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

Five days in Italy fit Rome, Florence and Venice, with two nights in Rome, one in Florence and two in Venice, and April or May is the season to aim for. The plan leaves out Milan, and it works on foot, because the historic centers of Italian cities restrict cars.

At a glance

• Recommended length: 5 days
• Cities: Rome, Florence, Venice
• Rome ticket: one 24h ticket for the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine
• Driving: restricted traffic zones (ZTL) in about 300 Italian cities
• ZTL fine: €100 to €200 per passage
• Rome in May: high 74°F (23°C), 6 rainy days

Is 5 days enough in Italy?

Five days cover the big sights of three cities: the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums in Rome, the Uffizi and the Duomo in Florence, and Doge’s Palace and the Grand Canal in Venice. Each city gets a day or two, so the plan favors headline stops over long museum afternoons.

With one more day, add Milan: the Last Supper Museum, the Duomo and the Pinacoteca di Brera make a full day. Sforza Castle museums are closed on Mondays, so plan around that.

With one day less, drop the Venice islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello, or give Rome only one day and keep the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine.

When to plan 5 days in Italy

Rome gets longer, brighter days as spring moves on. May has the fewest rainy days of the five months on record, 6.0, and it is also the warmest. In winter, February and January bring close to eight rainy days each, so pack a rain layer and keep the Vatican Museums as the indoor option.

Where to stay in Italy for 5 days

Sleep in the city you visit that day and the plan needs no extra transfers: two nights in Rome, one in Florence, two in Venice. In Rome, a base near Viale Vaticano puts the Vatican Museums close for Day 2. In Venice, the area around Dorsoduro, where the Gallerie dell’Accademia stand, keeps Day 5 simple.

Getting around Italy in 5 days

Skip the rental car for this plan. ZTLs are restricted traffic zones in historic centers, open only to local residents and registered vehicles. A sign marks each entry and video surveillance monitors it, and the fine runs generally between €100 and €200 per passage, depending on the city. About 300 Italian cities have one.

Pisa shows how drivers pay to get in: a temporary permit covers 6, 12 or 24 hours. Walking inside each city and avoiding a car altogether is cheaper and simpler.

5 Days in Italy, day by day

Day 1: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine

Start with the ancient core of Rome. One 24h ticket covers a single access to the Colosseum (first and second order, without the arena) and a single access to the Roman Forum and Palatine areas. Domus Aurea is entered from via della Domus Aurea.

The Forum Pass SUPER ticket covers the Roman Forum, Imperial Fora and Palatine but not the Colosseum, so buy the 24h ticket if the Colosseum is on the list. Since the ticket runs 24 hours, spread the three sites over the day and avoid rushing them.

Day 2: Vatican Museums and the Trevi Fountain

Spend the morning at the Vatican Museums, at Viale Vaticano, 00165 Rome. The ticket includes the Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Finish the day at the Trevi Fountain, the most famous of the Roman fountains.

The Vatican ticket is good only on the day it is issued, so book for the date you will actually go.

Day 3: Florence, Duomo, Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio

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. The Uffizi Gallery occupies the first and second floors of a building put up between 1560 and 1580 and designed by Giorgio Vasari.

The Tower of Palazzo Vecchio, also known as Palazzo della Signoria, is 312 feet (95 meters) high. If time allows, the Boboli Gardens lie directly behind Pitti Palace.

Day 4: Venice, St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto

The St. Mark’s Square Museums ticket is valid for Doge’s Palace, Museum Correr, the National Archaeological Museum of Venice and the Monumental Rooms of the Marciana National Library. The public entrance to Doge’s Palace is at Porta del Frumento, Piazzetta San Marco.

Then walk to the Rialto Bridge, a stone arch built between 1588 and 1591 to a design by Antonio da Ponte, with 24 shops along two covered ramps. The Grand Canal runs 12,467 feet (3,800 meters) under four bridges.

Day 5: Accademia and the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello

Begin at the Gallerie dell’Accademia, in the Carità complex at Campo della Carità, Dorsoduro 1050. Then head out to the lagoon islands. The Museo del Vetro is in Murano at Fondamenta Giustinian 8.

On Burano, Piazza Galuppi has the Church of San Martino and the Museo del Merletto. Torcello’s small square holds the throne of Attila, the Museo di Torcello, the 14th-century Church of Santa Fosca and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta.