Venice With Kids in 1 Day: Burano, Bridges & Our Family Challenge
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Venice with kids in August.
On paper, that sounds beautiful.
In reality, it also means 35 degrees, hundreds of bridges, absolutely no shade and two children asking how much further we’re walking. 😅
So before our day in Venice, we came prepared.
Not just with water bottles and comfortable shoes, but with something that ended up being one of the best ideas of the entire day:
Instead of simply dragging the kids from one famous sight to another, they had missions to complete along the way. Find certain things, answer questions, take photos and – most importantly – count bridges.
I wasn’t sure how long that would keep them interested.
Turns out, counting bridges was a massive hit.
And considering how many bridges Venice has, they had plenty of work to do.
Our plan for the day included Burano, Venice, a traghetto ride, Libreria Acqua Alta, Rialto, St Mark’s Square and the Campanile.
We didn’t quite do it in the order we’d planned.
But that’s Venice.
Starting Our Venice Day at Punta Sabbioni
Because we were arriving by car, we decided not to drive anywhere near central Venice.
Instead, we drove to Punta Sabbioni, parked there and took the vaporetto into the lagoon.
Parking cost us €9 for the entire day, which I thought was very reasonable considering where we were.
From there, Venice is reached by boat.
Our original plan was actually to visit Burano first and Venice afterwards.
Simple.
Except we got onto Line 14 going in the wrong direction. 😅
Instead of heading towards Burano, we found ourselves sailing directly towards Venice.
At that point there wasn’t much point trying to undo it.
So we changed the plan.
Venice first. Burano later.
And honestly, it worked out perfectly well.
St Mark’s Square With Kids
We arrived around San Zaccaria, which puts you almost immediately in the middle of some of Venice’s biggest sights.
Within minutes we were at the Bridge of Sighs and then walking into Piazza San Marco.
For adults, this is the moment where you look around and think:
Wow. We’re actually in Venice.
For the kids?
Another bridge for the counter. 😂
That’s exactly why the challenge worked.
Instead of every church, bridge and old building being something their parents wanted to see, suddenly they were actively looking around.
How many bridges have we crossed?
Can we find this?
Where’s the next mission?
It turned sightseeing into a game.
Walking Around Venice With Kids
From St Mark’s we started making our way through the narrow streets towards Rialto.
And this is probably my favourite way to experience Venice.
Yes, you should see the famous places.
But some of the best parts happen between them.
Tiny streets that suddenly open onto a canal. Little bridges. Gondolas passing underneath you. Shops hidden around corners.
And occasionally having absolutely no idea where you are.
Even Google Maps sometimes seems to give up in Venice.
The kids kept counting bridges while we slowly made our way across the city.
Eventually we reached the Rialto Bridge, one of those Venice sights you’ve seen hundreds of times in pictures but still want to see in person.
And after walking around Venice with kids in that heat, there was another essential stop.
Gelato.
We stopped at SUSO, which was very welcome by this point.
Possibly essential for survival.
Our €2 Traghetto Ride Across the Grand Canal
One experience I definitely wanted the kids to try was a traghetto.
These are basically gondolas used to ferry people across the Grand Canal at certain points.
They’re not the romantic 30-minute gondola experience most tourists imagine.
You get in.
You cross the canal.
You get out.
And our crossing cost just €2 per person.
For a family travelling with kids, I think it’s brilliant.
They still get to experience being in a traditional Venetian boat on the Grand Canal without paying for a full gondola ride.
Our traghetto crossing at Santa Sofia was short, slightly wobbly and exactly the sort of little experience the kids remember.
From there, we continued towards Fondamente Nove.
Because it was finally time to correct our morning mistake.
We were going to Burano.
Taking the Vaporetto From Venice to Burano
From Fondamente Nove we took Line 12 across the lagoon towards Burano.
If you’re doing Venice with kids, I think the vaporetto itself helps.
After hours of walking, everyone gets to sit down for a while.
And on a hot August day, we definitely needed it.
For visitors planning a similar day, I’d strongly consider a vaporetto day pass rather than buying individual tickets if you’re going to combine Venice with Burano and use several boats.
Public transport in Venice isn’t cheap, but once you’re hopping between islands, the pass starts making much more sense.
And then Burano appeared.
You can’t really mistake it for anywhere else.
Exploring Burano With Kids
Burano is famous for its brightly coloured houses, and after the stone buildings and narrow streets of Venice, the contrast is huge.
Pink.
Blue.
Yellow.
Green.
Red.
Basically someone discovered the colour palette and decided to use all of it.
We wandered around without trying to turn Burano into another sightseeing checklist.
We saw Casa Bepi, walked through Piazza Galuppi and spotted Burano’s leaning bell tower.
Mostly, though, we just explored.
That’s what Burano is good for.
Walking, taking photos, crossing more bridges – obviously – and letting the kids look for things from their challenge.
We grabbed something to eat, wandered through the colourful streets and simply enjoyed the slower atmosphere.
After spending a couple of hours there, it was time to head back to Venice.
We had one reservation we definitely couldn’t miss.
Back to Venice for Libreria Acqua Alta and the Campanile
Another stop on our challenge was Libreria Acqua Alta.
This is probably one of the strangest bookshops we’ve ever visited.
Books are stacked everywhere, including inside boats and bathtubs, partly because Venice has a small problem with water occasionally entering places where water isn’t particularly welcome.
