Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Italy for Families: Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast
10 days from Venice to Sorrento by fast train for families with children 8 and up: a rowing lesson in Venice, gelato in Florence, gladiator school and the Colosseum underground in Rome, Pompeii and a boat day on the Amalfi Coast.
10 days · Venice to Naples · up to 12 guests
Florence from the hills south of the Arno Photo: Nikolaï POSNER, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Florence_-_Italy.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Venice to Naples
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
City walking on most days, about 5 to 9 km a day on cobbles, bridges with steps in Venice and uneven ancient paving in Rome and Pompeii, with stops for shade and gelato. The longest stretches on foot are the Colosseum morning and Pompeii, about two and a half to three hours each. No long drives: about an hour and a half on the road at most. The rowing lesson, gladiator school and swims are suited to children of 8 and up, and any part can be sat out.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,055 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- A rowing lesson on a quiet Venetian canal, standing up and facing forward like a gondolier
- Painting your own Carnival mask with a Venetian mask maker
- Michelangelo's David at 8:15, then Galileo's telescopes at the Museo Galileo
- Making gelato with a Florentine gelato maker
- Down into the hypogeum under the Colosseum, then out onto the arena floor
- Gladiator school near the Appian Way, with wooden swords and mock duels
- Pompeii with an archaeologist guide, then a pizza-making dinner in Sorrento
- A boat for the group along the Amalfi Coast to Positano and Amalfi, with swim stops
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,055 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Venice by water taxi
Venice Marco Polo Airport to your hotel in Venice by water taxi
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Venice
- By boat
Fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), where we meet you in arrivals and a water taxi carries the family across the lagoon to a landing close to your hotel in the historic centre, within walking distance of San Marco or the Rialto. If you arrive by train, we meet you at Santa Lucia station instead. The boat follows lines of wooden posts across open water, then slows down as it enters the canals. Plan to land by about 3 pm so there is time to settle in and rest.
Evening
Early in the evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the families for a short briefing: how the days run, which afternoons are free, and what to pack for Pompeii and the boat day. Then we walk together to an early welcome dinner, with plain pasta for anyone who wants it, and back through quieter lanes before bedtime. Venice has no cars, so children walk without traffic, but canal edges have no railings.
Included
- Water taxi from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), or a meet at Santa Lucia station
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Early welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early evening briefing
San Marco early, then a mask workshop
A walking day around San Marco and the Rialto
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Venice
- By boat
We are in Piazza San Marco before 9 am, while the square is still quiet and the café chairs are going out. When the Basilica opens at 9:30 we go in on a reserved slot with a local guide. Inside, the domes are covered in gold mosaic; children can hunt for the birds and animals set into the marble floor, and learn why the four bronze horses on the front are copies. From there we walk through the lanes to a mask workshop, where a Venetian artisan explains how papier-mâché masks were made for Carnival, and every child, and any adult who wants to, paints a blank mask to take home; it takes about an hour and a half and dries in time to pack.
Afternoon
Lunch is together at a trattoria. The afternoon is yours: the Rialto Bridge and the market stalls, a gelato on the Zattere, or a ride down the Grand Canal on the vaporetto pass we give you. Your guide suggests routes for each age and stays reachable by phone.
Included
- Early walk through Piazza San Marco with your guide
- St Mark's Basilica on a reserved entry, with a local guide
- Mask-painting workshop with a Venetian mask maker
- Lunch at a trattoria
- A vaporetto pass for your days in Venice
Optional experiences
- A gondola ride, booked through your guide at the official rate
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: Shoulders and knees must be covered inside St Mark's, for children too.
A rowing lesson, then the train to Florence
Venice to Florence by fast train, then the old centre on foot
- Breakfast
- Stay in Florence
- By boat
Morning
This morning the children take the oar. On a quiet canal away from the Grand Canal, a local rowing instructor teaches voga alla veneta, the Venetian way of rowing standing up and facing forward, the stroke gondoliers use, in a wide and stable traditional boat. Each lesson takes a few families at a time for about an hour and a half, and life jackets are provided. While we row, porters collect your bags and our vehicle drives them about 260 km to Florence, so you travel with a day bag and no one spends the day in a van.
