From the bustling cities of Rome and Florence to sweeping landscapes of the Dolomites, each region of Italy offers something unique and exciting for families.
Bespoke family itineraries designed around Italy’s top destinations
Beaches, historic landmarks, and cultural experiences for all ages
24/7 support and seamless service
Award-winning specialists who take care of every detail
Exploring Italy as a family is easy with private guides and tailored tours that keep everyone engaged. From the sun-soaked Amalfi Coast to the rolling Tuscan hills and history-filled cities, Italy is the perfect setting. At Scott Dunn, we’ll tailor your experience so that everyone, from tiny tots and teenagers to parents and grandparents, feels enriched and fall in love with this quintessential European escape.
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.
Family beach holidays
Italy’s coastline offers swathes of family-friendly beaches, perfect for adventurous teens to little ones who just want to paddle and play.
Iconic views on the Amalfi Coast– Better suited to older kids, explore rocky paths leading to hidden pebble beaches below colourful cliffside towns.
Family-friendly beaches in Puglia – Great for all ages, enjoy this region’s sandy shores, beach cafés, and laid-back resorts plus beach clubs closed off from the crowds.
Swimming in Sicily – Perfect for an off-season holiday with family, Sicily has a long swimming season with warm waters from May to October.
Outdoor adventure
For active families, Italy’s dramatic landscapes are ready to explore in every season, from Alpine peaks to rolling countryside.
Family ski holidays – Head to the Dolomites for long ski runs, guided ski safaris between mountain refugios, and excellent ski schools for children.
Cycling – Enjoy family-friendly routes for flat cycling and e-biking at Lake Garda or guided tours through Puglia’s country lanes.
Cities, history and culture
Bring Italy’s legendary past to life with private tours and interactive experiences that make history exciting for children.
Visit the Vatican – Take an out-of-hours family tour of the Holy See for a quieter, more immersive experience.
Italian landmark tour – Walk through Florence’s historic heart and architecture with an expert guide, along with stops for a cappuccino and pastries along the way.
Experience famous cuisine
No family holiday to Italy is complete without pizza, pasta, and gelato. In regions like Tuscany and Campania, you can go beyond tasting with hands-on lessons led by local experts.
Gelato workshop in Florence – Join a gelato workshop, learn its history, then make and taste your own creation.
Pizza making in Naples – Cook alongside a pizzaiolo and master the art of the perfect Margherita in pizza’s birthplace.
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 adventure. Read on to discover the best places to go in Italy with families.
Rome
Over 2,700 years old, Rome is a city that feels like a living museum ready for your family to explore. Take in 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.
Florence
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.
The Dolomites
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.
Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast offers families a magical Mediterranean experience along Italy's most spectacular coastline. Children will be enchanted by colourful cliffside villages like Positano and Amalfi, accessible via scenic coastal drives and ferry rides. The region provides easy day trips to fascinating destinations like Pompeii and the island of Capri. Local restaurants welcome families with fresh seafood, wood-fired pizzas and famous gelato. Hiking paths, like the Path of the Gods, offer a dose of adventure with breathtaking views. The warm climate, friendly locals, and relaxed pace make it ideal for creating unforgettable family memories.
Rome
Florence
The Dolomites
Amalfi Coast
Luxury Family Holiday Resorts in Italy
Now you've got an idea of the best things to do and the best places to visit, it’s time to explore our curated collection of the best family hotels in Italy.
Best For Younger Kids
Family holidays to Italy are a treasure trove for younger kids, with tons of resorts and experiences that cater to children under 12. These properties will welcome your tribe with customised activities, imaginative kids' clubs, pint-sized bathrobes, and special treats at turn-down. There's just as much for the youngest guests as there is for adults in these properties. So, while they get creative, make and taste gelato, visit new playgrounds, and are looked after by enthusiastic babysitters, you can wander around cities, lie by the pool, or have a meal for two without being disturbed.
