We traveled to Rome with kids in February 2020. One of those days was spent in Ostia Antica, which you can read about in our Ostia Antica post.
If Rome isn’t on your bucket list, do you even have a bucket list? All kidding aside, Rome was one of the top places we wanted to visit while in Europe (and ultimately what inspired the name of this site!). Everything about Rome is synonymous with ancient Western civilization. It’s also just a gorgeous city. And, turns out Rome with kids is fantastic. While they might not understand all the historical aspects, seeing things like the Colosseum and walking through Ostia Antica are both awe-inspiring and fun. The entire city is an open-air museum.
Here’s the itinerary we used for five days in the Eternal City:
- Day 1 – Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese, Bioparco di Roma
- Day 2 – Day trip to Ostia Antica and Ostia (via train), Piazza Navona
- Day 3 – Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, Trastevere
- Day 4 – Vatican City, Castel Sant’Angelo
- Day 5 – Crypt of the Capuchin Monks, wandered around and revisited some sights
Much of our schedule was driven by the days of the week that we were in Rome. Our Day 1 was a Saturday. Since tourist sights are typically more crowded on a weekend, we waited to see the Colosseum and Roman Forum (arguably the biggest sights) on a weekday when crowds might be thinner. But we still wanted to dive into Rome immediately! So we visited a number of popular sights on Day 1/Saturday. We paired that with a visit to the zoo (Bioparco di Roma) where crowd size is less important. And then on Day 2/Sunday we went to Ostia Antica, where we expected fewer tourists than in Rome itself. We also saved our last day, Day 5/Wednesday, for anything we may have missed or wanted to revisit.
Because it’s Italy, we thoroughly enjoyed the food everywhere we went. We share these restaurants throughout the post, but an early and huge shout out to the fantastic gelato shop, Gelateria del Teatro. It was recommended by a friend who had lived in Rome and didn’t disappoint. It is near Piazza Navona and near where our Airbnb was located. I’m not even embarrassed to say we ate gelato here every night (never has “when in Rome…” been more applicable). They have unique flavors (my favorite at the time was raspberry and rose) and are in a charming location. Highly recommend treating yourself (and maybe the kids) as their gelato is amazing.
Day 1
We jumped right in on our first day. This is completely doable since many sights are located in close proximity to each other in the center of Rome. If you walk from one directly to the next, it’s only 30 minutes (1.5 m / 2.5 km) from the Pantheon up to Villa Borghese. But this all means you have plenty of time to spend at each location and can truly enjoy your surroundings as you go. You could also fit in Piazza Navona on the same day, as it is just west of the Pantheon. But since our Airbnb was in the same area, we visited Piazza Navona on a different day.
Pantheon
The Pantheon, built as a temple in 118 to 125 AD, is architecturally stunning. From the 16 huge granite columns in the front to its iconic concrete domed ceiling with oculus, it’s a breathtaking building to see in person.
It is free to visit the Pantheon, which is located on the beautiful Piazza della Rotonda. The square features a large fountain surrounded by the perfect steps for lounging and enjoy the view of the Pantheon.
The inside of the Pantheon is one big, open, overwhelming space, with the circular hole at the highest point of the ceiling open to the sky. The patterned marble floor is slightly convex and includes drainage holes for water (in case there’s any rain when you are there!). There is so much to see along the curved inside walls, which are lined with sculptures, artwork and elaborate details. It is incredible to stand there and realize this structure has stood for more than two thousand years and has remained practically in tact during that time.
On the walk from the Pantheon to the Trevi Fountain, we stopped to view the Marcus Aurelius Column in Piazza Colonna. The column was constructed around 180 AD and tells the story of the emperor’s military successes in spiraling relief carvings reaching 130 feet / 39 meters into the sky. It is currently topped with a statue of Saint Paul, but was originally believed to have held a statue of Marcus Aurelius. Despite various damages and restorations over the centuries, the impressive detail in the carvings is immediately obvious.
Trevi Fountain
One of the things I love about Rome is how historical sites are just a part of the city. For example, the Trevi Fountain. In my mind, I had pictured the large and elaborate fountain with nothing around it, as if it existed on its own because of how iconic it is. But in reality, you are navigating narrow streets and then suddenly the fountain is before you, squeezed between blocks of colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. It feels much more intimate and natural despite the grandeur of the fountain itself.
The Trevi Fountain was built over a period of 30 years, from 1732-1762, with the Poli Palace as its backdrop. It’s a large Baroque structure, reaching approximately 85 feet / 26 meters high and 160 feet / 49 meters wide. The statues of Roman mythology paired with water pouring over natural rock formations is gorgeous.
Of course you’ll want to get to the base of the fountain in order to toss in some coins. The tradition is to toss a coin over your shoulder for good luck and to ensure your return to Rome. Our kids loved this part and would have happily tossed all our coins into the fountain. The good news is the coins are collected by a local charity that helps feed those in need.
