Kid-Friendly Family Tour of Italy's Highlights

Rome conjures images of ancient architecture and powerful gladiators, noble senators and Baroque palaces. The aroma of fresh pasta drifts out of local trattorias,  traditional Italian restaurants. The sunlight washes over the golden sandstone along the façade of Castello Sant’Angelo. Gelateria showcase the vibrant colors of creamy mounds of gelato waiting to be scooped. Your flight lands at Rome Fiumicino Airport, where your private transfer greets the family upon arrival. Upon entering the city, you find elegant fountains trickling with water and the opulent columns and brass statues of the 19th-century Victor Emmanuel II Monument. The pillars along the upper colonnade reach 50 feet tall and resemble the wings of a classical temple.

From the window of your hotel located along a street lined with shading oak trees, you take some time to embrace the beauty of the Eternal City. Your guide greets you in the lobby, eager to introduce the family to the grandeur of Rome during a walking tour of the historic city center. The Trevi Fountain remains an icon of Rome and features the dramatic posture of Oceanus, Titan of the Sea. The mouth of an ancient aqueduct continues to feed the fountain as water falls over the smoothed rocks into the crystal clear turquoise pool. The kids take coins and follow the other visitors by turning their backs to the water and throwing the coins over their shoulders and into the pool. They hear the metal plop; according to legend, it means they will return to Rome again.