When we planned our family trip to Italy, we knew visiting Florence was a must. It’s an iconic Italian destination with its famous museums, Renaissance art, churches and historic streets, but we quickly found there are plenty of things to do in Florence with kids that make it a fun and easy family destination.
Florence works especially well for families who like to explore on foot. The historic centre is compact, many of the main attractions are close together, and there are easy ways to break up sightseeing with gelato stops, playgrounds, gardens, viewpoints and simple kid-friendly activities. We loved that we could spend part of the day visiting major Florence attractions, then give the kids space to run around or look for street art before everyone got too tired.
In this guide, I’ll share the best things we found to do in Florence with kids, including family-friendly viewpoints, gardens, playgrounds, tower climbs, easy walks, food stops and a day trip to Fiesole. I’ll also include practical tips on where to stay, how to get around, and how to make your family trip to Florence the best it can be.
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How Many Days Do You Need in Florence with Kids?
Florence is one of the most family-friendly destinations in Europe. We recommend planning a 3 or 4 day Florence itinerary for your family. You can add a day or two if you’d like to take day trips to Lucca or Pisa from Florence.
Although we loved our six days in Florence with kids, we felt it was a little too long, given we had already visited Pisa and Lucca. If you are looking for easy day trips from Florence, these are two great choices. Get all the details on visiting Pisa with kids and spending a day in Lucca with kids.
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Still working on your family trip to Italy? Start with our 4-week Italy itinerary with kids, then use our suggestions to adapt it into a 2-week or 10-day Italy itinerary for families.
Where to Stay in Florence with Kids
Choosing where to stay in Florence with your family will depend mostly on how you plan to spend your time. You don’t need a rental car to visit Florence, so we recommend you stay in the historic centre of Florence. Most of the best things to do in Florence with kids are within easy walking distance of the historic centre of Florence.
We tend to travel with kids on a budget, so to save a little money on our Florence accommodations, we stayed slightly outside central Florence near Piazzale Michelangelo. We found a great 3-bedroom vacation rental apartment which was only a 15 minute walk from most of the best things to do with kids in Florence. As a bonus, our apartment rental was very close to an excellent Florence playground.
If you would prefer a kid-friendly Florence hotel for your family vacation to Italy, we personally use Booking as their “Top Picks for Families” search filter makes it easy to find good family-friendly accommodations.
Getting to Florence with Children
Considering Florence is a major tourist destination, it has a pretty small airport.
If you are landing in Florence after a long flight and want the easy way into Florence, we recommend getting a private transfer with the Welcome Pickups service. We have used Welcome Pickups often while travelling through Europe with kids. We appreciate how our driver meets us in the arrivals area and we can easily pre-book car seats. All this for about the same price as a normal taxi or Uber.
Flying to Florence makes a lot of sense if it is the first stop on your family holiday to Italy. But if you’re already in Italy, travelling by train to Florence is a really fun experience. After a week of hiking in Cinque Terre with kids, we made our way by train to Pisa and Lucca, before landing in Florence.
We arrived at the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station after a short 1.5 hour train ride from Lucca. We avoided a 30-minute walk to our Florence vacation home rental by taking a local Florence bus from the train station. Most buses will stop at the main Florence train station, making it easy to use the local bus system upon arrival.
Tip: Buy your bus ticket before boarding, or use an accepted digital/contactless option, and always validate or activate it when you board.
Getting Around Florence with Kids
Florence is a great city for walking. The historic city centre is fairly compact, making it easy to get around on foot. Aside from our day trip to Fiesole, we walked everywhere we went in Florence.
If you are travelling to Florence with a toddler or baby, you can bring a stroller to Florence, although we recommend a travel-friendly lightweight stroller.
We didn’t bring a stroller to Florence for our toddler and preschooler as we had backpack carriers. Backpack carriers are great for older children as they are more comfortable, but if you prefer to carry your baby or toddler in Florence, we recommend a baby or toddler carrier.
Best Things to do in Florence with Kids
Piazzale Michelangelo and the Rose Garden
After spending a morning travelling from Lucca to Florence by train, our kids were ready to burn off some energy. Piazzale Michelangelo was nice and close to our Florence vacation rental and the climb up the long staircase to the plaza was a perfect thing for our kids to do.
The views of Florence from the top of Piazzale Michelangelo are worth every step! Of course, our kids were far more interested in chasing pigeons than seeing the replica of Michelangelo’s David!
The kids were too excited to be in Florence to allow us much time to enjoy the amazing view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo, so in no time we were on our way to the nearby Rose Garden.
The Rose Garden is a great thing to do in Florence with kids if you are looking for a beautiful park to enjoy the fine Tuscany weather.
Florence: Piazzale Michelangelo Private Walking Tour Panoramic Walking Tour
Climb a Florence Tower for City Views
One of our favourite things to do while travelling in Italy with kids is to find a bell tower to climb. We all enjoy the exercise and the city views from the top are always worth it.
