A successful family holiday sometimes feels like the holy grail. With adults wanting a reviving escape, and children looking for their next adventure; trying to find balance seems impossible. But, when it comes to family holidays, Italy truly does have it all. Whether you’re soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine on the Amalfi Coast, exploring Tuscan hills or firing up young imaginations in historic cities, there’s something to keep every member of the family thoroughly entertained. And at Scott Dunn, we’ll customise any region of Italy to suit your interests and needs to ensure your ideal family getaway.
Is Italy a good place for a family holiday?
Absolutely! From fairytale Tuscan farmhouses to Sicily's palatial resorts, it’s easy to find family-friendly accommodation in Italy. Italian culture already famously loves children and many family hotels offer kids' clubs that reflect that passion with creative and engaging activities. The adults, meanwhile, can switch off thanks to the impeccable service and make memorable moments in spas and Michelin-star restaurants.
The diverse landscape also perfectly suits all families – from the adventurous to the laid-back – with a huge range of activities like cultural immersion, skiing, hiking and cycling. Rest assured that a luxury family holiday to Italy with Scott Dunn will cater to everyone's needs.
Things to Do on Holiday in Italy with Family
We know that it’s the one-of-a-kind experiences that make any adventure extra special. But in a country like Italy, there's so much on offer that it can be hard to know where to begin. Here’s the inside track on things to do on holiday in Italy with your family.
Experience the famous cuisine
It’s not a family holiday in Italy if you’re not gorging on the delicious pizza, pasta and gelato on offer. Roll up your sleeves and get stuck into a cooking class, like this Tuscan lesson at Borgo Santo Pietro or a gelato workshop in Florence. Naples is the home of pizza, so where better to learn how to create the tastiest slice? You can learn the art of pizza making with a professional pizzaiolo, who'll teach your family all the secrets to creating the perfect Margherita. It doesn’t get more authentic than this.
Try something new
Adventurous families should head straight to the Dolomites. Regardless of the time of year, there's plenty to do in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can head out for stunning hikes, go e-biking around Lake Garda, and try mountaineering in the summer or experience epic skiing in the winter.
Get lost in history and culture
Meanwhile, the way to bring Italy’s iconic history and culture to life for you and your children is through private tours and interactive experiences. Tales of the thrilling gladiator lessons in Rome will take you back to school, an out-of-hours tour of the Vatican will leave you all agog, and discovering ancient Rome with an archaeologist is just about the most interesting history lesson you could have.
The list of things to do on holiday in Italy with your family goes on – just ask our travel experts.
Luxury Beach Family Holidays in Italy
Italy’s seaside towns are some of the most stylish around. There are beachside lidos, cool gelato stalls, swathes of family-friendly beaches, hidden coves for the intrepid, and even a spot of aqua aerobics if you’re lucky. Like the rest of the country, the landscape along the coast changes vastly from region to region.
Few places can compare to the colourful towns and breathtaking terrace views along the Amalfi Coast. The area is the stuff of legend, captured by countless Hollywood films and loved by the
rich and famous. If you're looking for family holidays in Italy with a beach, this area might be more suited to older children as reaching many of the spots requires clambering over rocks and down steep steps to get to pebble beaches. But once you're there, you’re rewarded with a refreshing plunge into the cool, clear waters.
Puglia’s sandy shores are better for a wider range of ages and the region is laid-back and effortlessly cool in comparison to Amalfi. You’ve got a bit of everything here, from the shady beach cafés serving simple lunches to family-friendly resorts with glossy beach clubs closed off from the crowds.
When it comes to family holidays in Italy with a beach, Sicily’s shores are a beautiful off-season option, with sunshine from May right through to October and temperatures that are warm enough for swimming. There’s a whole host of beaches to discover, from craggy rocks and pebble shores to sandy coves.
Best Places to Visit on a Luxury Family Holiday to Italy
The beaches are fabulous, but family holidays in Italy have so much more to offer. If you want to expose your children to cultural pursuits then cities are the perfect place, while the lakes and mountains will reconnect you with nature. Read on to discover the best places to go in Italy with families.
Italian Cities
Italy is an excellent destination for tweens and teens, particularly in its cities. All the art, history, and culture that they’ve been studying jump off the page into reality. Our expert guides lead tours of ancient Roman ruins and world-class museums to make the country’s past fascinating for older children. The food, the sights and the shopping are legendary too – teens won’t be able to resist the allure of experiencing it all.
In Rome, explore the wonder of the Vatican Museums after hours or capture their imagination by solving riddles around a Leonardo da Vinci treasure hunt. And after all that, you can refuel your hungry children at one of Rome’s many food markets with a private chef.
Don’t think Venice is only for adults, either. Children will love taking a gondola ride through the canals, learning how to blow glass on Murano, and sampling cicchetti on a tour around the city. And as for Florence, the whole family will fall in love with the romance and beauty of its architecture. The city centre is compact, which makes it easier to explore with kids in tow and it's a perfect starting point for a family holiday in Italy's famous Tuscany region.
Lake Garda
The picturesque landscape of Lake Garda is a captivating playground for the young and old(er). There is sailing on the calm waters, paddling on the shores, flat cycle paths to explore, and the idyllic lakefront towns such as Sirmione and Malcesine Harbour, with their castles and charming cobblestone streets. For older kids, a visit to Gardaland, Italy's largest amusement park, adds a thrilling dose of adrenaline to a family holiday in Italy. There's a certain kind of magic to Lake Garda. Perhaps it's something to do with being between the water and mountains or the romantic villages that circle it. Either way, it's a destination that'll leave all the family feeling relaxed.
South Tyrol
In the northernmost part of the country is a region that's worlds away from the bustling cities and cultural hotspots Italy is so often associated with. South Tyrol, bordering Austria, is an autonomous region of picture-book mountain peaks and towns steeped in Alpine traditions.
Whether you visit in summer or winter, you'll find an area that's deeply connected to nature. South Tyrol is one of the five Italian provinces the Dolomites wind their way through, giving the region some of the longest ski runs in Europe. In summer, the area is a magnet for hikers, climbers, swimmers, sailors and mountain bikers. For those looking for a less action-packed holiday, there are fabulous, forward-thinking spas, Michelin-star restaurants and meadows full of wildflowers – not to mention some of the best luxury family resorts in Italy.
Tuscany
Rolling ochre hills, stone farmhouses, olive groves and vineyards drenched in sunlight – Tuscany hardly needs introducing. Its enchanting landscape is iconic, and few can resist the charm of the region. Whether you're looking for total relaxation in an all-bells-and-whistles hotel with a kids' club, spa and Michelin-star food or a more adventurous stay exploring medieval towns and day-tripping to the coast, Tuscany has it all.
Fly into Siena for the postcard-perfect landscapes in the Val d’Orcia. The UNESCO World Heritage Site includes stunning hilltop towns such as Montepulciano and Pienza. Once there, join a cooking class, meet local artisans, and go on cycle rides with a delicious picnic in tow. Depending on the age of your children, you could also take advantage of your hotel’s kids’ club and head out on a private wine-tasting tour of Chianti.