Afternoon
After lunch on your own we ride the vaporetto to Santa Lucia station for a reserved fast train to Florence, about two hours across the Po plain and through the Apennine tunnels. We reach the hotel, within walking distance of the Duomo, in the late afternoon and take an easy first walk: past the cathedral's marble front, through Piazza della Signoria and onto the Ponte Vecchio, its shops built out over the river, as the light turns gold.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your choice.
Included
- Venetian rowing lesson (voga alla veneta) with a local instructor
- Your bags taken by road from your Venice hotel to your Florence hotel
- Reserved fast train from Venice to Florence
- Evening walk with your guide: the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio
Easier option: Anyone who prefers can ride in the boat while others row, or skip the lesson for a slow breakfast.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Children must be able to sit still in a small boat; the instructor confirms the youngest age that suits the lesson.
David, Galileo and a sunset over Florence
A walking day in central Florence, then Piazzale Michelangelo
- Breakfast
- Stay in Florence
We are at the Accademia when it opens at 8:15 and stay about forty-five minutes: long enough for Michelangelo's David, more than five metres of marble, and the unfinished Prisoners that seem to climb out of their blocks, short enough for younger legs. A licensed local guide tells the story in a way children follow. Then we walk past the Duomo and the gilded doors of the Baptistery to the Museo Galileo by the Arno, a visit children tend to enjoy because it is hands-on. It holds two of Galileo's own telescopes, the lens with which he found the moons of Jupiter, giant globes, clocks and early scientific instruments, and, in a small glass case, one of his fingers.
Afternoon
Lunch is on your own and the afternoon is free: rest at the hotel or wander the Boboli Gardens across the river.
Evening
In the early evening we walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sun go down over the domes and towers; the climb is steep, and a bus or taxi goes up for anyone who prefers.
Included
- Michelangelo's David at the Accademia at 8:15, with a licensed local guide
- The Museo Galileo
- Sunset walk to Piazzale Michelangelo with your guide
Optional experiences
- The Uffizi on a family tour, booked when you confirm
Easier option: Take a taxi or the bus up to Piazzale Michelangelo instead of the steps.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: The Accademia closes on Mondays and the Museo Galileo closes early on Tuesdays, so we choose departure dates around them.
A gelato class, then the train to Rome
Florence to Rome by fast train, then the Pantheon, Sant'Ignazio and the Trevi Fountain on foot
- Breakfast
- Stay in Rome
- By train
Morning
Florentines like to say they invented gelato, and this morning a gelato maker shows the families how it is done: how milk, sugar and fruit become gelato, why it is denser and served warmer than ice cream, and how to spot a good shop by its colours.
Afternoon
The children make a batch and everyone tastes it, so we count it as a mid-morning snack rather than lunch. Your bags go ahead by road again. After a free lunch we take a reserved fast train to Rome, about an hour and a half, and our vehicle meets us at Roma Termini for the hotel, within walking distance of Piazza Navona or the Pantheon. In the late afternoon we walk to the Pantheon, nearly 1,900 years old, to stand under the open circle at the top of its dome; on to Sant'Ignazio, where Andrea Pozzo painted a dome on a flat canvas and a marble disc on the floor shows where to stand to be fooled; and to the Trevi Fountain to throw a coin over your shoulder.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Gelato-making class with a Florentine gelato maker
- Your bags taken by road from your Florence hotel to your Rome hotel
- Reserved fast train from Florence to Rome
- Transfer from Roma Termini to your hotel
- Late-afternoon walk with your guide: the Pantheon (entry included), Sant'Ignazio and the Trevi Fountain
Free time: Lunch and the evening free
Under the Colosseum
The Colosseum underground and arena floor, the Roman Forum and the Palatine
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rome
This is the day most children have been waiting for. We meet a licensed archaeologist guide at the Colosseum for one of the first entry slots and go where most visitors cannot: down into the hypogeum, the two levels of stone passages and cells under the arena where gladiators waited and wild animals were raised into the light on wooden lifts, then out onto the rebuilt section of the arena floor to look up at the stands as a fighter would have. Underground visits run in small numbers and sell out early, so we book them as soon as you confirm. Afterwards we cross into the Roman Forum, walk the Via Sacra past the Arch of Titus and climb the Palatine Hill, where the emperors built their palaces, for the view back over the Forum and the Circus Maximus.
