Perfect 2 Weeks in Italy Itinerary for First Timers: Rome, Tuscany, Venice, Milan

Traveled in May 2015

Italy was one of my first bucket list trips after I started working and had the funds to travel. I had been to Italy before on guided tours where you just see a blitz of cities, and really wanted to spend time exploring the cities on my own. This 2 week Italy itinerary hits all the highlights of Italy, from Rome to Tuscany, and Venice to Milan. We visited all the major arts and cultural sights, but at a slower pace so we could actually remember everything 10 years later. One of the greatest joys of traveling in Italy is embracing la dolce vita and truly savoring the day. If you’re looking for a 2 weeks in Italy itinerary that balances must-see highlights with a slower pace, this itinerary has you covered!

2 Weeks Italy Itinerary

When to Go

I prefer visiting Italy in the Spring or the Fall for the weather. April, May, September, and October tend to be sunny without the intense heat. However, those are also the most popular times and can be more crowded. We did this 2 weeks in Italy itinerary in May and the weather was beautiful and sunny without being too hot.

I’ve visited Italy in the middle of summer and sightseeing in those temperatures is pretty unbearable, especially in the south of Italy. Winter is low season, so prices are more affordable. But there is more chance of rainy weather.

How to Get There

The main international airports in Italy are in Rome-Fiumicino (airport code FCO) and Milan Malpensa (airport code MXP). For this 2 weeks in Italy itinerary, we flew into Rome and out of Milan to save time.

Booking tip: certain flight searches like Kayak, Skyscanner, or Google flights allow you to set price trackers that will alert you when the price of your flight changes. I never book a flight without tracking prices first because there is no better feeling than snagging a good deal! And if you book your flights with a travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire card, the card usually includes some travel insurance protections (like lost luggage reimbursements, trip delay reimbursements, or trip cancellation insurance) to save you the cost of buying extra travel insurance. Use my contact form if you’re looking for a credit card referral with bonus sign up points!

Bonus Booking tip: sign your kiddo up for frequent flyer accounts with airlines to start earning airline miles for them! Most airline miles do not expire for minors so your kiddo will thank you later.

Where to Stay

For this itinerary, we stayed 4 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Siena, 2 nights in Florence, 2 nights in Venice, and 2 nights in Milan.

Rome

We stayed near the Colosseum in Rome in the Monti district. This central location made sightseeing really convenient. It also felt safe to walk around, and there were plenty of food options nearby. We walked to most of the sights below from this location, but the Cavour metro station was also just down the street.

• Hotel Paba ($$$) – spacious, modern rooms in a great location down the street from the Colosseum. Many different room sizes to choose from, including triple and quadruple for families.
• Guest House Cavour 278 ($$) – charming, family-run guesthouse just down the street from the Colosseum, where you’ll feel right at home.
• Condominio Monti Boutique Hotel ($$$) – a little further from the Cavour metro station, but has larger room sizes (triple, quadruple rooms) and a suite with a kitchenette for families.

Siena

We stayed on a side street a couple minutes walk away from Il Campo, and it was the perfect location slightly away from the tourist crowds but close enough to walk to everything. Many of the accommodations are in restored buildings. Small hotels and B&Bs usually only have a couple rooms, some of which have shared bathrooms or bathrooms outside the room, so book early for the rooms with ensuites.

• B&B Il Corso ($$$) – great location just one block away from Il Campo, reasonable price for the location, rooms are in a renovated historic building so some can be cozy.
• AmiRooms Affittacamere ($$$$) – great location just one block away from Il Campo, renovated and spacious rooms.
• B&B Le Aquile ($$$) – located between Il Campo and Duomo, with a variety of room types, including a triple room and a cheaper room option with an external bathroom.
• Hotel Palazzetto Rosso ($$$$) – larger boutique hotel in a renovated historic house with quirky modern rooms, has offsite parking nearby for a fee.

