10 Days in Italy: A Day-by-Day Itinerary

Ten days in Italy can take in Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan, with one base in each city. The plan is built on the big sights, and the stake is the car: about 300 Italian cities have a restricted traffic zone, so a day by rental car can end in a fine.

At a glance

• Recommended length: 10 days
• Cities: Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan
• Rome in May: high 74°F (23°C), 6 rainy days
• Rome in April: 7 hours of sunshine a day
• Fine for entering a ZTL: €100 to €200 per passage

Is 10 days enough in Italy?

Ten days is enough for the headline sights of four cities. Rome has the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Palatine, the Vatican Museums and the Trevi Fountain. Florence has the Uffizi, Piazza del Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio. Venice has the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto Bridge and the lagoon islands. Milan has the Last Supper, the Duomo and La Scala.

The day-by-day plan below fills seven days with these places, which leaves three days of slack. Use them for a second day in Rome or Venice, or for the Domus Aurea in Rome and the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan.

With one day less, drop the island trip in Venice or the Boboli Gardens in Florence. With one day more, add a half day in Rome, where the Vatican Museums ticket is valid only on the day it is issued and the Forum area has its own ticket.

When to plan 10 days in Italy

Rome is the city with climate data for this plan. April already averages 7 hours of sunshine a day.

Where to stay in Italy for 10 days

Since the route moves through four cities, one base per city keeps luggage moves to a minimum. Local tourist boards list hotels, B&Bs, farm stays, hostels and campsites, in Emilia-Romagna as well as around Lake Maggiore. Book Rome first, since the plan starts there.

Getting around Italy in 10 days

City centers are better seen on foot. Italian historic centers have ZTLs, restricted traffic zones where only residents and registered vehicles may drive. A sign marks each entry and video cameras watch it. The fine is generally €100 to €200 per passage, and it is charged each time you cross in. If you rent a car, park outside the center.

Pisa shows how the permits work.

10 Days in Italy, day by day

Day 1: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine

Start at the Colosseum and continue through the Roman Forum and the Palatine. One 24h ticket covers a single entry to the Colosseum and a single entry to the Forum-Palatine areas, and the arena floor is not included.

The Forum Pass SUPER gives access to the Roman Forum, Imperial Fora and Palatine, without the Colosseum. The Domus Aurea has its own entrance on via della Domus Aurea.

Day 2: Vatican Museums and Trevi Fountain

Spend the day on the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, at Viale Vaticano. Then walk to the Trevi Fountain, the most famous of the Roman fountains.

Day 3: Uffizi Gallery and Piazza del Duomo

Florence begins with the Uffizi Gallery, which fills the first and second floors of a building designed by Giorgio Vasari and built between 1560 and 1580. Piazza del Duomo holds the Cathedral, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery, the Crypt of Santa Reparata and the Opera del Duomo Museum.

Day 4: Palazzo Vecchio and Boboli Gardens

Palazzo Vecchio is also called Palazzo della Signoria, and its tower is 312 feet (95 meters) high. The Boboli Gardens sit directly behind Pitti Palace, so the two make an easy pair for a slower day.

Day 5: Doge’s Palace and Rialto Bridge

In Venice, the Doge’s Palace is entered at Porta del Frumento, Piazzetta San Marco. The St. Mark’s Square Museums ticket covers the palace, the Museo Correr, the National Archaeological Museum and the Monumental Rooms of the Marciana Library.

Then go to the Rialto Bridge, a stone arch over the Grand Canal built from 1588 to 1591. It has 24 shops along two covered ramps. The canal runs 12,467 feet (3,800 meters) under four bridges.

Day 6: Gallerie dell’Accademia and the lagoon islands

Begin at the Gallerie dell’Accademia, at Campo della Carità in Dorsoduro, then head out to the islands. Murano has the Museo del Vetro at Fondamenta Giustinian 8. Burano has the Museo del Merletto and the Church of San Martino on Piazza Galuppi. Torcello has the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the 14th-century Church of Santa Fosca and the throne of Attila.

Day 7: Last Supper, Duomo and La Scala

In Milan, the Last Supper Museum is at Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie 2. The Duomo stands on Piazza del Duomo, and La Scala’s box office is on Piazza della Scala.

The Sforza Castle museums are closed on Mondays, and the Pinacoteca di Brera has 38 rooms around its courtyard. Either one suits an extra day.