14 days or even longer is perfect for a road trip. 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). Where To Stay In Milan. Then explore Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso, the oldest national park in Italy, before heading north to the tiny town, but skiing haven of Breuil-Cervinia to see Monte Cervino otherwise known as the Matterhorn! 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. Your last stop on this itinerary is tapping into a bit of central Italy territory, but it is a must stop for foodies. The last day of this road trip itinerary is traveling back to Milan. After you arrive in Milan, you probably want to relax a bit first. Tonight, stay in Cortina dAmpezzo. 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. In the morning, check out of your hotel. They cover over 150 activities, even some extreme sports and have 24/7 emergency assistance when necessary. Northern Italy is a diverse landscape: mountains, sea, lakes, floating cities, metropolitan centers, food-rich countrysides. If you have longer, great! An afternoon is plenty of time to see these sights. Places you dont want to miss while visiting Florence are: When you want to visit the Duomo, you must reserve a ticket in advance. Day 4 The Leaning Tower of Pisa & Cinque Terre. Parmawill be the last city on this itinerary before you head back to Milan. Italy. However, if you like the idea of visiting Lake Garda, here is a sample itinerary, if you have 12 days in Italy. verona itinerary 1 day Verona location on Italy map | verona itinerary 1 day 10:00 am (#verona itinerary 1 day . The upside is that you can explore Venice by night when you arrive not too late. Marvelous to visit!if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'madefortravellers_com-banner-1','ezslot_8',137,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-banner-1-0'); Theres a lot to see at Lake Garda, so you might be interested in reading our article with in-depth information about this area. Stay overnight in Lake Como (for longer Northern Italy itineraries) Additional day trip from Milan - Bergamo. Verona is the ultimate city of romance in Italy: the setting of Shakespeares Romeo & Juliet, made up of rose-hued buildings and castles nestled over the Adige River. 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! You can also stay at the neighboring island Venice Lido, from where you can easily take a taxi-boat to the historical center. Discover more specific destinations for loved-up travelers on the map: Italian food is in a league of its own, but youll soon find out when visiting northern Italy that the traditional dishes are not pasta and pizza. At the end of the day, we recommend to leave Venice, hop in your car and drive to Florence, which is still a 3-hour drive. VENICE: Learn more about Venice in our article Best Things to Do in Venice. Day 2 in Milan. Both beginning in the vibrant city of Milan, you cannot go wrong with either itinerary and you're sure to fall in love with this incredible area of the country. Read my full disclosure! This Italy travel itinerary includes in a lot of variety. It's the world's largest gothic cathedral and is absolutely stunning! We recommend taking the scenic route, though. Depending on your departure time you can explore the islands around the historical city of Venice or go directly to the airport. Most of the time, we use Booking.com to book our accommodations. Luckily theres much more to see in Verona, some of the famous landmarks are Castelvecchio, Ponte Vecchio, and the Verona Arena. For a splurge, we recommend the Granbaita Dolomites, a luxury hotel with a wellness center. Fly into Milan or Bergamo airport, pick up a hire car and begin your exploration with Lake Como, the most breathtakingly beautiful expanse of water of all. Train Travel: To travel from city to city, train fares range from $15 to $60, depending on the distance traveled and the speed of the train. Hotel Garn La SoldanellaandHotel Villa Fosineare both located around 5 kilometers from the parks entrance. 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. Learn more here. 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!) purchase your ticket in advance on the official website. After reading the itinerary above, you might wonder how to shorten the itinerary to five days. The airport is located nearby the city and offers city buses (Aerobus) which can take us to the center for 6. The 922-passenger ship is the first of six planned eco-conscious vessels that will sail six- to 35-night immersive itineraries, first in Northern Europe and then in South America, and feature nine inclusive dining experiences, four pools (one with a tractable roof), and 10 bars and lounges (several featuring hand-crafted Steinway pianos . Sienais renowned for the largest medieval square and the famous Torre del Mangia. 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! We recommend that you pick up your rental car right before you leave the city and travel to lake Como. From Duomo Square, visit the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Bologna 2 Nights. 