Florence

We stayed just around the corner from the Piazza della Signoria and loved the location. It was close enough to all the sights so that we could walk everywhere, but tucked away in a quiet alley.

• Casa Thiele alla Signoria ($$$) – renovated rooms in a historic building, one block away from Piazza della Signoria but with great soundproofing. No elevator, requires walking up 3 flights of stairs.
• Hotel Renaissance ($$) – boutique hotel with basic rooms but good rates for the area, just a block away from Piazza della Signoria. Some rooms have a Turkish Bath in the bathroom.
• Casa Uffizi Tower House Boutique Hotel ($$) – cozy rooms in a historic building with an excellent location right next to Uffizi Gallery. No front desk and no elevator, rooms are up a long flight of stairs.

Venice

We stayed north of St. Mark’s Square in Venice. The location was very central for sightseeing, which we loved, but note that it can be a bit more noisy because it’s in the middle of the tourist action.

• Hotel al Piave ($$) – small rooms in a great location, but good value for the location.
• Hotel Montecarlo ($$$) – charming boutique hotel a couple minutes walk from St. Mark’s Square. Triple room and apartment available for families.
• Residence Corte Grimani ($$$$) – large apartments with canal views one bridge away from St. Mark’s Square.

Milan

Staying near the Duomo is the most convenient for sightseeing and transportation connections, but it is also the most expensive. We stayed a short walk away from the Duomo, but near a Metro station. Note that Milan is a convention city and when there is a convention, hotel prices can rise significantly.

• Guest House Castello ($$$) – across the street from the castle, boutique hotel with modern rooms. But note that bookings are non-refundable.
• The Square Milano Duomo ($$$) – great location 5 min walk to the Duomo, with a nice rooftop bar with great views.

How to Get Around

Although you could rent a car for this 2 weeks in Italy itinerary, the thought of driving in cities like Rome makes my head spin. We did this trip completely through public transportation on Italy’s well-connected bus and train lines. Italy’s Trenitalia train lines connect all of the major cities with quick and frequent trains. Buses and trains are easy to book online ahead of time. I always prefer booking ahead when possible for my peace of mind – the train and bus stations in Italy are chaotic enough without having to wait at the ticket windows. Trenitalia also has an app where you can purchase tickets and keep them organized in one place.

Within the cities, we stayed in central areas and did a lot of walking. We also took the Metro, though tried to limit it to avoid pickpockets because it was often crowded. Most cities use contactless “tap-to-pay” systems for the Metro, where you just tap your contactless credit card at the turnstiles and tap on the way out. (Note that only one credit card can be used per person for this.) Taxis are not too expensive, but we were wary of getting scammed so did not use them often. Uber is now available as well. While Uber may be more expensive than the taxi, you can have the peace of mind of knowing exactly how much you will pay.

Italy Travel Tips

• Pickpockets: pickpockets in Italy can spot a tourist a mile away. We never felt unsafe like someone would mug us, but because of the crowds pickpockets can be very successful. We actually used hidden belt wallets for our passports and extra cash in Italy. And I always kept my purse and backpack in front of me.
• Buy tickets ahead of time: Italy is definitely not a hidden gem. There are hordes of tourists and lines everywhere. We bought tickets early online whenever we could to reserve a time slot. Because we only had a couple days in each city, we did not want to waste time standing in lines.
• Dress modestly for churches: even in hot weather, there is a dress code for visiting most churches. Usually no bare shoulders and no shorts are allowed, so dress accordingly.
• Tipping & service charges: some restaurants charge a “coperto,” or cover charge which basically covers the cost of bread, linens, and cutlery. It is required even if you don’t eat the bread. Tipping is not required, but some restaurants may include a “servizio,” or a 10-15% service charge. You don’t need to tip additionally on top of this. Otherwise, tipping isn’t expected (and definitely isn’t as generous as in the US). Usually just rounding up the bill by a couple euro is fine. Credit card receipts don’t provide a tip line here, so you would have to pay the tip in cash or let the server know to enter a different amount including the tip before paying.
• Travel adapters: Italy’s plugs use 2 round prongs, so you will need a travel adapter for electronics.
• Credit card pins: in the US, we are used to having a PIN for debit cards, but we often don’t need one for credit cards. However, you may rarely need a PIN for your credit card as well when traveling abroad. I learned the hard way that there is no immediate way to get your credit card PIN when you’re traveling. The bank usually needs to send it to you through snail mail, so request it before your trip.

