9 Days in Magical Italy

Both my husband and I had never traveled to Europe before. It had been a dream for both of us. We decided it would be the perfect place to celebrate our 20th anniversary. There are so many places in Europe that we have been dying to visit, but Italy was at the top of that list. I had read many itineraries and done a ton of research before our trip. The crazy thing is that we made the decision to book this trip 3 weeks before we left and basically finalized all the plans in one week. I would love to share with you our Itinerary, packing list, and recommendations of places to eat and stay as well as the amazing things we saw.

Basic Itinerary:

Rome: 3 nights

Florence: 3 nights

Pisa: Quick stop

Cinque Terre: 1 night (stayed in Vernazza)

Venice: 3 nights

(Scroll down to the details of what we did and ate in each of these places)

Things to Bring:

• We each had one carry-on suitcase and a travel backpack. It worked out great.

• These Travel Backpacks are awesome.

• We loved these Compression Packing Cubes that helped us pack a lot more. 

• Anti-theft Travelon Purse for me (so glad I had this)

• Sling Backpack for my husband

• Money Belt: My husband kept all his money, passport, etc in this and wore it under his shirt

• Men's Lightweight Windjacket

• Women's Lightweight Rain Trench Coat

• Compact Travel Umbrellas

• Noise Cancelling Headphones

• I just kept a plastic water bottle in my purse that I would fill up as I went.

• Flight Phone Holder. This was a game changer for the flight!

• TSA Approved Toiletry Bags

• Trtl Travel Pillow

• Luggage Locks (only needed twice)

• Laundry Detergent Sheets

• European Travel Plug Adapter

• 110V Power Voltage Converter

• Snacks

• Advil

• Bandaids

• Blister Pads (I had to buy more there as well as Aloe Vera and Vaseline to care for blisters)

• Bee Keeper’s Immune Support Throat Spray (I used this everyday to boost my immune system)

• Airpods

• iPhone 14 Pro Max (Many people have asked what camera I used for these photos. I just used my iPhone, but I do have photography experience which helps.)

• Sunglasses

• I also brought a travel blanket but they had blankets and a pillow on the airplane to use

• We brought Insect Repellent Wipes but didn’t really need them in mid October

• Travel Kleenex Pack: This is important to have on you or some toilet paper. Not all public bathrooms have toilet paper.

• Euros: We brought 400 EUR and needed to get 100 more while we were there (water taxis and gondola only accept cash, some taxis requested cash)

• Two cards (one credit and one debit.  Debit is good for getting Euros and if something goes wrong with one card, you have another one)

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Travel: We flew Swiss Airlines and I was actually pretty impressed with them.  We payed extra for more legroom which was so worth it especially because my husband is 6’5”. All of our flights were on time except one was a half hour late. Online it seemed like Swiss airlines would be strict with their carry-on requirements for weight and dimensions but they weren’t.  Only on our layover from Zurich to Rome did they make us check our rolling carry-on.

We bought our train tickets in advance to save money from the Trenitalia Website.  We ended up buying an earlier train ticket while we were there from Rome to Florence (after our morning tour of the Vatican and walking around Rome all morning, we were ready to get to a hotel to relax). Most of our trains were 5-15 minutes late. Download the Trenitalia App before you go. We were there during one of their nationwide strikes and had to take 4 trains that day to get from Cinque Terre to Venice.  We were worried that our trains would either get canceled or delayed but they were all fine.

Taxis and Ubers in Rome and Florence often took longer than they originally said when you requested one.  Just plan more time if you are going to request a taxi or Uber.

Phones: We did the $10/day travel pass

Shoes: This might be the most important thing you bring! Even if you have good walking shoes, I would recommend wearing them often in preparation for your trip.  I had a hard time with my Brooks even because my feet were not use to wearing shoes after the summer.

Rick Steve's Audio Guides: We downloaded this app and used it in Rome, Florence, and Venice.

Skip the line tickets or a tour are a must in my opinion at all the main sites.  We never waited in the huge lines!!  So worth it to me. Below I specify which sites we did tours for and which ones we did skip the line tickets for.

FULL ITINERARY

Travel Days

Swiss Airlines,

Leave LAX 7:25pm 11 hr, 15 min to Zurich arrival 3:40 pm

Zurich to Rome, 1 hour 35 minutes

Arrive in Rome, 7:25pm

• Take taxi to hotel

• Stay at Hotel Tracento (booked through Expedia) (did not really love the location)

• Dinner at Osteria da Fortunata (carbonara is so good, best thing we ate in Rome)

• Piazza Navano

• Gelato at Geletaria La Romana

Rome (3 days)

(Day 1)

• Trevi Fountain by 7:30 am. Get there early! It was starting to get busy but not too crowded at 7:30 am.

