4 unusual things to do in Venice your kids (and budget) will love

Venice exudes an undeniable charm, where love and romance dance along the canals. It effortlessly weaves a tapestry of beauty, history, and passion, captivating the hearts of all who venture within its labyrinthine streets.

Picture yourself strolling hand in hand with your loved ones as the sun’s golden rays caress the water, casting a radiant glow upon the ancient facades lining the canals. Each step you take reveals a new marvel, a testament to the architectural mastery of centuries past. The graceful arc of the Rialto Bridge, connecting the banks of the Grand Canal, stands as a symbol of enduring love and unity, while the intricate details of the Doge’s Palace tell tales of Venetian grandeur and romance.

As dusk descends upon the city, Venice transforms into a realm of ethereal beauty. The evening light paints a masterpiece on the vibrant façades, reflecting in the shimmering waters below. The Piazza San Marco emerges like a scene from a fairy tale, adorned with the glowing lights of cafés and the spellbinding melodies of live orchestras.

Venice is a city everyone should visit at least once. For adults, the lure is easy to understand. But if you’re visiting Venice with your kids (and you definitely should) and want to see more than just the standard sites, what can you do to make the trip more enjoyable for your kids? They won’t have the same appreciation for the sites and sounds of Venice…

We’ve got 4 unusual things to do in Venice that you will enjoy and your kids will love. We road-tested these in the heat of summer with Miss M and can attest to their unusualness. Check them out.

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Unusual things to do in Venice: what we’re not suggesting

Venice is an expensive city. Depending on where you are staying, you can easily spend a couple of hundred euro a day. Most of us don’t need expensive tours or activities costing at least EUR 50 per person on top. And you have to buy at least two tickets because children require adult supervision.

Yes, I’m talking about the tailored walking tours and classes, such as mask decorating classes, kids will love. But your budget will not. Assuming you have the time for them and enough spots are available on your chosen dates…

So we’re not suggesting such tours. But if you are thinking of doing them, book well in advance.

4 unusual things to do in Venice your kids (and budget) will love

Building on our suggestions from our other post on why you should visit Venice with a young child, we’ve got 4 new budget-conscious, unusual things to do in Venice that your kids will love.

1. Visit the Natural History Museum

Of course, our little dinosaur aficionado loved the Natural History Museum. It has dinosaurs. Well, a couple anyway. But there are other reasons to visit the museum, too.

The museum is housed in Fontego dei Turchi, a palazzo on the Grand Canal, built for the Pesaro family in the 13th century (the views from the second floor are great). It has housed the Natural History Museum since 1923.

The ground floor holds the Cetaean Gallery and Marine Aquarium, which illustrates the ecosystem of the Venetian coast. During our visit, the aquariums were closed, but the exhibition about sea turtle research filled the gallery with gorgeous photos.

The second floor starts with some of the highlights – at least from a dinosaur lover’s perspective. In 1973, Giancarlo Ligabue organised an expedition to the southern Sahara Desert and returned with the fossil of a giant crocodile – Sarcosuchus – and the only known fossil of an Ouranosaurus nigeriensis, which he donated to Venice. The gallery contains numerous other prehistoric finds ranging from 700 million years old to prehistoric man, 40,000 years ago.

Explorers from Venice showcases the expeditions of Giovanni Miani, especially his African explorations up the Nile between 1859 ad 1860 and the 1,800 finds he donated to the city. His journals, in which he noted his adventures and disappointments, and described the peoples he met, together with various drawings and musical instruments, enhance the display. The display is also a good critique of European colonial policy.

The Room of Wonders contains an incredible variety of objects, plants and animals, many of which were collected by private individuals in the 1700s. The Strategies of Life Gallery shows present-day and extinct inhabitants of water, land and sky, from gigantic to microscopic and focuses on some unusual adaptations (like frogs that can “fly”). And fish. Lots of fish.

Did I mention it’s air-conditioned, budget-friendly, relatively quiet and has great views of the Grand Canal from the windows? This, and the dinosaurs, are why the Natural History Museum is our pick of museums on the list of unusual things to do in Venice with kids.

Tickets: EUR 10 for adults and EUR 7.50 for children aged 6 to 14. Children aged 5 and under can visit for free. Family tickets may work out cheaper for you.

To get there: take a Vaporetto to the San Stae stop. It’s then just a short walk to the museum.