Show Me the Money

Italy is part of the European Union, so the currency used is the Euro. Credit cards were widely accepted, so we mostly relied on our no-foreign-transaction-fee credit card. We use the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and American Express Gold card. Always choose to pay in the local currency rather than USD for a better exchange rate. We did withdraw a small amount of Euros after we arrived just in case, but we didn’t really need it. If withdrawing any cash, look for ATMS run by the local banks and always choose to withdraw the amount in Euros rather than USD for a better exchange rate.

Saving tip: to avoid ATM fees (from the foreign bank and your bank), look for a checking account that offers ATM fee reimbursements. I can personally recommend the Schwab investors checking account and the Betterment checking account for this purpose.

How to Stay Connected

Because we took this trip before e-sims were commonly used, we bought tourist prepaid sim cards for our cell phones during this trip. Orange and Vodaphone are two popular cell phone companies in Europe and sell prepaid tourist sim cards that can be used throughout Europe.

However, now we always use e-sims from Airalo.

If you have an unlocked phone, then you can either purchase a prepaid sim card or you can use an e-sim. The e-sim is the cheapest way to get international cell phone data. We had a great experience using Airalo to purchase an e-sim on our trip to Canada, Switzerland, and Japan and it worked seamlessly. The downside is that you only have data and no phone service when using Airalo e-sims, so it’s a good option if you don’t anticipate needing to make phone calls.

• The Airalo website has great tutorials and I also watched this Youtube video for more installation tips. We usually start the installation process at home to load the e-sim into our phones, and then once we land at our destination we turn off our US e-sim and turn on the international e-sim.

Airalo offers local e-sims for specific countries or regional e-sims for all of Europe. For this trip to Italy, you could either buy an Italy e-sim, or get the regional Europe e-sim if traveling to other European countries.

• Get an Italy Airalo e-sim here and use my referral code ATEASP4988 for $3 off

2 Weeks Italy Itinerary at a Glance

Day	Activity	Sleep In
1	Arrive in Rome	Rome
2	Colosseum, Pantheon, Forum Piazza del Popolo, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps	Rome
3	Vatican City	Rome
4	Borghese Gallery	Rome
5	Travel to Siena Duomo	Siena
6	Siena City Hall Walk around Siena	Siena
7	Day trip to San Gemignano	Siena
8	Travel to Florence Accademia Mercato Centrale Duomo	Florence
9	Uffizi Palazzo Vecchio	Florence
10	Travel to Venice St. Mark’s Basilica Gondola Ride	Venice
11	Doge’s Palace Wander around Venice	Venice
12	Travel to Milan Duomo	Milan
13	Last Supper (Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie) Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II	Milan
14	Fly Home

Day 1: Arrive in Rome

The quickest way to get from the airport to the center of Rome is to take Trenitalia’s Leonardo Express train from the airport (Fiumicino Aeroporto) to Rome’s Termini train station. Then transfer to the Metro or take a taxi to your accommodations.

• Buy tickets for the Leonardo Express train on the Trenitalia website, Trenitalia app, ticket machines at the station, or ticket offices. There is a discount if buying 4 tickets at a time.
• From arrivals at the airport, follow the signs to “Stazione/Railway Station” to get to the Leonardo Express train.

If you have a larger group, it can be just as budget friendly to hire a car rental to take you from the airport to the hotel. It may take a bit longer than the train depending on traffic, but it will save yourself from having to figure out Metro station transfers when jetlagged.

• Book an airport transfer from the airport to your hotel here.

