northern italy itinerary

The view from Marmolada | Northern Italy Itinerary. Book your stay in Milan and spend time exploring the city, while using the next few days to visit Cinque Terre and Lake Como. View from Castello Scaligero di Malcesine, Malcesine, Lake Garda. It is not a coastal city as many people think, the region consists out of five different coastal towns. On our first trip to the Dolomites, we had three days and once there, we wished we had a lot more time. The Best of Northern Italy: 10-Day Itinerary - Petite Suitcase Northern Italy has an amazingly extensive train network that connect many of the country's top destinations. A visit to St. Marks Basilica (once you are inside), lasts about 45 minutes to an hour, to walk through the basilica, see the Pala dOro, and take in the view from the terrace. Again, expect long lines here. Millions of tourists travel every year to this renowned place. Here are the most romantic places in northern Italy: Portovenere is an underrated, hidden gem on the coast of Liguria. So we recommend dropping your rental car when arriving at the city. Manage Settings Here youll find two specialties: polenta and pizzoccheri. This way youll spend your time in the most efficient way possible. This medieval town is great for a day visit. I've also offered options to add on other locations if you're travelling for longer too or adding Italy to part of a longer Europe itinerary . Your email address will not be published. You can also stay at the neighboring island Venice Lido, from where you can easily take a taxi-boat to the historical center. Dreamy Northern Italy Itinerary: 7 Days Italian Road Trip Day 4-6 Emilia Romagna. You can do this itinerary all year, but during the months of November, April, and even May, you will be very limited in what you can do in the Dolomites, as this area transitions between a hiking and skiing destination. I also recommend asking your hotel for the best way to get to the hotel. 10-Day Northern Italy Itinerary: 2 Perfect Routes Some hotels will have designated parking, either with or without an additional fee. Northern Italy itinerary: 4 comprehensive itineraries Part of the eastern Alps in northern Italy and marking the border between Italy and Austria, these natural beauties are another UNESCO heritage site. This Italy itinerary is a great starting point for designing your own custom itinerary. As far as how long to spend in each place, here are my recommendations for a minimum amount of stay based on how much there is to do in each place (& my personal favorite spots! Whether you like hiking in the summer or skiing in the winter, the mountains are paradise. But in five days you still can see a lot. Hit the 5 major areas on everyone's northern Italy bucket list. I put Lake Garda before Verona since you save a little driving time by visiting the north end of Lake Garda first. We are coming from the West Coast of the US (California). Between wine, fairytale villages, and intimate vistas, youll be feeling the Italian romance. Once in the area of Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio, you will get around by ferry, which runs frequently and it doesnt take long to get from town to town. Its hard to fit it all into one trip, but hopefully youve found the perfect itinerary for your trip to northern Italy or at least sparks of inspiration! This evening, return to Milan or check into your hotel in Bellagio or Varenna. One of our favourite Northern Italy itineraries calls for a leisurely weekend in Northern Italy focused around the Italian Lakes, a popular stop on the European grand tour. This way you can reach the historic city of Venice early morning and spend a few moments when it is not too busy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. So you can use your time in the most efficint way. I will sprinkle in extra tips and suggestions based on my own experience (so you dont have to make the same mistakes I have) and extra destinations as well so you can play with how much extra time you have and be informed about other places in the area well-worth seeing. This Northern Italy road trip itinerary works either way! Waking up early in Venice and arriving in the historical center before 10 a.m. is recommended. In our Northern Italy Itinerary, visit Venice, the Dolomites, Verona, Milan, and Lake Como. Best Things to Do in the Dolomites (with Little to No Hiking), Things to Know When Planning a Trip to the Dolomites, Freccia nel Cielo cable car to Cima Tofana, 10 Days in Italy: 4 Amazing Itinerary Ideas, 10 Days in Italy: Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre & Venice, 14 Days in Italy: Best Way to Spend Two Weeks in Italy, How to Plan the Perfect Day Trip to Lake Como, 10 Days in Italy Itinerary: 4 Amazing Ideas for Your Trip to Italy, Lake Garda Bucket List: 25 Things to Do in Lake Garda, Italy, 20 Best Places to Visit in Italy (+ Map & Photos). Relais Balcone di Giulietta is another highly rated hotel located next to Juliets balcony. Because theres no traffic, the vibe is even more unique. The terrace is free to visit and you have a great view overlooking the Grand Canal. Of course, youll visit the famous landmarks asColleseum,Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and Vatican City. Bologna is a big university city. Volterrais another small village on top of a hill. But if the price is better in Rome, you could always take a train to a major northern Italian city or find a cheap flight with RyanAir, for example. The icon of the city is the Duomo Cathedral. If you head out on your adventure using one of these itineraries or have questions for curating a totally customized itinerary, share with me Id love to hear how your trip has gone or help you further plan your dream northern Italy itinerary! Check out our article What is Cinque Terre Famous For? After a few days in Venice, youll spend four days exploring the Dolomites, a world-class hiking destination filled with some of the best outdoor scenery in all of Europe. Since 1982 the historic center of Florence is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. For drinks and dining, we recommend you to go to theTrastevereneighborhood. DOLOMITES: For links to all of our articles about the Dolomites, take a look at our Dolomites Travel Guide. You can travel on your own schedule and get to places where it is difficult to get to by bus. Where To Stay In Milan. You can either join the ticket line (expect a long wait), book your ticket in advance (highly recommended!! Northern Italy Itinerary: 5 different 10-14 days itineraries And during the night, most tourists left the historic center, so its much quieter. He travels the world with