Florence has several tower climbs, each offering sweeping views of Florence and the Tuscan countryside.
Tower of Palazzo Vecchio
We started at the Tower of Palazzo Vecchio, but quickly learned that even with our kids in the backpack carriers, we would not be permitted to climb the 96-meter high tower. Kids must be 6 years old to climb the Tower of Palazzo Vecchio.
Just outside Palazzo Vecchio is a replica of Michelangelo’s David. It’s the second David replica we’ve seen in our first two days. This one is better than the one in Piazzale Michelangelo.
Palazzo Vecchio Entrance Ticket with Tower Access
Giotto’s Bell Tower
We are not easily defeated, so we took our kids to Giotto’s Bell Tower (Giotto’s Campanile), one of the four monuments on the Piazza del Duomo. One benefit of travelling to Florence with toddlers who wake up early is that we arrived shortly after Giotto’s Bell Tower opened, allowing us to walk right in without any line up.
There are 414 steps to climb to the top of Giotto’s Bell Tower (85 metres). As is typical, the stairways in Giotto’s Campanile were tight with our backpack carriers on. They got progressively tighter the higher we got, though not nearly as narrow as the stairway up the dome at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
One nice thing about climbing Giotto’s Bell Tower with kids is that there are three intermediate decks. There was sufficient space to take off our backpack carriers at the top, allowing us to comfortably walk around the top of Giotto’s Bell Tower with our kids.
And the views of Florence from the top of Giotto’s bell tower did not disappoint! This must be one of the best views of Brunelleschi’s Dome anywhere in Florence! Wow!
An hour after opening, the lineup for Giotto’s Bell Tower had grown very long. We recommend visiting Giotto’s Bell Tower with kids as early as possible, especially if you will be carrying your baby or toddler up.
Giotto’s Bell Tower and Cathedral Entry Ticket
Brunelleschi’s Dome
If you have your heart set on climbing Brunelleschi’s Dome with kids, book your timed ticket in advance. The Duomo was sold out by the time we arrived in Florence with children, so we sadly missed this iconic thing to do in Florence with kids.
Brunelleschi’s Dome Climb Entry Ticket
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
After climbing Giotto’s Bell Tower with kids, we joined a very long lineup for the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. There were several hundred people already in line by the time we got there at 9:40 am for the 10 am opening, but thankfully the line went quickly once the doors were opened.
Florence’s Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world. Given the complex and colourful exterior of the Florence Cathedral, we were surprised by how ordinary it felt inside.
In addition to exploring the above-ground areas of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore with kids, there are also excavations under the cathedral that visitors can see while walking along narrow pathways. We do not recommend bringing a stroller into the excavations.
Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio, or ‘Old Bridge,’ is one of the most famous places to visit in Florence. Ponte Vecchio has been standing for centuries and was even rebuilt when the Arno River flooded.
At one time, Ponte Vecchio was filled with many different types of shops, but it transitioned to goldsmiths & jewellers in the 15th century. Today you’ll find fun tourist shopping on Ponte Vecchio, with jewellers, art dealers and souvenir shops.
We first crossed Ponte Vecchio with kids at 8:00 am. It was very quiet, and the shops were all still closed, making it a nice, peaceful time to walk across. We enjoyed this early morning visit much more than the very crowded Old Bridge we experienced later in the morning.
Boboli Gardens
If you are like us and need a dose of nature to recharge after several busy days of seeing the top attractions in Florence, a great outdoor thing to do in Florence with kids is a visit to Giardino di Boboli (Boboli Gardens).
Arriving at Giardino di Boboli with kids at opening time allowed us to enjoy the feeling of solitude in nature. Visiting parks in Florence with children is a great opportunity to let them play and burn off some energy.
Giardino di Boboli is more than a beautiful Florence park; it’s an open-air museum, with many fountains and sculptures. If you need a cooler outdoor activity in Florence with kids on a hot day.
Kids will enjoy the duck ponds at Giardino di Boboli as well as exploring its many pathways. We had to watch our kids to keep them off the grass and from climbing all the sculptures – but this is a common concern when travelling to Italy with kids.
Boboli Gardens Reserved Entry Ticket
Giardino Bardini
Our ticket to Giardino di Boboli also gave free admission to the nearby Giardino Bardini. We were lucky to visit in the spring when the roses and irises were in bloom.
Though Giardino Bardini is much smaller than Giardino di Boboli, the views of Florence are spectacular. As you would expect, to get views of Florence like this, the park is built up a steep hill.
To make it easier, the pathways are long and winding, making it a longer, but less steep walk to the top. Reward your kids for climbing to the top of Giardino Bardini with a treat at the café at the top.
