Italy is gliding down the Grand Canal in Venice, under the Rialto Bridge and onward to the enigmatic St. Mark’s Square. Italy is staring in awe at Michelangelo’s masterpiece David or the heavenly Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.
Italy is imagining the gladiators and wild beasts fighting to the death in the mighty Colosseum. Italy is delicious foods and wines, beautiful landscapes, and intriguing history, art and romance.
With just 7 days in Italy, the following itinerary will give visitors a taste of what Italy has to offer.
So without further ado, let's get started.
How to Structure a Week in Italy
There are essentially two ways to structure a 7 day Italy trip: move around 2-3 times and have a very fast-paced trip that covers a lot of ground, or choose a single base for a week and take day trips from there.
Both possibilities have benefits: for example, with a classic Italy itinerary that moves around frequently, you’ll likely cover a broader geographic region.
On the other hand, staying in one place for the week will be less exhausting, allow you to get to know one part of Italy a bit better, and allow you to spend more time exploring and less time in transit.
Day 1 - Venice
The great thing about some of the major cities in Italy is the incredible experience of just walking through and getting lost in them. You will find yourself roaming cobblestone streets and taking in great views throughout the whole trip.
Venice however is a bit different than probably any city you have been to before, as it comprises of a winding maze of canals, streets and squares.
You can easily walk around yourself visiting these places as they aren’t too far away from each other.
1. Piazza San Marco
2. St Mark’s Basilica
3. St Mark’s Bell Tower
4. Doge’s Palace
5. Peggy Guggenheim Collection
6. The Grand Canal
7. Ponte di Rialto
8. Taking a Gondola Ride
You will pass by plenty of picture worthy spots, where you will be able to just relax and enjoy the scenery without the day tripper crowds. Enjoy a nice Venetian dinner before calling it a night and getting ready for day 2.
Some highly rated and valued hotels to choose from in Venice for nights 1 & 2 of your trip to Italy include:
GETTING AROUND IN VENICE
Walking: There are a few ways to get around Venice but the most common is going to be walking. There are a lot of small busy alleyways and staircases so walking with luggage can be a bit of a hassle when making your way to your hotel. If you’re just looking to explore the shops or get food, walking to your destination will be easiest.
Water Taxi: If you’re looking to go somewhere a bit further or have heavy bags that you don’t want to carry, you can take a water taxi. If you take a train into Venice, you can walk out of the train station and the first bridge that you see is the main bridge. Right underneath there are water taxis.
Water Buses: Water buses are another option for getting around. You can buy a bus pass that will allow you to ride for your full trip.
Gondolas: Lastly, there are the gondolas. It costs close to 100 Euros ($115 USD) for 30 minutes so it’s not really worth it just for getting from place to place.
Day 2 - Venice
On your second day in Venice you will be able to venture a bit further out of the main island area through the Venetian Lagoon to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.
Murano is famously known for its glass blowing, Burano for its lace making and its very colorful buildings, and Torcello is known to be where the history of Venice all began.
You can easily head out on the waters by boat, utilizing the Venice public transportation system. Feel free to spend a couple hours on each island before heading off to the next.
At day’s end simply catch a boat back to Venice and end a successful day trip in the Venetian Lagoon.
Days 3 and 4 - Florence
After two days of exploring Venice and the surrounding islands, it is time to make your way to the Venice train station where you will begin your journey to your next destination of Florence – a city filled with incredible museums, art galleries, viewpoints and gardens.
The train ride to Florence should take approximately two hours and you can check the Italy train schedules for an early morning train departure.
This way you will arrive in Florence by mid morning time and you will have at least a half-day to explore the city.
The Cradle of the Renaissance is known for its phenomenal art, iconic Duomo, winding streets, and delicious food, is an absolute delight to explore as part of your Italy itinerary.
Be sure to check out the view from Piazzale Michelangelo, eat lots of gelato (it was invented in Florence, after all), and stroll across the Ponte Vecchio while you’re there.
Visiting Florence also includes access to the Tuscan countryside with its gorgeous vineyards, beautiful hilltop villages, and rolling hills–and even with only 7 days in Italy, you can squeeze in a quick day trip outside the city!
Day 1
(1) Accademia Gallery (The David)
(2) Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
(3) Duomo Climb
(4) La Basilica di Santa Croce
Day 2
(1) Piazza della Signoria
(2) Palazzo Vecchio and/or (3) Uffizi Gallery
(4) Ponte Vecchio
(5) Boboli Gardens
(6) Piazzale Michelangelo
Some of the Hotels are:
1) Hotel Paris
Day 5 - Day Trip to Siena
To get to Siena is pretty simple – make your way to the bus station in Florence (which is right next to the train station), and after a 90-minute ride or so you will end up in the city center around Piazza Antonio Gramsci.
There are plenty of busses that make the route and you can buy tickets when you get there, or play it safe and head to the bus station the day before to purchase tickets for an exact time.
Once you arrive in Siena you will be greeted by a beautiful walled old city full of hilly winding streets, plazas and home to the famous Palio Race (held on July 2nd and August 16th). If you happen to be in Italy during one of these dates you can definitely check it out, however it will be absolutely packed with people!
The main square here (and where the Palio is held) is Piazza del Campo – a unique and historical sloped piazza, where you will find plenty of restaurants and coffee shops in the vicinity. Sitting at the base of the slope is Palazzo Pubblico, the town hall of Siena.
You can visit the museum that sits inside here and also have the chance to climb the Torre del Mangia bell tower. Climbing the 400 or so steps to the top is quite the experience as well as the amazing view you will get from above.
Up next is the Siena Cathedral – an amazing piece of architecture with huge striped columns and arches throughout. You will find plenty of detailed mosaics and other types of artwork as you walk through the complex.
Besides for the Cathedral there are some other smaller places to visit right around the area including The Baptistery of San Giovanni ,The Crypt, and The Museo dell’Opera.
Once you have had enough time in Siena, take the bus back to Florence and call it a day.
Day 6 - Rome and Vatican City
It is time to head to Rome, the capital of Italy. There are plenty of trains all throughout the morning that will take you the 90 or so minutes south.
Try and get into Rome earlier rather than later so you will have more time to enjoy the city. After checking into your hotel and grabbing some lunch it is time to already visit another country – Vatican City!
Some Hotels are:
Day 7 - Rome
From wonders of Ancient Rome like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Pantheon to more recent additions like the Vatican Museums, Trevi Fountain, and winding cobblestone streets of Trastevere, exploring Rome is a captivating, engaging experience that we can’t recommend highly enough.
Rome is arguably our favorite city on the planet and the perfect place to kick off your trip to Italy.
Some of the main places you can make stops at include:
1) The Colosseum
2) Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
3) Pantheon
4) Trevi Fountain
5) Spanish Steps
Unfortunately, this one week itinerary for Italy comes to an end here. But there are a lot more wonderful places to visit in this country. Keep a look out for my future posts about Italy.
The easiest option here is to take a flight out of Rome on the night of day 7 or first thing on day 8. Hope you enjoy your trip to Italy.
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