Do you fancy a weekend in Rome with kids?  All-inclusive Rome vacations are your best bet for creating the most delightful and unforgettable memories with your kids. A weekend in Rome with Kids is not the time to stay at a self-catering apartment and worry about what you will eat and do.

A short 3 days of amazing history, art and food experience can only be better by staying at an all-inclusive hotel in Rome. Not only will you be creating an unforgettable experience, but you will also be giving your child an educational edge too.

Why?

‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’ is a very popular history topic taught in schools in the UK. The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain are taught in schools at both primary school Key Stage 2 and secondary school key stage 3. No surprises here, with the strong Roman focus in the National Curriculum (National curriculum guides the learning and teaching in public schools in England) pretty much large parts of the UK symbolises the influence of the dominant Roman development in the UK.

If you want your kids to have a first-hand experience of what they will learn or have learnt at school, then an all-inclusive vacation to Rome is a must!

Hadrian’s WallIf you are just interested in the history and influence of the Roman Empire and you want to visit Rome, then you will need some travel documents.

The travel documents you will need for your all-inclusive Rome Vacation

Rome is in the Capital of Italy, a country in Europe and in order to travel to Rome, you will need:

• A valid passport (issued within the last 10 years) with at least 3 months validity from the date of your arrival.
• A visa ( depending on your nationality, destination and length of stay)
• A Schengen visa – If you are travelling from outside the European Union depending on your nationality, you can obtain a Schengen Visa. This allows you to visit countries in Europe that are members of the European Union for a duration of 90 days.
• Proof of money to sustain yourself around £55 per day.
• Travel insurance that covers medical expenses
• A return or onward ticket

Where to stay for your All-inclusive Rome Vacation.

Family-Friendly Hotels Rome

To kick off your best all-inclusive Rome vacation with your kids, you need to stay in the best hotel for quick access to what you want to see in Rome. I always consider hotels where I can get rewarded with points

Hotel Capo d Africa

Type of All-Inclusive Hotel: Boutique Hotel

Why stay at this All-inclusive Hotel?

• Great Family Hotel with airy rooms and high ceiling
• 5 minutes walk from Colosseum
• Traditional Italian dishes

Hotel Artemide

Type of All-inclusive hotel: Luxury

Why stay at this all-inclusive hotel?

• 12 minutes walk to Trevi Fountain
• 18 minutes walk to Colosseum
• 15 minutes walk to Roman Forum

Palazzo Navona Hotel

Type of All-inclusive Hotel: Modern, Trendy

Why stay at this all-inclusive hotel?

• 4 minutes walk to Pantheon
• 1 min walk to Piazza Navona
• 12 minutes walk to Trevi Fountain

Check out more hotels you can stay at.

Best time to visit for your best All-inclusive Rome Vacations

May Half term School Holidays & Summer School Holidays is the peak time to visit Rome. This is the time when the city is flooded with tourists from all over the world. July and August are the hottest months in Italy, and because of the humidity in Rome during those months, it’s probably not the best months to travel for your best all-inclusive Rome Vacation.

Christmas School Holidays and February Half-term School Holidays is Italy’s Winter, and the coldest months to visit. If you are happy with the magical Christmas markets and the Christmas street shopping then an all-inclusive Rome Vacation during Christmas will be perfect. The February half-term is usually cold but with appropriate clothing, you will experience a lovely all-inclusive Rome Vacation.

Easter School Holidays (March or April) or October Half-term School Holidays is when you can experience the best comfortable weather as you roam around the streets. It is also during these times that accommodation prices are lower and a great time for your all-inclusive Rome Vacation.

The best Kids-Friendly things to do during your all-inclusive Rome Vacations

3 days weekend is just enough time for an all-inclusive Rome Vacation in order to scratch the surface of everything Rome has to offer, and this jam-packed Kids-friendly Itinerary for Rome will help you make the most of your short time here. Your kids will not have time to get bored in Rome with this itinerary and they will be fully immersed in the sights and wonders of Rome.