Spanish Steps
A short walk from the Trevi Fountain are the Spanish Steps. The 135 steps were constructed in 1725 and span the gap between Piazza di Spagna at the bottom and Piazza Trinita dei Monti – and Trinita dei Monti church – at the top. A huge restoration project was undertaken in 2016, and the steps are now in excellent condition.
It’s another beautiful and iconic space in Rome. The hardest part was preventing the kids from sitting on the steps, which is unfortunately no longer allowed. We saw police approach multiple people who had mistakenly sat down.
There is a fantastic pasta place just a couple blocks away called Pastificio Guerra. They sell homemade packaged pasta or serve a couple types of fresh pasta at lunch, which you can eat there standing up or take away. We bought and shared two containers of the fresh pasta and it was superb.
Back at the Spanish Steps, you can admire them from the bottom, and then also take in the city views from the top. Once at the top, we followed the road along the edge of Villa Borghese as we headed toward Piazza del Popolo. There are multiple observation points, including Terrazza del Pincio on Pincio Hill, which provides great views of the city, Piazza del Popolo and St Peter’s Basilica in the distance. We walked back this way on our return to our Airbnb that night and were treated to stunning sunset views as well.
Piazza del Popolo
Piazza del Popolo is a large (read: plenty of space for kids to run!) square surrounded by multiple churches and featuring three fountains. In the center is the Flaminio Obelisk, originally moved from Egypt to the Circus Maximus, and then later to Piazza del Popolo. It’s now surrounded by four large lion statues that serve as small fountains. There are two additional fountains on east and west sides of the square, fountain of Neptune and fountain of the Goddess Roma. Then on the north side you have the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo and on the south side are two churches, Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli. While there is plenty to see in and around this square, it’s also a wonderful place to just relax.
Villa Borghese & Bioparco di Roma
Villa Borghese is a beautiful and huge park, with landscaped gardens, a lake, fountains and statues scattered throughout. There is a small playground beside the lake as well as a playground on the southeast side of the park (which we went to on our last day). It is open from dawn to dusk and would be a great place to escape on a hot Rome day.
We enjoyed a leisurely walk through the park as we made our way to Bioparco di Roma, Rome’s zoo. There are also bike carts for rent in the park if you aren’t able to walk the whole distance. The zoo itself is really nice and feels quite secluded; you immediately forget you’re in Rome. It’s an easy way to spend a couple hours and our kids looked forward to the zoo all day.
Day 2
We had initially thought to visit Pompeii, a few hours south of Rome, on a day trip. However, when researching things to do in Rome, I learned about Ostia Antica. It is a large archeological site less than an hour away and the clear winner for our day trip. You can read about our day in our Ostia Antica post.
Piazza Navona
Once back in Rome, we stopped for dinner at Antica Trattoria Agonale, just a block away from Piazza Navona. We ordered a variety of pizzas and pastas and enjoyed them all. The staff was also very nice and the restaurant had an overall kid-friendly environment that worked well for us.
After dinner we went to Piazza Navona to let the kids run around while we admired the fountains. The square sits on an ancient stadium that was built in 86 AD for athletics competitions and horse racing. There are three fantastic fountains across the square: Fountain of the Moor, Fountain of Neptune, and in the center, the large Fountain of the Four Rivers, by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Like in Piazza del Popolo, the center fountain features an obelisk, though this one wasn’t moved from Egypt.
Day 3
Our third day was dedicated to the Colosseum and surrounding sights. But since Rome really is an open-air museum, there was actually a lot to see on our way there. If you walk to the Colosseum from the Piazza Navona or Pantheon area, you’ll likely pass these places as well, and we stopped and spent a bit of time at each (from L-R):
- Largo di Torre Argentina – An archeological site where you can see the remains of four temples. It is also believe to be the location where members of the Roman Senate stabbed to death Julius Caesar. The site is currently home to a colony of cats; the kids had fun looking for them while we admired the ruins.
- Palazzo Venezia – Built as a palace in the 15th century. Palazzo Venezia served as the seat of the Head of Government and the Great Council of Fascism from 1929-1943. Today it houses the National Institute of Archaeology and History of Art.
- Capitoline Hill and Cordonata – Michelangelo-designed square with steep ramp/staircase so riders on horseback could access the top of the hill. The square and the Palazzo Senatorio (Michelangelo built the facade) at the top are worth a visit just to admire the plethora of impressive statues.
Along this route, we walked down Via dei Fori Imperiali, which runs directly alongside the Roman Forum. This provides a great panoramic view of the Forum, as the road is at a higher elevation. And when we were passing at 9 am, it was completely empty of people, allowing us to take in the grandeur of the ruins unobstructed.
