Many people think this village was the scene for the movietwilight. It is one of the oldest places in Tuscany. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. Or maybe you didnt have time on your first day to see all the highlights of the city. This itinerary takes you all the way from Milan to Venice, and from Venice to Florence. Northern Italy Road Trip Itinerary: Day 1-3 Veneto. Theres a constant wind blowing from the mountains which makes both lakes favorable for a fun sports day on the water. So if you intend to visit the famous tourist city of Venice, you should spend an extra day or two exploring Verona also known as the city of love. Life moves just a little bit slower, especially up in Citt Alta, an UNESCO World Heritage site and the medieval, historic old town that rests on a hilltop overlooking the more economic center, Citt Bassa. Four nights in Milan with a day trip to the Lakes OR two nights in Milan and two nights at Lake Como. DAY 1: Venice. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. If you will be arriving Venice very early in the day (for example, you are already in Europe and wont be dealing with jet lag), or the night before, you can follow our 2 Day Venice Itinerary. This is a good option for those who want to spend the night in a beautiful lakeside town. In five days youll visit the three biggest lakes in Italy before heading back to the vibrant city of Milan.Note; the road from Lake Maggiore to Lake Como takes you a few miles through Switzerland. 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. Make it easier to visit using my Lake Como budget tips, but dont be afraid to indulge in visiting its most romantic places like Villa del Balbianello and the town of Bellagio. Public transport adaptations. Our recommended articles are: Driving from Genoa to Parma is a beautiful road when you skip the tollroads. We always use rentalcars.com for booking a car. You can avoid the 5 fee by using Trenitalia.com, but this website is more difficult to use. With this guide, you will discover the perfect Northern Italy itinerary including fashionable Milan, colorful fishing villages, breath-taking Alpine vistas, gorgeous lakes, wine-clad slopes, and Venice's palazzos. Now, it is a museum. It costs 7.50 for a one-way ticket (good for 75 minutes) or 21 for a 24-hour ticket. Youll be able to use your time in the most efficint way. It is fantastic to spend a half-day or full-day in this area. To avoid waiting in line, you can purchase your ticket in advance on the official website. Or, venture to Val di Funes, to hike the Adolf Munkel Weg and/or walk the Santa Maddalena Trail for gorgeous views of the Santa Maddalena church. Temperatures on average in the Northern part of Italy are favorable. It is the capital of the Tuscany region. Parmawill be the last city on this itinerary before you head back to Milan. 1000 Gourmet Venezia gets great reviews, serves pizza and pasta, and is located on a side street just a few blocks northeast of St. Marks Square. 4 Northern Italy itineraries - How to spend a week in Northern Italy Northern Italy Itinerary n 1: Milan, Como Lake, Venice, and Verona You can also see the map here Why? Hopefully all these options make clearer what is at the top of your northern Italy bucket list! Hi there! Day 7 Lake Garda - Sirmione. If you need to start and end in the same location (for example, if it is easier to find flights in and out of one airport), that can be done as well. Franciacorta is a territory between Bergamo and Brescia that produces sparkling wine or spumante, mostly Prosecco, Italys version of Champagne. 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! The center is closed for cars, so you need to walk here, which is easy. Millions of tourists travel every year to this renowned place. In the Dolomites, it is free to go hiking, but there can be parking fees and fees to ride the cable cars. Milan Lake Como Cinque Terre Venice Dolomites Highlights Rome is a special city to visit. At the Grand Canal, there are many taxi boats where you can hop on and off with your ticket. Curious about more spots to hit? 7.2 Verona - 2 days. Tuscany is a bit different than the other regions in Italy. Read my full disclosure! Even though two nights in Venice are not quite enough, my Northern Italy itinerary would include just that. Italy Flights to Italy PUGLIA: Read about 15 beautiful places to visit in Puglia and the best things to do in Alberobello. But if you like, you can explore the city. With the Northern Italy Highlights 10 days itinerary youll cross the most important highlights, cities and landmarks in the northern part of Italy. For more tips and tricks to help you plan the perfect trip, consider reading this article: 7 Things to Know When Planning Your First Trip to Europe. If you like skiing, this northern Italy itinerary works well from December through March, when the Dolomites become one of the best places in Europe to go skiing. Youll need to choose between some highlights when you have less amount of time to spend in Italy. With more time, or some modifications, you can also add in Lake Garda or more time in the Dolomites. Also, we recommend leaving from another city. I love creating free resources for your travels and personally responding to your questions over chat and email. 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. 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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We prefer Lake Como over Lake Garda, which is why we designed this northern Italy itinerary with Lake Como. DAY 5: Beautiful city of Verona DAY 6: Majestic Lake Garda DAY 7: Emilia Romagna, foodie's paradise DAY 8: Parma, gastronomy day DAY 9: Maranello (Ferrari and fun cooking) DAY 10: Gastronomic capital Bologna DAY 11: Ravenna and its UNESCO world heritage sites The other dish I ordered at every restaurant in Liguria: Trofie al Pesto. RENTAL CAR: You can drop your rental car in Verona (and travel by train for the rest of this itinerary, which is the cheapest, most environmentally friendly option) or keep it until the end of your trip. From Pisa, it is only a short drive to one of the most beautiful coastlines in Italy. A perfect place to buy a fresh sandwich and enjoy your time at the main square of the village. Italy. 