• Pastries near Trevi Fountain: L’Antico Forno

• Spanish Steps

• 9:15: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Arena Floor Tour (Get your guide)

• Rick Steve’s Audio Tour of Roman Forum (our tour did not cover much of the Roman Forum so we stayed longer and did this audio tour)

• Arch of Constantine (adjacent to Colosseum)

• Via dei Fori Imperiali (road to Colosseum)

• Lunch: Mizio’s Street Food (ok)

• Palazzo Venezia

• Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli

• Piazza del Campidoglio

• 5-8 pm: Private Golf Cart Tour through Liv Tours - Brando (highly recommend!): This was one of the best things we chose to do in Rome. Brando took us all over the city and to many areas we wouldn’t have thought to go.  He shared so much history about Rome with us. We loved it! We visited Piazza della Repubblica, Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, Portico of Octavia, Jewish Ghetto, Teatro di Marcello, Basilica di Santa Sabina, Circo Massimo, Trevi Fountain at night, Pantheon at night, Tempio di Portuno, Tempio di Ercole Vincitore.

• Dinner: Pim’s Good in Trastevere (best pasta amatriciana we ate)

• Old Bridge Gelateria in Trastevere

Trevi Fountain

Spanish Steps

The Colosseum

Arch of Constantine

Palatine Hill

Roman Forum

Via dei Fori Imeriali

Palazzo Venezia

Victor Emmanuel Monument

Capitoline Hill

Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli

Piazza del Campidoglio

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

Basilica di Santa Sabina (earliest public image of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, early 5th century)

Aventine Hill

Portico of Octavia

Teatro di Marcello

(Day 2):

• 9:00 am Pantheon: Skip the Line entry (Rick Steve’s audio guide)

• Giolitti

• Piazza del Popio

• Attend church by Rome Temple

• Rome Italy Temple and Visitor’s Center of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints

• Scala Santa (Holy Steps). We were not planning on doing this and it was one of my favorite things.

• Archbasilica of St. John Lateran (the Pope’s church)

• 6 pm: Trastevere Food Tour (Viator). It was just ok.  Most of the food they offered we had already had: suppli, pizza, carbornara, Amatriciana, gelato.

The Pantheon

"Here lies Raphael, by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared that she herself would die.”

Piazza del Popio

Rome, Italy Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Rome Temple Visitor's Center

Archbasilica of St. John Lateran

Scala Santa

(Day 3)  

• 8:00: Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel (The Tour Guy). Very crowded! I don't know if I would recommend this particular tour but it seems like it's difficult to find a time when the Vatican isn't crowded.

• Lunch: Rione XIV Bistrot

• Castel Sant’Angelo (closed to go inside when we went)

• Train to Florence: 7:25pm-9:01pm (paid to get on the 2:30 train to get to Florence earlier)

• Stay at Donati Luxury Tower (Leonardo Da Vinci Room) (Priceline) – Highly recommend this place! It is one of the oldest towers in Florence, built in the 12th century, and had a view of the Duomo and Campanile. It was amazing!!

• Dinner: New Bridge Pizza

The Vatican Museums, Courtyard of the Pinecone

The Disputation of the Sacrament by Raphael

Apollonios | First Century B.C. | White Marble | Room of the Muses

School of Athens by Raphael

Lacoon Statue, carved between the years 40 to 30 BC

Resurrection of Christ in the Tapestry Gallery

(Jesus' eyes seem to follow you down the hall as you walk by)

Tomb of St. Peter

La Pietà by Michelangelo

St. Peter's Basilica

Castel Sant'Angelo

Florence

(Day 4)

• Breakfast: Shake Cafe (we liked this place)

• 9 am Michelangelo's David Skip the Line Entry Ticket (Rick Steve’s Audio Guide)

• Rick Steve’s Audio Guide: Renaissance Walk. This was fine but I think a walking tour would have been better just to get more history and the lay of the land.  

• Piazza della Signoria (7 minute walk from Duomo)

• Palazzo Vecchio

• Piazza della Repubblica (4 minute walk from Duomo)

• Santa Croce

• Lunch: All’ Antico Vinaio (a popular sandwich place).  Honestly, I would skip this. Maybe we didn’t order the right thing but I didn’t think it was very good. 

• La Strega Nocciola Gelateria

• 2:15: Brunelleschi’s Dome, Cathedral, pass to Bell Tower, Baptistery, Crypt, and Cathedral Museum (Skip the Line entry through Get Your Guide). The line started to form a half an hour before our time slot so we ate our gelato in line)

• Climb to the top of the Giotto's Campanile (I'm glad we did this as well as the top of the Duomo...both amazing views)

• Piazzale Michelangelo (at sunset)

• Dinner: Paoli Antico Ristorante Dal 1827

Brunelleschi's Dome

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

Palestrina Pietà

Michelangelo's David

Piazza della Repubblica

Palazzo Vecchio

Santa Croce

Gates of Paradise of the Baptistery of St. John

Frescoes inside the Duomo painted by 

Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari between 1572 and 1579

Climbing the 463 stairs to the top of the Duomo

Ancient mosaic floor found in the crypt of the cathedral

Top of the Giotto's Campanile

View from our room of the Duomo and Bell Tower

The 12th Century tower that we stayed in! We loved it!

