Traveling to cities with children can often be a tiring ordeal for both parents and kids. Everyone has different interests. Find out here what’s particularly worth seeing and interesting for kids in Venice. That way, you and your children can really enjoy the city.
An alternative to the Campanile.
As everyone knows, Venice is an island. And on and around an island, you get around by boat. That’s why Venice’s public transportation consists of boats (water buses, called vaporetti). If you’re only staying in Venice for a few hours, a boat ride probably isn’t worth it. But you and your children would be missing out on a lot. When else in your everyday life do you get the chance to ride a boat?
A public transit ticket opens up many possibilities you might not otherwise have imagined. On the Vaporetto Line 2, it takes just one minute to travel from St. Mark’s Square to the monastery island of San Giorgio across the water.
The stop is called San Marco – San Zaccaria “B“.
This monastery church, of course, also has a bell tower. It’s a bit smaller, which is probably why the admission fee is only 8 euros. But the view is even more beautiful, more magnificent, and more impressive. The entire Venice skyline lies at your feet. (see photo) It’s a view that very, very few visitors to Venice get to experience. No lines, no mass tourism.
And the best part is: There are NO wait times. The elevator is always available. And kids are just sooo impatient.
Our tip: After visiting the tower, simply continue on Line 2: Take the big Venice Panorama Tour (Sightseeing tour). Among other things, you’ll get to experience the Zattere stop, home to the city’s best ice cream at Gelateria „da Nico“; see the large, impressive cruise ships in the harbor during the summer; and travel along the entire Grand Canal, with all its magnificent palazzi, back to St. Mark’s Square. You and your children will be thrilled.
The Glass Factories in Murano
Murano is a small island located east of Venice, about 2 kilometers away. The reason for its isolation is quite obvious: Given Venice’s dense urban development, a fire in a glass factory would be a catastrophe. Fire is much more dangerous to Venice than (high) water. And because of the numerous open flames used by the glassblowers, the danger is, of course, particularly high. So the glass factories were moved to a separate island.
You can reach Murano in just a few minutes by taking the Vaporetto on lines 4.1 and 4.2. One line travels clockwise around Venice and on to Murano, while the other goes counterclockwise. Both lines make it easy to get to Murano.
For a small admission fee of a few euros (basically a small tip), the demonstration lasts 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the season and how crowded it is. However, the process of making at least two figures is always shown.
In the summer, it’s naturally very hot in the glass factories. Be sure to bring something to drink. By the way, in Murano, you won’t have to look far to find a glass factory where a demonstration is taking place. At the vaporetto stops coming from Venice, employees from the glass factories will be there to guide you to the next demonstration.
A standing horse.
In most cases, the short demonstration of glassblowing will show you how a glass master uses skillful hand movements to craft a small glass horse from a small lump of glass. It’s a nice little souvenir from Venice and costs only about 10 euros. That’s less than the round-trip fare on the vaporetto.
The little glass horse made during the demonstration is especially popular right now. Unfortunately, though, that’s not possible. This little horse is still so hot that you can’t take it home with you. And to prevent the glass from cracking or chipping, it needs to sit undisturbed for several hours.
But the other little horses, which will be on display in the showroom later, are exactly like the one shown here. If you like them, you can buy them. Of course, they’ll be carefully wrapped in soft paper so they’ll survive the trip to your home just fine.
Collecting Shells at the Lido
The island of Venice is protected from the open waters of the Adriatic Sea by the Lido (beach). The Lido is an island that is about 10 km long but only one kilometer wide. The Lido is very easy to reach from Venice via the Line 1 vaporetto. Line 1 is Venice’s sightseeing boat; it travels the entire length of the Grand Canal and, of course, stops at St. Mark’s Square.
Minutes. The vaporetto runs every 10 minutes, both ways. From the Lido pier, it’s about 1 km to the beach. Get off the vaporetto and continue in the direction of travel until you reach the Adriatic beach. Access to the beach is open to the public and free of charge. Whether you take a walk along the beach or even go for a swim in the sea is up to you. Collecting seashells is always fun for kids. Be sure to bring a plastic bag or a small towel.
Smell: Don't scold your children if the clams „stink to high heaven“ in your hotel room at night. Just wash the clams, rinse off the sand, tie the plastic bags shut, and enjoy a lasting memento of your stay in Venice.
Ride the Vaporetto Line 1 right through the heart of Venice
Your children will surely be interested in a boat tour on a water bus (vaporetto). For 9.50 euros per person, you’ll enjoy an entertaining 75-minute ride (that’s the maximum duration of a one-way trip). Children 6 and under ride for free.
If you have a multi-day ticket, the fare for Vaporetto Line 1 is already included in the ticket price. We recommend that you stand in the boarding area and watch the action: docking, mooring, passengers boarding and disembarking, and setting off again. This is sure to be very interesting for you and your children. Be sure to take a look inside the captain’s cabin with its steering wheel. With skill and experience, he steers the boat through the Grand Canal with all its stops and through the dense traffic in the canal. Plus, it always feels about 5 degrees cooler on the water, which is especially appreciated during the warmer months—even for you as an adult.
The Route of Vaporetto Line 1
The plan by http://www.OpenStreetMap.org – © OpenStreetMap contributors
The boats on Vaporetto Line 1 run continuously back and forth between Piazzale Roma in the north and the Lido in the south.
