11 Amazing Days in Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice)

Date of Trip - April 2023

Number of Days - 11

Who went - Jenn & Terry

Note - I'm writing this over a year post-trip, so there are details I don't remember. But there are also things I'll never forget from this amazing trip! Top takeaways if you are planning a similar trip:

• Italy takes happy hour to another level. Known as Aperitivo the time between 6-8P daily is set aside for drinks and a small snack. We took part every day and you should too.

• Monteverdi Tuscany was magical. If there is any path to including it your trip, you won't regret it!

• Book the hotel for the night before your first day if you are taking the redeye to ensure you have a room ready and available when you arrive.

• We loved our semi-private tour of the Colosseum, which included the newly opened Underground area (and we aren't typically guided tour fans).

• Be sure you hire Sergio to give you a tour of Tuscan wineries!

• Must do food = Il Chianti Osteria Toscana (Rome), Central Market (Florence), 1000 Gourmet (Venice), Al Timon (Venice)

Day 1 - Arrive in Rome

We took the redeye from Charlotte to Rome, arriving in Rome around 9A. I had pre-booked a transfer (about $100 - a must for me whenever I fly out of the country... I'm tired after a flight and don't want to think about transportation) to our hotel in Rome. TIP - we booked the hotel for the night before our arrival, which assured us a room when we arrived at 1030A. This proved to be a lifesaver, as there were many people trying to check in and being told that they would have to wait several hours. We were in napping by 11A, which gave us the ability to refresh and see a bit of Rome on Day 1. If you are able to do this, I highly recommend it whenever you are arriving somewhere early in the morning.

A note about the Westin Excelsior - the hotel was beautiful and the service was outstanding. We didn't love the location (near Villa Borghese). The areas of Rome we wanted to explore were 15 - 60 minutes away (by train or by foot). If I was booking again, I would book closer to Piazza Navona (central to the sights we were after) and aimed to spend a little less. We didn't spend enough time at the hotel to feel that we got the value out of the premium price. If we had spent more time near Villa Borghese, we may have felt differently.

After a few hours snoozing, we woke up hungry and ready to see Rome. I had found a recommendation for this pasta spot online and made reservations for a late lunch. It turned out to be our favorite pasta stop of the trip. The pasta was fresh, the service was great (no frills) and we enjoyed all of it. We sat outside on the covered patio (there was a light rain on day 1) and enjoyed the people watching. Highly recommend!

We braved the rain and walked to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon (we didn't go inside, but I wish we had) and Piazza Navona before heading to happy hour.

I found Drink Kong on the list of the World's Best Bars, and it lived up to that hype. We made reservations in advance and sat at the bar. We enjoyed a few cocktails and small bites before falling into bed.

Day 2 - Rome

I wanted some professional pictures from our trip so we booked with Flytographer for an early morning shoot (we've done this in a few places and been very pleased with the results!). Shout out to Guido who took beautiful shots! My favorites were in the Roman Forum and in Parco del Colle Oppio (park next to the Colosseum).

Tip - We met Guido at 730A and there was no one around. Even if you don't hire a photographer, it could be a good opportunity to take advantage of the time difference (if you're up early anyway) and see the sights in the quiet of the early morning. The actual exhibits aren't open, but you can walk around and get some great pictures!

Guido made an excellent breakfast recommendation in a residential area within walking distance of the park where we finished our shoot, so we enjoyed breakfast with some locals. If you're in the area, make the stop. We had some free time, and since it was no longer raining... I wanted better pictures at the Trevi Fountain (we found it much less crowded in the morning). We also climbed the Spanish Steps and explored the park and church at the top. Was great to have a beautiful morning to wander.

Next up was the Colosseum. I had visited and done a self-guided tour with my sister several years prior, this was Terry's first time. I remembered wanting to learn more about the history and thought it was a good time to find a tour guide. I also learned through research that a registered guide is required to visit the newly excavated Underground area (which was amazing). We really loved this semi-private tour (us + a family of 3). Our guide was knowledgeable, passionate and fun (plus she took great pictures). I know there are a lot of options and this one costs a few Euro more than the average tour... but we felt it was worth it to not be in a group of 20+ people.

We roamed around Rome for the rest of the day... eating and drinking as we went. We ended the evening with a dinner and a stroll in Trastevere, followed by a climb up Giancolo Hill for a beautiful view of the city at night.

Day 3 - Rome

We started our final day in Rome with a tour of Vatican City, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. We don't typically seek out art museums, but felt this was one we couldn't miss. A tour guide is necessary to see the entire collection, and while this was a typical tour with a lot of people in a small space (not our favorite!), we did find our guide to be knowledgeable and good at getting us around the heavy crowds.

From the Vatican, we walked to Bonci Pizza where we waited in line 90 minutes for some amazing pie. I had done my research, and Bonci is widely considered one of the best (if not the best) pizza options in Rome. Terry loves pizza (a lot!), so it was worth the wait. A very cool experience eating lunch with the locals (this was not a tourist-heavy spot).

We walked off the pizza with a stroll to Castel Sant'Angelo (mausoleum turned castle) Note - we did not have tickets ahead of time and there was a considerable line for entry. I was able to buy tickets on my phone once we got there and skip the line. This was an interesting spot that was worth the time. And we loved the cafe on the upper terrace!

Through my research, I had found this rooftop restaurant (overlooking the Forum) and made us dinner reservations. Unfortunately, it was better online than it was in person. The food was average and overpriced and the service was slow. However, we did discover the bar for a pre-dinner drink, which was lovely. Same view with good drinks - do this instead!