La Passeggiata (Evening Stroll)

“La passeggiata” is a beloved Italian tradition where people head out in the evening for a stroll, catching up with friends and neighbors along the way. When in Rome, do as the Romans do! We arrived in the evening and it was so refreshing to see locals out and about, chatting and laughing with friends on their evening walks. There was much more of a community feel, even in a big city like Rome. It was a nice reminder at the beginning of our trip to slow down and be present, and make time to connect with loved ones – basically a lesson in the essence of la dolce vita.

We went to the area around Via del Corso between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps for the most lively atmosphere, since it is the most popular place for passeggiata.

Day 2: Main Sights in Rome

If it’s your first visit to Rome, you have to see the Ancient Roman sites. In my opinion, it’s worth braving the crowds to see these pieces of history. To save time, we always bought our tickets ahead of time online. But sometimes, even the line for ticket holders was super long! We definitely had to mentally prepare ourselves for the crush of people for this day of sightseeing. Like going to Costco on a weekend.

Colosseum & Roman Forum

Seeing the Colosseum in real life feels surreal. To behold something that has existed since Ancient Roman times is mind-boggling. We stayed near the Colosseum and seeing it lit up at night was beautiful. The best view of the Colosseum is from the north side (near the Colosseo Metro station), where it’s most intact. If you can handle the crowds, we thought it was worth it to go inside. We already traveled all this way – might as well do it all!

The tour of the interior of the Colosseum follows a one-way route. There are some exhibits with reconstruction models and drawings showing how the Colosseum was built and used. Note that you can’t actually go onto the reconstructed arena floor unless you get the Full Experience ticket. If you have the cheap tickets (like us), then you just get to see the arena floor from a viewing area.

From the Colosseum, we walked to the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum was the birthplace of Ancient Rome and was the center of the Roman life. Visiting the Roman Forum takes a bit more imagination since the buildings are not as fully intact. But it is amazing that we were walking on the same stones as Caesar!

We were young and fit during this trip, so we walked the 20 minutes from the Roman Forum to the Pantheon after lunch. We stopped for a gelato break at Tre Scalini Gelateria at Piazza Navona on the way. The Four Rivers Fountain in the piazza was a picturesque place to sit and enjoy our gelato. The Pantheon is only a 5 minute walk away.

Pantheon

The Pantheon is amazingly well preserved for something dating back to Ancient Rome. One of my favorite things about Rome is that these historical structures seem to sprout up in the middle of modern structures and neighborhoods.

From the Pantheon, it’s about a 10 minute walk to the Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is a symbol of Rome. Once you’re standing in front of it, you really feel like you’re in Rome! The location of the Trevi Fountain seems designed for maximum impact as well. We couldn’t see the fountain on the way there, we just knew we were getting closer because we could hear the liveliness and then all of a sudden we arrived at the square! Even though the fountain was being restored when we visited, standing in front of it still felt like a movie magic moment.

Another 10 minute walk away is the Spanish Steps.

Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps are another of Rome’s iconic sights. When we visited, the Spanish Steps were a popular hangout, and the “thing to do” there was just to sit, people watch, and enjoy the view. Now, the city has banned sitting on the steps. It’s a reminder to be a thoughtful tourist to avoid drastic measures to combat overtourism (this is why we can’t have nice things).

Day 3: Vatican City

Vatican Museums

The gigantic Vatican Museums holds an immense number of artworks, including the famous Sistine Chapel. It would be nearly impossible to see everything, so we tried to stick to the highlights. We visited the Octagonal Courtyard for Greek and Roman statues, the Raphael Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel. One vivid memory we have from being in the Sistine Chapel is the booming voice of the guards shouting “SILENCIO!!” whenever the crowd chatter became too loud. Note that photos are not allowed in the SIstine Chapel.

