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

Seven days in Italy fit four cities: Rome for the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums, Florence for the Uffizi and the Duomo, Venice for St. Mark’s Square and the lagoon islands, and Milan for The Last Supper. Plan one base per city, and leave the car out of it, because the ZTLs, the restricted traffic zones of historic centers, fine drivers who enter without authorization.

At a glance

• Recommended length: 7 days
• Cities: Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan
• Rome ticket: a 24-hour ticket covers the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine
• ZTL fine: €100 to €200 per passage
• Rome in May: high 74°F (23°C), 6 rainy days

Is 7 days enough in Italy?

Seven days gives each city one or two real visits. Rome gets two days, Florence two, Venice two and Milan one. That covers the big names: the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums, the Uffizi, the Doge’s Palace and the Duomo of Milan. It leaves out the quieter sights, and anyone who likes to linger in museums will want an extra day.

With one more day, add the Domus Aurea in Rome, the Boboli Gardens behind Pitti Palace in Florence, or Torcello in the Venetian lagoon, where the small square holds the throne of Attila and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. Milan would also gain from it: the Sforza Castle museums and the Pinacoteca di Brera, which has 38 rooms, each deserve more time than a single day allows.

With one less day, drop the island day in Venice (Murano, Burano and Torcello) and keep Venice to St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge and the Accademia.

When to plan 7 days in Italy

Rome’s winter days are short on sun: January averages 4.3 hours a day and February 5.5, with about eight rainy days in each month. By April the sun averages 7 hours a day, and May brings a high of 74°F (23°C) with 6 rainy days. Spring is the easier season for a plan that spends most days walking between sights.

Where to stay in Italy for 7 days

Book one base in each city and stay in the historic center, so the sights of the day are close and you don’t need a car. Italy offers hotels, B&Bs, farm stays, hostels and campsites, so a base is easy to match to a budget.

Getting around Italy in 7 days

Skip the rental car in the cities. ZTLs exist in about 300 Italian cities, each entry is marked by a sign and watched by video surveillance, and only local residents and registered vehicles may drive in. The fine is generally between €100 and €200 per passage, and each pass through the gate counts separately.

7 Days in Italy, day by day

Day 1: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine

Start in ancient Rome. One 24-hour ticket covers a single access to the Colosseum, without the arena, and a single access to the Roman Forum and Palatine areas. Do all three in one stretch.

The Forum Pass SUPER ticket covers the Roman Forum, Imperial Fora and Palatine, without the Colosseum. The Domus Aurea has its own entrance, from via della Domus Aurea, and it makes a good extra if you have time.

Day 2: Vatican Museums and the Trevi Fountain

Spend the morning at the Vatican Museums, at Viale Vaticano, which include the Sistine Chapel. Finish at the Trevi Fountain, the most famous of the Roman fountains.

The entry ticket is valid only on the day it is issued, so choose the date carefully.

Day 3: Uffizi Gallery and Boboli Gardens

In Florence, the Uffizi Gallery fills the first and second floors of a large building put up between 1560 and 1580 to a design by Giorgio Vasari. Give it the morning.

The Boboli Gardens lie directly behind Pitti Palace, and make a quieter second stop for the afternoon.

Day 4: Piazza del Duomo 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. Then walk to Palazzo Vecchio, also called Palazzo della Signoria.

Its tower is 312 feet (95 meters) high.

Day 5: St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge

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

Then walk to the Rialto Bridge, a stone arch built from 1588 to 1591 to a design by Antonio da Ponte, with 24 shops along its two covered ramps.

Day 6: Gallerie dell’Accademia and the lagoon islands

Open with the Gallerie dell’Accademia, at Campo della Carità in Dorsoduro, housed in the Carità complex. 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 adds the 14th-century Church of Santa Fosca and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta.

Day 7: The Last Supper, Duomo and La Scala in Milan

Begin at the Last Supper Museum, at Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie 2. Then go to the Duomo di Milano, on Piazza del Duomo, and on to La Scala, whose box office is at Piazza della Scala.

The Sforza Castle museums are closed on Mondays. The Pinacoteca di Brera is a good swap if you’d rather end the week in a gallery.