Day Trip to Fiesole with Kids
Fiesole is a picturesque town which makes a wonderful nature-filled day trip from Florence with kids.
Fiesole is a wonderful little village to wander around. There are three kid-friendly hikes that leave from the central Fiesole piazza. We walked two of these easy hikes near Florence during our visit, the “Breathtaking Panoramic” and “The Stonemasons and Leonardo”.
Breathtaking Views Trail
The ‘Breathtaking Views’ walking trail climbed to a viewpoint, passed Chiesa e Convento di San Francesco, then followed a beautiful treed path. Eventually, it brought us down past a cemetery and back to a paved pathway.
From there the path circumnavigated the Roman amphitheater, but you couldn’t really see much of the ruins from the trail. You must go into the site for that, which we opted not to.
Though short at 1.3km / 0.8 miles, this easy Fiesole walking trail was along nice, quiet streets and some dedicated walking paths. You’ll enjoy good views of Florence and the beautiful Tuscan countryside along the way.
Stonemasons and Leonardo Trail
We really enjoyed the 2.5km / 1.6 mile Stonemasons and Leonardo Trail. It begins along the quiet side streets of Fiesole, treating you to some great views of Florence. Before long, this kid-friendly hike leaves Fiesole and enters Parco di Montececeri.
There are several hiking trails through the dense trees of Parco di Montececeri, many with great views. We opted to stick to the Stonemasons and Leonardo Trail from our downloaded map, but had we been in Fiesole longer we would have enjoyed visiting this park with our kids again.
There were even a couple of playgrounds in Parco di Montececeri, which are perfect places to stop for a snack with your kids.
Palazzo Vecchio
We spent our last day in Florence with kids at Palazzo Vecchio. We hadn’t visited The Uffizi and the Accademia Gallery yet, but they were busy with long lines and didn’t feel worth our time with two small kids.
Palazzo Vecchio is a fun cultural thing to do with kids in Florence. They offer a “Family Pack” with a princess crown, binoculars, and games for each of the rooms, making it a fun outing for the whole family.
To be perfectly honest, the museum itself was average, but we did have fun with the kids’ activities and finding the pictures in each of the rooms. The free stroller rental was a novelty for our toddler, so he had fun with that.
Palazzo Vecchio Entrance Ticket with Tower Access
Florence Street Art Scavenger Hunt
One of our favourite things to do with kids in Florence was to wander the streets and look for the super fun Florence street art. There were two Florence street artists in particular that we enjoyed:
Clet Abraham
Have your kids look for clever street signs created by the talented artist Clet Abraham. The wide variety of Clet Abraham street signs around Florence is amazing, and your kids may get excited every time they find a new one.
“Blub”
Your kids will also love looking for the works of art by “Blub” – famous paintings recreated with the subjects wearing diving masks. Our kids thought they were hilarious! Our toddler was so motivated to find Blub’s artwork that he often spotted it before us!
Carousel at Piazza della Repubblica
The carousel in Piazza della Repubblica, near the Duomo, is an excellent thing to do in Florence with kids. It doesn’t cost much and it’s worth it to see their smiling faces!
Best Florence Playgrounds for Kids
Giardino alla Carraia Playground
Getting local knowledge from our host is one of the many reasons we enjoy staying at vacation rentals. Our host recommended a great Florence playground near our apartment. What a great, hidden surprise!
This large Florence playground is found at the end of Via dell’Erta Canina. It’s a great chance for your kids to play with local Florence kids. Kids’ desire to play always seems to overcome the language barrier.
Lungarno Santa Rosa Playground
We were excited to find another Florence playground on Lungarno Santa Rosa just west of Ponte A. Vespucci along the Arno River. If you can look past the graffiti, it was a really nice playground in Florence for all ages, including babies & toddlers, and nicely shaded on a hot day.
Where to Eat in Florence with Kids
We’re not food bloggers by any stretch, but we wanted to share our favourite place to eat in Florence with kids. Don’t miss the sandwiches at All’Antico Vinaio. Not only are they delicious but they are great value. Our favourite sandwiches at All’Antico Vinaio were the Dante, the Inferno and the Favolosa.
Follow Along on our Family Trip to Italy
We hope you got a few good ideas for your family trip to Florence with kids! If your Italy family vacation goes beyond Florence, check out the posts from our other stops on our family trip to Italy.
Our Italy itinerary with kids began with 7 days in Rome with kids, followed by a wonderful visit to the Island of Elba with kids. From there we went hiking in Cinque Terre with kids, stopped in Pisa with kids on our way to Lucca with kids. This stop in Florence was the end of our amazing 4-week family trip to Italy!
Our Travel Journal for Kids
Based on our family travels, our kids helped us design this Travel Journal for Active Kids! This engaging travel journal encourages kids to document their adventures, spark creativity, and stay entertained on the go – grab yours now on Amazon!
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