palace, the natural history museum, Ca' Pesaro, the glass museum, the naval history museum, Ca' Rezzonico, the Querini Stampalia Foundation, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Carlo Goldoni House and the M9 in Mestre.

Doge's Palace

The Doge's Palace offers three family workshops: a lion hunt in the palace (ages 5–10, 1 hr 30 min), an activity to understand and rebuild the palace with a cardboard model to take home (ages 8–14, 2 hrs) and an investigation into a 15th-century Venetian crime (ages 9–13, 2 hrs). They are available in Italian, English, French and Spanish. The self-guided visit is long for a young child: it is better to come early and choose a few rooms.

Natural history museum

Housed in the former Fontego dei Turchi, on the Grand Canal, the museum is aimed mainly at ages 7–12, but younger children who like animals will also enjoy it. The official website mentions in particular the almost complete skeleton of a dinosaur over 7 metres long (Ouranosaurus nigeriensis), the skull of a giant fossil crocodile and suspended cetacean skeletons; according to guides, there is also an aquarium devoted to tegnùe^{to be checked}. It is closed on Mondays; the reduced price is €7.50 for ages 6–14 (November 2026).

Peggy Guggenheim Collection

The modern art museum on the Grand Canal is one of the most family-friendly: free entry for under-10s, strollers accepted, and a free activity booklet to guide children through the collection. Above all, the Kids Days bring together ages 4–10 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. for a short visit followed by an art workshop. They are free but require online registration; workshops are held in Italian, with English interpretation possible on request. A parent who wants to visit the museum during the workshop must buy a ticket. In November 2026, the announced dates are the 15th, 21st, 22nd and 29th; no other dates have been published to date. A series of workshops for ages 6–10, 'At the Fucina', also runs until April 2027, partly outside the museum.

'Family at the museum' workshops

The Civic Museums offer on-demand workshops for families with children aged 5–14, lasting 1 hr 30 min to 2 hrs; the programme is available on request throughout the year, without a fixed calendar. The price is €100 per activity for a group of up to 10 people, including museum admission; booking is online at least 10 days in advance. Groups are pre-formed: one adult and one child, or two adults and up to nine children. Among the workshops:

• Correr Museum: 'The Art Detective' (ages 6–12);
• Ca' Rezzonico: Canaletto, Venice and its gondolas (ages 7–14);
• Ca' Pesaro: 'My Art Gallery' (ages 5–14) and 'Clay Faces' (ages 5–10);
• Palazzo Mocenigo: the fashion game (ages 7–14) and 'On the Scent Trail' (ages 5–7);
• Goldoni House: making cardboard puppets (ages 5–10);
• Murano Glass Museum: history of glass, with a variant including a demonstration (ages 5–14);
• Burano Lace Museum: workshop on lace knots (ages 5–11).

Languages vary by workshop (Italian, English, French and sometimes Spanish): check when booking.

Leonardo da Vinci Museum

The Leonardo da Vinci Museum, near the Frari, displays around fifty reconstructions of machines that visitors can operate. The visit is short, about an hour according to guides, and suits children curious about mechanics from age 6 or 7. Opening hours are generally 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. according to the Italian and English versions of the official website and several guides, but the French version states 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m. The official website does not display prices and announces a 50% online discount; a 2026 guide notes €18 at the ticket office and €9 online for an adult^{to be checked}.

Naval history museum

The naval history museum, housed in the Arsenal, appeals to children who like boats, models and relief fortresses. Visiting the Enrico Dandolo submarine is a separate option, detailed in the listing.

For older children

The Querini Stampalia Foundation, with CoopCulture, offers 'escape rooms' for ages 3–6 and 6–11, presented in its 2026–2027 school programme; their availability to families, dates and prices are not specified^{to be checked}. In Mestre, the M9 museum publishes a monthly calendar of family activities, for ages 4–14 depending on the activity.

Workshops and activities to do together

Painting a mask

The introductory workshop at Ca' Macana, in Dorsoduro, lasts one hour and welcomes children from age 4, who can paint on their own while adults visit. Expect €46 to €57 per person depending on group size, payable in cash on site (price checked in November 2026). Booking is free on the Ca' Macana website.

Rowing like a Venetian

The Row Venice association gives Venetian-style voga lessons in a traditional boat, all year round and with no minimum age: younger children row with a parent or the instructor, and under-4s do not count towards the price. The 80-minute introductory lesson costs €100 for 2 people, €130 for 3 and €150 for 4, per boat (price checked in November 2026). Book online at least 24 hours in advance on the Row Venice website.

Murano glass

In Murano, several glassworks give blowing demonstrations lasting about twenty minutes, sometimes free, sometimes paid; ask before entering. The glass museum also offers a family visit with a demonstration (see above), and the listing Glass furnaces and workshops details the options.

Treasure hunts and lion hunts

Several apps offer self-guided treasure hunts around the city, such as Questo, with riddles and photo missions; depending on the app, allow two to three hours of walking, from about age 8. You can also organise a free St Mark's lion hunt: on façades, above doors and around the Arsenal.

Worth seeing without booking

A few short, free stops work well with children: the Libreria Acqua Alta, with its books in a gondola and its paper staircase; the Rialto market early in the morning; the squero of San Trovaso, where gondolas are made and repaired, visible from the opposite bank; and crossing the Grand Canal by traghetto, for about €2 according to guides.

A gondola ride

According to several guides, the standard price is €90 for 30 minutes during the day and €110 after 7 p.m., per boat of up to five people. It is a special experience rather than transport.

Cooking as a family

Family pizza, pasta or artisan gelato classes are offered by several organisers. The minimum age varies: check when booking.

