Italy in One Week

Many people coming to Italy for their holidays聽don’t聽have a large amount of time and need a concise and effective itinerary allowing to visit the most significant places in the country, in as little as seven days.

This itinerary’ ll聽help you get a good handle on some聽of Italy鈥檚 important places of interest. With a short amount of time, you鈥檒l want to be prepared before travelling and have a well constructed and well organized plan. But fear not:聽we鈥檝e done the foot work for you, so all that’s left聽to do is pack your suitcase and fly over!

All places listed below are well connected by train and train stations are usually in聽the town centre,聽so you can go from one place to the other very聽easily.

Let鈥檚 take our quick adventure through Rome, Siena, Florence and Venice.

DAY 1 鈥� ITALY IN ONE WEEK (ROME ITINERARY)

Check into your hotel, set your bags in your room and then head out for your first day of adventure. On your way, grab a cappuccino from a local caf茅 and enjoy the morning vibe of Italy. First, head towards Michelangelo鈥檚 Campidoglio, where you can look聽over the Roman Forum.聽After taking some time to capture the beauty of Rome, continue walking along Via聽dei Fori Imperiali, seeing the remains of the Imperial Forum. This route’ll聽take you directly to the Colosseum. Take the rest of the day to discover聽the Roman Forum and the聽Palatine Hill (west of the Colosseum). You can also take a quick walk to the north of the Colosseum and see the Domus Aurea (the Golden House), where Nero once lived. At the completion of your first day, stop聽by the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli, where you can see Michelangelo鈥檚 statue of Moses.

DAY 2 鈥� ITALY IN ONE WEEK (ROME ITINERARY)

After a good night鈥檚 rest, head over to Vatican City to spend most of your day there.聽Start at St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica, one of the , where you can get a good look at Michelangelo鈥檚 incredible cupola.聽Spend most of your morning here, exploring and capturing this beautiful place. After lunch, head over to the Vatican Museums and see one of the world鈥檚 finest collections of art and antiquities (it’s better if you book in advance), ending at the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is a must see when you鈥檙e in Rome 鈥� take your time to absorb the rich message it conveys. It may not seem much to do in one entire day, but rest assured: it is truly a lot of beauty to take in in one short time lapse of twenty four hours! If you still have a little energy left, stop by Castel Sant鈥橝ngelo. Finish your visit to Rome dining聽at one of its various outdoor restaurants in Trastevere:聽you won鈥檛 regret it!

DAY 3 鈥� ITALY IN ONE WEEK (SIENA ITINERARY)

Today, you鈥檙e going to head 143 miles North of Rome into Siena (the second largest city of Tuscany). Once you arrive,聽check into your hotel and hit the streets. The first place to visit will be聽Piazza del Campo, which is the main square in聽town, where several sites of artistic and architectural relevance are located.聽Here, you can visit the聽Museo Civico and the Torre del Mangia:聽it’s聽a bit of a climb to the top, but it’ll聽give you a breathtaking view of the city below. Don鈥檛 forget your camera! After this, walk to the Duomo and spend a few hours visiting the surrounding sites. You’ll聽see the Museo dell鈥橭pera Metropolitana and the Battistero. On your way back to your hotel, grab something聽to eat and sit down to聽people-watch and read a newspaper.

DAY 4 鈥� ITALY IN ONE WEEK (FLORENCE ITINERARY)

Get up early and drive from Siena to Florence (it鈥檚 only 21 miles). Your first stop should be the Uffizi, where you can spend the entire morning (booking in advance is advisable). Next, head over to the Museo dell鈥橭pera del Duomo (do this before seeing the Duomo). Adventure to the top of the Duomo and enjoy the spectacular view of the city you’ll get from there, then head over to the Battistero di San Giovanni and the Campanile di Giotto. On your way home, you can stop in the Galleria dell鈥橝ccademia, which houses the world-famous statue of the聽David by Michelangelo. Take a stroll along Ponte Vecchio and watch the sun set. Bellissimo!

DAY 5 – ITALY IN ONE WEEK (FLORENCE ITINERARY)

Spend your morning observing the works of art at Palazzo Pitti, on the banks of the Arno, and then head to the Giardini di Boboli. After you have lunch, cross over the river to see many Renaissance sites 聽including the Cappelle Medicee. Wind down your day with a visit to the Basilica di San Lorenzo 补苍诲听Palazzo Vecchio.聽Kick off your shoes and have a good night sleep. Your tour is almost over 鈥� you鈥檒l need the energy!

DAY 6 – ITALY IN ONE WEEK (VENICE ITINERARY)

Prepare yourself for another early morning drive from Florence to Venice (about 165 miles Northeast). You’ll聽arrive by taking the vaporetto on the Grand Canal to your hotel. Make sure you don鈥檛 let this experience pass you by, but take in聽the magnificence of this city. Once you鈥檙e checked into your hotel,聽stop by Piazza San Marco for a cup of coffee, then visit the Basilica di San Marco, which is at the front of the square. After this, go to the Palazzo Ducale and walk onto聽the Bridge of Sighs. Climb the Campanile and enjoy the聽city view from the top. You’ll聽be able to see the entire city and the lagoon. Take advantage of the waterfront restaurants for dinner.

DAY 7 – ITALY IN ONE WEEK (VENICE ITINERARY)

Today, you’ll explore the best art Venice has to offer at the Gallerie dell鈥橝ccademia and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Go shopping on the Rialto Bridge and buy some souvenirs before your trip comes to an end. Stop by聽San Rocco聽for some more art gazing聽and finish your day with dinner on the Lido. Take one last glance at Italy, before you pack up to head home.

Touring Italy in one week will require a lot of energy and time will run quickly by. Be prepared to walk! It’s worth every bit of it. Don鈥檛 worry about what you won鈥檛 be able to see, just concentrate on what you did see. Italy isn鈥檛 going anywhere 鈥� come back again to experience its wonder and magic. If you’re looking for , make sure you check what else to add!

By Joey Papa