Amalfi Coast
4 places · 0 guides
The Amalfi Coast is a UNESCO-listed stretch of dramatic coastline in southern Italy, combining colourful villages, sea caves, hiking trails, and excellent food for a memorable fam…Browse →
🇮🇹 Italy
From the Colosseum to the Amalfi Coast, Italy is one of the world's great family destinations. Discover the best of Italian history, nature, and food for your next family trip.
15Regions
67Cities
0Guides
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Timezone
CET (UTC+1)
Power plug
Type C, Type F, Type L
Population
approximately 59 million
Climate
Mediterranean in the south
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Timezone
CET (UTC+1)
Power plug
Type C, Type F, Type L
Population
approximately 59 million
Climate
Mediterranean in the south
Discover Italy
Italy with kids: history, food and coastal adventures
Italy offers something special for every family member. Children stand amazed in front of the Colosseum, try authentic pizza in Naples, and watch gondolas glide through Venice's canals. Parents discover why Italy remains such a popular family destination year after year.
What makes Italy so special for families is the sheer variety packed into one country. One day you're exploring ancient Roman ruins, the next you're swimming off a sun-drenched Amalfi Coast beach, and the day after that you're hiking through the Dolomites with snowcapped peaks all around you. Italy doesn't ask you to choose between history, nature, and food. It gives you all three.
The pace of life here suits families well. Italians genuinely love children, meals are long and leisurely, and there's always a gelato shop around the corner when energy levels dip. Whether your family loves art, adventure, or just long afternoons by the sea, Italy has a version of itself that's perfect for you.
Italianofficial language
Euro (EUR)currency
June to Septemberbest season
Popular regions in Italy
6 of 15 regions
Basilicata & Calabria
2 places · 0 guides
Basilicata and Calabria offer families prehistoric cave cities, Italy's largest national park, dramatic hilltop villages, and two uncrowded coastlines.Browse →
Cinque Terre & Liguria
7 places · 0 guides
Discover Cinque Terre and Liguria with your family: car-free villages, coastal hiking, hidden coves, and the birthplace of pesto. Here is everything you need to plan your trip.Browse →
Emilia-Romagna
2 places · 0 guides
Emilia-Romagna offers families the full Italian package: Adriatic beaches, medieval cities, world-famous food, and Motor Valley adventures all in one region.Browse →
Milan & the Italian Lakes
7 places · 0 guides
Milan and the Italian Lakes blend Gothic cathedrals, Renaissance art, and buzzing piazzas with the calm beauty of Lake Como, Maggiore, and Garda. A brilliant family destination.Browse →
Naples & Campania
7 places · 0 guides
Naples & Campania combines Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, Capri, and authentic Neapolitan pizza into one of Italy's most exciting family destinations.Browse →
Why visit
What makes Italy work for families
History that blows kids' minds
Ancient Rome, medieval hill towns, Renaissance palaces. Italy's history isn't locked away in textbooks. It's right there in front of you. The Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the ruins of Pompeii turn even reluctant history fans into wide-eyed explorers.
Food your whole family will love
Pizza, pasta, gelato. Italy's food culture is built around family tables and fresh, simple ingredients. Even the pickiest eaters tend to find something they adore here, and mealtimes feel genuinely relaxed and welcoming for families.
Beaches and coastline for days
From the dramatic cliffs of the Amalfi Coast to the calm, clear waters of Sicily and Sardinia, Italy's coastline is stunning. Many beaches have shallow, safe swimming areas that are perfect for a family day in the sun.
Nature that takes your breath away
The Dolomites, Gran Paradiso National Park, and Cinque Terre offer incredible scenery and family-friendly trails. Italy's national parks are home to wolves, bears, ibex, and vultures, giving nature-loving families plenty to discover.
Art and culture everywhere you look
Michelangelo's David, the Sistine Chapel, Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. Italy's artistic treasures are genuinely awe-inspiring for curious kids and adults alike. Florence, Rome, and Milan are world-class cultural destinations packed with stories.
Wildlife and nature
What animals can you spot in Italy?
Italian Wolf
Italy's national animal and a symbol of Rome's founding legend. Recovering populations roam the Apennines and Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. Wild sightings remain rare but possible.
Marsican Brown Bear
One of Europe's rarest large mammals, the critically endangered Marsican brown bear shares its mountain home with wolves in Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park in central Italy.
Crested Porcupine
Italy is home to Europe's only native crested porcupines, found in Sicily and Tuscany. Their quills can grow up to 30 cm long, making them one of the most surprising animals kids discover here.
