Our Rome in a day with kids was everything we hoped it would be and more. The perfect trip to visit Rome with children who were spellbound. Although this is an itinerary for 24 hours in Rome with kids this would work perfectly well on a trip without kids too.
A hot summer day in Rome with kids – St Ignatius Church’s secret
*AD / This post contains affiliate links and I may also have been compensated or gifted in this post. To read more please see my Disclosure Policy.
“Come, I’m going to show you an illusion, a secret.”
Valentina, our guide for the day led us out of the hot August sunshine and into the cool, dark space of the St Ignatius Church. We were just around the corner from the Pantheon.
We stood inside looking at the ceiling frescoes that take your breath away with their intricacy, color and detail. Was this the secret, that the clouds above us were painted?
Valentina led us forward, “stand in this spot”, she directed us towards a bronze circle on the floor. She pointed out the beautiful domed ceiling above, rising in circles as it arched towards the pinnacle and the glass windows at the top.
“It’s a painting”. I wasn’t sure I’d heard her correctly, “Sorry?” I quizzed, looking at her intently.
“Yes”, she nodded, “it’s not real, it’s a painting”.
I looked again at the dome. This was crazy.
My six-year-old gasped, “wow”. And Valentina moved us further into the church where suddenly the illusion revealed itself, the perspective was wrong from this new angle and it was very clear that the beautiful, curving dome was in fact just painted on.
It was details like this that peppered our day in Rome with interesting facts and that meant the four-hour walking tour in 40-degree heat whizzed by.
Our children aged three, six and eight loved this child-focused trip around Italy’s capital city and because this was a private tour we were able to stay longer at the places that interested us and less at those that didn’t as much.
Rome is a city that we love but this was our first visit as a family. It can feel overwhelming with so much history at every turn. Having a guide was a fantastic way to see it and as we were in Rome as part of our P&O cruise around the Mediterranean they even picked us up at the port of Civitavecchia which made the day smoother.
The driver was so friendly and took us to his favorite Rome cafe for coffee and ‘fan’ pastries. The perfect start to the day.
Drinking water like a native Roman
It was fascinating to get a real insight into the city from a native too. We learned how the buildings which are now filled with designer shops were once used to house horses and carts for the rich merchants who lived in the tall, grand homes.
And how to drink like a local from the nasoni fountain that are found on many of the streets. You hold your hand underneath the flow of water to make it spurt out of the top so it’s easier to drink.
The Spanish Steps and Pantheon
We saw the main sights too. Stopping for photographs at the Spanish steps and peering into the Pantheon which was closed for Sunday mass but its wide doors were thrown open in the summer sunshine to reveal the amazing domed ceiling, the sun beaming down through the oculus at the top and great clouds of Catholic incense.
A day in Rome – The Trevi Fountain
The Trevi fountain was being cleaned but it was still possible to see it. Waterless but gleaming and beautiful.
We threw the coins over our left shoulders as is customary here and made our wishes.
The fountain which was completed in 1762 is so impressive. With its large stone depictions of Roman Gods and a must-visit spot, even while it is being refurbished.
Fontana della Baraccia – a day in Rome with children
I really love the Trevi fountain but this time I fell more in love with the Fontana della Barcaccia, or Fountain of the Ugly Boat. Which sits at the bottom of the Spanish steps.
It’s been there since the early 17th century and filled with drinking water we just had to stop to try it out.
Piazza Navona
We wandered through Piazza Navona, a space used since the first century AD to watch the Roman games. It was transformed into a public place in the late 15th Century.
It’s now dominated by the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers, reflecting the four known continents at the time.
The children were fascinated by the many street entertainers here. And we all chuckled as the Roman centurions wandered past deep in conversation on mobile phones.
Valentina led us away from the busy, touristy cafes that lined the square and in to the sweetest little tea shop. With lavender on the tables and much cheaper drinks for us all to have a break and enjoy.
The Forum
I think my favorite part of Rome has to be The Forum. I love it for how preserved it feels and how much it’s possible to imagine being back in time as a Roman wandering these streets, columns and temples intact.
The children loved it too and it was great to be able to show them the carved details of fallen decorations. And lead them through the dusty walkways to temples and ruined buildings.
The Forum is eerie and fascinating in equal measure and just a wonderful step back in time.
The Colosseum on a day in Rome with kids
But the showstopper was always going to be the Colosseum and it didn’t disappoint. With its grand archways and walks through to the main stage.
We sidestepped the large queue for tickets and walked straight in – another big bonus of taking a tour.
Valentina perfectly paced all aspects of the tour at the children’s level and had plenty of illustrations to show how things would have looked.
This was the case in The Colosseum where she used her ipad to show how the ceiling above us would have once looked. To see it when richly decorated with the bright colors of the time.
Our favorite part was the apparently mundane elements that told us so much about the time. Roman peach stones, olive pits and oyster shells told their own tales of spectators happily munching their snacks while giraffes and bears were slain below and the different gladiators battled it out.
Ice cream
At the end of the day we stopped for big tubs of Italian ice cream. Perfect for cooling off under the shade of the trees.
I turned to my eight-year-old and asked him, “was it as good as you hoped it would be?”.
“No, it was even better!”.
And I was so happy that he now had the love for the eternal city that I have.
We already can’t wait to return.
You can see our visit to Rome in our video of all of our time with P&O cruises here –
Enjoyed this post? Find more related content here:
A guide to Italy with kids
Rome on a budget
Things to do in Rome with kids
Visiting the home of a Roman Emperor in Rome
Why not click here to sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear the best in family travel news.