The famous staircase made from old books is at the back.
It’s quirky, chaotic and doesn’t take long to visit, which makes it an easy stop with kids.
Our final big experience of the day was St Mark’s Campanile.
We’d booked our time around 19:00, and in hindsight I’m very happy we did.
First, because the temperature was finally becoming slightly more human.
Second, because Venice from above is spectacular.
After spending the entire day walking through tiny streets surrounded by buildings, suddenly you’re looking down over the whole lagoon.
St Mark’s Square below you.
The rooftops of Venice.
The water stretching towards the islands.
And after spending all day counting bridges at street level, seeing Venice with kids from above felt like the perfect ending.
Also – very importantly after an entire day walking with children –
there’s a lift.
Is Venice Too Hot in Summer?
Yes.
This is probably the biggest warning I’d give families planning the same trip.
Venice with kids in summer can be brutally hot.
There’s surprisingly little shade, you’re walking constantly and crossing bridges means going up and down steps all day.
Add crowds and children and it can become exhausting quickly.
We managed it, and we had a fantastic day, but if I had complete freedom to choose when to visit Venice, July and August wouldn’t be my first choice.
Spring or early autumn would probably make the same itinerary considerably more comfortable.
If you do visit in summer, bring plenty of water, hats, sunscreen and don’t try to rush.
And schedule gelato.
For medical reasons, obviously. 😅
Our Venice Kids Challenge
It wasn’t the Campanile.
It wasn’t Rialto.
It wasn’t even Burano.
It was turning Venice into a game.
Our Kids Challenge completely changed the way the children experienced the city.
The biggest surprise was the simplest task of all:
counting bridges.
They genuinely loved it.
Every new bridge became something to notice instead of another set of steps they had to climb.
We also included little missions and things to find around Venice, so instead of constantly hearing:
“Where are we going now?”
they were looking for the next challenge.
After seeing how well it worked for our family, we turned the challenge into a printable Venice Kids Challenge that other families can use too.
You can print it before your trip and let the kids complete the missions while you explore Venice.
And yes, there’s a bridge counter.
That one is non-negotiable.
Is Venice Worth Visiting With Kids?
Absolutely.
Venice isn’t necessarily an easy city with children.
There are stairs everywhere, you walk a lot, getting from A to B isn’t always straightforward and in summer it can be ridiculously hot.
But it’s also unlike anywhere else.
There are no cars.
Boats are public transport.
Gondolas float underneath the streets.
Every few minutes you cross another bridge.
And when the kids have something to look for along the way, the city itself becomes the attraction.
Our day didn’t even go according to plan.
We took the wrong vaporetto, completely reversed our itinerary and spent most of the day sweating.
And somehow it still worked.
Actually, that’s probably a pretty accurate Venice with kids experience.
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Practical Tips for Visiting Venice With Kids
Parking: We parked at Punta Sabbioni and paid €9 for the whole day.
Getting into Venice: Vaporetto from Punta Sabbioni. If you’re planning several journeys and Burano, compare the cost of individual tickets with a day pass.
Venice to Burano: We used Line 12 from Fondamente Nove.
Traghetto: Our Grand Canal crossing cost €2 per person. It’s a cheap and fun mini-gondola experience.
Walking: Expect a lot of it. Comfortable shoes are essential, especially because almost every bridge involves steps.
Summer: It gets extremely hot. Carry water, use sunscreen and allow more breaks than you think you’ll need.
Campanile: Booking a time slot in advance worked really well for us. Our evening visit also meant slightly cooler temperatures.
Venice with kids: Give them something to do while walking. A scavenger hunt, photo missions or even simply counting bridges can completely change the experience.
FAQ: Venice With Kids
Is is worth visiting Venice with kids?
Yes. It’s one of those cities that naturally feels unusual to children because there are no cars and almost everything involves boats, canals and bridges. Turning sightseeing into a challenge made it even better for ours.
Can you visit Venice and Burano in one day?
We did. It’s a fairly full day, but definitely possible. We explored Venice, travelled to Burano for a couple of hours and returned to Venice for our evening Campanile booking.
Should you visit Burano or Venice first?
Our original plan was Burano first and Venice afterwards – but we accidentally took the vaporetto in the wrong direction. Both orders can work. If you have a timed attraction booked in Venice later in the day, just make sure you leave enough time to get back.
Is a vaporetto pass worth buying?
If you’re only making one or two journeys, individual tickets may make more sense. If you’re travelling between Punta Sabbioni, Venice and Burano and using several boats during the day, a day pass can be much more practical.
Is a gondola necessary with kids?
Not necessarily. We used a €2 traghetto to cross the Grand Canal, which gave the kids a quick taste of travelling in a traditional Venetian boat without committing to a full gondola ride.
Is Venice with kids too hot in summer?
It can be. Our visit was extremely hot, and there’s not much shade while walking through the city. If you’re flexible with dates, I’d personally choose spring or early autumn over the hottest summer months.
How do you keep kids entertained while sightseeing in Venice?
For us, the answer was surprisingly simple: give them missions.
Our kids had a Venice challenge with things to find and tasks to complete, and counting the bridges became one of their favourite parts of the day.
Sometimes the simplest ideas work best.
Puglia was another completely different experience on our family travels around Italy.
