A must do

There really are so many things that would fall in that category,varying even by your own interest (A must for me may be a "meh" for you).....If I were to pick a few:.....Get lost in Venice wandering the side streets,maybe finding some small restaurant before getting back to your hotel.......In Rome, do not overlook climbing St Peters Dome....many bypass that option.......also in Rome, walk a lot, and in the side streets. You will find little gems of sculpture, fountains, courtyards of buildings, and certainly pop into churches along the way.

Rick Steves' Italy book does a good job of prioritizing sites to see. I usually agree with his recommendations. For Venice, I agree with Paul, just getting lost wandering the winding streets is a must. If you like art, one of my favorites in Rome is the Borghese Gallery. Check the guidebook for information about purchasing tickets in advance. Congratulations on your marriage!

Make sure you see the Trevi Fountain and watch sunset on the Spanish Steps

Thank you. I have read Rick's book a couple of times and taken many of his suggestions, but with so much to do I am afraid of missing out on something really fantastic, but then again, a great reason to celebrate an anniversary there. Thank you for your suggestions.

Maddie, of course you "will miss out on something fantastic". You can't possibly see and do everything in 2 weeks. But the fantastic things you do see will be in your memory forever.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say try to find stuff that ISN'T in RS books. I've been living in Italy over 10 years now and I've watched as several of my favorite places have systematically been ruined by "His Majesty". Get off the beaten path. In Rome, check out the Trastevere area which is sort of Rome's Bohemian area. In Venice, take a stroll around the Isola San Pietro where few tourists venture.

HI Maddie, we just came back from our first trip to Italy yesterday. In Venice I would strongly recommend wandering around the streets. We spent one whole day just walking around. It really does get very congested the closer you get to Piazza San Marco, more when the cruise ships arrive. Figure out what you want to see and try to purchase tickets in advance. Keep in mind that to go to the other islands you will need to take a vaporetto, so plan accordingly.

Norma is right on by saying that of course you'll be missing out on something fantastic. Do your research (which is what you're doing now - good for you!), then go and enjoy. Your goal in planning is to increase the odds that you'll do things you enjoy. You can ruin your entire vacation by second-guessing your plans. Good luck.

Also, if you share here the kinds of things you enjoy doing, you'll get more helpful responses.

thank you to everyone for your help. We have rented an apartment in both Rome and Venice, so that we can make use of the local shops. In Rome I have booked a tour of the Vatican and plan on the Roma Pass for visiting other sites. We love to walk so I am sure we'll get to see lots of great things on our travels. I was thinking about the dinner boat cruise if anyone has done it and could let me know if it is worth it, that would be really helpful. In venice I have the Venice Connect passes so that we can get around to the various sites and booked a "backstreets tour" to see a little bit of the non-tourist end of Venice, however was wondering if it is worth while to do a day trip to the main land and if so where is the best place to to visit Verona sounds nice, but unsure if it's worth the money. I would love any restaurant suggestions, the more romantic the better. Thank you everyone for your help!

If you see an interesting building and its open, go look inside. You never know what you might find that way, an amazing courtyard, a really pretty church, a parking lot they chase you out of, it could be anything. Try to give yourself enough time to wander and stop in unexpected piazzas and churches and just enjoy watching the activity around you. Remember that a place is not just the sites, its also the people, if you are in a shop and it's not busy try talking to the people working there. It can be a lot of fun! We had some great wine and balsamic vinegar tastings that way in a little place in Montepulciano during a thunderstorm, I think we ended up spending over an hour in there even after the storm had stopped.

If you're talking about the dinner boat cruise in Rome on the Tiber, don't do it. The Tiber is much lower than the city, and most of what you'll see is the retaining walls on both sides. Two nice and easy daytrips out of Rome are Ostia Antica and Orvieto. Lots of info on them in the RS book, including details on how to get there and what to do once there.

If you can work it into your itinerary Verona is a great place to visit.

Possibly too late, but it might be worth trying your luck at getting in on the Scavi Tour under St Peter's. It was a highlight of our trip! http://tinyurl.com/2yb63

I wouldn't do a dinner cruise, in any city. Generally speaking, the food that you would get on that kind of thing wouldn't be as good as the food you could get at a decent restaurant. Also, I'm not sure how many of the well-known sights in Rome you'd be able to see (dinner or otherwise) from the Tiber. Romantic restaurants: In Rome, Il Drappo. Serves Sardinian food, seafood plus other items. We ended up eating outside, because it was a lovely evening, but the interior is cozy and romantic. Eating outside was nice too! In Venice, less romantic but very good food and out of the tourist fray, Anice Stellato. It's in the Cannaregio, and a bit of a walk, but it's a very scenic walk in parts of Venice that you probably wouldn't get to. If you'll be in either city on a weekend, you should probably make reservations.

Micheal and Lexma are right, a dinner cruise in Rome doesn't work. The Tiber isn't all that clean of a river anyway and you can't see the city, you just see the walls. One of our best moments was St. Angelo Castle. And in the little cafe' up on top. We just had wine and snacks, but you can get a full meal - which is spendy but we'll do that next time.. The birds jump right on your table, I got one to stand on my finger. The view is great a huge era of roman history is right here in this building. Do not miss the Mouth of Truth also in Rome. It is one of our most favored photos of us with both hands in the mouth. Venice, spend at least one day, walking the north east part of the main island. Nothing in particular to see. You just get to see the non-Tourist, near forgotten Venice. Every thing here is a gem.

Thanks so much everyone, so glad I asked before booking the dinner cruise!