Colosseum
If any tourist sight needs no introduction, it’s the Colosseum. It is one of the most well-known structures in the world and has topped TripAdvisor’s list of most popular tourist attractions multiple times. Which is no surprise given its rich history.
The Colosseum was built in 70-80 AD as an amphitheater to entertain spectators (more than 50,000 of them) with sporting events including gladiatorial games. It is the largest amphitheater in the world, with four levels and 80 arched entrances. The structure has been damaged over time from earthquakes and fires as well as thieves and vandalism, but is still and imposing and iconic structure today.
All that said, it was obviously at the top of our list to see while in Rome. However figuring out how to see it was a challenge; there are so many websites, tours and ticket options available.
The official website administering tickets is CoopCulture.it. We typically shy away from guided tours for fear that our kids might disrupt the other people in the tour or prevent us from actually being able to focus on the tour guide. However, for the Colosseum, you have to be accompanied to see the most interesting parts; the underground and the upper level are restricted areas. The basic ticket only covers levels 1 and 2. And for a building with so much history, a tour guide is helpful to fully appreciate your surroundings. You can also rent and bring your own tour guide for access to these areas, but we found it easiest to just book through the official site.
We prioritized seeing the underground of the amphitheater and purchased tickets for the Underground Visit with English tour guide. Kids under 6 are free, but you need to reserve a ticket and pay a 2 EUR service fee. The ticket also covers access to the Roman Forum and Palatine. We arrived early for our scheduled tour time, so went to a grassy hill on the southern side of the Colosseum to relax, snack and enjoy the view. From here we could also see the Arch of Constantine, a huge and intricate triumphal arch built in 315 AD.
Once we picked up our tickets at the reservation deck, they told us what gate to go to for our tour. The guide then escorted our group of around 15 people into the Colosseum; we started on the ground level and then went into the underground. Viewing the underneath of the arena where gladiators would have waited before being called for their contest was both eerie and fascinating. Our kids didn’t quite understand as they were only 4 and 6, but they enjoyed walking around the other areas of the arena simply given its sheer size. And we brought small notebooks and pencils for them to play games or draw to keep themselves busy during the more “boring” parts of the tour. The guided tour lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. After that, we were free to tour levels 1 and 2 on your own.
Palatine Hill
Located next to the Colosseum and included with our ticket, Palatine Hill contains the ruins of what was the residential district of the Roman aristocracy. It is where the emperor Augustus was born and built his palace. In Roman mythology, it’s where Romulus and Remus were found before building the city of Rome. Today it’s an open-air museum containing more remains than I can name.
It’s a beautiful and fairly peaceful walk up and around the hill with many trees and flowers. This makes it a great place to be during the hottest part of the day. Note that there are also public bathrooms available at the bottom of the hill. Then, once at the top of the hill, there are great views overlooking the Roman Forum and city of Rome on one side, and Circus Maximus on the other. We spent about 1.5 hours wandering around Palatine Hill.
Roman Forum
Following Palatine Hill, we moved on to the Roman Forum, where you can walk amongst the ruins of what was once the center of Roman public life from the late 7th century BC. This includes a variety of temples with pillars and facades still standing today, such as the temples of Saturn, Antonino and Faustina, and Castor and Pollux. There are a myriad other squares and arches, including the monumental Arch of Septimius Severus and the Column of Phocas, the last structure added to the Forum in 608 AD. It is surreal to walk through the Forum where you are surrounded by ancient Rome on all sides. It’s easy to try to imagine what all the buildings would have looked like so long ago.
Circus Maximus
After walking through Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, we wanted to give our kids some freedom to let loose. Luckily Circus Maximus is located right next door and, as the site of ancient chariot races, is perfect for this. Circus Maximus was the first and largest circus in Rome at more than 1,900 feet / 600 meters long and 460 feet / 140 meters wide. It’s now a large stretch of kid-friendly grass and dirt/rock track.
Trastevere
We wrapped up the day with a walk to the Trastevere neighborhood on the other side of the River Tiber. To get there from Circus Maximus, we crossed Ponte Fabricio. Built in 62 BC, it is the oldest bridge in Rome. It’s a nice spot to pause, enjoy the bridge, the river and the surroundings.
The Trastevere area is full of cafes, restaurants, narrow cobblestone streets and plenty of charm. While I wanted to see the neighborhood, we honestly went there for dinner at Dar Poeta. It was recommended by our friend who had lived in Rome. The pizza is very good, but it was the Nutella and ricotta calzone for dessert that would make me return (and return…).
I would like to have spent more time exploring Trastevere, but it was late in the day at this point. Otherwise, Piazzi di Santa Maria and its Basilica Santa Maria had been on our list for a visit, as well as Piazza San Cosimato where there is a small playground.
