Florence with Kids: Gelato, Giants, and Renaissance Secrets

Lunch at Buca Mario

Buca Mario, open since 1886 and just a short walk from the Piazza della Signoria, serves classic Florentine dishes like ribollita and bistecca in a warm, vaulted dining room that feels special without

Piazza della Repubblica and Caffe Gilli

Start your trip at Florence's grand central square, then duck into Caffe Gilli, a historic cafe open since 1733, for pastries and hot chocolate to shake off any travel fatigue. Kids love the ornate Be

Palazzo Vecchio Children's Museum

The Palazzo Vecchio runs a dedicated kids' museum experience inside the actual medieval town hall, with costumed guides who lead children through secret passages and hidden rooms. The 'Stories of Flor

Piazzale Michelangelo at Sunset

Take the scenic staircase or bus 13 up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view over the entire city as the light turns golden. There is plenty of open space for kids to run around, plus vendors

Mercato Centrale

The covered Mercato Centrale on Via dell'Ariento is a two-floor food market where the ground floor sells fresh produce, cheese, and meat alongside vendors making lampredotto sandwiches and fresh pasta

Galleria dell'Accademia

Book skip-the-line tickets in advance and head straight to Michelangelo's David, which genuinely stuns visitors of all ages including skeptical tweens who thought a marble statue couldn't be interesti

Museo di San Marco

The convent of San Marco houses Fra Angelico's breathtaking frescoes, including the famous Annunciation at the top of the stairs, and older kids often find the individual monk cells each painted with

San Lorenzo Outdoor Market

The open-air stalls surrounding the Basilica di San Lorenzo spill across several blocks and sell leather goods, scarves, Florentine paper, and souvenirs at prices lower than the boutiques nearby. Let

Gelateria dei Neri

Gelateria dei Neri on Via dei Neri is widely considered one of the best gelaterias in Florence, using seasonal ingredients and natural flavors without artificial colorings. The line moves fast and the

Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens

Cross the Arno to the Oltrarno neighborhood and spend the morning exploring the vast Boboli Gardens behind Palazzo Pitti, a Renaissance garden with fountains, grottos, and wide gravel paths that kids

Lunch at Trattoria Sostanza

Trattoria Sostanza, known locally as 'Il Troia,' has been serving Florentine comfort food since 1869 and is famous for its butter pasta and their legendary butter-fried artichokes. The long communal t

Crossing the Ponte Vecchio

Walk across the famous Ponte Vecchio, the medieval bridge lined with gold and silver jewelry shops, and let kids peer over the railings at the Arno below and spot the padlocks visitors leave on the br

Bike Rental at Florence by Bike

Florence by Bike near Santa Croce rents family-friendly bikes including options with child seats and tandem attachments, and the mostly flat route along the Arno toward the Cascine park is manageable

Museo Galileo

The Museo Galileo on the Piazza dei Giudici holds Galileo's actual telescopes, early globes, and hands-on scientific instruments from the Renaissance, and older kids especially love the room dedicated

Lunch at Vivoli Gelateria and Caffe

Vivoli, located a short walk from Santa Croce and open since 1929, serves gelato in cups only (no cones, a charming quirk) and is one of the oldest gelaterias in the city. Pair a cup of their hazelnut

Parco delle Cascine

Florence's largest public park stretches along the Arno for nearly three kilometers and has wide shaded paths, a swimming pool complex open in summer, a small carousel, and plenty of flat green space

Souvenir Shopping on Via dei Tornabuoni

Florence's most elegant shopping street is lined with Italian brands like Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci, but the side streets off Via dei Tornabuoni hold excellent smaller shops selling Florentine lea

Family Cooking Class at Cucina Lorenzo de' Medici

The cooking school at the Palazzo Nonfinito runs family-focused morning classes where kids and parents make fresh pasta and a simple dessert together with professional instruction in English. Children

Enoteca Pinchiorri Lunch (or Buca dell'Orafo for families)

For a celebratory final lunch, Buca dell'Orafo near the Uffizi has been a Florentine institution since the 1940s and serves classic bistecca alla Fiorentina and handmade pastas in a relaxed setting th

Basilica di Santa Croce

Santa Croce is the burial church of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli and the vast nave is covered in colorful tomb slabs that kids can walk across and read like a treasure map of famous Florenti