2 - week Italy Itinerary: Mediterranean Waters, Tuscan Country Side, and more! 🇮🇹

Wether you have travelled to Italy or have been dreaming of visiting #dreamvacation, read along as I tell you about the road trip my husband and I took from the countryside all the way down to the coast of #Italy. 🇮🇹

@rawantravels

Italy is a beautiful country with so many sights to see. With that, unfortunately we were not able to see "all" of Italy, but definitely a big portion of it. Since Italy is such a beautiful country (natural beauty, old cities, etc.), it is a perfect country to do a road trip. There are so many small cute cities to stop along the way.

“Italy is a beautiful country with so many sights to see...”

Top Places to Visit in Italy

Things To Do By City:

Milan

We started out our road trip in #Milan where we spent a total of 3 days (One of these days we took a day trip to Switzerland🇨🇭). The other two days were spent in Italy, one day in Milan, and one day in Lake Como. We rented a car at the airport, which saved us the hassle of going outside the airport to rent one. If you do not want to rent a car, there is a train that takes you from Malpensa Airport to central Milan. (42 min train ride/45 minute car ride). We stayed at the "#Melía Milano" hotel which is a 13 minute train ride to 'Piazza del Duomo' (main attractions are here).

What to do in Milan:

1. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II- This is Italy's oldest active shopping mall and named after the first King of Italy. I have to say, it is one of the most beautiful shopping malls I have visited.

2. Duomo di Milano- This is the infamous cathedral you see people posting on social media.

3. The Navigli District- Home to the last of the arterial waterway systems in Milan. There are also many restaurants and boutique stores in this charming area. .

4. Santa Maria delle Grazie- See da Vinci's famous 'The Last Supper' , one of the most famous paintings in the world 🖼.

5. Book an Opera Show- If you have time to watch a performance, the 'Teatro della Scala' is known to be one of the finest opera theatres in Europe.

Lake Como

#LakeComo is a beautiful Italian Lake located in Northern Italy's Lombardy region, and yes George Clooney's home resides here. We drove from Milan → Lake Como (45 minute car ride) and we spent the day there.

Things to do in Lake Como:

1. Rent a Boat- Cruise along the lake while enjoying the views of the mountains and the beautiful villas

2. Visit Bellagio/Varenna- These beautiful towns in Lake Como should definitely be on the list if you only have 1-2 days. Walking through these towns will let you experience the best of Lake Como.

Verona

If you are a die hard #Shakespeare fan than you have to visit #Verona. Verona is a medieval town in Northern Italy and home to the set of Romeo & Juliet. There is a 14th century residence in Verona with a tiny balcony overlooking a courtyard, which is said to be "Juliet's home". We visited Verona on the way to Venice and spent a few hours in this city.

Things to do in Verona:

1. Juliet's House- This is where the stone balcony of Shakespeare's Juliet

2. Verona Arena- Roman amphitheater hosting operas

3. Piazza delle Erbe- a square with lots of shopping and eateries

4. Arch Bridges- There are 2 bridges in the city with beautiful arches, 'Ponte Scaligero' & 'Ponte Pietra'

Venice

Venice is a city in Italy that is built on 100 small islands. It is a major seaport Venice relies on a series of canals and waterways. Is is also known as 'The City of Canals'. You can get around the city with a water-taxi or water-bus. You can also walk through the streets of Venice and get lost in its' beauty. We stayed right outside of Venice and took a 5 minute bus ride each day to the city. It was much cheaper than staying inside Venice.

Things to do in Venice:

1. Piazza San Marco- Is the main square in Venice and where you can visit the famous monuments and local shopping/coffee shops/restaurants are located.

2. Saint Mark's Bell Tower- The best time to visit the bell tower is during sunset.🌅

3. Doge's Iconic Palace- A Venetian gothic style palace, is one of the main landmarks of Venice.

4. Basilica of Saint Mark's- The cathedral church of the Catholic Patriarchate of Venice.

5. Ride a Gondola- Relax while you ride on a gondola throughout the city. One of the main things to do whilst in this romantic city.

