Last updated: October 2026
People sometimes think Tuscany is all wine tastings and art galleries. Not ideal with a five-year-old in tow.
Good news. It’s brilliant for children. Italians adore kids, restaurants don’t flinch at a high chair, and there’s a gelato shop roughly every fifty metres. Here are the places and tips I’d give any family heading this way, with a bias towards my old patch around Lucca, Pescia and Pistoia.
Pinocchio Park, Collodi
Pinocchio’s village is just down the road from Pescia. Carlo Lorenzini, who wrote the story, took his pen name from Collodi, and 2026 is the 200th anniversary of his birth.
The Parco di Pinocchio is an old-fashioned park, in a good way. No roller coasters. Instead there’s a woodland trail of sculptures and scenes from the story, including the giant shark that swallows Pinocchio and Geppetto. Younger children love it. Teenagers might roll their eyes, but they still climb into the shark.
Across the road is the Villa Garzoni garden, a grand Baroque garden that climbs the hill in steps and staircases, with the Butterfly House inside. The butterflies are there from about April to mid October, not in winter. Seeing both the park and the garden takes a good two and a half to three hours.
A few practical bits:
- It’s closed on Mondays, and in winter (November to February) it’s open at weekends only, plus some holidays. Check the park’s website before you go.
- The Garzoni garden is very hilly. With a buggy or a wheelchair you’ll only manage the bottom part and the Butterfly House.
- There’s a paid car park by the entrance, and Collodi is on the bus from Pescia station.
- Then walk up into the old village. It’s a steep tumble of houses and steps above the garden, and much quieter than the park.
Staying nearby? Collodi is a lovely family base. I wrote about it in where to stay near Lucca and the Svizzera Pesciatina.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa (check the age rule first)
Every child wants to see it lean. Not every child is allowed up it.
- No children under 8. Children who turn 8 during the current year can go up.
- Under 18s must be with an adult, and 8 to 12 year olds have to hold an adult’s hand.
- It’s 251 steps, worn, uneven and slippery in places.
So if you’ve a seven-year-old, don’t promise them the top. Do the classic “holding up the tower” photo on the lawn instead. Everyone does it. Nobody’s too cool.
The good news: children aged 10 and under go free into the other buildings on the Piazza dei Miracoli. Book tower tickets ahead in summer.
Pisa is also where most of us fly in. My airport guide explains getting from the airport to Lucca, Pescia or Pistoia.
Lucca’s walls: bikes and space to run
Lucca’s Renaissance walls go all the way round the old town, just over 4 km, with a wide, tree-lined path on top and no cars. It’s perfect for little legs and wobbly cyclists. Several shops near the walls hire out bikes. Stop for an ice cream halfway round.
Lucca is also flat inside the walls, which helps with a buggy. The cobbles less so.
Pistoia Zoo
The Giardino Zoologico di Pistoia is on the edge of the city and says it’s open every day of the year, holidays included. Opening hours change with the seasons, so check before you go. It’s a good half day out and an easy add-on if you’re based in Pistoia, Montecatini or Pescia.
Underground: caves and secret tunnels
Children love anything underground. Two favourites:
- The Grotta del Vento caves in the Garfagnana, with guided tours of different lengths.
- Pistoia Sotterranea, the tunnels under the old hospital in Pistoia.
Both are perfect for a rainy day. More on them in my rainy day guide.
Villages they’ll actually enjoy
Hill villages are a gift for children. They’re car-free by accident (the lanes are too narrow), full of steps, tunnels, arches and hiding places, and there’s usually a cat to chase. Gently.
- Stiappa has stone tunnels running under the houses. Little explorers love them.
- Sorana sits on its hill above the chestnut woods, with a tiny piazza and lanes to run round.
- Barga is a proper little town, with a Duomo on top and fish and chips in summer. Here’s my Barga day trip.
My Dieci Castella driving route links ten of these villages in one loop. Do two or three in a day, not all ten, or there will be mutiny in the back seat. And if your lot love cats, show them the cats of the Tuscan villages first. Then go cat spotting.
You can find more villages, province by province, in my villages of Tuscany guide.
Beaches
The Versilia coast, between Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi, is the nearest seaside to Lucca and an easy train ride away. The beaches are long, sandy and mostly gently shelving.
Most of the beach is run by beach clubs (bagni), where you pay for a sunbed and umbrella, and they often have showers, toilets, a bar and sometimes a playground. Every resort also has free public beaches. My Versilia beach guide has the details.
Hot springs with children
The free waterfalls at Saturnia, in southern Tuscany, are a big hit with children: warm water tumbling over white terraces. Take water shoes, as the rock is uneven. They’re open all year. My hot springs guide covers Saturnia and the rest.
Festivals children love
- Viareggio Carnevale in January and February, with enormous papier-mâché floats.
- The Rificolona in Florence on the evening of 7 September, when children carry paper lanterns through the city.
- Village sagre all summer. Kids running round the piazza after dark while the grown-ups finish the wine is pretty much the point.
See my big festivals guide and the sagre month by month.
Trains are cheap for children
On regional trains in Tuscany, children under 4 travel free with an adult (as long as they don’t take a seat of their own), and children aged 4 to 11 pay half price. Kids think trains are an adventure anyway. My train and bus guide explains tickets and the dreaded stamping machines.
A few family tips
- Eat when the Italians eat. Lunch is the big meal, and many kitchens close in the afternoon. A late lunch and an early pizza works well.
- Do mornings. In July and August, do the outdoor stuff early, rest in the afternoon like everyone else, and come out again in the evening.
- Pack sun cream and hats whatever the brochure says. See my packing list by season.
- Bring the GHIC and save the emergency numbers in my useful numbers guide.
Children don’t need a theme park every day. Give them a village with tunnels, a cat and a gelato, and they’re happy.
You might also enjoy:
- Rainy day ideas near Lucca, Pescia and Pistoia
- Best day trips from Lucca
- Where to stay: villages, towns or an agriturismo?
Susan
