JANUARY IN ITALY WITH KIDS - Our Family's Advice

Ciao!

Along with summer months, many of us have school breaks around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. If you’ve gone down a Google rabbit hole and are trying to decide if Italy would be a good option for your family’s January vacation, I’ll walk you through:

Why Italy works for a family trip in January
Reasons Italy in January may not work for you and your kids
Our family’s top spots to visit in January – based on our experiences
A few more tips for family travel in Italy in January

This isn’t a full-blown guide to Italy in January. You can find my guide for that here. This is a family-focused guide, based on our life and travels here.

Who are we? We’re a family of 5 – mamma, papà, and 3 boys (ages 5, 8, and 12 as I type this up). We’re based in Tuscany but travel to all corners of the country, all months of the year – including January!

Andiamo – Let’s go!

Italy in January with YOUR Family – Yay or Nay?

Boy stands on grassy hill with goats overlooking the village of Fiè allo Sciliar and the Sciliar mountain range. Cloudy day, some snow on the ground. — *Saying ciao to the goats & checking out the views in Fiè allo Sciliar (Dolomites)*

Come to Italy in January with your kids if:

You’re interested in skiing and winter sports and don’t want to sell a kidney to afford it
You’re allergic to large crowds*
You love bundling up in a puffy jacket, and don’t mind some rain, wind, and cold weather
You and your family enjoy some museum time
You want your kids to mingle with Italian kids (we’re on break until after the Befana on the 6th of January)
You have a child who loves shopping (one of our twice yearly sales is in January!)
You want to feel like a local (after the first week of the month, it feels like locals take back their cities and towns)

*Note – While there are far fewer crowds than most other months of the year, know that the Christmas holiday ‘high season’ in Italy runs through January 6^th. The rest of the month is considered low season.

You may want to skip Italy in January with your kids if:

You really want to spend time in small countryside villages (they pretty much close up during winter months, outside of the holidays)
You are craving a beach holiday or want to do a lot of outdoor activities
You have really active kids who need to spend time at the playground every day (they’re often wet & muddy in January)
You don’t have patience for bundling up, then taking layers off, multiple times per day

Places to Visit with Kids in January in Italy

I took a little poll of my kids and they all agreed on #1. So did I.

The Dolomites

Child eats from bowl of spaghetti across from plate of sausage and potatoes. He's wearing a helmet and ski goggles and a brown coat. Behind him are other people dining and a rack with skis and people in the snow of the Alpe di Siusi in the Dolomites. — *Taking a snowboarding break in January in the Dolomites with my son*

Summer, winter, you choose. We visit every year in the summer, and we also try to make winter trips.

If you love skiing and winter sports, this is your playground!

We love the Alpe di Siusi, but there are tons of areas in the Dolomites for family-friendly winter fun (Val Gardena is also a winter family hotspot). We try to put the boys in lessons (snowboard or ski) and also allow for plenty of time for sledding (there are some amazing runs!) and snowball fights.

The Dolomites have an incredible selection of family-friendly hotels, and many of them are dedicated to children.

And, for family members who don’t ski or snowboard, don’t worry. There are plenty of other activities like snow-shoeing, going to the spa, shopping in places like Cortina d’Ampezzo, visiting the Ice Man in Bolzano, or enjoying the mountain cuisine.

Rome

If you’re not interested in winter sports, Rome is your best option for visiting Italy in January with kids. Ride the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus, take a family tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum, eat pizza and gelato, throw your coin into the Trevi Fountain, attend Gladiator School, explore Rome’s children’s museum, explore Villa Borghese, and be entertained in Piazza Navona.

Read more about
Things to Do in Rome with Kids
Villa Borghese with Kids
Where to Eat Rome’s Best Gelato

Good To Know: January is also a good time to visit Pompeii if you’re ok with chilly weather. You’ll find fewer crowds and you’ll avoid the heat of the summer (which is even worse at Pompeii because there’s no shade). You can even take a (long) day trip from Rome to Pompeii.

Venice

Venice makes a nice one or two-night stop on a trip to Italy in January as a family. It’s really cold, but kids will love traveling the canals on the little vaporetti (water buses), seeing a glass-blowing demo on Murano island, climbing towers, dining on tapas-style cicchetti, and getting lost on the small side streets.

