After visiting Venice with a toddler, I feel like I’ve unlocked a new level of parenthood. This stimulating city is not for the faint of heart – but especially for parents visiting with toddlers.

While Venice with kids is something many avoid, I’m glad I had the opportunity to cross this incredible Italian wonder off my bucket list – even if the experience was different than I anticipated.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re also looking to take on the challenges (and joys!) of visiting Venice with a toddler.

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Whew, talk about a loaded question! I think the better question is: Is Venice worth visiting regardless of the individual experience you’ll have? If your answer to that is “yes”, then it’s worth visiting with a toddler. (Personally, Venice was on my bucket list for ages and I didn’t want to continue pushing it off, so it was a “yes” for me.)

That said, you’ll undoubtedly have a very different experience visiting Venice with a toddler vs without one, so do give that some careful consideration. If you wish to indulge in leisurely dinners, take a romantic gondola ride, and stroll endlessly through the many museums, etc., you’ll either need to:

1. Manage your expectations of what’s actually realistic with a toddler
2. Leave your child behind with a caregiver
3. Wait until your toddler is older to visit the way you want to

Yes, you can bring a stroller in Venice. That said, if you’re traveling with a toddler (who can’t reliably and consistently walk for long stretches), it will frankly be miserable whether you bring a stroller or don’t.

On the plus side, a stroller will allow you to strap your child down so they can’t fall into a canal and provide a resting spot when they inevitably tire of walking.

On the downside, you’ll constantly be lifting the stroller up and over bridges to cross all of the canals. (You’re going to tire quickly, trust me!)

Unfortunately, there’s no perfect solution here, given this challenging age. IMHO, a stroller is basically essential for traveling with a toddler, though it will hinder you as much as help in Venice.

Yes, babies can join you for a gondola ride in Venice. In fact, a standard ride includes up to 5 people (which includes infants/toddlers).

The better question is, do you actually want to bring your baby on a gondola? If you’re concerned about your child’s safety (or otherwise feel it will take away from your enjoyment of the gondola ride), my vote is to save your money and ride the vaporettos instead.

Given its many canals (and corresponding bridges!), Venice can be a challenging destination to navigate with a toddler.

That said, with a little advance planning (and a healthy dose of expectation management), you can still find joy in this unique Italian adventure with your little one.

Here are some key tips for making the most of your family time in Venice:

• Consider your stroller (& the many bridges!) carefully – Venice has 150+ canals, so just imagine how many corresponding bridges you’ll need to cross over on foot! This can be tedious for anyone, but it’s particularly strenuous (and annoying) with a stroller, so I suggest bringing the lightest one possible with you. We’re looking to get a Cybex LIBELLE Ultra Lightweight Travel Stroller for our next trip.
• Decide if a baby carrier may help – Although this guide is focused on visiting Venice with toddlers (who are too heavy for baby carriers), you may be considering bringing your baby here, too. If that’s the case, you’ll likely have an easier time navigating the city with your baby in a carrier vs a stroller (provided they’re still under the recommended weight limit).
• Think about water safety – For better or worse, water safety will be a recurring theme of your trip to Venice with a toddler. For one, canals have open sides, so you’ll need to be diligent about keeping your little one from teetering off the edge as you walk around. Another thing to keep in mind is that gondolas don’t have life jackets on board, so if you decide to splurge on a ride with your child, it’s an enter-at-your-own-risk situation. (Otherwise, you can bring one along with you if it puts your mind at ease.)
• Calculate if the ACTV Tourist Travel Card is actually worth it – Many bloggers hype up the ACTV card (which allows unlimited vaporetto rides during the timeframe you select) like it’s a rite of passage, but it reality, it may not actually be worth your money. Personally, after doing the math, we skipped it, as I realized we’d be able to largely get around on foot.
• Check if you need restaurant reservations in advance – As is often the case with restaurants in popular Italian cities, you may need a reservation. Some places are strict about this policy, whereas others will allow walk-ins, so be sure to do your research.
• Don’t over-plan – While things like focusing on safety and having a loose itinerary (to avoid having to retrace your steps as you travel) are helpful in Venice, you also don’t want to over-plan your trip. It’s better to manage your expectations and leave room for your child(ren) to explore more freely. For instance, toddlers will probably have a limited attention span for things like adult-focused museums, but they may love running around piazzas.

While I wasn’t keen on shelling out over $100 for my toddler to potentially leap from a gondola, I’m definitely pro-vaporetto with littles.

These public water buses give you the best of both worlds when you’re traveling with a toddler – they’re a convenient (and inexpensive) way to get around and they can provide built-in entertainment.

Our girl loved looking out the window and watching the other boats go by.

You can check out the vaporetto routes and timetables here to plan your itinerary.

As a self-proclaimed “playground parent”, I’m always on the hunt for the best nearby parks when we travel with our toddler. While Venice doesn’t have a ton of playgrounds (as compared to some other destinations we’ve visited), there are a nice handful, if you look around.

Our personal favorite was Giardini Napoleonici (a.k.a Napoleon Gardens), located in the Castello district.

In addition to a playground with climbing structures on two separate sides, the park offers an abundance of trees and benches, making it a great spot for some shade on a hot day.

We also enjoyed Parco Savorgnan in the Cannaregio district.

One of the things I love most about Venice (and Italy in general) is the sheer number of piazzas. These wide-yet-semi-enclosed areas can be a huge relief for toddler parents, as you can let your little one “off-leash” so-to-speak. (And just to clarify, no, we don’t literally keep her on a leash.)

Given how many (open!) canals there are throughout the city, it’s always nice to have a place to breathe a bit, sit on a bench, etc. without worrying that your child will tumble into a canal. 

My personal favorite (for its Italian charm, neighborhood feel, and lack of crowds) is Campo San Polo.

Our daughter loved roaming free here and even made some friends (of the human and pigeon variety) along the way!

One of my favorite spots in all of Venice, Libreria Acqua Alta is a great addition to any toddler-friendly itinerary.

The most famous bookstore in the city, it has a dedicated children’s section as well as a fun “staircase” of books just outside the back door that littles can climb over.

Our daughter also loved the quirky little details here, like floor-to-ceiling book stacks and even books organized in gondola boats!

I could go on and on about the drool-worthiness of Venice’s cicchetti and tramezzini – which is why I dedicated a whole separate post to talking about them!

Pop over and find out exactly where and what to eat in Venice before your first (or next) trip.

Another area I cover in my foodie guide is gelato – after all, this is Italy we’re talking about!

We personally enjoyed Suso Gelatoteca, a teeny gelato stop just steps from a lovely canal.

For additional family-friendly recommendations, check out my Venice foodie guide as well as some of the best cafés in Venice!

I’ll be creating a separate guide on the best neighborhoods in Venice with all of my recommendations in the near future, so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, as a quick reference, we stayed at this charming canal-side apartment with an adorable balcony.

Or, for a broader scope of Venice’s many properties, you can check out accommodations via this handy interactive map.

I hope this guide has given you some helpful insight on what to expect when visiting Venice with a toddler.

What questions do you have for me about a family-friendly trip to the floating city? Let me know in the comments below!