itinerary

There is so much architecture, history, food and culture in Italy, and it'll be difficult to do any hiking-biking if you only have 10 days. Can you grab a few more days to be there? Remember your first and last days are traveling to and from hotels and airports. And anytime you move, you lose a day. On 10 days, I'd say 3 days in Venice, 3 days in Florence and 4 days in Rome. If you have time, rent a car for a day and head for the countryside.
And get ready to come back next year with more time.

There is so much architecture, history, food and culture in Italy, and it'll be difficult to do any hiking-biking if you only have 10 days. Can you grab a few more days to be there? I think it's wrong to assume every traveler to Italy wants to see museums and architecture or to do the classic Rome-Florence-Venice itinerary.
Italy has great scenery and endless hiking opportunities. (The Dolomites, Cinque Terre, Le Marche...etc)

You should let us know when you're going, as that heavily influences what is available to do. If you're going in January, I'm not going to recommend biking, for example.

It sounds like you like the outdoors, so I would suggest a Tuscan village for a few days with maybe a day trip to Florence, then to CT to roam around, hike and enjoy the sea, then on to Venice for a few days with a day trip to Burano, or skip Venice and spend a few days at beautiful Lake Como. One does not have to do the Florence, Rome, Venice thing to enjoy Italy. Actually you could reverse that and fly into Venice and out of Florence. I would suggest a car in Tuscany to visit other villages and a winery or two. I am assuming you are going in the warm weather, not winter. I visited Italy 5 or 6 times before going to Rome, and while I enjoyed seeing it, it's not 'the best of Italy' for me. Give me Tuscany or the Sea any day. However, I do love Venice, but only if you spend a few days and can wander around when lots of the day trippers have gone. Above all... eat lots of gelato!

Joan, I'd suggest having a look at the Italy Guidebook, as that has an enormous amount of information, and will allow you to make an "informed decision" on the locations and sightseeing that best fit your preferences. Some additional information would also help. For example, what prompted this desire to visit Italy? Italy has many different regions each with their own unique character, and each offering the possibility for "hiking, biking and enjoying the landscape". Are you interested in visiting any of the many historic sites? Good luck with your planning!

We are going hopefully in May for 10 days. Haven't booked the flight yet, but going to soon. Thank you for all of your comments! They are helpful. I have been reading up on the different regions of Italy. I'm thinking of so many different trips within Italy. My daughter traveled there when she was in school and that is what sparked my interest. I have only been to Europe once to go to London and Barcelona when she was in school and just loved the experience. Many friends have traveled extensively and highly recommended going to Italy also.

Since you don't have the tickets yet, here are my suggestions... First off, if you can afford it add a few more days, possibly round it up to 2 weeks. I really doubt you would regret the extra time, so you see some places in more depth or add another location or two to visit. Unless You are staying within one general area (such as tuscany), fly into one place and out of another rather than back tracking to your original destination. The small savings in airfare doesn't make sense if you are wasting time and money taking a train from Naples to Milan or Venice to Rome. May is a wonderful time to visit! If you are wanting the best weather, try working from the south and head northwards as you travel.