Parks, playgrounds and beach

Parco Savorgnan, in Cannaregio, brings together, according to the City's listing, lawns, benches, drinking fountains, a playground and outdoor sports equipment; opening hours are said to be about 7 a.m.–8:30 p.m. in summer and 8 a.m.–6:30 p.m. in winter, but the seasonal labels on that page are reversed^{to be checked}. The Giardini della Biennale offer large lawns and, according to family guides, two playgrounds along viale Trento. The condition of the playground in the Papadopoli gardens is judged inconsistently^{to be checked}. Several family guides also point out a playground in Burano, on the edge of the lagoon, where children must be closely supervised.

On the Lido, about twenty minutes by vaporetto from St Mark's, the beaches offer a real day at the seaside in season: free access in public beach areas, paid establishments with sun loungers and cabins. According to a beach directory, the San Nicolò beach has a playground^{to be checked}. The Lido is also the ideal island for cycling: the rental company Lido on Bike announces opening from March to October, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (prices not available online), with children's bikes in four sizes, baby seats and 3- or 6-seat rickshaws.

The lagoon islands with children

Line 12 connects Fondamente Nove with Murano, Burano and Torcello; allow about 45 minutes to Burano and five minutes between Burano and Torcello (indicative times). A full day is possible, but two islands are enough with young children. The 'Island Museums' ticket (€20 full price, €10 reduced, valid for three months) gives access to the glass museum, the lace museum and the Torcello museum.

• Burano: a walk through the colourful streets, Casa di Bepi Suà with its geometric façade, Tre Ponti and its canals; the local biscuits, buranelli, are a welcome reward.
• Torcello: the Santa Maria Assunta cathedral and its great Last Judgment mosaic, about ten minutes on foot from the boat stop according to a family guide; a simple game is to look for the angels.
• Sant'Erasmo, the vegetable-growing island, is best discovered by bike; see the listing Torre Massimiliana. Lazzaretto Nuovo can only be visited on a guided tour, at weekends from April to October.

Bring a windbreaker, sunscreen, water and snacks: shade is scarce on the islands.

Seeing Venice from above

St Mark's Campanile is reached by lift, with no stairs, which suits children; the wait can be long at peak times, however. The Clock Tower is accessible only on a guided tour with reservation, from age 6, via narrow stairs.

Festivals and shows for children

The Venice Carnival 2027 runs from 23 January to 9 February: costumes, masks to decorate and parades delight children, but the crowds are dense. The Biennale also organises a Carnevale internazionale dei ragazzi, with shows and workshops: the 2026 edition took place from 7 to 15 February at Teatro Piccolo Arsenale and Ca' Giustinian, and nothing has yet been announced for 2027. For Christmas and New Year, see Christmas in Venice. In Mestre, the 2026–2027 'Domenica a Teatro' season, organised by the City of Venice, offers Sunday shows for children aged 3–10 at Teatro del Parco (Teatro Momo is closed for works).

Map of the places in this page

Frequently asked questions

Do children pay for the vaporetto?

Not before their sixth birthday: children under 6 travel free on Venice's urban network. From age 6, they need a ticket: a 75-minute ticket for €9.50 or a 24-hour to 7-day pass, from €25 to €65. Those aged 6–29 can also buy the 72-hour Rolling Venice pass for €27 with a €6 card. These are the fares shown by the operator in November 2026.

Which museums are free for children?

The civic museums (Doge's Palace, Correr Museum, natural history museum, Murano glass museum) are free for ages 0–5 and offer a reduced price for ages 6–14. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is free for under-10s, and St Mark's Campanile for under-6s. Conditions at each place should be confirmed when buying tickets.

Can you visit Venice with a stroller?

It is possible, but not very comfortable: the city has hundreds of stepped bridges. With a baby or toddler, a baby carrier is more practical. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection accepts strollers and provides them at the entrance; the Campanile is reached by lift, but the Clock Tower, with its narrow stairs, is not accessible with a stroller. ACTV transport conditions allow unfolded strollers on board boats, depending on crowding and safety.

From what age can you do these activities?

It depends on the activity. The Guggenheim Kids Days are for ages 4–10, the Civic Museums workshops for ages 5–14, the Ca' Macana mask workshop accepts children from age 4, and the Row Venice rowing lesson has no minimum age (free before age 4). The Clock Tower is open from age 6, and app-based treasure hunts are suitable from about age 8.

What to do with children when it rains?

Museums are the simplest option: Civic Museums workshops, the natural history museum (closed on Mondays), the Leonardo da Vinci Museum (about a one-hour visit), the naval history museum, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and its Kids Days. The mask-painting workshop and Libreria Acqua Alta, which are shorter, round off a half-day well.

What is the best time to come as a family?

Spring and autumn are considered the most pleasant, with less heat, crowds and humidity than in summer. In summer, it is better to schedule outdoor activities at the beginning or end of the day. Winter offers short days and a risk of acqua alta, but also the Carnival, from 23 January to 9 February 2027, festive and very busy. See also Weather and climate in Venice.

Do children have to pay the access fee?

The access fee targets people over 14 who visit the historic city as day trippers on certain dates. In 2026, under-14s were exempt, in principle without registration^{to be checked} (one source mentions registration on the official portal). For 2027, the City has approved 72 days from 26 March to 15 August, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with arrangements still to be defined. Visitors staying in the municipality of Venice do not pay it, and the minor islands were excluded in 2026.

Should you book in advance?

For several activities, yes: Civic Museums workshops (online, at least 10 days in advance), Guggenheim Kids Days (mandatory online registration), the Clock Tower (guided tour with reservation) and Row Venice (at least 24 hours in advance). The Ca' Macana workshop is booked on an online calendar. For the Doge's Palace, guides recommend buying tickets in advance.