northern italy itinerary northern italy itinerary

A visit here adds on another hour of driving, plus time to visit the church, which takes about an hour. We would really like to visit Bologna and Florence again and have to add Verona for sure due to business (just 1 day business meeting). Get the full details on what to see and do in our Guide to St. Marks Basilica. Day 3 - 4: Swoon Over Picturesque Cinque Terre. Its a big day hike but it is our favorite in the Dolomites. Pick up the car ideally between 8 and 9 am (but even earlier is better), to give yourself as much time as possible in the Dolomites. Our northern Italy itinerary, 7 days from the Alps to Milan, is all about exploring the wonders that lie at the top end of the boot. Franciacorta is a territory between Bergamo and Brescia that produces sparkling wine or spumante, mostly Prosecco, Italys version of Champagne. Day 1 - 2: Welcome Northern Italy's Romantic and Bustling Milan. Day 10 Milan. Use this link or the banner below to get a quote. To make sure you dont spend to much time in the car we recommend staying somewhere around Lake Garda. This way you can reach the historic city of Venice early morning and spend a few moments when it is not too busy. Day 4 Stresa and Orta San Giulio. View from the Puez-Odle Altopiano trail | Northern Italy Itinerary. From this bridge, you get another iconic view of Venice and the Grand Canal. In the morning, travel to Milan. Whats more exciting than an Italy road trip? For more information on how to do this, click here. We recommend staying a bit out of the center, which saves you tons of money. Note: This post contains affiliate links. Discover more day trips from Milan to beef up your itinerary. Santuario Madonna della Corona | Northern Italy Itinerary. At the Grand Canal, there are many taxi boats where you can hop on and off with your ticket. Read my guides to Italy in Summer, Italy in Fall, and Italy in Winter to dive deeper into which season may be a better fit for you. Hi there! You can have lunch or dinner on the rooftop terrace with views of the Venetian Lagoon. Here are some in-depth guides to help you plan exactly what to do in each destination: Check out this Google Maps Trip Planner with extra itinerary suggestions: Outdoor enthusiasts will fall in love with the Italian Alps. Ponte dellAccademia view | Northern Italy Itinerary. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. from $16,495 /10 days. The highlights in Milan are:if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'madefortravellers_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_17',134,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-medrectangle-3-0'); It is easy to walk around the city center of Milan. Leave a comment! Were here to help you plan the best road trip in Northern Italy. Verona is located in northern Italy, about 110km from the romantic city of Venice. To enter Venice, youll need to buy a ticket, which gives you also access to the taxi boats. So we recommend dropping your rental car when arriving at the city. Its a little more of a hassle on this day but it does save money. Gondola ride for two? Milan has many accommodations where you can stay. At every place where we recommend staying overnight, we put some recommendations for hotel bookings. The train system is easy to use and efficient and you can get tickets in advance and with no extra agency charges on the official train site trenitalia.it What to pack for northern Italy Northern Italy has varied weather depending on the season and location. If youre someone whos embarking on their once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, this itinerary is for you. You will stay in Venice for two nights. Nowadays the most important source of income is tourism. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'madefortravellers_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_9',138,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); It is lovely to spend the night in Verona. The other option is staying inPeschiera del Garda, a vibrant town next to the lake, also perfect for a romantic stay, but less expensive. For those who want to combine a few Italian cities with some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, youll love this northern Italy itinerary. 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. After you woke up and enjoyed the beautiful mountain views, it is time to hit the road again. We were pleasantly surprised during our visit to Parma, and recommend anyone to stay here and explore this lovely city. Day 3 - Lake Como. Once in Milan, the main things to do include a visit to the Duomo (walking on the rooftop is an awesome experience), seeing DaVincis Last Supper, and visiting the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Your email address will not be published. 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 Borromean Islands are the main attraction at Lake Maggiore. I love creating free resources for your travels and personally responding to your questions over chat and email. So the first day we dont plan that much. The lake is the largest in the southern part of Switzerland. Known for its iconic leaning tower. Croda da Lago Circuit | Northern Italy Itinerary, Lago di Sorapis | Northern Italy Itinerary. The parking garage can hold 4500 vehicles. 