This is my basic itinerary for my first trip to Italy. 10 Days. Would love feedback. Particularly, I have intentionally left my 2nd leg (3 days) in Rome unstructured. If you see anything I've missed please feel free to share. Also, I am thinking of cutting Florence to one night and adding a day in Rome on the front end (a lot of personal people I've spoken to say I don't need a lot of time in Florence, particularly since I am not a huge museum guy, I like to see the major pieces and maybe spend an hour or so in a museum, culturally I am much more performance/theater oriented.)
FOOD??? Restaurant suggestions, especially, off the beaten tourist path are welcome as well.
Tours: I fully intend to keep my booked tour for Vatican, but wonder if I should do Colloseum and Pompeii on my own
Also, note, if I was a little more informed prior to booking I would have booked into the north and departed the south (into Florence out of Naples) or vice versa. Alas, I'm booked into Rome, then train to Florence, train to Naples and train back to Rome. I kind of like the idea of being on the trains actually. We will see.
Thanks!
Arrive Rome Thursday 3/5/20
Day 1
1. Hotel Check in 3p.m. (Relais Orso)
2. Passagietta/Downtime
3. Dinner
ROME Friday 3/6/20
Day 2
1. Piazza Venezia/Complesso Vittoriano
3. Ancient Rome/Colloseum Tour
4. Vittorio Emmanuel Monument Viewpoint
5. Pantheon
6. Heart of Rome Walk (see Rick Steves' guide)
7. Dinner
ROME Saturday 3/7/20
Day 3
1. Tour: Museo Vaticano/ Climb the dome at St. La Basilica di Pietro
3. Castel Sant’Angelo (maybe)
4. Return to city center via Ponte Sant’Angelo
5. Dolce Vita Stroll (see Rick Steves' Rome guide)/Shopping
6. dinner
Train to FLORENCE Sunday 3/8/20
Day 4
1. Renaissance Walk (Rick Steves)
2. Uffizi (Tuesday am option as well)
3. Accademia (Tuesday am option as well)
FLORENCE Monday 3/9/20
Day 5
1. Duomo (including Dome climb)
2. Palazzo Davanzati
3. Ponte Vecchio
OR
Day Trip: Siena, Lucca, Pisa, Tuscany??
Train to Naples Tuesday 3/10/20
Day 6
1. AM- Maybe get through Accademia in Florence
3. Hotel Check-in - Naples 2p.m. (Relais Sul Mare)
2. Explore Napoli
3. Opera: Winter Journey – Teatro Di San Carlo
NAPLES Wednesday 3/11/20
Day 7
1. 1/2 day in Pompeii
2. Explore Naples with Rosaria
3. Dinner with Rosaria and Cira
Naples Thursday 3/12/20
Day 8
1. Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli
2. Depart Naples for Rome
Depart Naples for ROME Thursday 3/12/20
Day 8
3 days of unstructured time in Rome could include:
1. Borghese 2. Capuchin Crypt 3. Castel Sant’Angelo 4. Day trip? 5. Soak it in 6. Gym?
7. Explore Trastevere/Jewish Ghetto 8. Walking tour/Food tour?
ROME Friday 3/13/20
Day 9
ROME Saturday 3/14/20
Day 10
Rome Departure Sunday 3/15/20
Travel Day