First Time in Italy: A
10 Day Itinerary
2 Nights: Venice
Highlights:
- Take a boat ride down the spectacular Grand Canal
- Hang out in the gracefully spacious Piazza San Marco before visiting the Basilica, with its shimmering mosaics
- Bask in the Bellinis and other Venetian masterpieces at the marvelous Galleria dell'Accademia
After checking into a
hotel, head for the Piazza San Marco for a gelato and a long look before
striking out on a sightseeing expedition. The Basilica di San Marco
is right in front of you. After exploring it, visit the nearby Palazzo
Ducale (Doge's Palace) before walking over the Bridge of Sighs.
Climb the Campanile, also nearby, for the grandest view of Venice and
its lagoon. Have dinner in a typical Venetian tavern along the lagoon.
On Day 2, take in
two of Venice's grandest art collections, each very different: the Gallerie
dell'Accademia, and for those with more modern taste, the Peggy
Guggenheim Collection. Walk the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) and
explore some of the small shops in the area. Before the afternoon fades, try to
take in one of the churches of Venice, perhaps San Rocco for its great
art. You may want to consider having dinner on the Lido. The boat ride
alone is worth the trip.
Possible accommodations:
- Hilton Garden Inn (outside Venice proper
- “In front of the hotel is a bus stop with buses running every 10 minutes to the center of Venice (7 minutes). You can buy bus tickets at the front desk. 3 minutes walk is a good Italian restaurant. Can not wait to go back.”
4-5 Nights in Florence: Birthplace of the Renaissance
Highlights:
- Make reservations in advance to visit the Uffizi, the world's greatest collection of Renaissance art
- Visit the Duomo, admire Brunelleschi's groundbreaking cupola, and climb to the top if you have the stamina
- Visit the Accademia and marvel at Michelangelo's David, his Slaves, and his St. Matthew
- Side Trip: Visit the ancient walled city of Lucca with it's exquisite Duomo which contains a haunting, beautifully sculpted tomb by Jacopo della Quercia. Make like the locals and stroll atop the ramparts that encircle Lucca's city center
- Side Trip: Spend a day hiking the Cinque Terre trail, stopping for seafood, gelato, and taking in the awesome views.
On the morning of Day 3, take the train to Florence. Check
in to your hotel/apartment and have a light lunch at a cafe opening onto Piazza
della Signoria. Spend the afternoon exploring the masterpieces of the
Uffizi. End the afternoon with a sunset stroll along Ponte
Vecchio.
On Day 4, start
at the Galleria dell'Accademia for a look at Michelangelo's monumental David.
Refresh yourself with some gelato and then head directly to the Duomo. Climb to the top for one of
the great panoramas of Europe. Follow up with a visit to the adjoining Battistero
San Giovanni and the Campanile di Giotto before lunch and then see
some of the sculpture in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. This is
also a great time to check out the famous outdoor market for shopping.
On Day 5, take the train to see the
ancient walled city of Lucca. You can’t get lost here. Spend
a few hours seeing the Duomo there and walking on top of the
walls. Eat lunch and return to Florence by train. If you are up for
it, view a grand array of Renaissance treasures, including the Cappelle
Medicee with Michelangelo's grand sculptures. A nearby visit is in order to
explore the Basilica di San Lorenzo, climaxed by a late-afternoon visit
to the art-filled Palazzo Vecchio. Get some rest, because tomorrow
is a big day. [Optional Day.]
Day 6 is all about the Cinque Terre. Get
picked up in Florence by Walkabout Florence for
an easy and efficient way to see these beautiful cliff side towns strung along
the Mediterranean sea. This day will be long, but unforgettable.
On your last day in Florence, go slowly and
spend the morning on the "left bank" of the Arno, taking in the
masterpieces of the Palazzo Pitti. Afterward, wind down in the
adjacent Giardini di Boboli. Consider wandering back across the
river and visit the Santa Croce
cathedral where Michelangelo’s bones rest or climb the hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo. The balustraded terrace was laid out in 1885 to give a
sweeping vista of the entire city, spread out in the valley below and backed by
the green hills of Fiesole beyond.
