10-Day Italy Itinerary: Rome, Florence, Tuscany & Venice — The Classic Route

Day-by-day plan

1. 

   Day 1Rome →

   Arrival + Trastevere evening

   • •Land at Fiumicino (FCO); Leonardo Express train to Termini in 32 min
   • •Drop bags, walk the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain late afternoon
   • •Dinner in Trastevere: cacio e pepe at Da Enzo al 29
   • •Aperol spritz on Piazza di Santa Maria

   Pick a hotel near Termini, Trastevere, or Monti for walkable access.

2. 

   Day 2Rome →

   Ancient Rome: Colosseum + Forum + Palatine

   • •Colosseum 8:30 AM (book skip-the-line ahead, ~$24)
   • •Roman Forum + Palatine Hill (combined ticket)
   • •Lunch: porchetta sandwich at Roscioli or supplì at Trapizzino
   • •Capitoline Museums afternoon
   • •Dinner near Campo de' Fiori: pizza al taglio + Frascati wine
3. 

   Day 3Rome →

   Vatican: St Peter's + Sistine Chapel

   • •Vatican Museums 8 AM (book ahead — Sistine Chapel is one-way)
   • •St Peter's Basilica + climb the dome (551 steps, $11)
   • •Lunch in Borgo: pizza bianca and porchetta
   • •Castel Sant'Angelo bridge sunset
   • •Last Roman dinner: $14 carbonara at Roscioli

   → Next: bullet train · ~1h 30m · ~$50 — Frecciarossa Roma Termini → Firenze Santa Maria Novella.

4. 

   Day 4Florence →

   Florence: Duomo + Uffizi

   • •Duomo climb (Brunelleschi's dome, 463 steps, book ahead)
   • •Lunch: panini at All'Antico Vinaio (expect a queue)
   • •Uffizi Gallery afternoon (Botticelli's Venus, Caravaggio)
   • •Sunset gelato at Piazzale Michelangelo
   • •Dinner in Oltrarno: bistecca fiorentina at Trattoria Sostanza
5. 

   Day 5Tuscany →

   Chianti & San Gimignano day trip

   • •Half-day Chianti wine tour from Florence (~$120 small-group)
   • •Lunch at a Chianti vineyard: pici cacio e pepe + Sangiovese
   • •Stop in San Gimignano (medieval towers, gelato at Dondoli)
   • •Back to Florence by 7 PM
   • •Aperitivo on Ponte Vecchio

   Book the wine tour in advance — they sell out 2-3 weeks ahead in peak season.

6. 

   Day 6Florence →

   Florence deep dive: Accademia + Oltrarno

   • •Accademia Gallery for Michelangelo's David ($16, book ahead)
   • •Mercato Centrale lunch: porchetta sandwich + truffle pasta
   • •Oltrarno artisan workshops (leather, bookbinding, jewelry)
   • •Boboli Gardens behind Palazzo Pitti
   • •Last Florence dinner: ribollita at Cibreo

   → Next: bullet train · ~2h 5m · ~$60 — Frecciarossa Firenze SMN → Venezia Santa Lucia.

7. 

   Day 7Venice →

   Venice: St Mark's + Doge's Palace + Cannaregio

   • •Vaporetto (water bus, $9.50) up the Grand Canal — sit at the back
   • •St Mark's Basilica gold mosaics (free; tower €10)
   • •Doge's Palace + Bridge of Sighs ($30, book ahead)
   • •Cicchetti crawl in Cannaregio: Vino Vero, Al Timon, $4 plates
   • •Late dinner near Rialto: risotto al nero di seppia

   Stay near San Marco, San Polo, or Cannaregio. Skip mainland hotels — you came for Venice.

   → Next: ferry · ~40 min · ~$9

8. 

   Day 8Venice →

   Burano + Murano day trip

   • •Vaporetto #12 to Burano (lace island, painted houses) — 45 min
   • •Lunch at Trattoria al Gatto Nero: risotto di gò
   • •Stop at Murano on the way back (glass blowing demos)
   • •Sunset at Punta della Dogana for the Grand Canal panorama
   • •Bellini at Harry's Bar (where they invented it, $22)
9. 

   Day 9Venice →

   Venice slow day + Peggy Guggenheim

   • •Coffee at Caffè Florian (1720, the world's oldest)
   • •Peggy Guggenheim Collection — modern art on the Grand Canal
   • •Get lost in Dorsoduro, find Squero di San Trovaso (gondola workshop)
   • •Last Italian dinner: Estro for natural wine + cicchetti
   • •Gondola ride at sunset (€80, do it once — it's worth it)

   → Next: flight · ~50 min to VCE · ~$25

10. 

    Day 10Venice →

    Departure

    • •Last cornetto + cappuccino
    • •Vaporetto + Alilaguna boat to Marco Polo Airport (~75 min total)
    • •Allow 3 hours for international departures

Want to swap something?

Skip Tuscany for the Amalfi Coast: replace Day 5 with Naples + Pompeii, then a day in Positano/Capri (rebalance Florence to 2 nights). For art-focused trips: add a day in Bologna between Florence and Venice. With kids: trade Uffizi-heavy Day 4 for Boboli + a gelato-making class.

Practical tips

• •Trenitalia Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed trains: book 60+ days ahead for $30 fares; same-day = $90+.
• •Skip-the-line tickets for Vatican, Colosseum, Uffizi, Accademia, Doge's Palace are essential. Use the official sites, not third-party resellers.
• •Restaurants in Italy don't do early dinner — most open 7:30 PM. Don't fight it; do aperitivo at 6 instead.
• •In Venice, eat AWAY from St Mark's Square — anywhere within sight of it triples the price for half the quality.
• •Best months: Apr-May (mild + wisteria) and Sep-Oct (warm + harvest season). Avoid Aug — hot, crowded, half of Italy is closed for ferie.