Back when we visited, there was a side door from the Sistine Chapel that connected to St. Peter’s Basilica. However, that may not be available anymore and you may need to return to the museum entrance to exit the museum.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Even if you’re not religious, seeing St. Peter’s Basilica is a must do. The interior of the church is grand and ornate, and there a new masterpiece to appreciate everywhere you look. I took an art history class as an elective in college, and it was amazing to see some of these artworks in real life. That seems to have been the theme of this trip – awe that I was seeing things I had only previously read about or seen photos of in real life.

The church is free to enter, but there is a fee to go up to the dome. There is an elevator up that saves you a couple hundred stairs, but you will still have to climb more stairs from the roof to the top of the dome. Tickets for the elevator are slightly more expensive than taking the stairs all the way. Note that it can take a while to get up to the dome because the path gets full of people when it’s busy. We love bird’s eye views of any city, and the views of Rome and St. Peter’s Square from the top of the dome did not disappoint.

Day 4: Borghese Gallery

Borghese Gallery

The Borghese Gallery is a plush art museum located in a corner of the Villa Borghese Gardens. This museum holds some of the most famous Baroque statues, like Bernini’s David and Apollo and Daphne.

Villa Borghese Gardens

After a couple days of busy sightseeing, it was nice for us to take a relaxing afternoon to walk around the Villa Borghese Gardens and have a park day. There are paths criss-crossing the garden that go by the park’s many fountains and lakes. You can also rent a bike or Segway if you’re done with walking.

Day 5: Travel to Siena

The most direct way to travel from Rome to Siena is by bus. The bus from Rome to Siena takes 3 hours and departs from Tiburtina station (which is on the Metro line B).

After the hustle and bustle of Rome, we really welcomed the calmer and slower pace of Tuscany. Many tour groups hit Siena as a day trip, so the little town is very crowded during the day. Staying overnight was so worth it because the whole vibe of the town changes in the evening when the crowds leave.

Siena Duomo & Duomo Museum

Siena’s cathedral is one of the main sights because of its ornate exterior and all the art inside. Plus, the Duomo Museum has one of the best viewpoints over Siena.

Day 6: Wander Around Siena

One of the best things to do in Siena is just to wander around the lanes and explore, or sit in Il Campo and people watch. When we visited, one of the neighborhoods was having a celebration. So the streets were decorated with green duck flags, there were tables set up in the streets for neighborhood parties, and parades of flag throwers practicing and marching down the streets. It was completely unexpected and perfectly exciting! Besides going up the City Tower, the majority of what we did this day was following the parade, browsing the stores, and sitting in Il Campo.

City Hall & City Tower

Siena’s City Hall and City Tower are in the center of town at Il Campo. The City Tower is worth going up for fantastic views of Siena and the surrounding area. But be warned that there are 400 steps to climb up! We decided to skip the City Hall Museum, but there is a combo ticket that combines both if you’re interested.

Day 7: Day Trip to San Gemignano

San Gemignano is a delightful Tuscan hill town just an hour and a half bus ride from Siena. Not gonna lie, it’s pretty touristy, and filled with many souvenir shops. But once we got past the main drag, we still found it charming since this was our first Tuscan hill town experience. San Gemignano is known for its towers, which used to be forts for wealthy families.

One of the main “things to do” here is just wander around the town and soak in the charm.

Civic Museum & Tower

You know we love a good bird’s eye view! The one in San Gemignano is in the tower of City Hall. The ticket to the museum includes the tower, and can be purchased on site.

Gelateria Dondoli

I saw the sign “World Champion Gelato” and had to stop for a taste! Gelateria Dondoli has some unique flavors and lived up to its title. Absolutely worth a stop!

Day 8: Travel to Florence

Florence is the main city in Tuscany, home to some of the most famous artworks and most magnificent buildings in the region because of its historical wealth. You don’t need to be an art expert to enjoy the art here, because it’s literally all the famous artworks that everyone has heard of. Nothing is obscure, it’s all the classics that everyone can appreciate.