the love of his life and writes about inspiring cultures and practical travel tips. Its also a little easier to get from Verona to Milan by train. To make sure you dont spend to much time in the car we recommend staying somewhere around Lake Garda. Plus, having a car makes it much easier to get around Lake Garda and transfer from Riva del Garda to Sirmione, and then once in Verona, you can drop the rental car if you prefer. The Rialto Bridge is a covered footbridge that is lined with shops. If you like hiking, we highly recommend the Croda da Lago Circuit, Lago di Sorapis, and the Cinque Torri + Rifugios Averau and Nuvolau, if you didnt do that yesterday. The biggest lake in Italy and Europe. If you have any questions about this northern Italy itinerary, let us know in the comment section below. Head west to Turin, a financial and cultural hub like Milan, stylized by Baroque-style architecture and the famed Mole Antonelliana. Check out the map with extra suggestions: I could go on and on about all of the beautiful places to visit in northern Italy, but this post would then be at least 10,000 words. Lagazuoi, Dolomites | Northern Italy Itinerary, The view of Cortina dAmpezzo from the Tofana cable car | Northern Italy Itinerary. If you like hiking, hike the Puez-Odle Altopiano. Pick up the car on the morning of day 3, when you leave Venice, and then drop the car in Verona. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, and it sits between the Dolomites and Milan. It is possible to get around by bus, but buses have limited schedules and do not always run on time. There is not a whole lot to see in Menaggio, so this can be skipped. Which one you choose really depends if you want to cruise up Lake Como or just get to Varenna as quickly as possible. Public transport adaptations. We recommend using rentalcover. A visit here adds on another hour of driving, plus time to visit the church, which takes about an hour. Many great artists and philosophers lived in Florence during the middle ages. Hopefully all these options make clearer what is at the top of your northern Italy bucket list! If youre planning on taking a train around northern Italy, read all my Italy train travel tips so you know exactly how to prepare. During this road trip, we planned a half-day in Cinque Terre, but if you want to spend more time along these coastal towns, you can skip Genoa or Parma in this itinerary. From the Dolomites, visit lovely Verona, Milan, and spend a day at Lake Como. Breakdown of your 2 weeks in Northern Italy Milan: 2 days Lake Como: 2 days Lake Garda: 2 days Verona: 1 day Dolomites: 5 days Venice: 2 days You can choose whether you start in Milan and end in Venice, or go in reverse. 14 days or even longer is perfect for a road trip. We also have guides about How to Visit St. Marks Basilica, where to get the Best Views of Venice, and how to spend Two Days in Venice. In the Dolomites, the first snow begins to fall sometime in October and continues through May, so during this time, the hiking trails will be covered with snow. All the major cities on our 10 day Italy travel itinerary were accessible by public transportation, and the train . You'll visit two of Italy's best culinary regions, Emilia-Romagna and Piemonte; you'll marvel at Italy's most picturesque mountains in Trentino and Alto Adige; and you'll visit four lakes: Garda, Como, Orta, and Maggiore. Northern Italy Road Trip - 1 Week Itinerary | The Crowded Planet Here are some foods to try in every region on this itinerary: Starting in Piemonte, the speciality is one of the most expensive and luxurious foods in the world: truffles! With regional buses you can typically reach small towns, while with Flixbus, youll mostly be limited to cities. 6 Northern Italy Road Trip itinerary: Nature edition (6-14 days) 6.1 The Dolomites - 6 days. Santuario Madonna della Corona | Northern Italy Itinerary. With more time, or some modifications, you can also add in Lake Garda or more time in the Dolomites. For the remainder of the day, we have a few more options of great things to do in this area of Venice. The historic center is one of the best-preserved medieval centers in Italy. Dont forget to book your sightseeing tickets for Florence in advance. Discover more day trips from Milan to beef up your itinerary. 10 Day Northern Italy Itinerary - Italy Forum - Tripadvisor Spend the day either hiking near Cortina dAmpezzo or visiting Lago di Braies. The other dish I ordered at every restaurant in Liguria: Trofie al Pesto. Day 7 Lake Garda - Sirmione. It starts in Venice and ends in Milan, but it can just as easily be done in the opposite direction. Check out the map to see this sample itinerary and extra suggestions on where to visit: Some travelers cant get enough of a historic, bustling European city and Italy is rich with them. I recommend starting on Riva degli Schiavoni, which is a wide promenade that runs along the Venetian Lagoon. To enter Venice, youll need to buy a ticket, which gives you also access to the taxi boats. ITALY YOUTUBE CLIPS. For more details about this day, refer to day 1 of our 2 Day Venice Itinerary. You could definitely tailor this Northern Italy itinerary to be only 7 days. Tonight, stay in Cortina dAmpezzo. WorldNomadsinsurance is what we feel is the most comprehensive and reliable travel insurance you can buy. When you have more time for a road trip, we recommend using it. If you have less than 10 days, then remove a day or two from the Dolomites. Northern Italy Itinerary, 7 Days From The Alps To Milan Sirmione, which is a bit more expensive option, but probably one of the most romantic places youll ever sleep. When you still have time for exploring, we recommend dropping your rental car at the drop-off and head to the city center. However, if you like the idea of visiting Lake Garda, here is a sample itinerary, if you have 12 days in Italy. The road trip to Rome will take up a half-day. Here are a few more itineraries for Italy: To see all of our articles about Italy, take a look at our Italy Travel Guide. Tickets to tour the Duomo and the rooftop can be purchased at the Duomo or online in advance. Depending on where you are staying in Venice, you can get here on foot or ride the vaporetto. Learn how to spend one perfect day in Verona. Teatro Farneseis a theater you should visit while in Parma, it is a 16th-century theater, built entirely from wood. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Did you know the famous tower straightens every year? Your email address will not be published. With the Northern Italy Highlights - 10 days itinerary you'll cross the most important highlights, cities and landmarks in the northern part of Italy.