Venice is one of those must-see cities in Italy for a reason. The romantic canals, art history and unique city design make it a magical place to visit. This post is about my third trip to Venice in August 2026 with my husband and kids who were five and six at the time of travel. It’s also the final post in a three part series about our Italian vacation that also included several days in Garda.
Why go to Venice, Italy with kids?
The compact car-free layout of Venice actually makes it incredibly kid friendly. The vaporettos that whisk you down the Grand Canal can be made into a stand alone kid activity, and the abundance of pasta, pizza and gelato make it easy to feed picky eaters while exploring. Add in breathtaking museums, trips to Murano and Burano, and a child’s excitement can really grow for Venice.
The one thing to manage while going to Venice with young kids during summer months is that the hotels in the main part of the city do not have pools, and playgrounds are almost nonexistent. To manage these aspects of Venice, you can stay on private islands that have more amenities.
Planning for Venice with Kids:
We booked our August 2026 stay at the J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa in January of 2026. We compared room prices on both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum cards and found that American Express offered a slightly better deal. We reserved a one bedroom suite that included free breakfast. We splurged on the room type to celebrate my husband’s promotion earlier in the year. Also, we picked this property for our stay because we knew it had a pool, kids club, and gym.
Prior to our stay we booked a private pick-up from the Venice train station to take us directly to the hotel. We wanted to experience the unique arrival to the hotel from a private boat, and not deal with ten days of luggage for a family of four on a crowded public boat.
Next, when it got closer to our trip date, we booked the discounted Venice museum pass, and transportation pass. We knew that we would take advantage of the vaporetto’s to get around the city and wanted the flexibility of a multi-day pass. We also booked a private tour of the Doge’s Palace and San Marco cathedral using Get your Guide (with an AMEX discount) to minimize wait time with kids. While this was a bit excessive, a few of the decisions we made on this trip were for comfort over budget.
We read a lot of books to the kids about Italy and Venice before our departure. Many thanks to my local Librarians who manage all of my travel book holds! Olivia Goes to Venice was already a fan favorite in our house years before this trip materialized. Theodore’s Italian Adventure, and This is Venice, also helped us prepare the kids for our travels. During the darkest days of the winter snow storms that pummeled the DC area in Q1 of 2026, we also let the kids watch Youtube videos about Venice. This was the first time we introduced travel videos to the kids in a meaningful way to prepare for a trip.
We also made one reservation in advance of our trip at Harry’s Bar. This is a Venetian institution, and we wanted to bring them family to it.
Finally, I got a bit concerned about safety for the trip when reading about pickpockets, and hearing from a friend that their parents had been robbed in Venice. I made the decision to not bring any nice watches or jewelry on this trip. I purchased an anti-theft purse, phone chain for my wrist, and new money belt to keep our wallets and phones safe. My old money belt was so old and well-worn that it had started to disintegrate. It’s funny that the technology hasn’t really changed in 20+ plus years except for the inclusion of RFID cards.
Experience in Venice:
We had such an incredible time in Venice. What really made our trip was some of the private tours we booked like to the Doge’s Palace and to Murano and Burano using Get Your Guide. The other highlight of the trip outside of being in Venice itself was the J.W. Marriott Venice. It was such an incredible experience taking a boat to a private island– with breathtaking views of Venice from the rooftop pool and restaurant– and having the green space to literally run around and play when not exploring Venice. This was exactly what our active family needed.
Day 1
Our train from Peschiera del Garda to Venice was delayed due to rain. Upon our arrival at the Venice train station, we were met at the beginning of our train’s platform by two uniformed men. They helped us take our luggage to the waiting water taxi we had reserved through the hotel. The boat was so classy with beautiful shinny wood, and it whisked us away to the J.W. Marriott right as the rain subsided.
When you check into the J.W. Marriott Venice, you get a printed timetable of the water shuttle schedule to San Marco Square. We quickly packed day bags after gaining access to our hotel room so we could make the next shuttle to San Marco Square so we could start exploring the city.
We did not pick a lunch spot in Venice in advance. Instead, we decided to go to the north east corner of San Marco Square, and then wander the allies until we found a restaurant that both had space and lunch options for the kids. The rain picked up again during lunch so we then decided to use our museum passes to spend the afternoon in the Museo Correr.
While the Correr Museum was a bit mature for 5 and 6 year olds, the kids still enjoyed seeing the statues in the museum, and appreciated being dry and inside. A lot of their comments and fascination while exploring the museum were around the missing body parts of the statues – so if you take your kids to this museum be prepared 🙂
We ended our first day in Venice with dinner at the Pizzeria Cucina back at the J.W. After a rainy day of travel and exploring, an easy dinner was the best call for our family. The food was OK. You pay for the price of convenience at the restaurant rather than an amazing culinary experience.
Day 2
I started day two with a run around the Isola delle Rose. Previous trips to Venice were really hard on my knees; trying to fit in my miles on cobblestone sidewalks. While this trip didn’t have the same weekly mileage goals that I had running college cross-country, I still try to run several days a week. I went a bit off the manicured path on my runs at the J.W., and saw Nutria out in the grassy areas of the island. It was fun to see a bit of wildlife to start the day. The hotel has a map with mileage, but it’s pretty easy to run laps around the hotel and do some stairs near the boat dock to have a continuous loop.
Booking the J.W. Marriott Venice through American Express included the free breakfast buffet at the “Cucina Daily Breakfast” restaurant in the hotel. It was one of the best hotel buffets I have ever seen. (The best being the Marriott in Bangkok many many years ago.) There was an omelet station, gluten free and vegan areas, fresh pastries, cheese, hot food and more. Coffee was also easily accessible and delicious.
After breakfast and a boat ride to San Marco Square, we boarded a Vaporetto that took us under the Rialto bridge to the Natural History museum. The dinosaur bones in this museum were a bit more kid friendly than the Correr museum the day before. Also, there were a few hands-on areas for the kids which helped keep them excited as we explored the museum. We grabbed lunch by the museum, and then went back to the hotel to take advantage of the pool.
The J.W. Marriott family pool set-up was phenomenal. There was a shallow pool with an incline for younger kids, and a deeper pool that was a consistent depth of like five feet too. There was also a splash pad at the far end for tiny visitors, and a ropes course playground with swings beyond that. There is a restaurant and bar next to the pool that also has bathrooms- so you don’t have to go back to the hotel. This pool and facilities arrangement made for the perfect set-up for our family after a morning of exploring.
At the ages of five and six, my kids no longer nap, but it is still hard for them to power through a full day of sight seeing. Spending time most afternoons on this trip at the pool really helped make everyone happy and ready to go out again for an early dinner and an evening exploration of Venice.
We used the Fork App to find a restaurant for dinner. Needing to eat dinner around six in Venice means restaurants are relatively empty, and some offer discounts through the app. We got a discount for our reservation at Trattoria Rialto Novo. We thought it would be fun to explore the Rialto Bridge neighborhood and both walk on the bridge, and see the surroundings.
Day 3
To manage our kid’s endurance we got a late start (as a family– I got in another glorious morning run) on day three. After another amazing hotel breakfast we took advantage of the hotel playground. This was the first real playground time we had in Italy.
Compared to the incredible playgrounds we have been to in Budapest, Vienna, London, Belgium, Bergen, Copenhagen, and Oslo, Italy really lacked the same impressive play structures for kids. The play area at the J.W. allowed my kids to run around and have fun before we put them up to possibly the biggest test of the trip– a visit to a Murano glass factory.
Before the glass factory we had lunch at Osteria Da Bacco. We picked up from the counter and ate lunch around the corner on some covered steps next to a canal. The kids loved getting chicken on a stick for lunch– the closest thing to “normal” chicken nuggets they had had on this trip, and I enjoyed a panini, a pistachio cannoli with an Aperol Spritz to go.
While the Museum Pass covers a glass factory, and you can use the transportation pass to get to and from Murano and Burano, we read that end of day boats back from Murano and Burano can be really crowded. We did not want to deal with screaming exhausted children on a crowded boat, so we opted for a private tour with the Amex discount through Get Your Guide.
The joint Murano and Burano tour picked us up after lunch at a statue near the water to the east of San Marco Square. Our guide had a ton of energy and enthusiasm during the boat ride to Murano.
Our first tour stop was the New Murano Gallery. We saw a glass demonstration before going into their glass museum. (Now you see why we did lots of morning playground time!) The glass demonstration was so cool seeing sand turned into objects like a vase and an animal. At one point when they were making the vase I got my hopes up that we could buy it and take it home, but those dreams literally shattered when the vase shattered on the cool demonstration table.
The glass museum we then went into was incredible. There were so many rooms of stunning sculptures and glass products. While my husband and I went into the trip thinking we may get a Murano glass chandiliere, after visiting the museum we opted for a glass sculpture instead. We learned while in the museum that the low ceilings in our somewhat tiny dining room are not the right match for exquisite glass light fixtures. Either way, it was amazing to see how dedicated the Murano artists are to their craft, and we miraculously made it out of the museum with real souvenirs, and not things the kids broke and we had to buy.
Note: we did learn that if you buy something in Murano and have it shipped to your home in the United States that the process does take a while. It’s been over a month since our visit and the purchase is still waiting in customs… and we are also waiting to see what the tax payment process looks like for our sculpture.
After Murano, our tour took us to Burano where we saw a lace making demonstration. We then had free time to explore the vibrant island. We loved the brightly colored homes on the island, and managed to have an awesome waterfront dinner at Ristorante Pizzeria Ai Cesendeli followed by some gelato and some of their famous butter cookies to go. It was kind of crazy to see the whole shopping area in Burano close up as the clock tower struck 6PM and we walked to our waiting boat back to Venice. It was awesome to have seats on the boat for everyone in our family so we could relax and watch the sun set over Venice.
Finally, we were very lucy that our sprint to the J.W. boat resulted in us making the 7PM ride back to the hotel for the evening. Our toddler carrier was worth its weight in gold when I was able to put our younger child on my back, and run to the dock for the hotel boat, and ask them to wait two minutes to ensure my husband and older child made the 7PM boat too. We were able to put the kids to bed at their normal time, and enjoy a glass of wine on the lovely balcony at the hotel.
