Venice and Rome with children

[toweringheights]

We are visiting Venice and Rome during the school Easter holidays and I wondered if anyone knows either city well and could offer suggestions as to what we should visit.

Mixture of ages of children, two teens and two primary age.

I think we would all enjoy boat trips, good food, ice cream, markets and general pottering. Only one of the children plus me love art but I could just take her for a little while. Is the Guggenheim Museum in Venice really worth seeing? Any off the beaten track restaurants or streets worth exploring?
Presumably The Colosseum, Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain are 'must sees' in Rome? Any other suggestions of less obviously touristy sites for children plus adults gratefully received.

Be careful. We went to Venice the other year with DS (think he was 11 at the time). Back home I offered him some cherries.

'Oh, no thanks mum. They just don't taste the same as when you're eating them on the Rialto Bridge'

Very funny iklboo!!

We used a company called Rome Tours with Kids and booked a private (just the 4 of us) your of the Vatican and Colosseum. Was about €100 for around 2 hours each, entry feed included. I found them on trip advisor & you pay the money directly to the guide when you meet them.
I highly recommend them, very knowledgeable and able to entertain everyone!

My daughters loved the ice cream. Also wandering round the narrow cobbled streets. Also youngest dies like to try Macdonald's of the world!!!.......there is one near Trevor fountain!

Colosseum was also enjoyed a lot.

There's a cat rescue in the middle of Rome As well - cats wandering round some ruins.

We've recently been to Venice and, for me, the Guggenheim was the highlight. Nice cafe and shop, too.

The museum at St Mark's cathedral is a delight, you can go out on the balcony and see the square from above and watch the clock striking.

We loved the water bus system, we went over to the Lido and Murano, where you can watch the glass-blowers at work.

The DK Top Ten guide has a couple of pages of stuff for kids and rates the Natural History Museum [we didn't go there tho]

Doge's secret itineries tour is my top recommendation for Venice. You go behind the scenes in a small group using secret passages & learn about the building. It is excellent and you can then continue to see more of the art if you choose. Book from UK www.venice-museum.com/booking-tickets.php

In Rome you can take the lift to the top of the Altare Della Patria, the views are amazing. (There are also toilets in there, hard to find in Rome ).

In the evening, you can walk through Trastevere and up the Janiculum hill, again amazing views of the city.

We did a food tour recommended on here called Twilight Trastevere - expensive but amazing.

When we went to Rome with DD a few years ago we gave her this. It gives lovely walking tours for kids - all of which end in an ice cream or biscuit shop - and which led us to discover new things as well.

Most of the main sites are great for kids - we only didn't bother with the Vatican as the queues were enormous. And we went to the Colosseum first thing, to avoid the queues.

The children's museum in the north is also great.

Rome - we loved the forum near the colosseum - for me a real highlight.
Venice - one of the regular vaparretti goes all the way round Venice, great views and good to rest your legs. Can't remember which number but you'll see when you look at the boards

Venice - get the vaporetti ticket for a few days and not only takes you round Venice but 3 islands including Murano and Burano. Ice cream is amazing and just pottering around is lovely. The Venice Lido has a beach though don't know how busy it would be but its a vaporetti stop anyway. Lots of art museums - we did a couple but it is pretty similar art so great if you are very into art, a bit dull if you are a child potentially. We also did a candlelight classical concert which was lovely but was pre kids. Are some lovely restaurants inbetween tourist traps - best to ask at hotel where recommend.

Rome we did all the main sites and horse and carriage ride.

Thank you so much to everyone who has replied.