Check out my guides to
Venice with Kids
Burano with Kids
Taking Your Kids on a Gondola in Venice
Where to Eat with Kids in Venice
Venice Playgrounds & Parks

Florence

Like Venice, Florence is best for a quick visit with kids during the cold month of January. Stay warm inside the museums – get a guide to make them kid-friendly (and read about visiting the Accademia with kids!), enjoy a gelato (yes, even in winter), climb a tower.

You may want to read
Florence with Kids
Florence with a Baby or Toddler
Florence with Teens
The Tuscan Mom – Travel in Tuscany

Be sure to check out
Italy With Teens
Italy With a Baby or Toddler
Best Places to Visit in Italy with Kids
Things to Do in Italy with Kids

Milan

*My son exploring inside the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science & Technology*

While the cold and rainy weather will keep your kids away from the playgrounds, you’ll find plenty of outdoor activities to keep them (and you!) happy. Some favorites include exploring the science museum, visiting the planetarium, and touring the soccer stadium. Warm up your body with a climb to the top of the Duomo.

Read more about Visiting Milan with Kids

Pompeii

January is also a good time to visit Pompeii if you’re ok with chilly weather. You’ll find fewer crowds and you’ll avoid the heat of the summer (which is even worse at Pompeii because there’s no shade). You can even take a (long) day trip from Rome to Pompeii.

Learn more about a visit to Pompeii with Kids

Activities for a Family Trip to Italy in January

Boy leaning over wooden table and rolling fresh pasta. Some of the noodles are hanging on a rack on left. — *My son rolling out pasta at a cooking class. This is a great option for rainy or chilly days.*

Need some ideas? How about:

Skiing, snowboarding, winter sports
Cooking classes
Food tour (in a city or in factories – parmigiano Reggiano, aceto balsamico)
Exploring outdoor ruins that are very hot in summer months (like the Greek Theatre in Taormina or the Roman Forum)
Shopping (saldi – sales, especially in larger cities)
Soccer games

Italy in January with Kids – Our Travel Tips

Boy wearing brown coat and rolling suitcase walks on cobblestone sidewalk toward large neon green building. It's the bus station in Bolzano, Italy. Cars in a traffic circle on the left. — *My son and I traveling in the Dolomites in January, car-free*

Know the holidays. We do celebrate New Year’s Eve, and we also have a holiday on January 6th – the Epiphany. Kids are off of school until the day after the Epiphany (usually… it could be a couple of days after, depending on the region or what day the 6th falls on). Holiday tourism is still going strong up until about the 6th, when families return home for the start of school. If you’re looking to save some €€€ and have more accommodation choice, try to book after the Epiphany. Also know that transport (roads or public transport) will be busy the couple of days before kids go back to school.

Celebrate the Befana. Soak up Italian culture and teach your kids about the Befana. Will she leave goodies or coal for your kids on the night of January 5th?

To drive or not to drive? We do both in the Dolomites, in summer and in winter. The Dolomites is actually the only place in Italy (outside of major cities) that I don’t mind visiting without a car. It’s really easy and stress-free, even with kids.

Check site closing dates. When you’re making plans for museums in January, be sure to check websites for up-to-date closing days and hours, especially if you’re visiting in early January.

~~Fashion first.~~ Nope, it’s all about function on a family trip in January! Layers, layers, layers. Bring warm, comfy shoes. Wear dark colors that won’t show pasta stains or mud splashes.

Get more packing tips in my Family Packing List for Italy

Think about a multi-generational trip. I mention this because we’ve taken quite a few trips with my mom and dad in January in Italy. It’s a nice time because you’re likely already planning on being together for the holidays, and the weather makes it pleasant and doable for all ages. Some of my happiest memories of traveling in Italy are with my dad and boys in Sicily and with my parents and boys in Rome and the Dolomites. Time flies… take the trip with your family!

Boy jumping on street in Palermo, Italy. — *My son, exploring Palermo in January*

Candice Criscione

Candice, a mamma of three, is an Italy trip planner and travel guide who has been living, traveling, and working in Italy for over two decades. She uses her extensive experience in Italy to help travelers plan their first (or tenth!) trip to bella Italia. She lives in Tuscany with her husband and three boys and when she’s not writing for Mom in Italy or The Tuscan Mom, you can find her cycling the Tuscan hills and exploring Italy with her boys!