Plus, there is amazing food in Florence! All of Italy is delicious, but we especially enjoyed the food in Florence. Gelato was on point. I still dream about the juicy bistecca alla fiorentina. Even the prosciutto sandwich from the market was divine.

The bus station in Florence is just down the street from the main train station, Santa Maria Novella. The train station is about a 10-15 minute walk from the Duomo and the center of Florence.

Accademia

One of the main attractions at this museum is Michelangelo’s David, the iconic statue of the Renaissance. It was also fascinating to see how these marble statues come to life, especially in the marble blocks that were left unfinished.

Mercato Centrale

Exploring markets is one of my favorite things to do in a new city. Food souvenirs are my go-to type of souvenirs and local markets are the best place to find them. My dentist’s one recommendation for Florence was to visit the deli stand Perini on the ground floor of Mercato Centrale for a sandwich. When that is the one thing someone recommends you do when visiting a city, you know it will be good.

Duomo Complex

The Duomo Complex is made up of the Duomo, Baptistery, and Campanile. It’s free to enter the cathedral but you do need a ticket for the Campanile and other parts of the complex. This is one of the most popular tourist sites in Florence, so tickets book up fast for the timed-entry slots to climb the dome. I thought it was worth it for the sweeping views of Florence and to see the dome up close! This was the first Renaissance dome and the model for domes everywhere!

Note that there are 463 stairs up to the dome and 414 stairs up to the Campanile. That’s a lot of stairs. And there are no elevators! The stairs get narrower at the top so bottlenecks can form. Make sure to factor in extra time if climbing the Campanile before the timed-entry to the dome to ensure you have enough time coming down. It is also smart to plan for a break between the two climbs. We were trying to be efficient and climbed the two back to back and my legs could feel the burn.

After that stairmaster work out, don’t forget to visit the Baptistery to see the famous bronze doors. The ones on the Baptistery are replicas. The real thing is safely preserved in the Duomo Museum.

Day 9: Uffizi Gallery

Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery holds an amazing collection of Italian paintings. Basically every Ninja Turtle name artist is represented here. Only 600 people are allowed inside the museum at any one time, so there are long lines to get in, but not a lot of crowds once inside. When I visited Florence on an organized tour, we pretty much spent our entire free time in Florence waiting in the line to enter the Uffizi Gallery, and had to make a beeline for the “Birth of Venus” before we had to meet the tour bus again. This time, we made sure to get a timed-entry reservation to spend more time actually enjoying the art and less time waiting in line.

Palazzo Vecchio

The Palazzo Vecchio is right next to the Uffizi Gallery in Piazza della Signoria. Palazzo Vecchio was the old town hall of the Medici. The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio is free to enter. We just took a peek around the courtyard rather than paying to see the rest of the museum and climbing the tower.

Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is Florence’s most famous bridge. The bridge itself is lined with shops. We found it more enjoyable to take photos of the bridge from the side of the river more than actually walking through the bridge itself. You can pay to walk along the walkway above the bridge (tickets available on the same website as the one for the Uffizi Gallery).

Gelato

Our goal for this trip was to have (at least) one gelato a day. In Florence, our favorites were Perche No! and Gelateria de’ Neri.

Day 10: Travel to Venice

The train from Florence to Venice takes about 2 hours. If there is a specific time that you want to depart, it’s best to book tickets ahead of time because this is a popular route.

This was my husband’s first time in Venice, and he said stepping out of the train station and seeing the Grand Canal actually took his breath away. There’s something magical about experiencing Venice for the first time because it really does feel like a floating city. During this visit, we also saw St. Mark’s Square flood overnight, a quiet reminder of how fragile the city is. It made us even more grateful to experience Venice in all its beauty while we still can.

St. Mark’s Basilica

St. Mark’s Basilica is one of the most popular sights in Venice, so it is very crowded. Even though we had visited so many churches so far on this trip, seeing this church felt like a breath of fresh air because its style was more Eastern. I loved the colorful mosaics inside and the Eastern motifs outside. (Despite the scaffolding. There was obviously a lot of restoration happening during our trip.) This church holds many of the treasures that the Venetians gathered in their heyday (including these bronze horses). And there is an amazing view of St. Mark’s Square from the balcony.