Day 4
Our second to last day in Venice focused on seeing the San Marco Basilica, Doges Palace and Campanile. Even though our museum pass covered these attractions, we decided to do a tour through Get Your Guide to minimize wait time. We got a guide for the basilica, but the rest of the tour was DIY. I do not think it was worth it to purchase the private tour for these activities while also having a museum pass. We could have just upgraded to the audio sets for the attractions and saved some money.
The San Marco Basilica was beautiful inside, and as the first stop of the day resulted in very engaged kids. Next, the Campanile was exciting for everyone to get beautiful views of Venice. We then took a break for pastries and coffee at Caffe Florian; the oldest cafe in Europe. The pastries were beautiful, and coffee delicious, but it wasn’t quite enough fuel or break for the kids to truly enjoy the Doges Palace.
Doing the Doges Palace, Campanile and Basilica in one morning is a lot for a five and six year old. In hindsight we should have broken up the attractions to make it more kid friendly. By the end of the Doges Palace tour I was carrying our youngest child through the rooms trying to make it enjoyable, but also wishing we were all just sitting down for lunch.
We walked back to Osteria Da Bacco for lunch because the kids loved it the previous day, and we wanted to make them happy again after the Doges Palace. After everyone had some lunch and Gelato we did our souvenir shopping for Venice. At one store we got the VAT tax return forms after purchase. One thing to note: when you claim the VAT tax back at the airport you need both the forms and items you purchased with you when making the claim at the airport.
We ended the day back at the hotel pool followed by dinner on the rooftop restaurant at the J.W. Marriott. The rooftop views of Venice were incredible, and the food was equally amazing. It was really nice that the kids meal included crudites in a cute format which helped my kids get some more vegetables in their bodies between their meals of pasta, pizza, and pastries on this trip.
Day 5
Our final day started by taking the vaporetto to the Jewish Ghetto to see this part of the city. The Jewish Museum of Venice was closed on the day of our visit so we explored the neighborhood, and then went to the Ca’Pesaro museum. Honestly, we picked the museum because it was the closest museum on the museum pass to where we were standing when somebody in the family needed the facilities. Sometimes when traveling you take small detours that end up being lots of fun and the Ca’Pesaro was one of those detours. The kids liked seeing the Thinker again, and the modern art was engaging for them.
Next we went to Harry’s Bar for our lunch reservation. I got the classic bellini, and the gorgonzola gnocchi. The food and drink were delicious, but know that you are paying up for the history of the restaurant more than the food. Since I have now been twice, I think I am set on Harry’s bar visits since nothing really changed in 20 years.
After Harry’s Bar we did the quintessential gondola ride to end our time in Venice. We picked a gondola location close to the restaurant, and really enjoyed it. My oldest child had been asking to go on a gondola ride for several years at that point thanks to the Olivia Goes to Venice book, so they finally got their wish. It was fun to travel down some of the smaller canals by boat and get a different perspective of Venice than when you are walking or on a vaporetto.
We ended the day back at the pool for a while followed by our final dinner in Venice. We decided to get gelato at Bravin Renato before our boat ride back to the hotel for the evening. As soon as I took a picture of the gelato, a seagull swept in and stole it from my hand, and then devoured it in front of me in San Marco square. So note that the birds are AGGRESSIVE in San Marco Square despite the feeding ban so make sure you guard your gelato and watch your kids too. (And don’t worry Caffe Chioggia was right by the boat dock so I replaced my gelato there :))
Day 6
Leaving the J.W. Marriott Venice was so hard to do! But they make early morning departures easier with breakfast and coffee to go. Our flight was at 9AM which meant that we could not take the hotel shuttle to San Marco and then the water bus with enough time for our flight. This resulted in one final private boat ride to end our trip. It was magical to pull out of the hotel in a boat to see the sun rise over Venice. While everyone was sad to leave such a magical city, I think everyone was also slightly excited to sleep in their own beds again after our ten day adventure.
Lessons Learned:
- Seagulls and Pigeons will go after your food in San Marco Square. Be careful eating, and be sure to protect your kids if they are eating gelato or other food in the square.
- A private tour for Murano and Burano is worth it for a seat on the ride home from the islands, but is not as critical for San Marco Basilica.
- Having access to a pool during summer travel with kids makes vacations a million times easier when they can relax and swim after using all of their focus in museums or more mature attractions.
Travel Gear:
- Anti-theft purse: Don’t let pickpockets near your things
- Phone chain: to prevent you from dropping your phone in a canal or off a boat
- Money belt: Divide your credit cards and critical documents with this second layer of security
- Check out my Amazon Storefront for a full list of my recommendations. Please know I can make a commission from products that help offset the cost of maintaining this blog.
Final Thoughts:
Venice continues to delight and impress after three visits. There is something magical about the canals and architecture of the city that makes it incredibly special. For younger kids, having a pool and area to run around and play on the trip is a critical component of success for everyone. I hope to go back again one day for the Doges Ball!
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