Rome with kids: family things to do, sights and practical tips

Ancient Rome for children

Gladiators, emperors and legends: ancient Rome speaks easily to children, provided you don't string too many ruins together in one day. Good news for the family budget: at state-run sites, entry is free for under-18s.

The Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine

The Colosseum is the site children dream about most. The 24h Colosseum-Roman Forum-Palatine ticket costs €18 for adults and is free for under-18s, but children's Colosseum entry slots must be booked online just like adults'. Under-12s must be accompanied by an adult with a ticket. In October 2026 the site opens from 8:30am to 6:30pm, then from 8:30am to 4:30pm from 25 October.

The standard ticket limits the Colosseum visit to 75 minutes, a length well suited to young children. The same ticket gives access to the Roman Forum and the Palatine: with children, keep the Forum to the Via Sacra and save time for the Palatine, shadier, with its gardens and views.

Castel Sant'Angelo, the Mouth of Truth and the catacombs

• Castel Sant'Angelo: a real fortress, with its spiral ramp, ramparts, cannons and a terrace overlooking the Tiber. Ticket €18, free for under-18s; open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 7:30pm.
• The Mouth of Truth: legend has it that it bites the hand of liars. Children love to try it. The portico is open daily from 9:30am to 5:50pm; a €2 donation per person is requested for the photo, except for under-10s.
• The catacombs: the underground galleries of the Via Appia impress older children, from about 7 or 8. Guided tour compulsory, €10 for adults, €7 from 7 to 16, free up to 6. Toddlers and children uneasy in the dark feel less comfortable there.

Explora, the children's museum

Explora, at Via Flaminia 82, a few minutes' walk from Piazza del Popolo and Flaminio station (metro A), is a museum designed for children from 0 to 11: a large play pavilion recreating a small town at their height, where they touch, build and experiment. There is no guided tour; parents accompany their children inside the pavilion.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, in four 1h45 slots (10am-11:45am, 12pm-1:45pm, 3pm-4:45pm, 5pm-6:45pm). Closed on Mondays.
• Prices: €12 for adults and children from 3, €8 from 12 to 36 months, free under 1. On Thursdays (except public holidays), entry costs €8 for everyone.
• Booking: places are limited in each slot; buy tickets online a few days ahead, especially at weekends. Once you leave the pavilion, you cannot go back in.

It is also a good option for a rainy day: see our guide what to do in Rome when it rains.

Villa Borghese and the Bioparco

Bikes, pedal carts and rowing boats

Villa Borghese, a large public park north of the Spanish Steps, is open and free at all hours. It is the best place in the centre to let children burn off energy. Rental stands in the park, especially near the Pincio, offer bikes and risciò, pedal carts for the whole family. The paths are wide and mostly flat. At the Giardino del Lago, rowing boats are rented in the warm season to circle the little Temple of Aesculapius.

In the park, the Cinema dei Piccoli (Viale della Pineta 15, near Porta Pinciana) is a tiny cinema open since the 1930s, showing children's films in Italian.

The Bioparco, Rome's zoo

The Bioparco, at Viale del Giardino Zoologico 20, in the north-east of Villa Borghese, shows tigers, lemurs, flamingos and reptiles, among others, in a wooded park that takes two to three hours to visit.

• Opening hours: every day except 25 December, from 9:30am to 6pm until 24 October 2026, then from 9:30am to 5pm from 25 October. Ticket desks close one hour before the park.
• Prices at the ticket desk: €19 for adults, €14 for children taller than one metre up to age 10 and for over-65s, free for children under one metre. Online, prices vary by date. A €9 "last minute" ticket is sold at the desks during the last two hours of opening.

Other parks for a breather

• Villa Doria Pamphilj: on the Janiculum, west of Trastevere, it is one of Rome's largest public parks. Lawns, pine woods, a lake and playgrounds, without the crowds of the centre; ideal for a picnic.
• The Park of the Aqueducts: in the south-east, ancient arches in the middle of the countryside, with children's playgrounds. Little shade: bring water and a hat in summer.
• The Orange Garden: on the Aventine, a small quiet garden with a view over Rome's rooftops and, close by, the keyhole of Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, which always amuses children.