2. Climb a tower – but not the San Marco Campanile

We’re not going to suggest you climb the San Marco Bell Tower – the queues are guaranteed to try your patience, even with a skip-the-line ticket.

Instead, climb some of the more unusual towers in Venice.

1. San Giorgio Maggiore Campanile

If you’re like me and not great with too many steps, try the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore. When you stand between the Doge’s Palace and the San Marco bell tower, looking out over the lagoon, it will be the tower you can see, directly opposite. Naturally, the views back towards San Marco and across the lagoon are stunning.

It’s only the second tower, after San Marco, to have a lift to the top – 63 metres tall – great for those who, like me, struggle with steps.

In contrast to San Marco’s Campanile, where you can wait in line for up to an hour for your climb, even with a reservation, San Giorgio’s Campanile normally has almost no line. This makes it one of the more unusual things to do in Venice.

Entry is through the church. While you’re there, check out some of the artwork in the church, such as “The Last Supper” by Tintoretto, as well as the wooden angel, which adorned the top of the bell tower until it was hit by lightning in 1993.

Tickets: The church website is purely about the ministry and does not provide any information about visiting the bell tower. At present, tickets for the campanile cost EUR 8; it’s free to visit the church.

To get there: Take Vaporetto No. 2 from the main station or San Marco (San Zaccaria), just past the Bridge of Sighs. Make sure you have a return or day ticket – there are no ticket sales on the island.

Remember: the 9 bells ring every half hour and at the top of every hour and can be incredibly loud!

2. Fondaco dei Tedeschi

The luxury department store Fondaco dei Tedeschi allows people to view the Grand Canal from its panoramic terrace.

Tickets: Free, but your 15-minute time slot needs to be reserved in advance.

Tip: The narrowest street – just 53 cm wide – is a short 6-minute walk away.

3. Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo and the spiral staircase

Bovolo is the Venetian word for snail, which reflects the spiral form of the external staircase added to the existing Palazzo owned by the Contarini family in 1499. The heliocoidal staircase was so good that the Palazzo and the branch of the Contarini family became known as the Bovolo moniker.

The staircase combines Renaissance, Gothic, and Venetian-Byzantine architectural styles and is considered the most impressive spiral staircase in Venice.

Although the staircase is iconic, many visitors miss it on the way from San Marco to the Rialto Bridge, making it one of the more unusual things to do in Venice.

From the top – 28 metres high with 5 floors and 80 steps – you have beautiful views of the domes of Basilica San Marco and its Campanile.

Wilhelm Tempel, a German astronomer, discovered comet C /1959 and the Merope nebula from the top of the Bovolo staircase.

While you are there, visit the Palace rooms and view the artwork from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Tickets: Adults EUR 8, Children 11 and under free, 12 to 26: EUR 6. Reserve them online.

How to get there: On foot. The Contarini del Bovolo Palace is located between the Grand Canal, Rio (canal) de San Salvador, Rio di San Luca and Rio Fuseri, near Campo Manin. It’s a 6-minute walk from the Rialto Bridge.

3. Get lost in a labyrinth

Venice is crowded. You might wonder where a labyrinth would fit. That’s why getting lost in Borges labyrinth is one of the more unusual things to do in Venice with kids.

And it’s another reason to visit San Giorgio Maggiore. The labyrinth is located in the ancient monastery on the Island.

Since 2011, a labyrinth has honoured the memory of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, who was fascinated by the maze-like topography of Venice. It’s located behind the Palladian and Cypress Cloisters, owned by the Giorgio Cini Foundation (a cultural foundation).

The one-kilometre-long maze takes the shape of a book, and you can see the name Borges – duplicated and mirrored – as well as his age when he died (86), his walking stick, hourglasses, the infinity sign, and a question mark.

Miss M had great fun trying to do the labyrinth quicker than us, although she could barely see over the hedge.

You can only visit as part of a guided tour of the Cini Foundation, which lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Tickets: EUR 15 for adults, EUR 5 for children aged 6 to 14. Children 5 & under are free. The ticket price includes an audio guide, with a soundtrack created especially for the tour. Book tickets in advance here.

To get there: Take Vaporetto No. 2 from the main station or San Marco (San Zaccaria), just past the Bridge of Sighs. Make sure you have a return or day ticket – there are no ticket sales on the island. Follow the dock to the left and around the corner, and you’ll soon see the bar where you are asked to meet.

The complex is closed on Wednesdays.

4. Visit an unusual island

Many people visit an island while in Venice. However, there are unusual and less popular islands you can visit, which, by definition, makes this one of the unusual things to do in Venice with kids.