Alpine Ibex
Gran Paradiso National Park in Valle d'Aosta is the best place in Italy to see Alpine ibex up close on hiking trails. Italy's oldest national park was actually created to protect this iconic mountain species.
Common Dolphin
Dolphins are regular visitors to Italy's coastal waters, especially in the Ligurian Sea and around Sicily and Sardinia. Boat trips along the coast often bring families face to face with these playful animals.
Popular cities & places in Italy
8 of 12 places
Fun facts
Things to know about Italy
A country inside a city
Vatican City is an independent country entirely surrounded by Rome. It's the smallest country in the world by both area and population, and it's home to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.
The Pantheon is nearly 2,000 years old
The Pantheon in Rome was originally built around 27 BCE as a Roman temple. It's one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in the world and still has its original dome, which was the largest in the world for over 1,300 years.
Italy has more UNESCO sites than anywhere else
Italy holds more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world. From the historic centres of Rome, Florence, and Venice to the Dolomites and the Amalfi Coast, there's heritage around every corner.
That tower really does lean
The Leaning Tower of Pisa stands 56 metres tall and its famous tilt is the result of soft ground on one side during construction. Engineers have stabilised it, but it still leans noticeably and is one of Europe's most photographed spots.
Italy has around 4,777 endemic species
From the Sardinian long-eared bat to the Sicilian pond turtle, Italy's varied landscapes support thousands of species found nowhere else on Earth. Its mix of Alpine, Mediterranean, and island habitats makes it a biodiversity hotspot.
Every region has its own food identity
There's no single 'Italian cuisine'. Each of Italy's 20 regions has its own distinct culinary traditions shaped by local climate and terrain. What you eat in Bologna is completely different from what lands on the table in Naples or Palermo.
Taste Italy with your family
What your family should try in Italy
Dishes that even the pickiest eaters at the table will love
Pizza Napoletana
The original Neapolitan pizza, made with simple tomato, fresh mozzarella di bufala, and basil on a thin, slightly charred crust. Kids universally love it, and eating it in Naples feels like a rite of passage.
Kids love it
Carbonara
A Roman classic made with eggs, Pecorino Romano, guanciale (cured pork cheek), and black pepper. Rich, creamy without a drop of cream, and deeply satisfying. A brilliant introduction to real Italian pasta for kids.
Must try
Gelato
Italy's gelato is denser, creamier, and far more intensely flavoured than regular ice cream. You'll find a gelateria in almost every town, and choosing a flavour becomes a beloved daily family ritual.
Daily treat
Arancini
Crispy fried rice balls from Sicily, typically stuffed with ragù, peas, and mozzarella. They're the perfect street food snack for hungry kids on the go and a brilliant way to taste Sicilian flavours without committing to a full sit-down meal.
Safe choice
Cornetto and cappuccino
The Italian breakfast ritual. A flaky, slightly sweet cornetto pastry paired with a frothy cappuccino for the adults and a warm cioccolata calda (hot chocolate) for the kids. Simple, delicious, and the best way to start any morning in Italy.
Local favourite
Off the beaten path
Places most visitors to Italy never find
Lesser-known gems for families seeking something different
Lago di Braies, the Dolomites
This emerald-green alpine lake in the Dolomites is one of Italy's most photogenic spots, set against snowcapped peaks and pine forests. It's far less crowded than the main Dolomite tourist routes and perfect for a peaceful family walk or a rowing boat trip on the water.
Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park
One of Italy's oldest and most biodiverse national parks, home to wolves, Marsican brown bears, and golden eagles. It sits in the central Apennines and offers family hiking trails through beech forests with a genuine chance of wildlife sightings that most visitors to Italy never experience.
Siena's medieval heart
Siena is often skipped in favour of Florence, but this hilltop medieval city has a cathedral considered among Europe's most beautiful and a historic centre that feels like a living open-air museum. The Piazza del Campo is one of Italy's most spectacular public spaces, and it's far quieter than Rome or Venice.
Gran Paradiso National Park, Valle d'Aosta
Italy's oldest national park was created specifically to protect the Alpine ibex, and today you can walk right past them on hiking trails. The park sits in the western Alps near the French border and offers some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in Italy with family-friendly trail options at various levels.
The truffle hills of Piedmont
Piedmont in northwest Italy is famous for its white truffles, Barolo wine, and the warming garlic-and-anchovy dip bagna cauda. The rolling Langhe hills around Alba are beautiful to drive through in autumn and offer a completely different side of Italy from the busy coastal and city destinations.
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