For more ideas that cost nothing, see our guide to free things to do in Rome.

The Vatican with children

The Vatican Museums are huge and very crowded: with children, aim for a short route (Gallery of Maps, Raphael Rooms, Sistine Chapel) rather than the whole thing. Entry is free for under-7s; from 7 to 18 the reduced ticket costs €15 online (booking included), against €25 for adults. Book an early-morning slot. The museums are closed on Sundays, except the last one of the month, free but very crowded: best avoided with children.

Gladiator school

On the Via Appia Antica, at number 18, the Gruppo Storico Romano, a historical re-enactment association, runs a gladiator school: about two hours of initiation in a tunic, with training weapons, combat techniques and a small final tournament, open to children from 6. The association also runs a small museum about Roman legionaries. Sessions must be booked ahead; prices vary by sales channel and package, so check them when booking. The activity combines well with half a day on the Via Appia Antica, by bike as a family.

Family day trips

Ostia Antica

Half an hour by train from the centre, Ostia Antica is ancient Rome's port: paved streets, houses, shops, baths and a theatre with restored tiers. The site is less crowded than the Forum and can be explored freely. Combined ticket €18, free for under-18s as at all state sites; the site is closed on Mondays. The Metromare train leaves from Porta San Paolo station, next to Piramide station (metro B), with an ordinary transport ticket. Picnics are forbidden in the archaeological area, but there is a cafeteria on site.

MagicLand, the theme park

MagicLand, in Valmontone, south-east of Rome, is the region's big theme park. Get there by regional train from Roma Termini to Valmontone station (about 40 minutes), then by free shuttle to the park. In 2026 the season began on 3 April, with daily opening from 9 June to 6 September; in autumn the park opens only at weekends, with Halloween events. Prices vary by date, so book online.

Getting around and organising with children

Transport and pushchairs

• Public transport: in Rome, children up to 10 travel free on the ATAC network (bus, tram, metro) when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Folded pushchairs travel free. Ticket details are in our guide to getting around Rome.
• Pushchair: the cobblestones of the centre (sampietrini), narrow pavements and steps make pushchairs hard work. Not every metro station has a working lift: a baby carrier or a light folding pushchair is more practical for toddlers.
• Water: the nasoni, cast-iron public fountains, provide fresh drinking water all over the city. Block the spout with your finger and the water spurts out of the small hole on top, which amuses children. Bring a water bottle.
• Tourist tax: children under 10 are exempt.

Eating with children

Roman street food appeals to children: pizza al taglio sold by weight, supplì (fried rice balls with a mozzarella centre) and gelato. To choose a gelateria, prefer those that keep their ice cream in covered metal tubs rather than in colourful mounds. Roman restaurants rarely open before 7:30pm for dinner: with children, a pizzeria or a generous aperitivo early in the evening avoids waiting.

Summary table of children's prices

Prices observed in October 2026.

Our tips for visiting Rome as a family

• One big visit per half-day: in the morning an ancient site or a museum, in the afternoon a park, a gelato and a lively square such as Piazza Navona.
• Book time slots: the Colosseum (even when free for children), the Vatican Museums and Explora work with slots that fill up quickly.
• Keep ID documents: free entry for under-18s is sometimes checked at the entrance; bring your children's passports or ID cards.
• Avoid the hottest hours in summer: from 1pm to 4pm, choose the shade of the parks, an air-conditioned museum or a nap at the hotel.
• Choose the neighbourhood: accommodation near a metro station or a park makes days easier; see our guide where to stay in Rome.

Further reading

To plan your stay, use our Rome in 3 days itinerary, dropping one visit per day. To estimate a family's expenses, see our Rome travel budget guide, and to choose the most pleasant dates, the best time to visit Rome.