6. Rialto Bridge- One of the oldest bridges in the city and known to be a great area for photos.

7. Bridge of Sighs- a great photo op with gondolas in the background. This bridge connects to the interrogation rooms inside the Doge's Palace.

8. Visit Murano- Murano is where the famous Murano glass originates from and visiting this city will give you a rich history of the glass itself

9. Visit Burano- Burano is known as one of the most colorful cities in Europe. The reason the buildings were painted this way is so when the fishermen would come back home each day they can easily locate their homes, since most buildings in Venice look the same.

Bologna

Bologna is the historic capital of Emilia-Romagna region. It is known for its medieval and renaissance structures, buildings, and two towers.

Things to do in Bologna:

1. Two Towers- The towers are medieval structures and a landmark of Bologna.

2. Piazza Maggiore- The main piazza in the city with shops/cafe all around.

3. Sanctuary of the Madonna di San- A Basilica Church located on top of a forest hill top.

4. Fuenta di Neptune- A monumental fountained crowned by Neptune.

5. Gelato at Cremeria Cavour- The best gelato we had in all of Italy was here at Cremeria Cavour. I have never tried gelato this creamy and rich in flavor. If you are ever in Bologna, you need to come here. #cremeriacavour

Florence

Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region and one of our favorite Italian cities. It is home to so many renaissance art and architectures and there are so many things to do. It is considered the art capital of the world.

Things to do in Florence:

1. The Duomo- The Duomo is one of the main attractions in Florence and does get booked fairly quickly. Unfortunately we did not reserve our tickets in advance and it was sold out for all 4 days we spent in Florence. I would highly recommend booking these tickets weeks in advance. You will get the best views of Florence from here.

2. Uffizi Gallery- The Uffizi gallery is one of the most important art museums in Florence. You can get a wonderful photo shot from upstairs of the Ponte Vecchio bridge.

3. Ponte Vecchio- A medieval stone closed arched bridge over the Arno river. You can take beautiful pictures here during sunrise/sunset.

4. Giatto's Bell Tower- It is a bell tower that is part of what makes up 'Piazza del Duomo'. The climb up is 414 steps to the top of the bell tower. It is not recommended with folks who have a health condition or suffer from being in small spaces (you may feel claustrophobic). You are not allowed to bring anything bulky as it is a confined space. It is possible to reserve free admission for a person with difficulties, by emailing accessibilita@duo

5. Statue of David at the Accademia Gallery- The Statue of David is the masterpiece created by Michelangelo himself in 1504. You can view the marble statue in the Accademia Gallery. It is a must to visit when in Florence. It is considered a symbol of the Renaissance time.

6. Boboli Gardens- These beautiful gardens is a historical park in Florence. The gardens were originally designed for the Medici Family. They are considered one of the first and important representations of what an Italian garden should look like. Later was used as an inspiration for many European court designs.

7. Piazzale Michelangelo- A square with a panoramic view of all of Florence. This is a beautiful square to visit at sunrise/sunset, as you will capture scenic pictures of the city at this time.

8. Piazza della Signoria- Is a W shaped square and one of the main squares in the city. It is where a lot of the political and art presence of the Renaissance city is located.

Pisa

Pisa is located in Tuscany and well known for the leaning tower of Pisa. You can visit Pisa on your way to Rome or as a day trip from Florence.

Things to do in Pisa:

1. Leaning Tower of Pisa- The iconic freestanding bell tower is what most of us know Pisa for.

2. Santa Maria- This is considered the central area of Pisa and where most things to see are located. This is where you can visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria as well.

3. The Baptistery- It is considered the largest Baptistery in Italy and is also slightly leaning to one side. It is known for its' echo when inside.