Borgo Egnazia has been designed based on a traditional Apulian village and is set within 20 hectares along the Puglian coast of southern Italy. The biggest draw for families at the hotel is the fantastic custom-designed space for children. The Trullalleri club for kids from eight months to eight years is bright and airy and has been cleverly divided and designed for each age group. Every day there's a varied and interesting activity programme that makes the most of the facilities and activities available. The resort also features one of the largest and best play areas in Italy. The impressive adventure playground includes wobbly walkways, a spring bridge, slides, nets to climb and a fireman's pole. While your children are being thoroughly entertained, you can golf, visit the local fishing village of Savelletri, take a cooking class or relax in the spa.
The elegant, family-friendly Hotel Savoy is stylishly designed and provides the highest standards in cuisine and service. Your family’s every whim will be catered for here. The Savoy’s philosophy is that some of their most important guests are also the smallest. For the youngest members of the family, the ‘Families R Forte’ programme aims to pamper kids as much as their parents. From the Pinocchio-themed items presented to them upon arrival to dedicated kid-friendly guided tours and an arts and crafts workshop, children will never have a dull moment. The hotel also offers 24-hour babysitting, extra beds, interconnecting rooms, and all the bathrooms are set up with rubber ducks and kids’ bathroom products.
Whatever interests your teen, Italy’s cities can deliver. Spend time trawling Rome’s cobbled streets for vintage buys, seeing history come to life at the Colosseum, getting lost in Venice’s entrancing art, or soaking up the street scenes in Piazza San Marco. After a day to remember with your kids, head back to these glamorous hotels for a treat in the spa or a dip in the pool.
Ideally situated between the Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, families will be charmed by Hotel de Russie’s location, pretty gardens and inimitable style. Your family will quickly learn why French poet Jean Cocteau described the hotel as “paradise on earth.” The Vatican City, with St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, is just a 10-minute walk away, while the Piazza Navona and Trevi Fountain are also within easy access. This is an excellent base for safely and easily experiencing Rome’s attractions. The hotel also has an extensive health club and spa with a hydropool, jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish steam bath, and beauty treatments, making it perfect for unwinding after a day spent on your feet exploring the city.
Situated within lush private gardens, the Belmond Hotel Cipriani provides a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of Venice. The city is just a few minutes away by complimentary shuttle, giving your family the best of both worlds and offering easy access to iconic sights such as Piazza San Marco, the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Sure to delight any teen is Cip’s Club, an Italian pizzeria that serves pizza from a wood-burning oven. After experiencing the sights of the city, spend some bonding time with your teens at the Olympic-sized swimming pool, the spa with incredible massages and manicures, or take a private cruise around the lagoon in the hotel’s boat: “Shirley”.
For experienced travellers, there's nothing like seeing somewhere through the eyes of a child, especially in a destination like Italy. And while it’s magical to share an experience like Venice or Tuscany with a grandchild or parent, there may be a few different priorities between the generations. That's why we've selected properties that are crowd pleasers no matter what your age. Kids' clubs and swimming pools sit alongside fine dining and private butlers at these luxury Italian family holiday resorts and villas.
Staying at Castiglion del Bosco is a rare opportunity to enjoy Tuscany the way it's meant to be experienced: on a magnificent country estate nestled among rolling hills, sweeping vineyards and centuries-old farmhouses. You can relax outdoors by the heated stone infinity pool or enjoy one of the treatments offered at the beautiful CdB Spa. For those wishing to be more active, there's a state-of-the-art fitness centre, tennis courts, and the Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole private golf course. The estate features miles of picturesque hiking and biking trails (bikes are complimentary) that hug spectacular ridges and meander past streams, waterfalls and hidden historic sites. Handsome Maremma horses lead guests through a network of riding trails extending to the far-reaching corners of the property.
No matter the season or the activity level of your family, adventures abound in Italy. For outdoorsy types, there's cycling in Puglia, climbing the notorious Mount Vesuvius volcano, and water sports off the coast of Sicily. And for the ultimate way to experience nature on holiday in Italy, families must head to the Dolomites. You can ski or snowboard in some of Europe's very best family-friendly winter resorts, while summer ushers in hiking, geocaching around Val Gardena, and a thrilling Adventure Park in Alta Badia with a tree-top rope course.
