Florence with Kids

At first glance, Florence looks like a city for art lovers, not for children. With the right selection, though, it works for both: keep museum visits short, mix them with experiences like tower climbs, a science museum and gelato breaks, and plan around the midday heat, and the Renaissance highlights turn into a family itinerary. This guide sorts out what is genuinely worth doing with children at different ages, and what to skip.

Palazzo Vecchio, dressing up and secret passages

Palazzo Vecchio is the most family-friendly address in the city, because Associazione Mus.e runs a dedicated year-round family programme there: tours, workshops and short performances, offered in Italian, English, French or Spanish depending on the date. It suits children from age 4, though not every activity runs daily, booking ahead is worthwhile.

• Court life, hands-on (ages 6-10). On this tour of life at the Medici court, children play with reconstructed Renaissance toys and dress up in 16th-century costumes. Most visits run just over an hour, short enough to hold attention.
• The Tortoise and the Sail (ages 4-7). A storytelling programme for the youngest visitors that introduces the palace's history in child-friendly form.
• Secret passages (from 10, better from 12). The roughly 75-minute tour through hidden staircases, the Studiolo of Francesco I and the Tesoretto of Cosimo I runs in small groups of up to ten people. It is recommended for families with children from age 10, and not recommended under 12, the wrong programme for younger children.

Confirmed dates, languages and prices change and are listed day-to-day on the Mus.e website; under-18s are often free with a reservation. Turning up on spec does not work for the family tours

• book in advance.

Climbing towers, which one suits which age

Children love height, and Florence has several towers to offer. What they all share: no lift, narrow, steep stairs, and none of them works with a pushchair. The differences are in the detail.

• Giotto's Campanile - 414 steps. The 85-metre bell tower (begun in 1334) is considered the most child-friendly climb, thanks to three viewing terraces along the way for breathers. There is no fixed minimum age, but children must be accompanied; with breaks, travellers report the climb takes around 25 minutes.
• The cathedral dome - 463 steps. Brunelleschi's dome is the most impressive climb, but it has narrow passages and is unsuitable for young children or pushchairs. The Brunelleschi Pass costs around €30 from age 15, a reduced €12 for ages 7-14, and is free under 6.
• Arnolfo Tower at Palazzo Vecchio, around 233 steps above the museum floors. The nearly 95-metre tower has the strictest rule: children under 6 are not admitted at all, and older children only with an adult. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 9:00-19:00, Thursdays only 9:00-14:00.

For toddlers, the bottom line is straightforward: no tower works with a pushchair, and the Arnolfo Tower is off the table under 6 anyway. That leaves the dome and the Campanile, both with no fixed minimum age, both strenuous, though the Campanile's rest platforms make it the more manageable choice for smaller children. More on the buildings themselves at Giotto's Campanile and the Duomo.

Museo Galileo, science instead of a picture gallery

When attention spans flag after too many Madonnas, the Museo Galileo is often the rescue. Among historic telescopes, globes and measuring instruments, including devices that belonged to Galileo himself, children often engage more than they do with the big painting galleries. Six interactive computer stations break up the visit, and at weekends there are science workshops for children (in Italian, booking required), with inclusive programmes available on request.

• Prices. Adults €14, ages 6 to 18 €7, under 6 free. A family ticket for two adults and up to two children costs €32. Online booking adds €1.
• Opening hours. Daily 9:30-18:00, Tuesdays only until 13:00, last admission 30 minutes before closing. Closed on 1 January and 25 December.

Older children with an interest in art may also enjoy the musical instruments museum at the Accademia Gallery: around 50 historic instruments from the conservatory's collection, including a Stradivari, can be heard at six listening stations, alongside tours, workshops and concerts for families (Via Ricasoli 58/60, Tuesday to Sunday 8:15-18:50).

Boboli Gardens, room to run

For letting off steam between museum visits, the Boboli Gardens behind Palazzo Pitti fit the bill. The terrain is mostly sloped, with clay and gravel paths, gradients and steps, a large part is pushchair-accessible, though not all of it. There is a baby-changing station near the amphitheatre, along with toilets and drinking fountains. Children under 12 must be accompanied. The operator's own pages do not list a designated children's playground; playgrounds are found outside the gardens, for example at Piazza Tasso.

• Admission. €10 on the day, €13 booked in advance. The combined Boboli plus Giardino Bardini ticket costs €15 for one day, Pitti plus Boboli €22 to €25. Under-18s go free (with a reservation).
• Opening hours 2026 (seasonal). From around 16:30 in winter (January, February, November, December) to 19:10 at the height of summer (June to August, from 8:15). Closed on the first and last Monday of the month and on 25 December, last admission one hour before closing.
• Best time. Spring (April, May) and autumn (September, October) are the most pleasant. In summer, go early at opening or after 16:00, use the shaded cypress avenue Viottolone, and avoid the unshaded amphitheatre between 11:00 and 15:00.

The neighbouring Giardino Bardini is included with the combined ticket, though its exact opening hours change seasonally.

Free sculptures and gelato

Not everything needs to cost admission. The Loggia dei Lanzi on Piazza della Signoria has been a freely accessible open-air sculpture museum since 1382, no ticket, no glass barrier. On display are Cellini's bronze Perseus (1554), Giambologna's "Rape of the Sabine Women" and the Medici lions. It makes a good spot for a quick spot-the-sculpture game along the way, though there is no dedicated children's programme for the Loggia itself.

Gelato is a fixture of any family day in Florence. Tried-and-tested, child-friendly addresses:

• Vivoli on Via Isola delle Stinche, one of the city's oldest gelaterias, dating to 1929.
• Perché No! on Via dei Tavolini, since 1939.
• Gelateria dei Neri on Via dei Neri, with indoor seating.
• La Sorbettiera on Piazza Tasso, there is a small playground opposite, which makes the break especially relaxed with children.

More on Florence's food scene is in the guide Food and Drink in Florence; family-friendly places to eat can be found near Piazza della Signoria (Osteria Caffè Italiano, La Grotta Guelfa), by Mercato Centrale (Trattoria ZaZa, book early) or with its own children's menu at the Hard Rock Cafe near Piazza della Repubblica.

Practicalities with kids, heat and cobblestones

Two things shape a day with children more than any ticket: the weather and the ground underfoot.

• Plan around the summer heat. In July and August, highs sit around 31-32°C, with some days reaching 36-38°C and occasionally close to 40°C; on average there are 61 days a year at 30°C or above. Avoid outdoor activities and tower climbs between roughly 11:00 and 16:00, plan for early morning or later afternoon instead, and spend the hottest hours in air-conditioned museums or in the shade. Pack water, hats and sunscreen. For when conditions are most comfortable, see the guide Best Time to Visit Florence.
• Expect cobblestones. The historic centre is paved almost throughout, and many lanes have no pavement, or only a narrow one, with uneven surfaces. A compact, foldable pushchair with off-road or air-filled wheels can cope; cheap buggies cannot. For the towers, the Uffizi and the Boboli Gardens, a baby carrier is the better option.
• Keep museum visits short and book time slots. That avoids queuing, and keeps patience in reserve for the next stop.
• Older, art-minded children. A short detour to the Brancacci Chapel and its Masaccio frescoes is worthwhile for them: free under 18, but only 30 minutes maximum inside, at most four tickets per time slot, and not wheelchair- or pushchair-accessible, so not an option with toddlers.