Day 4
Vatican City & St. Peter’s Basilica
We started our day with a visit to Vatican City, the home of the Roman Catholic Church. We chose to focus our time on St. Peter’s Basilica. However, there is plenty to do in Vatican City if you want to make a full day of it. This includes the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums, for which you can buy combined tickets.
Once we passed through the gates into Vatican City along Via della Conciliazione, we were in St. Peter’s Square and facing St. Peter’s Basilica. The large square was built in the late 1600s by Bernini. It is surrounded by 284 columns and features a towering granite obelisk brought to Rome from Egypt at the center.
St. Peter’s Basilica is free to enter, though there was a fairly long line when we arrived in the late morning. We stood in line for around 45 minutes. Because the line circles around St. Peter’s Square, the kids could play in the square while we stood in line.
St. Peter’s Basilica, built from 1506-1626, is one of the largest churches in the world, able to accommodate up to 20,000 people. The inside is expectedly gorgeous; you have to look up, down, left and right with every step just to soak it all in. Among the impressive statues and artwork is Michelangelo’s Pietà, the Chair of St. Peter, and the bronze baldachin by Bernini over the main altar. The intricate ceilings are what really blew me away. You can also climb to the top of the dome, which was designed by Michelangelo, for views of St. Peter’s Square and the city of Rome.
We also enjoyed spotting the Swiss Guards positioned at various points around the Basilica. Since we were there in February, most were still in their winter uniforms, but plenty of the traditional colorful uniform was visible. On the left hand side of the Basilica, we were able to watch a changing of the guards.
We left Vatican City, walking along the outer walls, to go to Pizzarium for lunch about 20 minutes away. It is a popular restaurant serving rectangular cuts of pizza by the slice, owned by Gabriele Bonci who has been called the “Michelangelo of Pizza.” It is a tiny restaurant packed with customers trying to see the myriad toppings available at the counter. But the service is friendly and efficient, so it’s fairly stress-free experience. And the pizza is delicious. There isn’t really anywhere to eat in the restaurant, so we took our pizza to sit on some benches a couple blocks away.
Castel Sant-Angelo
We headed back in the direction we came to go to Castel Sant-Angelo. It sits along the River Tiber and there is an impressive statue-lined bridge to reach it. The castle was built in 123 AD as a mausoleum by the emperor Hadrian. It was renovated and preserved over time, serving as a papal fortress (connected to the Vatican by tunnel), military prison and now a museum.
It contains 6 floors and 58 rooms that contain various exhibits, artifacts, artwork and more. The top floor is a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the city. We spent more than 3 hours exploring the castle, which was probably a bit too long since it didn’t hold the kids’ interest as much as other sites. But luckily there is a playground in the park surrounding the castle, so a quick stop there and all was well again.
We then went to dinner at Origano in the Piazza Navona area. We all had various pasta dishes. The selection is nice with good portion sizes, and all were absolutely delicious.
Day 5
We left our last day in Rome free to take it easy and wander wherever we wanted. So as a first stop we passed back by the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. Unsurprisingly, they were less crowded than during our initial visit on Saturday morning; that said, I think these are the types of sights that always have plenty of tourists.
We went back up to Villa Borghese to explore more of the park. This included a visit to the playground on the southeast side – it’s simply called “Area giochi per bambini” on Google Maps – and can be reached by entering the park on Viale San Paolo del Brasile. On our way there, we did make one new stop at the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks.
Crypt of the Capuchin Monks
The Capuchins were a religious order within the Catholic church that separated from the Franciscans friars in 1525. This Crypt of the Capuchin Monks is located under Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins. When the church was built in the early 1600s, they brought remains of deceased friars and arranged them along the walls of the crypt. Between then and 1870, as more Capuchins died, they added their bones to the display. The crypt now houses the remains of 3,700 friars.
Upon entry, our first stop was the museum, which includes various exhibits on the history of the Capuchin monks. Then we moved onto the crypt, comprised of multiple dimly lit rooms adorned with human bones and skeletons in various patterns and displays. Visitors walk on a pathway that runs along the various crypt rooms so that the bones are not disturbed. At the end is a sign that says “What you are now we used to be; what we are now you will be.” No photography is allowed in the crypt. Afterward we visited the church which features some impressive paintings. Overall, with two young kids (ages 4 and 6), it was an interesting visit. While they had lots of questions, they weren’t bothered by the skeletons.
Overall we had a wonderful time in Rome with kids and found it to be a very family-friendly destination. Many of the main sights are outside, so the kids rarely felt cooped up and we could explore at our own pace. Plus you can’t go wrong with Italian food for the whole family! While there were a few stops we didn’t get to (such as the Baths of Caracalla), five days allowed us to fit in plenty of our must-sees. Not that I wouldn’t go back in a heartbeat.