Italy Trip
Month – May
Weather – 70s/80s and some rain
Itinerary
Night 1 – Venice
Night 2/3 – Florence & Pisa
Night 4 – San Gimignano & Assisi
Night 5/6 – Pompeii & Capri
Night 7/8 – Rome & Vatican City
Overall
On this trip, I was with a pretty large tour group of about 50 people. I will most likely never do that again. My introverted self doesn’t like being with so many people all the time, which I learned specifically on this trip to Italy. We also traveled in a big tour bus the entire time, and I get car sick, so didn’t have the best time overall. But at least I learned about myself!
Keep in mind, this trip includes 2 more days for travel. Total price for the trip was $3,650. I spent another $500 buying frivolous things. Majority of the people do NOT speak English, so be aware. Only if you’re in the major touristy cities will someone know some English.
1st Day – Venice
Sights: Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, glass blowing, gondola ride
I LOVE Venice! I’ve heard of some people say, it’s too crowded and too touristy, but it was magical. We stayed the night in Campalto and took a boat into Venice. We ate great food, gelato, shopped, and took tours. Places we toured were Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, and watched a glass blowing demonstration. Doge’s Palace is so incredible beautiful. The Basilica is free to enter, unless it’s a holiday. You can get some great pictures at the top, looking over the waters. Gondola rides are around $30; an absolute must!
Tip!
Go to Doge’s Palace, to see amazing art work and views of Venice. Price to get in is around $27. If you buy the Venice City pass then it is ‘free.’
2nd Day – Florence
Sights: Piazza del Duomo, Cathedral of Santa Maria, David by Michealangelo, Ponte Vecchio bridge, Fontana del Porcellino (bronze boar)
Florence, Italy has THE best gelato. At least, out of the ten cities we toured. The city is beautiful, and the architecture is amazing. I wish I had waited the 1 hour long wait for the tour around the top of Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiora in Piazza del Duomo. The cathedral has the famous red dome. Baptistery of St. John was not open at the time to tour, but the facade is so intricate. We went through the museum that housed David by Michealangelo. I never realized how ginormous the statue of David is! Ponte Vecchio bridge is the one usually photographed in lots of Italian pictures. Porcellino is the lucky bronze boar, which is said whenever you rub its snout, you will return to Florence again. I made sure to rub his nose multiple times!
3rd Day – Pisa
Sights in Pisa: Leaning Tower of Pisa, Cathedral of Pisa, Camposanto, San Giovanni Baptistery
We took a day trip to Pisa on our second day in Florence, which I definitely recommend! Pisa was so fun. I had the best ravioli and bread there. The great thing about Pisa is that the main attractions are clustered together, so it is easy to walk around. You can walk to the top of the Baptistery and get some great photos of the tower and cathedral.
Tip!
Do NOT eat at any restaurant with the name Cafe or Caffeteria. They have food behind glass and will promptly take the plate, put it in the microwave behind them, then hand it to you… don’t do it. Find any other places to get food, unless you don’t mind luke-warm food that tastes terrible. Not the kind of food you think of when you visit Italy.
4th Day – San Gimignano
San Gimignano is located an hour south west of Florence, nestled in the hills of Tuscany. I loved this small village. It is noted for the medieval towers scattered throughout the town, which it is said the architect who designed the Twin Towers in New York City, found his inspiration from the towers in San Gimignano. The town is surrounded by a 13th-century stone wall and lined with medieval houses. It is truly a beautiful town. Our tour bus had a hard time navigating the narrow roads, but absolutely worth it!
Assisi
Assisi, Italy is located in the central part of Italy, between Florence and Rome; it’s the birthplace and burial site of St. Francis. The Basilica of St. Francis is a massive 2 level church built in 1253. The church also houses several frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. Assisi is a UNESCO world heritage site too; the entire town!
When we arrived, the city was pretty quiet, so we were able to walk around easily, and see many shops and cafes you can explore. I bought spices, beautiful olive wood spoons, a cutting board, and a Christmas ornament.
I really enjoyed walking along the stone streets, and down the narrow alleys between houses and shops. The weather was kind of dreary, but it was a great stop on the way to Capri.
5th & 6th day – Pompeii & Capri
We stayed the night in Sorrento at a small charming hotel that was incredibly harrowing for our bus to get to. While the poor driver tried to get into the driveway going to the hotel, we waited on the bus then, we had to get out and they brought down vans to carry us the rest of the way. It was an adventure for sure! Also, I’m pretty sure our hotel was haunted, at least, it looked like it could be home for several ghosts.
The first day, we spent at Pompeii. I loved it. The history is, of course, very sad but it’s really cool. We walked around the grounds of the ancient city. You can see the mummified castes of people lying on the floors, trying to take cover from the volcanic ash. Roman history is just incredible by itself; how technologically advanced they were for those times. We could see the bathrooms they installed, bathing rooms, and the road housing the prostitutes. It’s incredible. If you are anywhere near Pompeii, definitely try to go.
Capri
The second day, we took a day trip to Capri; a must see. Now, I will try to warn you as best I can. We all boarded a large boat. The boat held probably around 200 people. I will admit I do get motion sickness in cars, every now and then, a plane or theme park ride. Usually, on boats I never have problems. Maybe it was the water during that day; I’m not sure. It may have been the men waving plastic bags in the air and yelling, who knows! But I did get slightly sea sick from the boat going up and down, and up and down. I did not have to use a bag though! Thank goodness.
Capri is famous for the Blue Grotto. The tide was too high, so sadly we weren’t able to go. I was so disappointed, hopefully, I can go back one day. When the boat pulls into the marina, shops line the mountain side. These shops are mostly tourist shops but they have some great things to purchase. We hopped into a small truck and made the windy track up to the top. We traveled to the Villa San Michelle, where you can get panoramic photos of the island, like the one above. The villa also houses a lot of art work and has a nice cafe to get treats. You have to try the limoncello and chocolate liquor.
Tip!
Travel to the top of the mountain in Capri so you can get some incredible photos.
7th & 8th day – Rome & Vatican City
Sights: Coliseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, Sistine Chapel
Rome is such a magical city. There are a lot of tourists, so something to keep in mind. You have to watch out for theft. It was a complete whirlwind. Our first stop was the Coliseum then the Roman Forum. We visited a leather making shop that showed us how they made their wares. I still wish I had bought a leather jacket. Piazza Navona is amazing. It is one of the main squares where artists lay out their crafts, which were fairly priced and well done. The square is lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. One of the restaurants right off the piazza, is where I had one of the best meals in my life.
I love Audrey Hepburn, therefore, I was wanting to see the Mouth of Truth, but it was too far away and not enough time. If you’ve seen the Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei movie, Only You, they go, and recreate the Roman Holiday scene. Just some info if you want to add it to your list.
Vatican City
Walking into the Sistine Chapel, the lines are usually very long and the stairs down into the chapel are worn marble. I think they are now building wood steps over the marble to help protect it. Before you walk in, they tell you not to speak otherwise you will be hushed many times, which did happen! Everyone is packed in like sardines and it’s quiet, with slight whispering. They give you an audio tour to listen to that tells the history of the chapel. Our group was only allowed 15 minutes to look around, so we had to move fast. Once we left the chapel we were led to St. Peter’s Basilica, which is incredibly beautiful. You have to go in, if you’re ever in the Vatican City.
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