4. Walk along the Arno River- The Arno river is known as the 2nd most important river in Italy. It flows from the center of Italy emptying out in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Rome

Rome is the capital city of Italy and known as one of the most romantic cities in the world.

Things to do in Rome:

1. Trevi Fountain- Did you know that the Trevi Fountain gets 770,000 euros worth of coins thrown in it every year.

2. Colosseum- The Colosseum is a must visit when in Rome and is the largest standing amphitheater in the world.

3. Roman Forum- Where the Roman ruins of several important ancient government buildings. It is located in the center of the city of Rome.

4. Pantheon- Formerly a Roman temple and is now a Roman Catholic Church. It is one of the most recognizable buildings in Rome's City Centre.

5. Vatican City (Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica)- Vatican City is an independent city-state in Italy. It became independent from Italy in 1929 and is considered the smallest country in the world. I would definitely recommend booking tickets to visit way in advance as it attracts over 6 million tourists each year. This is where you can visit the famous St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, which has the famous ceilings painted by Michelangelo himself. It took Michelangelo 5 years to paint.

6. Spanish Steps- Spanish Steps is the widest and longest steps in Europe. It is a main attraction in Rome and you have to visit. It is in a very popular area in Rome and is hard to miss. There are many shops/restaurants in this area as well.

7. Piazza Navona- Piazza Navona is a public open square with lots of beautiful fountains, and known for its Baroque architecture.

Naples

Naples is the third largest city in Italy and the birthplace of Pizza itself, which is one of the things the city is known for.

Things to do in Naples:

1. Castel Nuovo- Castel Nuovo is a medeival castle located in front of Piazza Municipio and a very scenic castle.

2. Ovo Castle- Ovo Castle is a seafront castle and located on the gulf of Naples.

3. Piazza del Plebiscito- Is a traffic free square and known for many events. You also get a nice view of the palace here.

4. Royal Palace of Naples- It is a palace, a museum, and historical stop for tourists in the city. It was one of the four residences of the Bourban family during their ruling period of the Kingdom of Naples and later the 2 Kingdoms of Sicily.

5. Day Trip to Pompeii- An archeological site where this ancient city was buried in ruins when Mt. Vesuivius erupted in 79 A.D. There are preserved excavated homes, streets, and ruins that you can explore by foot. What is shocking is that you can still smell the ashes when you are in this city

Sorrento

Sorrento is a town overlooking the bay of Naples. Sorrento is known for its citrus fruits and lemons.

Things to do in Sorrento:

1. Path of the Gods Hike- This was by far the most beautiful hike I have taken with the most stunning views of the Amalfi Coast.

2. Piazza Tasso- Central square in Sorrento with so many shops/restaurants.

3. Parco di Villa Fiorentino- Beautiful gardens with a play area. Great are to take pictures.

4. Day trip to Capri- Take a day trip to Capri and explore the beautiful island. Capri is known for its upscale shopping and hotels. It's most popular site is the Blue Grotto sea cave.

Amalfi

Amalfi is a town in a dramatic steep setting of cliffs and breathtaking views.It has a beautiful rich history from the Maratime Republic.

Things to do in Amalfi:

1. Duomo di Amalfi- The Amalfi Cathedral is known for its specific mozaic architecture. It reminds me of the architecture and buildings in Damascus.

2. Cruise the Amalfi Coast- Drive through the coast of Amalfi and enjoy the beautiful views. This is the most scenic drive you will take overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and Gulf of Salerno.

3. Visit Ravello- Because of its scenic views, this is a popular tourist destination as the photos from here are incredible.

4. Get lost in Amalfi- This is the perfect town to just explore and get lost. It is one of the cutest towns we have explored and is top in our list of favorite places.

5. Day trip to Positano- It is a village along the Amalfi Coast headed all the way down to the coast. It is also a wonderful town to explore and get lost.
   

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Like and comment below your favorite place in Italy, or where you would like to visit.

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@rawantravels