There are several things to do in Rome that are Kids -friendly, however, we decided not to buy any of the tours passes because we wanted to use the Big Bus Hop on and Hop off tickets to explore most places. When you are exploring a city with kids, you want to be selective about what you want to see and how to get there. I highly recommend a Big Bus tour because it serves as transportation to the attractions you wish to visit, it has audio service that the kids can listen to. We only bought tickets in advance for the Colosseum and Vatican Museums.

3 days Kids-friendly Itinerary for your All-Inclusive Rome Vacations

If you are going on your best all-inclusive Rome vacation on the educational front, there are several places to see that can help the kids understand the power of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was founded by Augusta Caesar, the first Emperor of Rome in 31 BC. It came to a shocking end in 1453 CE.

Day 1 kids-friendly itinerary for your  All-inclusive Vacation to Rome Checklist

On the first day of your all-inclusive Rome vacations, you need to venture out nice and early, if you have bags, use the nanny bag service to store any extra bags that you don’t want to leave in your hotel room. Start with the popular sights in Rome.

• The Roman Forum
• Palatine Hill
• Colosseum
• Baths of Trajan and The Trajan Forum Museum
• Capitoline Museum
• Pantheon

Day 2 kids-friendly itinerary for your All-inclusive Vacation to Rome Checklist

On the second day of your best all-inclusive Rome Vacations, spend the day at Vatican City. Explore:

• St. Peter’s Square
• Basilica
• The Vatican Museums and Gardens

Day 3 kids-friendly itinerary for your All-inclusive Vacations to Rome Checklist

On the third day of your all-inclusive Rome Vacations, visit the

• Villa Borghese gardens 
• Galleria Borghese

Day 1 kids-friendly itinerary for Rome

On Day 1 of using the kids-friendly itinerary for your vacation in Rome, get tickets for the Big Bus tour where you get to hop on and hop off as you wish. Start with learning about all the events at Roman Forum and proceed to Palatine Hill. After this, get on the Big Bus hop-on and hop-off bus and head to get to the Colosseum then explore the Baths of Trajan and the Trajan Forum Museum. Cool off at the Capitoline Museum and finish off at Pantheon.

• Roman Forum

Your kids will be fascinated by the sheer size of the Roman Forum. They will learn that the Roman Forum was the hub of activities many centuries ago. It ran many things including registration of births by the Roman father, speeches by emperors, executions and gladiator matches.  The Forum has structures that are much older than the Colosseum, like the Temple of Vesta, which dates back to 7 century BC. The Arch of Titus (1st century AD) and the Arch of Constantine (312 AD) can also be found within the Forum.

Your kids will love the story behind the Arch of Titus – Titus was the emperor who completed the Colosseum. He was controversial in many ways and suffered in popularity after sending off his long-term partner. He built the Arch of Titus to show off his victories.

• Palatine Hill

Palatine Hill is one of the seven hills and where Rome was founded. You will understand that it is one of the most ancient parts of the city. Good walking shoes for the kids and lots of stops on the way will make the hike less strenuous for them. Your kids will love to see the view of Rome from the top. To avoid grumpy kids dragging their legs behind you, take a refillable water bottle and refill them on the premises.

• Colosseum

A visit to the Colosseum is a must for you and the kids. It offers a huge learning opportunity for them to reflect back on what has happened centuries ago. Go with a qualified family tour guide for a better experience. Speak to the tour leader if you have sensitive children. There are many aspects to the Colosseum. The museum, the arena, the secret passage and the views from the top. There will be several tours touts around the area wishing to speak to you about tours, I recommend buying your tickets in advance and turning up about 15 minutes before your tour starts.

The Colosseum is a magnificence structure started by Vespasian and completed by Emperor Titus.

• Baths of Trajan and The Trajan Forum Museum

Named after Emperor Trajan, it was a place for leisure and bathing. Have a stop at the Baths of Trajan and throw a coin in. There are interesting facts about the Baths of Trajan – complex. Move on to the Trajan Forum Museum.