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 . Dynamic pricing from $2,859. in northern Italy also love their local ingredients. You cant take a romantic trip to Italy without enjoying the swoon-worthy, picturesque atmosphere of Venice. Here are some suggestions: Next stop is Liguria for fresh seafood, focaccia, and pesto! As you stroll through Venice, go shopping, have a glass of wine or aperitif at a caf, snack on cicchetti, or hire a gondola. 10 Day Custom Tour. We had dinner twice at Hotel Freina and this hotel also gets exceptional reviews. Which itinerary is on your bucket list? The big Italian big four road trip. 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. I switched the days since day 1 of the itinerary is a big sightseeing day and not everyone will have the time and energy for it. Read about all the best towns on Lake Garda. In between these two cities, it's easy to access the gems of Northern Italy: Lake Como, Verona, Lake Garda and the Dolomites. 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! Then youll head to Venice, from which you can do a day trip to the Dolomites. However, you will have more travel time tomorrow to get to the airport. To make sure you dont spend to much time in the car we recommend staying somewhere around Lake Garda. DAY 2: Exploring Venice DAY 3: Off the beaten path Venice DAY 4: Palladio Day! However, for those arriving on a red eye flight, you will have just the afternoon for sightseeing. A Northern Italy road trip is an incredible way to experience a wide range of beautiful and world-famous cities in a very short space of time. If you cant reserve a time slot on the official website, here is a one hour tour that includes your admission to see the Last Supper.. It will take around 2 hours to reach the lake. Curious for more ideas? Its a little more of a hassle on this day but it does save money. On our first trip to the Dolomites, we had three days and once there, we wished we had a lot more time. Next, take the metro to the Duomo. The other option is staying inPeschiera del Garda, a vibrant town next to the lake, also perfect for a romantic stay, but less expensive. Restaurant Rifugio Ospitale is located outside of town but is also very highly rated. Planning the best order of visiting these places will depend on what airport you end up flying into, as well as what day your business meeting falls on! Our website uses cookies. Hopefully, youll never use it, but when you need it, it is good to know theres a company out there helping you. It just depends on what you feel is more convenient. 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. Geisler Alm, Adolf Munkel Weg | Northern Italy Itinerary. 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. You could engage in sports or you could visit to admire the views and the alpine culture! And they really are wonders - this is the land of the cathedral-like Dolomites, the actual cathedrals of Milan, and the glistening Italian Lakes, after all. That is up to you and the flexibility of your travel dates! If youre into hiking, watersports, or just want to experience the beauty of nature, this road trip might be something for you. We found that insurance can be a tricky thing, but since were using Rentalcover.com for our rental insurance, we stopped worrying. If you cant get one, consider joining a tour. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. All rights reserved Earth Trekkers. Once you have checked into your hotel, have a quick lunch and then make your way to the Rialto Bridge. It starts in Venice and ends in Milan, but it can just as easily be done in the opposite direction. The road will take you through the dolomites, which is lovely. So we recommend staying at the outside center ring, which makes it easy to park your car. In the next part, you'll find step by step itineraries where we explain the best stops, famous landmarks, and best places to stay. Northern Italy Road Trip Itinerary: Day 1-3 Veneto. From here, you get one of the best views of Venice, and it is a nice way to start your visit to this city. The basics are the same as the 10-day itinerary for Northern Italy, but we added more stops and more time for sightseeing and exploring. 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 You should also know that Lake Garda is an extremely busy place to visit in the summer, more so than Lake Como, at least in our experience. Then, ride the cable car to Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Dolomites. The towns in Cinque Terre used the be fisherman towns. Your email address will not be published. Learn how to spend one perfect day in Verona. To get from the airport to your hotel in Venice, you can take the bus, a taxi, a vaporetto, or a water taxi. We dont want to bring too many things, because simply you dont need that much while traveling.Over the years we tested a lot of stuff, check out our full list of recommendations for packing gear and camera stuff on the recommendations pageHere are some things we recommend you to use during your Italian road trip: Lon Kopijn works and lives as a Digital Nomad. 