The Verdura Resort has a wonderful sense of space nestled within 230 hectares of gentle rolling Sicilian countryside with nearly 2km of private coastline. The facilities are exceptional and every family member will be well catered for. There are two 18-hole championship golf courses, six floodlit clay tennis courts, a full-size football pitch, an infinity pool and a fully equipped gym. Bicycles for adults (some have baby seats) and child bikes are available for guests to use all over the resort on a complimentary basis. The Water Sports Club offers everything from
kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and snorkelling to the more adrenaline-fuelled activities of waterskiing and wakeboarding. Children of all ages are looked after and entertained in Verdura's dedicated children and teens club. Verdù the hedgehog host will look after them in a specialised space with a heated pool, TV room and activity zones designed to keep even the most active child busy.
With glamorous stretches of coastline, world-class spas and endless rolling vineyards, Italy is the perfect place for your family to relax. With a glass of wine in hand, soak up the picturesque landscapes, dine on indulgent food and treat yourself to a leather handbag – you deserve it! Turn off your alarm and kiss meetings goodbye because you'll have a luxurious, peaceful break from the every day on your family holiday to Italy.
Nestled in the hills of Tuscany, as you drive up the cypress-lined lanes towards Castello di Casole looking out over vineyards, orchards of olive trees and rolling countryside dotted with stone farmhouses, you’ll truly feel in a world of your own. The hotel offers a combination of luxury and yet charmingly rustic comfort within the restored Castello and original buildings of the hamlet. Most suites have stunning views of the Tuscan countryside, and all have complete access to the estate’s services and amenities, including the Essere luxury spa, pools, fitness centre, and casual and fine dining options. Head out to the terrace at Ristorante Tosca for an al fresco meal overlooking dramatic vineyards and valleys. The estate’s expert sommelier advises on every course, making for memorable food and wine pairings. The dishes feature endless fresh bread, local produce from the hotel’s gardens, seasonal fresh game and seafood, and estate-grown extra virgin olive oil.
Lefay Resort is a beautiful and tranquil hideaway overlooking Lake Garda. With a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, this family-run resort offers spacious accommodation set in beautiful woods and olive groves. Wide spaces, natural fabrics, precious local materials including Italian marbles, and olive tree and Italian walnut woods are all combined with attention to detail and advanced technologies. This provides your family with the ultimate comfortable, rejuvenating and luxurious experience during your stay. As well as a comprehensive assortment of treatments to choose from, there are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, including an infinity pool overlooking the lake, five kinds of saunas, a large gym and fitness studio, and a range of classes including Pilates, yoga and tai chi.
When's the best time to book a luxury family holiday to Italy?
Our luxury family holiday resorts and experiences in Italy can get booked up quickly, so we recommend starting the process well in advance – a few months or even a year before you travel. The school holidays tend to be our busiest periods, so get in touch with plenty of notice if that's when you're looking to go.
When's the best time to visit Italy for a family holiday?
Italy is well worth a visit in any season, but certain times may be more suitable for family holidays. For example, the temperatures can get extremely hot in summer, while the cities also tend to be at their busiest during this period. With that in mind, spring or autumn typically offer more comfortable conditions for both you and the little ones!
Do your luxury family holidays to Italy include tours?
Yes, we have plenty of Italy tours that offer fun for all the family. You could take a trip to Venice and the Italian Lakes, trying your hand at mask making before sampling some of the country's diverse flavours during a private lakeside villa cooking experience at Lake Como.
How do I plan a holiday in Italy with my family?
Your luxury family holiday to Italy should be a blissful, hassle-free experience. The planning is exciting but it can also prove stressful, so why not leave that part up to us? All you need to do is tell us what you'd like to see and where you'd like to go, and our travel experts can get to work organising the perfect itinerary.