Italy in two weeks: The sane whirlwind (Tuscany & Cinque Terre edition)

A perfect two-week itinerary in Italy that includes stops in Rome, Florence, and Venice, Tuscan & Umbrian hilltowns (including Siena, Pisa, and Assisi), and a hike in the Cinque Terre

Itinerary in brief

Italy 2-week itinerary with Tuscany map
Click on the map to see a larger version and the itinerary-at-a-glance daily calendar.
Here is an itinerary that takes in the ancient sights of Rome and Pompeii, the Renaissance art of Florence , the canals of Venice, and (if you're interested) the city of Milan, home to Leonardo's Last Supper.

It also spend plenty of time exploring the hilltowns of Tuscany and Umbria: Gothic Siena, Pisa with its Leaning Tower, the wines of Chianti, the medieval towers of San Gimignano, the sheep's cheeses and perfect Renaissance architecture of miniscule Pienza, genteel Perugia, and mystical Assisi, home of St. Francis and his basilica frescoed by Giotto and other Gothic masters.

Oh, and there's a bit of beach time as well: a quick visit to the Amalfi Coast, and a day spent hiking the Cinque Terre fishing villages at the tip of the Italian Riviera.

Where to spend each night
Hotels in Rome (days 1-3 and 5)
Hotels on Amalfi Coast (day 4 option)
Hotels in Assisi (day 6)
Hotels in Siena (day 7)
Hotels in Florence (days 8–10)
Hotels in Cinque Terre (days 11-12)
Hotels in Venice (days 13–14 and/or 15)
Hotels in Milan (day 15 option)
Hotels on Lake Como (day 15 option)
Here's the basic itinerary. It's pretty packed—a lot of early morning wake-ups, a lot of churches and museums—because there's simply so much to see and do in Italy.

By all means, feel free to prune this itinerary down to something a bit slower paced (see the "tip" on the right) if you don’t want to spend so much time running around (say, leaving out a few hilltowns—Pienza or Orvieto—or perhaps the Cinque Terre, or maybe Pompeii). Think of this more as a blueprint to squeezing in the maximum possible. You should, above all, have fun.

Don't forget to pay attention to the "Before you Leave" box at the end of the itinerary covering all the details you need to take care of before leaving home—and be sure to read the "Foolish Assumptions" page about how these itineraries are meant to work. Have fun!

Sane Italy Whirlwind—Hilltowns edition: Day by Day

Day 1 - Rome: The heart of Rome
Day 2 - Rome: Rome of the Caesars
Day 3 - Rome: Vatican & St. Peter's
Day 4 - Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, & Capri
Day 5 - Rome: Hidden treasures
Day 6 - Umbria hilltowns: Orvieto & Assisi
Day 7 - Tuscany I: Pienza & Siena
Day 8 - Tuscany II: San Gimignano & Chianti
Day 9 - Florence: Renaissance 101
Day 10 - Florence: Michelangelo & The Medici
Day 11 - Tuscany III: Pisa
Day 12 - Hiking the Cinque Terre
Day 13 - Venice: Paintings & gondolas
Day 14 - Venice: St. Mark's & Secrets of the Doges
Day 15 - Choice: Venetian islands or Milan
Day 16 - Heading home
 

Tips & links

Consider a tour
Useful links
How it all fits into 2 weeks
What you need to do before you leave home
How to use this itinerary
Don't overplan

Share this page

Intrepid Travel 25% off

Search ReidsItaly.com

Highlights
  • Reliving the ROME of the Caesars at the Colosseum and Roman Forum (Day 2)
  • St Peter's, The Sistine Chapel, & the Vatican Museums in ROME (Day 3)
  • ROME's Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps (Day 1)
  • The ancient ghost city of POMPEII (Day 4)
  • The towns of the AMALFI COAST (Day 4)
  • Giotto's frescoes in ASSISI (Day 6)
  • Touring Gothic SIENA and Renaissance PIENZA (Day 7)
  • Sipping wine in the CHIANTI (Day 8)
  • Exploring that Medieval Manhattan town of towers SAN GIMIGNANO (Day 8)
  • Boticelli's Birth of Venus at the Uffizi in FLORENCE (Day 9)
  • Climbing Brunelleschi's Dome on the cathedral of FLORENCE (Day 9)
  • Michelangelo's David at the Accademia in FLORENCE (Day 10)
  • Climbing the Leaning Tower of PISA (Day 11)
  • Hiking the Cinque Terre on THE ITALIAN RIVIERA (Day 12)
  • Crusing the Grand Canal of VENICE (Day 13)
  • The glittering cathedral of St. Mark's VENICE (Day 14)
  • Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper in MILAN (Day 15)
 


Useful links
TK
Train tix

Shortcuts to popular planning sections:

Airfares, Cars, Trains, Tours, Packages, Cruises, Lodging, Itineraries, Info, Packing, Prep, Comm

Follow ReidsItaly
Follow ReidsItaly on Twitter  Join the ReidsItaly fan page  Follow Reids Italy Adventures blog