Afternoon
Lunch is together at a trattoria in Monti. The afternoon is free: most families rest, and some rent a bike or a pedal cart in the Villa Borghese gardens.
Included
- The Colosseum underground (hypogeum) and arena floor on a timed entry, with a licensed guide
- The Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill
- Lunch at a trattoria in Monti
Easier option: Skip the Palatine climb and wait in the shade of the Forum, or head back to the hotel after the Colosseum.
More active option: Climb to the Orange Garden on the Aventine and look through the Knights of Malta keyhole at the dome of St Peter's.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About three hours on foot, on uneven ancient paving and steps. Colosseum tickets carry each guest's name, so we ask for passport names when you book.
Gladiator school on the Appian Way
Rome to a gladiator school near the Appia Antica and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Rome
- Drive about 30 min
Yesterday the children stood on the arena floor; today they train for it. Our vehicle takes us about twenty minutes out to the Appia Antica area, where a historical re-enactment group runs a gladiator school. Instructors explain the different kinds of gladiator, their armour and weapons, and the rules of a fight, because there were rules and a referee. Then everyone gets a tunic and a wooden sword and is drilled in the moves, finishing with mock duels; parents can fight too or take the photos. It lasts about two hours.
Afternoon
We are back in the centre of Rome by early afternoon, and lunch and the rest of the day are free. Your guide can book an afternoon family tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, or send you to Trastevere, Campo de' Fiori or the Spanish Steps.
Evening
Tomorrow starts early, so tonight is a good one for an early pizza and bed.
Included
- Gladiator school with a historical re-enactment group: costumes, wooden swords, drills and mock duels
- Transfers to and from the school in our vehicle
Optional experiences
- The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel on an afternoon family tour, booked when you confirm
Easier option: Watch from the side and take the photos.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: Gentle exercise in the open air; bring water, sunscreen and trainers.
Pompeii, then on to Sorrento
Rome to Naples by fast train, then Pompeii and Sorrento by road
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Sorrento
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A reserved fast train takes about an hour and ten minutes from Rome to Naples, where our own vehicle meets us with the bags, which left Rome by road early in the morning. It is about half an hour to Pompeii. With a licensed archaeologist guide we walk the town that Vesuvius buried in AD 79: stepping stones that let Romans cross the street without wetting their feet, ruts worn by cart wheels, bakeries with their ovens, a street-food counter, the amphitheatre and the plaster casts of people caught in the ash, which your guide prepares younger children for. We walk about two and a half hours on uneven stone with little shade, so bring water and hats.
Afternoon
After lunch together in the modern town of Pompei it is about forty-five minutes along the coast to Sorrento, on its cliff above the Bay of Naples. The rest of the afternoon is free.
Evening
In the evening we make our own dinner: a pizza-making lesson where everyone stretches and tops a pizza and eats it hot from the oven.
Included
- Reserved fast train from Rome to Naples
- Your bags taken by road from your Rome hotel to your Sorrento hotel
- Pompeii with a licensed archaeologist guide
- Lunch in Pompei
- Pizza-making lesson and dinner
Easier option: A shorter loop of Pompeii, about an hour and a half, with a rest in the shade of the Forum.
More active option: Walk out to the Villa of the Mysteries at the far edge of the site with your guide.
Free time: Afternoon free in Sorrento
Activity: Pompeii entry is by named ticket and the site limits daily visitors, so we book it with your other entries.
A boat day on the Amalfi Coast
Sorrento by boat to Positano and Amalfi, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sorrento
- By boat
Today we see the coast from the sea, which spares everyone the winding road.