The forum of Emperor Trajan is located in front of the Roman Forum. The museum tells the story of Emperor Tajan and Rome’s growth. It also tells the story of how the city and buildings have changed over the course of the centuries. You will enjoy the indoor and outdoor exhibitions area and gain very good information. You will also walk along the ancient streets and this will give you a sense of what living in those times felt like.

• Capitoline Museum

Capitoline Museum is located on top of Capitoline Hill in Rome and is considered to be one of the first museums in the world. Even though it dates back to the 15th century, it was only opened to the public in the 1700s.
Most of the exhibits in this museum are tied to the city of Rome. Here, you can find bronze statues that are of great importance to the local Roman people, Greek sculptures, Renaissance art, artefacts and more.
We did not visit this museum when we were here, but if you find yourself heating up in the sun if you’re visiting Rome in the summer, then it might be a good idea to step inside a museum for a couple of hours to cool off.

• Pantheon

The last stop of Day 1 is the Pantheon – the temple of all gods. It is free to enter.

Located about a 30-minute walk from the Baths of Trajan, this almost 2000-year-old temple will take you back to the times of Olympus gods and goddesses. The beautiful structure is the best-preserved Roman building and is living proof of the fantastic architectural and technical skills the Romans had.
I would highly recommend starting the suggested audio guide above before entering the building. Once inside, grab a seat and sit back and relax to appreciate the grand and amazing architecture all around you.

Another one of the many obelisks in Rome is located at Piazza Navona. The fountain by Bernini features four figures, each representing the largest river on each continent. It includes the Nile representing Africa, the Danube representing Europe, the Ganges representing Asia, and the Río de la Plata representing the Americas.

Day 2 kids-friendly itinerary for Rome

The Vatican City, a city-state in Rome known as the ‘Holy See,’ is home to the Pope and the Catholic Church. It is the smallest country in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (it even has its very own post office!). The city is visited by millions of tourists and thousands of pilgrims each year.

It is not only a sacred site but also home to some of the world’s most well-known pieces of art and monumental architecture, such as Michelangelo’s Pieta and Saint Peter’s Basilica. Michelangelo’s Pieta can be found in the 16th-century Dome, the ‘Cupola’.

Today, you will explore sites inside the Vatican City, such as St. Peter’s Square and Basilica and the Vatican Museums and Gardens. Once you are done with the first three stops (before heading to the gardens), grab some food and coffee at a nearby cafe.

After the gardens, go for a leisurely walk along the picturesque Tiber River towards one of the oldest churches in Rome. Next, explore the bohemian Trastevere neighbourhood, which is where all the young Italians gather. Finally, walk off your dinner and drinks with one last stroll through one of the world’s smallest islands.

Once again, I would recommend downloading Rick Steves’ free audio guides for Rome ahead of time for this area, in particular for St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.

• St Peter’s Square

St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro) is in front of St. Peter’s Basilica and is the centre of the Vatican City. Right in the middle of the square, you can admire an ancient Egyptian obelisk that has been standing there since the 16th century.
From the square, look up to see the famous balcony that the Pope uses to deliver his blessings. It is located right in the middle of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Don’t forget to start playing the audio guide here for the Basilica. It’s an excellent way to pass some time in the line while you’re waiting to enter the church.
I would highly recommend coming here first thing in the morning for a calmer space (fewer tourists), and to get through the line and security check quicker. Also, don’t bring an aluminium water canister as we did; otherwise, you’ll have to leave it behind at the security checkpoint and keep your fingers crossed that it’ll be there upon your return!

• St. Peter’s Basilica

Located in the heart of the Vatican City, right by the Piazza San Pietro, is a 16th-century shrine built on top of St. Peter’s grave from 64 AD. Inside the shrine, which is St. Peter’s Basilica, you can admire many pieces of renaissance art, like Michelangelo’s Dome.
You can also climb the 491 steps to the top of the dome for fantastic panorama views of Rome (entrance for this is to the right of the Basilica if you’re facing it), or head down to the basement to see the many graves of noted saints. The graves are in the mausoleum and grottoes, which includes the tomb of St. Peter himself.
While the church itself is free the enter, to experience the view at the top, you will have to pay. We paid a couple of Euros extra in addition to the admission ticket to take an elevator to the top. The elevator doesn’t take you all the way to the top, though. It was an interesting experience nonetheless as the last few staircases you have to climb are very narrow.