Day 4 - Santa Marinella/Saturnia

We slept in before picking up a rental car (which was only a couple of blocks from the Westin) and heading into the countryside. Driving in Italy is fairly straightforward once you are out of Rome (the large traffic circles in the city baffle me). I had seen images of the Saturnia Hot Springs and wanted to experience them in-person. We made our way to Saturnia with a lunch stop in the coastal town of Santa Marinella. This seafood-forward restaurant was spectacular, I think we had the best mussels of our life.

We ventured on to the hot springs... and while beautiful, the public springs were overrun by people. There was a huge campground set up in the area which brought in an influx of campers in varying degrees of dress. This was not upper-class Italy. If you decide to do this, make sure you bring water shoes. We didn't and it made walking in the springs very difficult.

Fortunately, our bed and breakfast (which was quite lovely) included a spa entrance to Terme di Saturnia (pools of the same healing waters, less nature, fewer people).

We learned the hard way that dining options are very limited in Saturnia and our lack of advance reservations cost us. The restaurants looked amazing, but everyone else thought so too! Our trip to Saturnia was an adventure, but not one I would repeat.

Day 5 - Monteverdi

SPLURGE #1 - This hidden gem turned out to be the best 36 hours of our trip. The only problem was it was too short. (In hindsight, we should have skipped Saturnia and spent 2 nights in Monteverdi). This once abandoned Tuscan village has been turned into an amazing spa resort with world-class food and wine. We still talk about the spa over a year later (the hot tub cavern was sublime).

All 3 meals (lunch, dinner and breakfast) were delicious. We took advantage of a private wine tasting with the Sommelier which was educational and lovely.

Add in the amazing view of the Tuscan Valley... this ranks as one of our favorite vacation spots ever.

Each room is different (ours was luxurious and comfortable), and we very much plan on going back to try another. If you have the time and the means find a way to visit this magical place.

Day 6 - Florence We slept in as long as we could before we hit the road to Florence. The car rental return was a few blocks from our hotel in Florence, which was very convenient. I'm not sure we spent enough time at the hotel to justify the cost, but it was beautiful and the location was ideal.

We wandered around the Duomo complex for the afternoon soaking in Florence. We climbed both the Duomo and the Bell Tower (advance tickets here) and explored the markets. Was great to have a leisurely day in Florence.

Day 7- Tuscan Wineries

This day was one of the highlights of the trip. I love red wine, and Terry discovered Chianti on this trip (we had a bunch shipped home!). Finding Sergio to give us a private wine tour was a real blessing and made for an amazing day. After pickup at the hotel, we visited 3 small wineries (where we got the royal treatment at each one) and a had a beautiful Italian lunch in the countryside.

We arrived back to Florence in time for great dinner at Central Market, an eclectic food hall with a ton of options.

Day 8 - Florence/to Venice

Before we left Florence, we had to lay eyes on the Statue of David. In order to skip the line and to ensure we could learn a little something about David, we booked this one-hour small group tour, and I'm glad we did. Our guide was familiar with the gallery and proved very efficient in familiarizing us with all of Michelangelo's works at the Gallery and got us up close to David. We were free to explore the museum on our own after, but found that once we had seen David nothing else compared.

We made our way to the train station for our 2 hour ride to Venice. Because I wasn't sure what time we would want to leave for Venice, I did not buy train tickets ahead of time. This turned out to be a bad thing - all coach seats were sold out on the train when we arrived. But, also a good thing - as we discovered first class train travel! So, here is my happy accident tip - if you have the means and they are available, buy the first class train tickets. I've ridden coach on a European train ride, and it ain't always pleasant. The first class seat is not considerably more than coach (not like an airline ticket) and you get a comfy seat in a quiet car with someone to bring you snacks and drinks. Yes please!

We took a water taxi to our hotel - Splurge #2 - We stayed at in a Grand Canal View room at the St. Regis Venice which was beautiful. Our room had a spectacular view of the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute. I don't know that I would do it again, but I'm glad we did it once!

We spent the evening getting lost in the City of Love.

Day 9 - Venice

We woke to a rainy day in Venice. We braved the weather and explored St. Mark's Basilica (make sure you include entry to the terrace, it was worth it!), climbed the Bell Tower and toured Doge's Palace.

The rain kept the crowds to a minimum and we had a great time learning about the history of Venice.

We had reservations at 1000 Gourmet where we had the best pizza of the trip (and maybe of my life).

We could not bring ourselves to go back out into the rain, so we called it a day and returned to the hotel. We cancelled our dinner reservations, took a nap and enjoyed a lovely meal at the hotel (they took pity on us and fit us in without reservations). The spontaneous lazy afternoon was just what we needed!

Day 10

The sun came out for our final day in Italy, and we took full advantage! We started with a fantastic cooking class at the historic Gritti Palace (if we thought our hotel was fancy...) We helped the chef prepare ravioli, grilled fish and tiramisu before sitting down to a family-style meal.

A really cool experience that we recommend if you like to cook (or just like to eat!)

We spent the afternoon continuing to explore Venice. We climbed the dome of the Basilica Di Santa Maria Della Salute (tickets to the church are free, but you do need scheduled paid tickets to make the climb).

We had to take the iconic gondola ride through the canals.

We waited in line for Suso Gelato (yummy!). Basically, we were tourists.

I had read about a great steak place in a residential part of town that sounded amazing... so we decided to explore and see what we found. We found it, and lucked into the last open table in the small restaurant. No on spoke English (no tourists here!), but we found our way to ordering a steak meal that we still talk about today (bonus - dinner, drinks and tip cost us less than $100 Euro).

We stopped for a drink at Harry's Bar (a neat experience) before making our way to the hotel for our last night in Venice.

Day 11

We spent most of the day flying home (we connected through Heathrow). Was great to sleep in our own bed... while we both dreamed of pasta, wine and gelato. Viva Italia!