Possible accommodations:
- http://www.hotelpittipalace.com/
- Starhotels-Tuscany (outside the city center)
- “Convenient bus connection at the hotel door step (route 22) to Florence historical center. Bus every 8 minutes and tickets available at hotel.”
4 Nights in Rome
Highlights:
- Queue with the masses to visit the Sistine Chapel and the rest of the massive Vatican Museum
- Tour Pompeii and survey the top of Mount Vesuvius
- Practice the passegiato and see Rome’s most famous fountains and piazzas at twilight.
- Stroll through ancient history in the Roman Forum and see one of the wonders of the world at the Colosseum.
On Day 8, take the train to
Rome. Check into your hotel and get some lunch. Consider meeting up with
highly rated, Eternity Tours for Rome at Twilight, a 2 1/2-hour evening tour of
the city's beautiful piazzas and fountains. Otherwise, you can navigate
yourself and visit the area surrounding the Spanish Steps which are a great place to relax and people watch any
time of day. Enjoy ice cream at one of the many gelaterias nearby.
You can spend Day 9 exploring
St. Peter's and the Vatican Museums, which will be one very busy time
indeed. If you want art, this is the place for it. The tiny walled
"city-state" of the Vatican, the capital of the Catholic world,
contains such a wealth of splendor that you could spend more than a week trying
to see it all, but most people are content to hit the highlights in 1 busy day.
Start with the Vatican
Museums. This array of galleries contains one of the most
jaw-dropping collections of art and antiquities in the world, all of it
culminating in the gloriously restored Sistine Chapel. Take
a lunch break and then explore St. Peter's Basilica, including a climb
to Michelangelo's panoramic dome. By now, you'll probably be
exhausted, but, if you can keep going, take in a final attraction, the Castel
Sant'Angelo.
On Day 10, take an early, fast train to Naples. A half hour walk
from the central station, you will find the National
Archaeological Museum of Naples housing entire rooms from the
Pompeii site. Consider getting an audio guide which will take 90
minutes. Try some famous Naples pizza on your way back to the train
station. Here you will transfer to the bihourly cirumvesuviana
commuter train which will drop you off right in front of Italy’s most famous
archaeological site, Pompeii. Allow
at least a couple of hours. Afterwards, you can take a bus in the plaza
(in front of the entrance to the ruins) up to the top of Mount Vesuvius (if you
don’t get motion sickness from all the switchbacks to the top). Return to
Rome the way you came.
Your final day is faced with a choice. For those who have come to
see ancient Rome and the glory of the Caesars, you can start at Michelangelo's
Campidoglio, or Capitoline Hill. From here you can look out over the Roman
Forum area before venturing forth to discover Rome. After the overview, walk
east along Vie dei Fori Imperiali, taking in a view of the remains of the Imperial
Forums, which can be seen from the street. This route leads you to the
ruins of the Colosseum. After a visit to this amphitheater, cross
over to spend the rest of the day exploring the ruins of the Roman Forum
and Palatine Hill to the west of the Colosseum.
Alternatively, if you are not
interested in spending so much time seeing ancient Rome and have gone through
the red tape of making a reservation, you can see one of Italy's greatest art
museums. Sculptures by Canova and Bernini and paintings by Raphael, Correggio,
Titian, and Caravaggio are awaiting your viewing pleasure. Allow at least an
hour. After you leave, you can stroll in the Villa Borghese gardens,
one of the most beautiful in all of Italy.
After perhaps a shower and rest at
your hotel, head to the most beautiful square in all of Rome, (best seen at
night) Piazza Navona. In the center is Bernini's Fountain of the Four
Rivers, floodlit at night. Some of the oldest streets in Rome surround Piazza
Navona. There is no more romantic place to dine in the entire city, especially
for your last night.
Possible accommodations: TBD
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