I recently spent three beautiful weeks in Italy that I would love to share with you. It was the perfect amount of time to start in the south in Naples and work my way up north to visit Rome, Florence, Milan, Lake Como, and lastly, Venice. I wouldn’t have traded this trip for anything. Seeing different regions of Italy gave me a deeper understanding of the country and its people. I encourage you to embark on this journey as well! I would highly recommend getting familiar with the train service in Italy. It’s a convenient, safe, and relatively inexpensive way to transit between towns and cities.
Naples is the third largest city in Italy and full of great culture, history, and delicious food. Yet it still gets a bad rap for its crime and filth. Most areas are generally safe, but you will need to take precautions with your belongings and watch for tourist scams. I personally never felt unsafe. I loved Naples because it offered all three things I look for. The culture is rich, and you feel like you are truly in Italy with the Napoleon traditions. There are so many historic places to see like the castles, catacombs, churches, etc. It is also the birthplace of pizza which is unbelievable and nothing like American pie! On top of it all, it’s on the coast of the Tyrrhenian sea which provides you with a great view. It is a great place to start your trip out! If you would like a more in depth look at the attractions I provide below, I’m preparing a Naples post that should be out soon! I’ll also be doing a post about the Best restaurants in Naples.
DAY 1: Fly into Naples (NAP) and transit to accommodations. If it’s cheaper, you could fly into Rome and then take the train to Naples.
DAY 2: Walk the Lungomare di Napoli in the morning and visit Catacombs of San Gennaro and the Basilica Dell’incoronata in the later part of the day.
DAY 3: Walk around Via Toledo, the main shopping street in Naples, to the Piazza del Plebiscito. Go to Napoli Sotterranea to tour the underground. Finish with dinner at Antica Trattoria e Pizzeria da Nanninella.
DAY 4: AIRBNB EXPERIENCE: Pompeii Tour, Horseback Riding at Mount Vesuvius, Cantina del Vesuvio Winery Tour
ROME:
Rome is known for its stunning architecture. It is absolutely amazing, and you won’t find anything quite like it anywhere else. With this being said, it is the most visited city in Italy so it gets VERY crowded. I personally didn’t like the vibes as much in Rome for this reason. It sometimes felt like just a big city with a lot of people rather than being in Italy. It is a must see location though. You won’t find these historic monuments anywhere else! You can mix and match these destinations however you prefer. However, Rome is very big, and I have categorized them into specific locations and days. If you would like a more in depth look at the attractions, I’m preparing a Rome post as well. The restaurants will be listed in my future post, Best Restaurants in Rome.
DAY 5: Transit to Rome and accommodations.
DAY 6: Walk around and see Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Sant’Ignazio, Piazza Navona.
DAY 7: Visit Vatican City, Castle Sant’ Angelo.
DAY 8: Tour Colosseum and Roman Forum. Later, go look at Michelangelo’s Moses in (Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli).
DAY 9: Visit the Spanish Steps between Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti. Take advantage of the opportunity to shop in the streets below.
FLORENCE & COUNTRYSIDE OF TUSCANY:
Florence has some of the greatest collections of Renaissance art, and is a great city to just walk around and enjoy. Florence is a great location to stay because you can walk everywhere, have historic monuments at your fingertips, and only a bus ride away from the beautiful countryside of Tuscany. Tuscany is absolutely stunning and is filled with great wineries and food. If you would like a more in depth look at the attractions, I will be adding a Florence post very soon along with the Best Restaurants in Florence.
DAY 10: Transit to Florence and accommodations.
DAY 11: Climb the Duomo Cathedral, look at the gates of paradise (bronze doors), and look around Mercato Centrale, Statue of David in Accademia Gallery.
DAY 12: AIRBNB EXPERIENCE: Tuscany Wine Tour.
DAY 13: Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery, Bardini Garden.
DAY 14: AIRBNB EXPERIENCE:
Tuscany Towns Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa.
LAKE COMO:
Lake Como is an upscale area in the north of Italy set against the alps with breathtaking views. It is a place where you just want to sit down, grab a drink, and look at the amazing view for hours. I also visited the nearby small town, Bellagio, for some lunch and a stroll around the waterfront. Lake Como is much more laid back, enjoy-your-life kind of place. If you would like a more in depth look at the attractions I provide below I’m preparing a Lake Como post along with the post, Best Restaurants in Lake Como.
DAY 15: Transit to Lake Como and accommodations.
DAY 16: Look around town center and take a boat ride to Bellagio.
VENICE:
Venice is truly magical, romantic,and gorgeous. It is the perfect spot to tour a historic city and then relax by the seafront at a restaurant. It is so intriguing to go to a place with not one car but full of gondolas and water taxis. It is a place you won’t want to miss. If you would like a more in depth look at the attractions I provide below, I’m preparing a Venice post along with the post, Best Restaurants in Venice.
DAY 17: Transit to Venice and stop in Milan. Take a few hours to walk around then transit to Venice and overnight accommodations.
DAY 18: Tour Doge’s Palace, St.Mark’s Basilica and Square, Rialto Bridge, Libreria Acqua Alta.
DAY 19: AIRBNB EXPERIENCE: Gondala Ride
DAY 20: Transit to Venice mainland Annia Hotel.
DAY 21: Fly Home – YAYYY!!! (It’s good to go home too).