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. You will have to book a time slot in advance, and when to do this depends on your arrival time in Venice today. The city is known for its parma ham and renowned parmesan cheese. Medici Family,who invented modern banking, but also a few popes came from this family. Tuscany is often referred to as the most beautiful countryside in Italy. Many people want to visit these cities while visiting Italy, but especially Rome is a bit far regarding the other cities. Many great artists and philosophers lived in Florence during the middle ages. Bologna 2 Nights. 8 Discover Emilia Romagna - 10 days. Three rocky islands that were bought by the Borromean family centuries ago. Start as far west as possible in Courmayeur to visit Mont Blanc and the Val Ferret. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. I love simple focaccia, made with just oil, but the bread is so versatile that youll find many different versions. If you have longer, great! This very highly rated tour has skip-the-line access to St. Marks Basilica, it includes the terrace, and it also includes Doges Palace (the next stop on todays itinerary). But the true draw is the landscape. Day 1: Arrive in Venice Day 2: Venice Day 3: Dolomites Day 4: Dolomites Day 5: Drive to Milan Day 6: Lake Como day trip Day 7: Fly home. I do not recommend making big plans today (no St. Marks Basilica or Doges Palace visits) because you might be exhausted. Day 2 in Milan. 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! Customize your leisure days by adding excursions to your Northern Italy Itinerary. Youll probably stop a few times just to enjoy the views. They made these islands in the beautiful botanical gardens which they are now. Ideally, plan to arrive in Venice early in the morning, or even the night before, to make the most of this day. It is the capital of the Tuscany region. Or, you can take a train from Verona to Milan (roughly 1.5 hours with ticket prices ranging from $17 to $27 USD). If you dont want to wait in line, you can join a skip-the-line tour. Getting from Marco Polo Airport to Venice. This is the road youll need to take the next day.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'madefortravellers_com-box-4','ezslot_6',136,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-box-4-0'); The next day you follow road SS36, 38, 39, 42 and 239 to the national park Adamello Brenta. Day 9 Milan. On our first trip to the Dolomites, we had three days and once there, we wished we had a lot more time. Our recommended places to stay are in two different villages. Once you have checked into your hotel, have a quick lunch and then make your way to the Rialto Bridge. Also, we cover several itineraries for 5 and 14 days. Last stop for lovers: Venice! We recommend using the parks website to find out the best hiking trails. St. Marks Square dates back to the 9th century AD. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. Italy is one of the most visited countries in Europe, perhaps even the world. Dive deeper into the Val Brembana to the north of Bergamo to visit the villages of Branzi and Cornello dei Tasso. You can also choose to do this road trip in the other way around. From Duomo Square, visit the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Sienais renowned for the largest medieval square and the famous Torre del Mangia. If youre thinking of using regional or city buses, the real challenge is understanding the routes and planning your itinerary around the timetables. Because theres no traffic, the vibe is even more unique. Map for your Northern Italy road trip In the next part, you'll find step by step itineraries where we explain the best stops, famous landmarks, and best places to stay. This Italy travel itinerary includes in a lot of variety. We recommend taking the scenic route, though. 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. Nearby Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure are a few extra stop ideas. The Dolomiti Lodge Alvergets exceptional reviews. The stops on this north Italy itinerary include: Youll probably start this itinerary in Milano, given that the most major airports are located just outside the city. We have tons of information on the Dolomites, which you can see in our Dolomites Travel Guide. Cultural Exploration Family Tour of Northern Italy. However, the town Volterra in this movie is a fictional village and not the same as the historic Italian village. This medieval town is great for a day visit. If you have less time and want to see a lot, plan out your transportation well and get ready for days jam-packed with things to do and breathtaking places to see! DAY: MALCESINE & LIMONE DEL SUL (Lake Garda) Sightseeing In Limone Sul Garda Sightseeing In Malcesine Northern Italy Itinerary - 10. Which one you choose really depends if you want to cruise up Lake Como or just get to Varenna as quickly as possible. However, it would be pretty tough to see this all in a week, even with a car. Made For Travellers is a participant in the ShareASale and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and other websites. If you still have a rental car, drive to Bellagio (1.5 hours) or Varenna (1.5 hours). Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, but its small, cascading hillside towns make the atmosphere intimate. Youll see the greatest highlights and have enough time for sightseeing, hiking and learn about the Italian culture. However, for those arriving on a red eye flight, you will have just the afternoon for sightseeing. But if you like, you can explore the city. On this full day in Venice, you will visit some of the most popular tourist attractions: St. Marks Basilica, the Doges Palace, and St. Marks Square. Some hotels will have designated parking, either with or without an additional fee. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Youll find both French and Italian are spoken here because of how close the two countries are. If youre into hiking, watersports, or just want to experience the beauty of nature, this road trip might be something for you. Where To Stay In Cinque Terre. And the Medici Family, in particular, had significant influence at the modern banking system. The entire itinerary can be done as a road trip or you can rent a car just for the Dolomites. Then head over to the Dolomites: the most unique of mountains with jagged grey peaks surrounded by the absolutely stunning valleys and green hills of Trentino Alto-Adige. 6.3 Add on: Verona/Venice/Milan 2 days eachItaly. Travel insurance is essential for your belongings and healthcare while traveling. It is also worth it to hire a boat to cruise by the villas, or even tour one of them. This road trip is around 500 kilometers, maybe a bit more depending on where you go around the lakes. This epic northern Italy itinerary begins in Valle DAosta, the smallest and most underrated of the regions. It is the highest mountain in this mountain range. Dynamic pricing from $2,859. All of Italys regions offer something unique and in this guide, the spotlight is on the north. Drop your luggage off at your hotel and spend the afternoon sightseeing in Venice. Lake Como is a must stop also for mountain lovers: the peaks soaring above the lake are breathtaking. To save money, stay in a hotel that offers breakfast, put together picnic lunches, and skip the drinks at dinner. 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. Northern Italy is, however, partially composed of the Italian Alps which presents a challenge for train travel. For DaVincis Last Supper you must book a time slot in advance. Hopefully, youll never use it, but when you need it, it is good to know theres a company out there helping you. If youre working with a 10 day northern Italy trip, you can make it simple by spending two days in each place, or do as Im suggesting using Milan and Venice as your home bases to explore more with day trips. If you decide to avoid the toll roads, which is a more scenic route along the western coastline of Italy, it will take you even around 5 hours. However, you will have more travel time tomorrow to get to the airport. If you love the idea of vineyard views on end and wine tasting with your partner, it must be added to your romantic itinerary. A Cost Guide. The roads are good condition, and the views are just stunning. Gondolas in Venice | Northern Italy Itinerary. Dynamic pricing from $3,217. Take the time to purchase the Firenze card right away. And Hotel Torcolo Residenze del Cuore is a centrally located budget hotel that gets very good reviews. For the remainder of the day, we have a few more options of great things to do in this area of Venice. When you would rather looking for other accommodation, make sure to use this link, which will direct you to the best deals in Milan on Booking.com. link to 20 Best Things To Do In Fogo, Cape Verde, link to Why Is Everything So Cheap In Portugal? In the next part, youll find step by step itineraries where we explain the best stops, famous landmarks, and best places to stay. Total Tour Investment - Starting at $9999/guest Reserve your spot today with a deposit of $1000/guest (balance due 100 days prior to departure) Budget Hotel, double room with two people: $50 $150, Mid-Range Hotel, double room with two people: $150 $300, Luxury Hotel, double room with two people: $300+. There are two ways to visit Lake Como today. In some places, we recommend staying two nights, so it is more relaxed, and you allow yourself to really get to know the city or village. For information on renting a car, including rental car fees, drop fees, and things to know ahead of time, take a look at our article Important Things to Know Before Renting a Car in Europe. We found that insurance can be a tricky thing, but since were using Rentalcover.com for our rental insurance, we stopped worrying. In these two months you get the best weather, the very beginning or the tail end of the busy summer tourist season, and if you book ahead, you can get great deals on reservations for rental cars and accommodation. Theres not much I need to explain as to why Venice is a good city-break: the uniqueness of its landscape and how it affects every aspect of life from transportation to food. We've only ever traveled by public transportation in Italy and so that's how we designed these itineraries. So we recommend to stay in Milan until lunch, and after lunch drive to Lake Como. You can easily spend a few weeks in the Tuscany region, but during this road trip in the Northern part of Italy, we recommend that you stay in the west part of Tuscany.