Morning
A boat for our group only leaves Sorrento's harbour mid-morning and rounds Punta Campanella, the tip of the peninsula, with Capri close across the strait, then runs along the Amalfi Coast past the Li Galli islets to Positano, its houses stacked up the cliff. We stop to swim in clear coves, with life jackets, masks and snorkels on board, and go ashore at Positano for about an hour.
Afternoon
Lunch is together in Amalfi, then there is time to climb the broad steps to the cathedral of Sant'Andrea or share a lemon granita in the piazza.
Evening
We are back in Sorrento by late afternoon, salty and tired, and the evening is free for a last walk along the Corso Italia. If the sea is too rough to go out, which can happen even in summer, we switch to a road day with the same towns and a swim at a beach.
Included
- A boat for the group along the Amalfi Coast, with swim stops
- Time ashore in Positano
- Lunch in Amalfi and time in the town
Easier option: Stay on board or on the beach for the swim stops, or spend the day in Sorrento.
More active option: Snorkel at every stop, or swim from the boat into the sea caves where the crew says it is safe.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Children must wear a life jacket on board, and swim stops depend on the sea; the crew decides.
Sorrento to Naples and home
Sorrento to Naples International Airport (NAP) or Napoli Centrale station
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A last breakfast with the bay below, then our vehicle takes the families to Naples International Airport (NAP), about 50 km and an hour to an hour and a half depending on traffic on the coast road and the motorway, or to Napoli Centrale station if you are carrying on by train. Your guide rides with the group and makes sure everyone is checked in before saying goodbye. We time the transfer to the group's flights; book a flight leaving after about noon to travel without a rush. If you would like more time by the sea, we can add nights in Sorrento before or after the trip.
Evening
Some families fly home from Rome instead: the fast train from Naples to Rome takes about an hour and ten minutes, and the express train from Roma Termini to Fiumicino about half an hour more, so an evening flight from Rome works too.
Included
- Transfer to Naples International Airport (NAP) or Napoli Centrale station
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about noon.
- Venice2 nights
- Florence2 nights
- Rome3 nights
- Sorrento2 nights
- Naplesend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: From June to August Rome and Pompeii are hot, often above 30°C, so sightseeing runs in the morning and the afternoons are free. Boat days need calm seas; if the sea is rough we take the road instead. Venice can flood at high tide, mostly from October to December.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Families with children aged 8 and up on a first trip to Italy
- Parents who want the big sights with a guide, at a child's pace
- Children who like doing things: rowing, painting, making gelato and pizza, sword drills and snorkelling
- Families who would rather not haul suitcases through stations and over bridges
Not for you if you want
- Children under 8: the minimum age is 8 on every departure
- Step-free access or pushchairs: Venice has bridges with steps and Pompeii has uneven stone streets
- Adults travelling without children (our Venice, Florence and Rome trip suits you better)
- Families who want a week on one beach
Minimum age: 8
Most guests are Families with children aged 8 to 16
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Venice2 nights
- Florence2 nights
- Rome3 nights
- Sorrento2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 2 in Venice, 2 in Florence, 3 in Rome and 2 in Sorrento
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard, within walking distance of San Marco or the Rialto, the Duomo, Piazza Navona and Piazza Tasso; we ask for family, triple or connecting rooms and name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Hotel city taxes
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Water taxi from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), or a meet at Santa Lucia station, on day 1
- A vaporetto pass for your days in Venice
- Reserved fast trains: Venice to Florence, Florence to Rome and Rome to Naples
- Our own vehicle and driver for your bags between every base, the Roma Termini transfer, the gladiator school, Pompeii and the road to Sorrento
- A boat for the group on the Amalfi Coast day
- Transfer to Naples International Airport (NAP) or Napoli Centrale station on day 10
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 10
- Licensed local guides at St Mark's, the Accademia, the Colosseum and Pompeii
- Tips for local guides, instructors, drivers and the boat crew
Activities
- Venice: St Mark's Basilica, a mask-painting workshop and a Venetian rowing lesson
- Florence: Michelangelo's David at the Accademia, the Museo Galileo, a gelato-making class and Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset