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. Since they are very concentrated in northern Italy, I would suggest flying roundtrip in and out of Milan. Northern Italy is the most developed part of the country, so transportation is easy-to-access and can take you just about anywhere. If you are having trouble narrowing down which places are the top to visit for you or youre starting from scratch seeking inspiration, youll find the perfect northern Italy itinerary for you in this post, along with tips for visiting this part of the country. We wrote some articles about Rome, that might interest you: There are many options for a road trip in the Northern part of Italy. If you plan to pick up the car on the day you drive to the Dolomites, the best place to rent the car is at the Mestre train station followed by the Venice Marco Polo airport. 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. So we recommend to stay in Milan until lunch, and after lunch drive to Lake Como. 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. If you dont want to go hiking on your first day, and the skies are clear, ride the Freccia nel Cielo cable car to Cima Tofana. From Cortina dAmpezzo, drive over Giau Pass or Falzarego Pass to Marmolada. Theres a constant wind blowing from the mountains which makes both lakes favorable for a fun sports day on the water. Lake Garda is even the biggest lake in Europe, and Lake Maggiore and Lake Como are set in some beautiful environments. Northern Italy has an amazingly extensive train network that connect many of the country's top destinations. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. But sometimes you just dont have more time. Afterwards, explore the town of Cortina dAmpezzo, check into your hotel, and then have dinner. If you take the train to Varenna, you will have less travel time, which you can then use for a private boat tour of the villas. 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. Italy All Italy Hotels The parking garage can hold 4500 vehicles. From the Rialto Bridge, ride the vaporetto to Pont dellAccademia. Strolling the canals is one of the best things to do in Venice and there are several ways to do it. We have three recommendations, where we think you still see a lot of this beautiful part of Italy. As you continue east on the promenade, you will pass Hotel Danieli and to your right will be gorgeous views across the canal. It is not a coastal city as many people think, the region consists out of five different coastal towns. You can find more information about Tuscany in this article, where we tell more about the different villages in this region. If you have a car and plan to stay in the city center, ask your hotel for advice on where to park. You can travel on your own schedule and get to places where it is difficult to get to by bus. Check out more in-depth locations for the perfect city-break itinerary to northern Italy on the map: Its no secret Italy is one of the most romantic countries in the world to visit, so Ive also curated a North Italy itinerary perfect for couples, whether on honeymoon, anniversary, or simply a romantic trip. The total length of this road trip is 388 miles (625 kilometers). If you like hiking, hike the Puez-Odle Altopiano. Select your preferences and let us take care of the rest. We have made a train itinerary for you that can be shortened or lengthened based on your preferences. 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. It is always fun to explore a city for the second time. Plan on spending about 2 to 3 hours in both Varenna and Bellagio. Hotel Danieli is a luxurious 5-star hotel located on Riva degli Schiavoni. 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. Approximately 100 kilometers driving a day should be your maximum, so you have enough time to explore the beautiful lakes. 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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The dolomites are great for exploring nature and hiking. Those are all amazing places to visit! Also, youll stay in the northern part of the region. Italy is one of the most visited countries in Europe, perhaps even the world. We have TONS more information about Italy in our Italy Travel Guide, including Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, the Dolomites, the Amalfi Coast, the Cinque Terre, and Puglia. 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). Total Tour Investment - Starting at $9999/guest Reserve your spot today with a deposit of $1000/guest (balance due 100 days prior to departure) Tuscany is a bit different than the other regions in Italy. Lombardy & Veneto in 10 Days Youll find both French and Italian are spoken here because of how close the two countries are. With many historical buildings, it is one of the most beautiful cities to visit in Italy. For this itinerary, you will get around by rental car and train. This way you can reach the historic city of Venice early morning and spend a few moments when it is not too busy. Artist likeMichaelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Machiavellilived and worked in the city of Florence.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'madefortravellers_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_11',147,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madefortravellers_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); Florence is probably the city with the most historic architecture in Italy. The city is bustling, and if you dont book your tickets in advance, there might be a chance you miss out on visiting the historic Duomo.