• The Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are a group of art museums under one name. All of them have mostly Christian themes and are within the boundaries of the Vatican City.
There are about 20,000 pieces of art on display across all the museums. Everyone should be able to find something that interests them here.
From Egyptian art to the Gallery of Maps (Dante’s painted maps) and the infamous Sistine Chapel with its Revelation fresco, there is a lot to see here.
For those who prefer to be in the open air, head to the Octagonal Courtyard to see its renowned Roman sculptures.
I would highly recommend booking tickets online in advance once again, which also allows you to skip the line.
As you walk up to the entrance of the Vatican Museums, make sure you keep to the right and ignore the random people with ‘tourist information’ tags that loiter around the compound as they are not official museum staff. They are just trying to sell you over-priced tours.
And again, download the audio guides mentioned above for both the museum and the Sistine Chapel, which should take you no more than 1.5-2 hours in total for both.
Of course, your time spent here and with the audio guides will depend on how fast you walk through the attractions and how many diversions you take. The way to the Sistine Chapel is well signed and can be found near the end of the museums.

• The Vatican garden

After a busy day exploring and admiring the architecture and art of the Vatican City, it might be nice to relax by spending some time in nature. The Vatican Gardens is a great place to do just that as it has a calming atmosphere with beautiful monuments and impressive fountains.
The gardens are located on the western side of the city and require a separate admission ticket. You will also need to join a guided tour as you cannot walk around the gardens on your own.

• Basilica di Santa Maria

Built-in the 3rd century, the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere – or the Basilica of Our Lady in Trastevere in English – is one of the oldest churches in Rome.
It is located in the lively neighbourhood of Trastevere – the last stop for the day and an area worth checking out and having dinner in.
The church itself is also worth a quick walk by and stop in before you continue exploring this side of the river.

The Santa Maria Basilica is the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It saw its construction begin in 435 AD. It is free to enter and shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes to walk around it once inside. Even though it’s a rather quick visit, take your time exploring its different architectural styles and magnificent artworks on its ceiling and walls

Day 3 kids-friendly itinerary for Rome

• Villa Borghese gardens

One of Rome’s beautiful parks where you can rank a bike or a boat and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

• Galleria Borghese

Visit one of the famous art galleries in Rome if you are encouraging your kids to appreciate arts. It has many interesting sculptures inspired by ancient myths and stories of the gods. There is a family guide tour for children younger than 6 years old who might get bored easily.

Free Printable activity for kids in Rome

FIND ROME’S OBELISKS

Something to keep your kids’ busy is this free printable activity that they can use to find Rome Obelisks. The global timeline of ancient Rome and ancient Egypt showed that it happened at the exact same time. Can they find the ancient Egyptian obelisks? The stories behind the obelisks are interesting – while some people believed they were stolen, others believe they were taken from Egypt during the Roman Conquest.

So thinking about it, it makes sense that Rome is actually home to Ancient Egyptian obelisks. And even more, interestingly, Rome is home to the most obelisks in the world. Eight ancient Egyptian obelisks were taken from Egypt after the Roman conquest. It’s really interesting that this conquest resulted in culturally significant items being transported back home instead of them being destroyed. Ancient Romans were clearly fascinated by obelisks that they had more of manufactured in Egypt. The fascination even continues all the way into the 19th century when more obelisks were constructed around the city.

Make sure to check out the free printable to see if you can find them.

All-inclusive Rome Vacations Final Thoughts

Rome provides the answers to questions your kids might have had about the importance of Roman Britain and the fascinating history of the Colosseum. I hope you found this guide useful for planning your all-inclusive Rome Vacations. Let me know in the comments what you think about Rome.

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