As you can see in the picture, Line 1 winds its way along the entire length of the Grand Canal, making it the most important line not only for Venetians themselves but also for tourists. Only the major stops are marked on the map. During the day, a boat departs every 12 minutes. By the way, tickets are only available on-site at the stops marked in the picture. So it’s best to purchase a ticket before your stay in Venice.
Line 2: Grand Panorama Tour with a ride through the harbor
A boat tour on Line 2 is also very interesting for your children. Line 2 travels in a loop around and through Venice. We recommend starting the tour at St. Mark’s Square at the San Marco–San Zaccaria „B“ stop.
Line 2 passes just a few meters away from the tall ships. It's a truly impressive experience. Your children will be amazed.
Map of Vaporetto Line 2
The plan is from http://www.OpenStreetMap.org – © OpenStreetMap contributors
Take Line 2, which first passes through the Grand Canal Giudecca. It heads toward the Tronchetto parking garage in the northern part of the city. Just before reaching the parking garage, it passes by the cruise ship terminal. During the summer season (April through October), cruise ships are always anchored here.
As you can see on the map, Line 2 also passes by the harbor, the Tronchetto parking garage, the train station, and the Rialto Bridge. It then travels back along the Grand Canal to St. Mark’s Square. However, Line 2 stops at only a few stops along the Grand Canal, making it faster than Line 1.
A gondola ride through the city's historic center
As it happens, just as we were putting together this guide, a customer wrote us the following review after a gondola ride:
„I have to say, everything went really well. It was easy to find. The gondoliers were very friendly, and I highly recommend the tour for families with children. Thanks, Jürgen“
However, we don’t want to misuse this guide to promote our own business. After all, a gondola ride costs 90.00 euros per gondola for up to 5 people. The ride starts right in the city center, so it’s easy to find. Duration of the ride: about 30 minutes, depending on the operator.
During the 2025 Pentecost break, I (Bernd Morgenthaler, the founder of Venedig.com) took the tour myself with my two grandchildren (ages 7 and 9). They loved it. That’s why I’m sure you and your children will feel the same way.
Feeding the pigeons in St. Mark's Square
Yes, the pigeons of Venice are still around. There aren’t as many as there used to be when they were still systematically fed, but they’re still plentiful—both on the ground and in the air. At one point, the pigeons had multiplied so much as a result of being fed by tourists that the sale of feed (dried corn kernels) was banned. The sale of pigeon feed was banned. So was feeding them. And yet, people still do it.
If you think your children would enjoy it, have them take a roll from the breakfast table and toss small pieces of it to the pigeons. The other tourists do that, too. And it’s still a very popular photo opportunity. As long as you don’t overdo it, no one will say anything.
Rats of the Skies – A Little Warning: Pigeons are also called the „rats of the sky.“ They are said to be teeming with vermin—mites, lice, fleas, etc. So please make sure that pigeons do not land on your children’s heads. For the sake of your children’s health, you should not allow them to have direct, close contact with the pigeons. And your children should not sit right in the middle of pigeon droppings, as some tourists do (see photo).
Other little things: ice cream, pizza, Fanta, Coke
Ice: Venice is in Italy. And in Italy, ice cream tastes good pretty much everywhere—very good, in fact. You don't have to search long to find a good ice cream shop. Just head to the nearest street vendor and treat yourself and your kids to some ice cream while you're out and about.
People generally say that the best ice cream in town is at the „da Nico“ gelateria, located at the Zattere stop on Vaporetto Line 2. You can enjoy the view, a cappuccino, espresso, or Aperol Spritz, while your kids enjoy their ice cream.
Drinks: Prices are highest in the areas where most tourists gather. Still, if you and your children are thirsty, just buy a small drink. Water, Coke, Fanta—everything is readily available on every street corner and at numerous stands. A 0.50-liter bottle of chilled mineral water costs about 2.50 euros. Right on St. Mark’s Square, there’s a small, hidden grocery store. There, 0.5 liters of mineral water costs only 60 cents.
Pizza: Believe it or not, you can’t go wrong with a sixth of a giant pizza from the nearest street vendor (a kind of Italian fast-food stand in Venice). You’ll love it, and your kids might even eat some of your slice. That’s okay. The next street vendor is just a few blocks away.
Train Station: If you're taking the Vaporetto Tour on Line 1 or 2 and happen to be passing by the train station, it's a good idea to grab a slice of pizza at the station restaurant—you can eat it standing up in the passageway leading to the trains—if you're feeling a little hungry. And there's a restroom there, too.
St. Mark's Square? St. Mark's Basilica? The Campanile?
And what about Venice's main attractions? St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica, and the Campanile?
The answer is: yes, of course. Now more than ever. For decades, we advised against it. Standing in line for an hour outside St. Mark’s Basilica was NOT a good idea for kids. But starting in 2025, the situation has changed fundamentally—and for the better.
Anyone wishing to visit St. Mark's Basilica must register online in advance and select a 30-minute time slot. The same applies to the Campanile. Here, too, the lines have completely disappeared. There are NO ticket windows anymore at either the basilica or the tower.
Math Problem:
Back when my daughter was little, I used to promise her one euro for every brick on the Campanile. The only condition was that she had to tell me the number—100%—correctly.
This was also true of all the mosaics on the five large entrance portals of St. Mark's Basilica.
Click here: Online Ticket to St. Mark's Basilica
Click here Online Ticket to the Campanile
This page was created with special support from Dr. Susanne Kunz-Saponaro, an officially certified tour guide for Venice. If you are interested in a guided tour of Venice, please visit her website: http://www.stadtfuehrungen-venedig.de