Gondola Ride

A gondola ride is one of the most touristy things that you can do in Venice, but I feel like it’s totally worth it. It’s expensive, but you get to appreciate Venice from a unique perspective on a gondola. Most of the grand palaces have their front entrances on the water, so the most beautiful facades of the buildings are actually facing the water and not the street. If you don’t want to shell out for the gondola ride, you can also get the same views with a vaporetto ride around the Grand Canal.

Day 11: Doge’s Palace

Doge’s Palace

The Doge’s Palace is another popular tourist stop in Venice. One of the benefits of staying overnight in Venice is getting into the Doge’s Palace before the day trippers descend. Visiting the Doge’s Palace offers a peek into the luxurious lifestyles of the wealthy in old-time Venice. There are also some beautiful overlooks of St. Mark’s Square.

Touring the Doge’s Palace also allows you to walk inside the Bridge of Sighs, so you can get the POV from the inside looking out.

Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge is an icon of Venice and a beautiful photo op. Unfortunately for us, this was another landmark half covered in scaffolding when we visited. Still beautiful, and kind of amazing seeing the feats of engineering that go into restoring landmarks in a city built on water.

Getting Lost in Venice

We found that one of the best ways to enjoy Venice is just to wander around the alleyways and get a little lost. While walking through the town, we browsed stores, popped out into peaceful little plazas, and generally just enjoyed the atmosphere away from the crowds. It’s a little disorienting at first to walk around with no real destination, but after a while it’s nice to just see what we see. When you want to find your way back, the buildings have little signs on the corners that point in the direction of big landmarks like St. Mark’s Square or the Rialto Bridge.

Day 12: Travel to Milan

The train from Venice to Milan takes about 2.5 hours.

Duomo

Milan’s Duomo is huge (it’s the third largest church in Europe!). The inside is beautiful but my favorite part was the rooftop for city views peeking through the church spires.

Inter Milan Game

My husband is a huge football fan and Inter Milan is one of his favorite teams. Going to an Inter Milan game at San Siro Stadium was like a pilgrimage to him. I am not a soccer fan, but I still enjoy attending these games in person. The crowd is electric and it’s so much fun watching and joining in on the communal celebrations and groans in the stands. We also did the stadium tour, but I would only recommend that for football enthusiasts.

• Buy tickets to upcoming games online on the official website here.

Day 13: Last Supper & Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Last Supper (Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie)

Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece the Last Supper is painted on the dining room wall of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Because of the technique da Vinci used for painting this fresco, it’s super fragile and the paint flakes off easily. Only a small number of guests are allowed in each day to preserve the artwork. This means that tickets can sell out quickly! We visited before online reservations were available, so I was up at all hours of the night with a phone card trying to call in to the office to make a reservation. I was pretty sure we would not get to see this masterpiece but it felt like winning the lotto when we finally got a reservation! I think the fact that entry is so limited is what made me try to see it more.

Only 30 people are allowed in to the room holding “The Last Supper” at a time. Each visit lasts for only 15 minutes. Before you actually enter the room, you go through a series of different chambers to dehumidify.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is an elegant and classy covered arcade mall with a beautiful glass domed roof. The stores here are mostly designer so we definitely did a lot more window shopping than actual shopping. But it’s still a beautiful place to walk and enjoy a coffee.

Day 14: Fly Home

The easiest way to get to Milan’s Malpensa Airport is to take the Malpensa Express Train from either Cadorna station or Milano Centrale station. Both stations are a couple Metro stops away from the Duomo area, so it just depends on whether your accommodations are closer to the yellow Metro line (for Milano Centrale) or the red Metro line (for Cadorna).

For other European adventures, check out our Croatia, Greece, and Northern Spain and Portugal itineraries!