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'madefortravellers_com-leader-2','ezslot_16',148,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-leader-2-0'); Leaving Florence we recommend you to drive toSiena San Gimignano Volterra Pisa. Curious for more ideas? Unless you have a late afternoon flight, you will either have to leave very early in the morning or travel to Venice the night of day 9. The top places in Northern Italy are Venice, Verona, Milan, Lake Garda, Lake Como, and Cinque Terre. 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. 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! We always feel at home while traveling through Tuscany. Our Florence hotel recommendations:if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'madefortravellers_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_10',140,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); Florence is known as the heart of the Rennaissance. This 14 day Italy itinerary crams in a lot, and can easily be slowed down if you have more time. Sign me up for the newsletter & access to resources from The Travel Library! 6 Northern Italy Road Trip itinerary: Nature edition (6-14 days) 6.1 The Dolomites - 6 days. We recommend that you pick up your rental car right before you leave the city and travel to lake Como. You can use this link to check the latest prices on rental cars in Italy. Many people think this village was the scene for the movietwilight. It truly is the best way to visit the country and enjoy just how vastly different the landscapes are across the peninsula. In the Dolomites, it is free to go hiking, but there can be parking fees and fees to ride the cable cars. Rentalcover offers the best coverage for a rental car, and it is cheaper than insurance via the rental company. The best time to visit is in the fall, also when the White Truffle Festival takes place in Alba. For dinner, we recommend Osteria Enoteca San Marco (one of our favorite restaurants and it is located near St. Marks Square), Impronta (a seafood restaurant popular with locals and tourists), Ristorante CaDolfin (gets rave reviews and is located in Canareggio), and Restaurant Quadri (a Michelin-starred restaurant). Northern Italy is the most developed part of the country, so transportation is easy-to-access and can take you just about anywhere. From Pisa, it is only a short drive to one of the most beautiful coastlines in Italy. Here youll find many small traditional restaurants, the best place to have a relaxing night after much walking in the city! The Tuscany of northern Italy? Both these cities will be your home base on this kind of itinerary. Are you planning to travel to Italy? The easiest way to get around northern Italy is by train. Four nights in Milan with a day trip to the Lakes OR two nights in Milan and two nights at Lake Como. These suggestions for your time in Venice follows our 2 Day in Venice Itinerary, starting with day 2 and then doing day 1. 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. If youre hoping to visit many places that arent major cities or tourist spots, then I would absolutely recommend renting a car. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you arrive in the morning on a red eye flight, this first day can be challenging. Milan - 2-3 nights. Not everything has to be perfectly planned out with a route for each day and reservations at a specific restaurant. Thats why we selected the recourses we use all the time while booking our trips. The road will take you through the dolomites, which is lovely. Stay overnight in Lake Como (for longer Northern Italy itineraries) Additional day trip from Milan - Bergamo. Things To Do In Cinque Terre. Instead the meals are heartier, which reflect the lifestyle of people living here: industrial workers or those living in the Alps having to face long winters. Bus can also be a flexible and inexpensive option for airport transfer. Read my full disclosure! Julie Last updated: January 29, 2023 Italy Leave a Comment. Genoa is excellent to spend a few days and explore the extensive history. If you leave by 9 am, you will arrive in Verona just before noon. It's the world's largest gothic cathedral and is absolutely stunning! Northern Italy Road Trip: Stop 1 - Milan Milan, in Italy's Lombardy region, is a unique blend of historical architecture, contemporary skyscrapers and well-known as a fashionista's Italian city of choice. Arrive on an empty stomach! Lagazuoi, Dolomites | Northern Italy Itinerary, The view of Cortina dAmpezzo from the Tofana cable car | Northern Italy Itinerary. Luckily theres much more to see in Verona, some of the famous landmarks are Castelvecchio, Ponte Vecchio, and the Verona Arena. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. From Verona, it is easy to do the rest of the trip with public transportation. Now, it is a museum. The icon of the city is the Duomo Cathedral. I put Lake Garda before Verona since you save a little driving time by visiting the north end of Lake Garda first. We wrote this article you might like, with in-depth information about the city of Milan. It starts in Venice and ends in Milan, but it can just as easily be done in the opposite direction. Depending on your interests and fitness level, you can choose different activities. Keep in mind that Milan Bergamo is about an hour outside of Milan. 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. Trains are generally easy to navigate, so tourists shouldnt be intimidated. So when you want to save some money, dont go to a traditional Gondola, but hop-on a taxi boat.