14-Day Italy Itinerary: Rome, Florence, Venice & the Amalfi Coast: The Ultimate Two-Week Italy Trip

Walk the Centro Storico

Settle into your hotel near Piazza Navona or Trastevere. Once refreshed, take the classic Rome walk: start at the Spanish Steps, toss a coin at the Trevi Fountain, then stand in awe inside the Pantheon — 2,000 years old and still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.

The Colosseum & Roman Forum

Book the Full Experience ticket (€24) for underground + arena floor access — worth every cent. Start early (8:30am opening) to beat tour groups. After the Colosseum, walk through the Roman Forum and up Palatine Hill for sweeping views over ancient Rome.

Capitoline Museums & Altare della Patria

Walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali to the Capitoline Museums — Rome's oldest public museum with Caravaggio, the Dying Gaul, and the she-wolf statue. Take the free elevator to the top of the Altare della Patria for a 360° panorama.

Sunset in Trastevere

Cross the Tiber to Trastevere — Rome's most charming neighborhood. Wander cobblestone alleys, pop into Santa Maria in Trastevere (stunning gold mosaics), and end with gelato from Fatamorgana.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Enter at 8am (first slot). Rush through the galleries to reach the Sistine Chapel before crowds — Michelangelo's ceiling is overwhelming in person. Then exit through St. Peter's Basilica (free entry, separate line). Climb the dome (551 steps) for the best view in Rome.

Borghese Gallery

Timed entry only, 2-hour slots. Houses Bernini's Apollo and Daphne, David, and Caravaggio masterpieces. Small but absolutely world-class — every piece is a showstopper.

Aperitivo Hour

Romans do aperitivo from 6–8pm. Head to the Prati neighborhood near the Vatican for craft cocktails at Il Sorpasso — great spritz selection with generous snack platters.

High-Speed Train to Naples

Take the Frecciarossa from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale (1h10m, ~€20–45). Store luggage at the station, then catch the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii Scavi (35 min, €3.60).

Pompeii Archaeological Park

Walk streets frozen in time since 79 AD. Don't miss the Forum, House of the Faun, Garden of the Fugitives (plaster casts of victims), and the remarkably preserved Thermopolium (ancient fast-food counter). Hire an audio guide — context makes it 10x better.

Transfer to Sorrento

Circumvesuviana from Pompeii to Sorrento (30 min). Check into your hotel overlooking the Bay of Naples. Sorrento is your base for the Amalfi Coast — perched on cliffs with orange and lemon groves everywhere.

Ferry to Capri

Take the first high-speed ferry from Sorrento to Capri (20 min, ~€22). Head straight to the Blue Grotto — small rowboats take you into a cave where the water glows electric blue. Go early before the line wraps around the island.

Capri Town & Gardens of Augustus

Take the funicular up to Capri Town. Stroll the Piazzetta (the island's glamorous living room), then walk to the Gardens of Augustus for jaw-dropping views of the Faraglioni sea stacks and Via Krupp's hairpin switchbacks.

Anacapri & Monte Solaro

Bus to Anacapri (the quieter, higher village). Take the chairlift to Monte Solaro (€12 round trip) — the island's highest point with 360° views stretching to Vesuvius, the Amalfi Coast, and on clear days, the coast of Calabria.

Return to Sorrento

Catch a late afternoon ferry back. Evening free to explore Sorrento's lively Corso Italia or enjoy limoncello on your hotel terrace.

SITA Bus to Positano

Catch the early SITA bus from Sorrento to Positano (1 hour, €2.40). Sit on the right side for the cliffside views. Positano tumbles down the cliffside in a cascade of pastel buildings — it's as stunning as the photos suggest.

Explore Positano

Walk down through boutique-lined stairs to Spiaggia Grande (main beach). The Path of the Gods hike starts nearby — a 7.8km clifftop trail with Amalfi Coast panoramas. Otherwise, wander the vertical village, shop for handmade sandals, and soak in the views.

Ferry to Amalfi & Bus to Ravello

Take the ferry from Positano to Amalfi (25 min, €9). Explore the striking 9th-century Duomo di Amalfi and its Cloister of Paradise. Then bus up the winding road to Ravello (25 min) — a hilltop town famous for gardens and music.

Sunset Cocktails at Palazzo Avino, Ravello

The terrace bar at Palazzo Avino has one of Italy's most spectacular sunset views — the entire Amalfi Coast spread below you as the sky turns gold. Book a table and nurse a Negroni.

Train to Florence

Circumvesuviana from Sorrento to Naples (1h), then high-speed Frecciarossa to Firenze SMN (2h45m). Total travel ~4.5 hours — an early start gets you to Florence by lunch.

Florence First Walk — Duomo & Piazza della Signoria

Drop bags at your hotel (stay near Santa Croce or Oltrarno for authenticity). Walk to the Duomo — Brunelleschi's dome is the city's crown jewel. Then continue to Piazza della Signoria (outdoor sculpture gallery), cross the Ponte Vecchio (goldsmith shops since 1345), and wander into the Oltrarno neighborhood.

Sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo

Walk (or bus #12) up to Piazzale Michelangelo for the iconic Florence panorama — the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio tower, and Ponte Vecchio all in one frame, backed by the Tuscan hills. Bring a bottle of wine.

Uffizi Gallery

Book the first slot (8:15am). The Uffizi houses the world's greatest collection of Renaissance art — Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo's Annunciation, Raphael, Titian, and Caravaggio. Don't try to see everything — pick your highlights.

Accademia Gallery — Michelangelo's David

The David in person is staggering — 5.17 meters of marble perfection. Book your timed entry and allow 1–1.5 hours. The unfinished Prisoners (slaves emerging from stone) leading to David are almost as moving.