- Rome: the Pantheon, Sant'Ignazio, the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum underground and arena floor, the Roman Forum and the Palatine, and gladiator school
- Pompeii with a licensed archaeologist guide
- Sorrento: a pizza-making lesson
- The Amalfi Coast by boat: Positano, Amalfi and swim stops
- All entrance fees for included sights, on timed entries where the site offers them
Meals
- 9 breakfasts
- 4 lunches: in Venice, in Rome after the Colosseum, in Pompei and in Amalfi
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Venice and a pizza-making dinner in Sorrento
- The gelato you make in Florence
Not included
- International flights to Venice and from Naples
- Visa or travel authorisation fees, such as ETIAS once it applies
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- A tip for your See Sight Tours guide, at your discretion
- Optional activities such as a gondola ride, the Uffizi or the Vatican Museums
- Beach chairs and umbrellas
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,055 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights in central hotels with city taxes, 9 breakfasts, 4 lunches, a welcome dinner and a pizza-making dinner, three reserved fast trains, a water taxi, a vaporetto pass, a boat for the Amalfi Coast day, our vehicle for your bags and transfers, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, licensed local guides, tips for them, and every entry and activity in the day plan, including the Colosseum underground and gladiator school.
What ages is this trip for?
Children must be 8 or older on every departure, and every booking includes at least one child. The activities, from the rowing lesson to gladiator school and snorkelling, are chosen for children of about 8 to 16, and teenagers are welcome. For younger children, a private trip lets us adapt the pace and the activities.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, counting children, so it is usually three or four families. That is small enough to share one boat, one table at lunch and one rowing lesson, and for the guide to change the plan when a child is tired.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the water taxi in Venice to the transfer in Naples. Licensed local guides join for St Mark's, the Accademia, the Colosseum and Pompeii, where the sites require them, and local instructors run the rowing lesson, the gelato class and gladiator school.
How much walking is there for children?
About 5 to 9 km on most days, broken up with gelato and shade. The Colosseum morning and Pompeii are the longest, about two and a half to three hours on uneven stone. Each of those days has an easier option, and afternoons are mostly free for rest, so children of 8 and up usually manage well.
I am a single parent. Do I pay a single supplement?
No. A parent sharing a room with one child pays the per-person price with no supplement. The single supplement, CAD 1,055, applies only to someone who wants a room alone. Tell us your family's make-up and we ask each hotel for the right triple, family or connecting rooms.
When is the best time to go?
April to June and September to October are warm without being hot, and the sea is usually calm enough for the boat day from late spring. July and August suit school holidays but are hot in Rome and Pompeii, often above 30°C, so we sightsee in the morning and keep afternoons free.
Do we have to carry our luggage on the trains?
No. On each change of base our vehicle takes your bags by road from one hotel to the next, so the family rides the fast trains with day bags only. Porters move bags to the boat in Venice. Pack one soft bag or small case each all the same, as some hotels have stairs.
What happens if the sea is rough on the boat day?
The boat captain decides on the morning. If it is too rough, we switch to a road day in our vehicle along the Amalfi Coast with the same stops in Positano and Amalfi, lunch included, and a swim at a beach where the sea allows. Life jackets are worn by children on board.
How does booking work and how much does it cost?
The small group starts from CAD 6,205 per person sharing a room, with taxes, and a room alone is from CAD 1,055 more. Prices are indicative; we confirm any child rate with your quote. Choose a start date and request to book: we confirm your trip within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your family only, from CAD 11,170 per person, on a date you choose and at your own pace. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we quote the same hotels, trains and activities.
Do we need visas or documents for the children?
Each child needs their own passport, valid for the whole trip. Canadian, US, UK and Australian citizens do not need a visa for a short stay. The EU's ETIAS travel authorisation has no confirmed start date yet, and we tell you if it applies to your dates. A parent travelling alone with a child should carry a signed consent letter from the other parent.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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