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. If you rather look up a hotel yourself we recommend using the searching tool: Tip: We only book accommodations on Booking.com that are rated with an 8.5 or higher. Things To Do In Cinque Terre. Keep in mind that Milan Bergamo is about an hour outside of Milan. Ride the elevator to the top of the Campanile for the best 360 view of Venice. Tickets are often fully booked, and you need to choose a particular time slot to visit the Duomo. For a splurge, we recommend the Granbaita Dolomites, a luxury hotel with a wellness center. VERONA: Verona is a beautiful city in northern Italy. Also, we cover several itineraries for 5 and 14 days. The easiest way to get around northern Italy is by train. This way youll spend your time in the most efficient way possible. Day 1: Arrive in Venice Day 2: Venice Day 3: Dolomites Day 4: Dolomites Day 5: Dolomites Day 6: Dolomites Day 7: Verona Day 8: Milan Day 9: Lake Como & Bellagio Day 10: Fly Home. Its also a little easier to get from Verona to Milan by train. Highlights include time in the beautiful cities of Bergamo and Turin, a visit to the most beautiful monastery in Europe and a glimpse of the most iconic cathedral in the world (seriously!) ), or visit on a guided tour. Bus travel is also an option, but comes with its own challenges: one, understanding regional bus routes in a short period of time, and two, using coach buses means youll get dropped off in one spot and you dont have much freedom to travel around. The cover photo for this itinerary was also taken at Lago di Braies. 10 Day Northern Italy Itinerary Day 1: Arrive in Venice Day 2: Venice Day 3: Dolomites Day 4: Dolomites Day 5: Dolomites Day 6: Dolomites Day 7: Verona Day 8: Milan Day 9: Lake Como & Bellagio Day 10: Fly Home Northern Italy itinerary map About this Northern Italy Itinerary After reading the itinerary above, you might wonder how to shorten the itinerary to five days. The Borromean Islands are the main attraction at Lake Maggiore. Book your stay in Milan and spend time exploring the city, while using the next few days to visit Cinque Terre and Lake Como. Tre Cime di Lavaredo | Northern Italy Itinerary, Cadini di Misurina viewpoint | Northern Italy Itinerary. From Milan, you can travel by train to Varenna (about 1 hour) or travel by train to Como (about 45 minutes) and then take a ferry to Bellagio, Menaggio, and Varenna (about 45 minutes). Nowadays the most important source of income is tourism. However, you will have more travel time tomorrow to get to the airport. Id also like to see Lake Como, Lake Guardia, Dolomites and Piedmont but know we cant fit it all in and Im ok with making another trip some day. For drinks and dining, we recommend you to go to theTrastevereneighborhood. The city is known for its hospitality. To check train schedules and to book your trains online, Italiarail.com is the easiest website to use. Which one you choose really depends if you want to cruise up Lake Como or just get to Varenna as quickly as possible. Youll find both French and Italian are spoken here because of how close the two countries are. The city is busy, and most roads are one direction only. Get the full details on what to see and do in our Guide to St. Marks Basilica. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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. Spend the afternoon by hiking one of the nearby trails. To get here, you will park in town and it is a 0.8 km (0.5 mile) downhill walk to the church (or you can take a bus). Manage Settings It may look like I put a lot of time into the Dolomites (because I did ). Genoa is excellent to spend a few days and explore the extensive history. This 17 km (10.6 mile) hike takes 6 to 9 hours and starts in Selva di Val Gardena. Some of these links are affiliate links. See Day 1 of this northern Italy itinerary for restaurant suggestions. For full details on how to do this, refer to our Lake Como Day Trip guide and Things to Do in Bellagio. The big Italian big four road trip. The Doges Palace served as the residence for the Doge, the seat of the government, and a palace of justice. Ponte dellAccademia view | Northern Italy Itinerary. Lake Como and Bellagio are two more beautiful places in Italy that are great day trip destinations. As a resident of northern Italy, I can share with certainty that the best time to visit is either June or September. Things To Do In Milan. From here, you get one of the best views of Venice, and it is a nice way to start your visit to this city. On a privately guided journey that reveals Italy's splendours at their most compelling, enjoy a special early entrance to the Vatican, view the artistic treasures of Florence, learn about an art restoration project and sample Italian cuisine with tastings in Tuscany and a food tour in Venice. Franciacorta. The historic center is one of the best-preserved medieval centers in Italy. However, for those arriving on a red eye flight, you will have just the afternoon for sightseeing. 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. This is the priciest lunch option on our list. The most efficient way to see Northern Italy is by starting in Venice and ending in Milan (or vice versa). Day 4 The Leaning Tower of Pisa & Cinque Terre. Many people want to visit these cities while visiting Italy, but especially Rome is a bit far regarding the other cities. Cinque Terreis a Unesco world heritage site. Ideally, a robust northern Italy itinerary falls somewhere between 10 and 14 days. The Tuscany of northern Italy? 10 Day Northern Italy Itinerary - Italy Forum. If you arrive in the morning on a red eye flight, this first day can be challenging. It starts in Venice and ends in Milan, but it can just as easily be done in the opposite direction. You wont reach the Tuscany region.