Oltrarno Artisan Walk

Cross back to the Oltrarno (south bank) — Florence's artisan quarter. Pop into leather workshops, bookbinders, and frame makers along Via Maggio and Borgo San Frediano. This is the real Florence, away from tour groups.

Drive into Chianti

Rent a car for the day (or join a group tour, ~€60–80pp). The SR222 Chiantigiana road from Florence to Siena winds through cypress-lined hills, vineyards, and medieval hilltop towns. First stop: Greve in Chianti — the region's unofficial capital.

Wine Tasting at a Chianti Estate

Book a tasting at Castello di Verrazzano or Antinori nel Chianti Classico. Learn about Sangiovese grapes, tour the cellars, and taste 3–5 wines with local cheeses and olive oil. The Antinori winery is a stunning modern building built into the hillside.

Hilltop Villages

Drive to Castellina in Chianti — a compact medieval town with an underground tunnel street (Via delle Volte) and panoramic fortress. If time allows, detour to Radda in Chianti for more village charm and a gelato in the piazza.

Return to Florence

Drive back via the scenic route. Evening free in Florence — try a late-night gelato at Vivoli (Italy's oldest gelateria) or craft cocktails at Mad Souls & Spirits in Oltrarno.

High-Speed Train to Venice

Frecciarossa from Firenze SMN to Venezia Santa Lucia (2h, ~€25–50). When you step out of the station, the Grand Canal is right there — your first view of Venice hits differently.

Grand Canal & Rialto Bridge

Take Vaporetto Line 1 down the Grand Canal — it's a €7.50 water bus ride that feels like a private tour past Renaissance palazzos. Hop off at Rialto to explore the iconic bridge and the morning fish market (Mercato di Rialto, open till early afternoon).

Get Lost in the Labyrinth

Put away Google Maps and deliberately get lost. Venice rewards wandering — you'll stumble onto hidden squares (campi), quiet canals, and tiny bridges that no guidebook covers. Head toward Campo Santa Margherita in Dorsoduro — a lively student square with great aperitivo bars.

Sunset at Zattere

Walk the Fondamenta delle Zattere — a long south-facing waterfront promenade in Dorsoduro. Watch the sunset over Giudecca island with a gelato from Nico (their gianduiotto — frozen chocolate hazelnut on whipped cream — is legendary).

St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace

Arrive at Piazza San Marco by 8:30am (before cruise ship crowds). The basilica's gold mosaics are breathtaking — pay €7 for rooftop terrace access (the view over the piazza is incredible). Then tour the Doge's Palace — the seat of Venetian power for 700 years. Walk across the enclosed Bridge of Sighs.

Murano & Burano Islands

Take the vaporetto to Murano (15 min) — watch master glassblowers create art in 1,000°C furnaces. Then continue to Burano (30 min) — a technicolor fishing village where every house is painted a different shade. Burano is absurdly photogenic.

Gondola Ride at Dusk

Yes, it's touristy. Yes, it's expensive. Yes, you should do it anyway. A 30-minute gondola ride through quiet backwater canals at dusk is genuinely magical. Standard rate: €80 daytime / €100 after 7pm (for up to 6 people — split with other couples).

Cannaregio & the Jewish Ghetto

Explore Cannaregio — Venice's most residential sestiere. Visit the Jewish Ghetto (the world's first — the word 'ghetto' originated here in 1516). Tour the synagogues and the small but powerful museum. Then walk along Fondamenta della Misericordia — lined with bacari and local restaurants.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection or Scuola Grande di San Rocco

Choose your vibe: Peggy Guggenheim Collection (modern art — Pollock, Dalí, Kandinsky in a Grand Canal palazzo) or Scuola Grande di San Rocco (Tintoretto's masterpiece cycle — Venice's answer to the Sistine Chapel). Both take 1.5–2 hours.

Final Venice Evening

Take one last wander through Venice at night — the city transforms when day-trippers leave. The quiet canals, lamplight reflecting on water, and distant echoes of footsteps create an atmosphere like nowhere else on earth.

Train to Verona

Quick train from Venice to Verona (1h15m, ~€10–20). Verona is Shakespeare's city — home of Romeo and Juliet — but it's also a gorgeous Roman-era city with a stunning arena, world-class dining, and far fewer tourists than Venice.

Verona Arena & Piazza Bra

The Arena di Verona is a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater that still hosts opera performances today. Walk inside (€10) and imagine gladiators, then browse the elegant shops lining Piazza Bra.

Old Town Walk

Walk through Piazza delle Erbe (daily market since Roman times), past Juliet's Balcony (Casa di Giulietta — touristy but fun), up the Torre dei Lamberti for panoramic views, and across the Ponte Pietra Roman bridge.

Castel San Pietro Viewpoint

Cross the river and climb to Castel San Pietro for the best panoramic view of Verona — the Arena, red rooftops, and the Adige River curving through the city. Perfect spot for photos.

Return to Venice

Train back to Venice. Last night — make it count with a final aperitivo on the Grand Canal.

Early Morning Venice Walk

Wake up early for one final stroll through empty Venice — this is when the city belongs to its residents. Watch fishermen unload at the Rialto market, grab a coffee at a neighborhood bar, and soak in the silence before the world wakes up.

Transfer to Airport

Take the Alilaguna water bus (€15, 1h15m — scenic route through the lagoon) or the ACTV bus from Piazzale Roma (€8, 25 min) to Marco Polo Airport. Or splurge on a water taxi (€120 — arrive by boat directly to the terminal).