But which ones should you visit?

Murano and Burano are both great for families, even if it can be difficult to get a spot on the Vaporetto back from Burano. But we have some more suggestions.

Please note: This is not an exhaustive list. Several other islands are not suitable for (young) kids (e.g., San Michele: the whole island is a cemetery and visitors are asked to behave and dress accordingly).

How to get there: Vaporetto – Venice’s public transport – is quite pricey if you’re paying per trip. Day passes are much cheaper, especially if you are planning to visit some of the outlying islands.

Torcello

Although it’s right next to Burano, Torcello is still small and quiet and often missed by tourists. Settled in the 5th century, it was once home to more than 20,000 residents, but only ten remain today.

The highlight of Torcello is the beautiful Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta. The “Last Judgment” mosaic is gorgeous, glowing in gold, without the crowds of San Marco.

The views of Burano from the top of the bell tower are superb, too (though there are steps!). There are also a few places to eat on the island.

Tickets: EUR 5 for entry to the Basilika and EUR 5 to climb the bell tower. A combined ticket, which includes the Torcello museum and an audio guide, costs EUR 9 for adults and EUR 6 for children.

How to get there: Vaporetto line 12, originating at Fondamente Nove, stops at Torcello. The ride takes about 40 minutes.

The Lido

Where Venetians go to relax…

Few visitors consider visiting the beach in Venice. If you have a few days and are looking for some unusual things to do in Venice with your kids, the Lido could fit the bill. This 11-kilometre-long barrier island is the perfect beach retreat for blowing off steam and relaxing. You might even want to stay on the island and sightsee in Venice during the day and cool off at the beach in the evenings.

The calm, shallow water of the Lido is perfect for families, especially those with younger children. You can rent deck chairs and umbrellas and use the bathrooms and showers at the beach clubs on Lido Island. Almost all of them have play areas for kids – Venezia Spiagge and Paradise Beach are recommended.

But Lido Island is more than beaches. San Nicolò in the north is known for its 11th century Benedictine church and monastery with its splendid cloister, and one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe (since 1389 – tours run by the Jewish Museum of Venice).

The centre of the island is known for its gorgeous Liberty villas and historic hotels – the Italian Art Nouveau, and you know I like Art Nouveau. Moving south is the ancient Port of Malamocco, which is like a miniature Venice suspended in time, then Alberoni, which has the best-preserved dunes in the Adriatic.

Bicycles are perfect for visiting Lido Island. The roads are not busy and easy to navigate, with lots of green avenues and the blue of the sea. A simple panoramic route starts from the vaporetti berth to Alberoni. Reserve a bike online in advance – prices start from around EUR 14 per day.

There are several small islands next to Lido, but although they are unusual, most are not appropriate for kids.

How to get there: Take a Vaporetto to Lido, then walk up the main street, Gran Viale, till you reach the beach (approx. 750 metres).

Giudecca

Across the lagoon from the historic centre of Venice is the Island of Giudecca, part of the Dorsoduro district.

The island is largely residential, with a supermarket, a couple of hotels and restaurants. However, you can experience what Venice would be like without the tourists.

Eight small islands connected by pedestrian bridges make up Giudecca. Just wander and explore. The Church of the Redeemer is worth visiting (it has artworks by Tintoretto) and the views of the historic centre of Venice are lovely.

How to get there: Take Vaporetto Line 2 from the main station or San Marco. You can also take lines 4.1 and 4.2, which run in opposite directions around the main part of Venice and to Murano. Make sure you take the right one, though, or you might take the long way around.

San Giorgio Maggiore

I’ve already said enough about San Giorgio Maggiore: visit the Island, climb the Campanile, and get lost in the maze. Tackle three of the more unusual things to do in Venice with one visit.

How to get there: Take Vaporetto Line 2 to San Giorgio Maggiore. You will need a return ticket or a day pass as there are no ticket sales on the island or the boat.

Make your visit unique with these budget-saving, unusual things to do in Venice

Venice is charming and romantic. Venice is also smelly and expensive. Too much of Venice is cliché. Make your visit unique and save your budget with one of these unusual things to do in Venice with kids.

You don’t want to miss the Venice highlights, especially if you are visiting for the first time, but even just one of these activities will make your trip one your kids will love and remember without stretching the budget too far.

Do you have any more Budget-friendly unusual things to do in Venice with kids to add to this list?

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