Piazzale Michelangelo

Florentine Steak

(Day 5)

• Breakfast: Shake Cafe

• 9:30: Uffizi Gallery Museum Skip the Line tickets (Rick Steve’s Audio Guide...I thought he did a really good job on this one)

• Pitti Palace & Boboli Garden Entry Tickets (We did this 5-Day Pass that included Uffizi through Get Your Guide)

• Ponte Vecchio

• San Lorenzo Market for lunch (it was too crowded and chaotic for us)

• 5pm: Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class at a Tuscan Farmhouse (Trip Advisor). Best thing we chose to do in Florence. So fun!

Uffizi Gallery Museum

Doni Tondo by Michelangelo

Allegory of Spring by Botticelli

The Birth of Venus by Botticelli

Ponte Vecchio

Pitti Palace

Boboli Gardens

Pizza and Gelato cooking class

Pisa/Cinque Terre

(Day 6)

• Train from Florence to Pisa (8:53-10:04)

• Stow Your Bags Storage Rental (10am-1pm)

• Leaning Tower and Cathedral of Pisa (We just made a quick stop there.  We found a place to store our luggage and walked to the tower and back to the train station. I wish we would have taken a taxi from the station to the tower/cathedral and then walked back to the train station (there was a long line to get a taxi at the leaning tower). It’s a 25 minute walk and we had already done so much walking. Also after our trip I learned there is a closer train station to the tower. Wish I would have known that!

• Train from Pisa to La Spezia (1:11pm-2:09pm)

• Train from La Spezia to Vernazza (buy the Cinque Terre Train pass online here)

• Stay at MADA Charm Apartments Piazza (booking.com)

• Took trains to Corniglia and Manarola

• 3:45 pm: Cinque Terre Sunset Boat Tour (from Monterroso) (Viator) - CANCELLED due to weather. I was so looking forward to this.

Cathedral of Pisa

View from our window

Vernazza, Cinque Terre

Hiking the 383 stairs to Corniglia

Manarola, Cinque Terre

(Day 7)

• Breakfast: Il Pirata delle 5 Terre

• We had planned to hike between cities but since it was raining, the trails were closed. 

• Took the train to Monterosso and Riomaggiore

• Lunch and gelato in La Spezia

• Train to Venice (4:16 pm-8:34 pm)

• Water taxi to hotel

• Stay at Ninfea Luxury Suites (Rose Room) through Booking.com

Monterosso, Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre

Venice (2 days)

 (Day 8)

• Breakfast: Rosa Salva (pastries)

• St. Mark’s Square (Rick Steve’s Audio Guide – basilica, campanile, clock tower, Doge’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs)

• Bought tickets right at opening (9 am) to take the elevator to the top of the Campanile. Great views!

• Bridge of Sighs

• Teatro La Fenice (walked by)

• Scala Contarini del Bovolo (walked by)

• Lunch: Dal Moro's (fresh pasta to-go...I did not like it)

• 1-1:30 St. Mark’s Basilica Skip the Line Entry Ticket through website (Rick Steve’s Audio Guide)

• 2:00: Doge’s Palace Secret Itineraries Tour (I would really recommend this! I thought it was really interesting and learned a lot of history about the Republic of Venice)

• Rialto Bridge

• Venchi Chocolate Shop (this and Suso were my favorite gelaterias in Italy)

• 5:45: T Fondaco Rooftop Terrace (view of Grand Canal). Totally would recommend this! Book a time slot for free here.

St. Mark's Basilica

Bridge of Sighs

St. Mark's Square from Campanile

St. Mark's Clock Tower

Scala Contarini del Bovolo

St. Mark's Basilica

I loved this mosaic of Noah and the flood.

The mosaic ceilings were incredible!

Doge's Palace

The Secret Itineraries Tour took us to where the prisoners were kept including the torture room.

The last view of the outside world that the prisioners would see from inside the Bridge of Sighs.

St. Mark's Square flooded in the afteroon during high tide/Aqua Alta

Rialto Bridge

The view of the Grand Canale from the top of Fondaco Rooftop Terrace

(Day 9)

• Visit Burano and Murano Islands: Vaporetto for self guided tour to the islands. Bought tickets online here. Don’t pay extra for tour - go at your own pace. I would totally recommend visiting Burano Island. I think skipping Murano Island would be ok if you are limited on time.

• Santa Maria Dei Miracoli

• Suso Gelato (this and Venchi were my favorite gelaterias in Italy)

• Gondola Ride

• Dinner: La Caravella

• St. Mark’s Square at night to listen to the ensembles play classical music. Recommend this!

Burano Island, Venice

Murano Island, Venice

Santa Maria Dei Miracoli

St. Mark's Square at Night. I loved all the different ensembles.

(Day 10)

Water taxi to airport. I would recommend getting a water taxi when arriving and leaving Venice with all your luggage.  It’s pricey but took a lot of stress off rather than using the Vaperetto.

Venice to Zurik, 1 hr 15 minutes

Zurik to LAX 12 hours 20 minutes

9:20am-4:30pm