Heading to Italy for a week and planning to spend some time in the three major cities of Venice, Florence, and Rome?
Well this one week in Italy itinerary will have you covered as you make your way around to all the different sites and attractions throughout the country. It is perfect for a first time visitor who wants to get a taste of what Italy has to offer (and of course get a taste of the amazing food along the way!).
Before diving into the itinerary be sure to check out the Italy Helpful Tips section to get you prepared for your trip to Italy.
If you plan to stay longer in the country you can also check out the 10 Day Italy Itinerary or 14 Day Italy Itinerary that build off of this one.
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A Complete Italy Itinerary 7 Days
A few important notes before diving into the itinerary:
1) I have set up the itinerary to leave early in the morning when going from one city to the next. You can keep it as is, or you can also easily take a later evening train the night prior to avoid the early wakeup. Whatever travel style works for you!
2) The itinerary is set up so you fly into Venice, before taking trains throughout the country and ultimately departing from Rome. So if you do decide to go with this itinerary, just note it would be easiest to fly in and out of two different cities (and not round trip to Venice).
3) Assume day 1 and day 7 of the itinerary are full (or nearly full) days. That means you should plan to arrive the night before in Venice (day 0) and leave late on day 7 or sometime on day 8 from Rome.
4) Throughout the itinerary, I have linked to some more in depth articles that I put together regarding certain cities or activities. Feel free to check those out if you are interested in learning more details about those particular places.
Italy Itinerary 7 Days Map View
Take a look below at where each city falls on the map. The northern most point is Venice, where you will begin you trip as you make your way down the country going through Florence and onto Rome, where you will finish up.
I have also pinned down Siena, which makes for an easy day trip during your time in Florence.
Italy Itinerary 7 Days
Now lets get on to the actual trip! The following is a detailed breakout of the daily attractions and activities on this 7 day itinerary. Feel free to scroll through and click on any more in depth posts along the way.
Day 1 – Venice
For the first two days of your trip to Italy you will be wandering the great city of Venice.
The great thing about some of the major cities in Italy is the incredible experience of just walking through and getting lost in them. You will find yourself roaming cobblestone streets and taking in great views throughout the whole trip.
Venice however is a bit different than probably any city you have been to before, as it comprises of a winding maze of canals, streets and squares. Walking over small bridges, going through small passageways, and taking in the waterways of Venice were some of the best moments I experienced there.
Beyond just walking around and enjoying your surroundings, there are plenty of famous sites and attractions to see. Below are the 8 attractions you can choose to visit on your first day in Italy.
You can easily walk around yourself visiting these places as they aren’t too far away from each other.
1. Piazza San Marco
2. St Mark’s Basilica
3. St Mark’s Bell Tower
4. Doge’s Palace
5. Peggy Guggenheim Collection
6. The Grand Canal
7. Ponte di Rialto
8. Taking a Gondola Ride
« Check out some of the Best Places to Visit in Venice Guide to learn more about the city »
If you have some extra time later in the evening, feel free to just start walking around the streets, alongside the canals, and over bridges.
You will pass by plenty of picture worthy spots, where you will be able to just relax and enjoy the scenery without the day tripper crowds. Enjoy a nice Venetian dinner before calling it a night and getting ready for day 2.
Some highly rated and valued hotels to choose from in Venice for nights 1 & 2 of your trip to Italy include:
Day 2 – Exploring Venice Part II
On your second day in Venice you will be able to venture a bit further out of the main island area through the Venetian Lagoon to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.
Murano is famously known for its glass blowing, Burano for its lace making and its very colorful buildings, and Torcello is known to be where the history of Venice all began.
You can easily head out on the waters by boat, utilizing the Venice public transportation system. Feel free to spend a couple hours on each island before heading off to the next.
At day’s end simply catch a boat back to Venice and end a successful day trip in the Venetian Lagoon. After enjoying a full day out on the water and exploring the islands, rest up a bit as you will be catching an early morning train to Florence on day 3.
» For everything you need to know about these islands check out the day guide of Exploring Murano, Burano and Torcello
» This Murano, Burano and Torcello Sightseeing Tour is a great option for those that want to join a guided tour for the day
Day 3 & 4 – Travel & Explore Florence
After two days of exploring Venice and the surrounding islands, it is time to make your way to the Venice train station where you will begin your journey to your next destination of Florence – a city filled with incredible museums, art galleries, viewpoints and gardens.
The train ride to Florence should take approximately two hours and you can check the Italy train schedules for an early morning train departure.
This way you will arrive in Florence by mid morning time and you will have at least a half-day to explore the city. Check into your hotel and grab some lunch before setting out for the remainder of the afternoon.
As I talk about in the guide below, many of the attractions can experience long wait times. By pre-purchasing tickets beforehand, you can save time by skipping the line and heading on in to the attraction. Check out the guide for the links to purchase tickets.
» To get the most out of Florence go ahead and take a look at the Two Days in Florence Travel Guide that can help plan your couple days in the city.
Here is a breakout of all the different sites the guide goes over for the two days you would have in Florence:
Day 1
(1) Accademia Gallery (The David)
(2) Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
(3) Duomo Climb
(4) La Basilica di Santa Croce
Day 2
(1) Piazza della Signoria
(2) Palazzo Vecchio and/or (3) Uffizi Gallery
(4) Ponte Vecchio
(5) Boboli Gardens
(6) Piazzale Michelangelo
Take a look at some recommended Florence hotel options for nights 3, 4, & 5 of the trip:
1) Hotel Paris
5) Firenze Number Nine Wellness Hotel
Day 5 – Day Trip to Siena
After two days of exploring the city of Florence, it’s time to take a day trip out to Siena.
To get to Siena is pretty simple – make your way to the bus station in Florence (which is right next to the train station), and after a 90-minute ride or so you will end up in the city center around Piazza Antonio Gramsci.
There are plenty of busses that make the route and you can buy tickets when you get there, or play it safe and head to the bus station the day before to purchase tickets for an exact time.
Once you arrive in Siena you will be greeted by a beautiful walled old city full of hilly winding streets, plazas and home to the famous Palio Race (held on July 2nd and August 16th).
If you happen to be in Italy during one of these dates you can definitely check it out, however it will be absolutely packed with people!
The main square here (and where the Palio is held) is Piazza del Campo – a unique and historical sloped piazza, where you will find plenty of restaurants and coffee shops in the vicinity. Sitting at the base of the slope is Palazzo Pubblico, the town hall of Siena.
You can visit the museum that sits inside here and also have the chance to climb the Torre del Mangia bell tower. Climbing the 400 or so steps to the top is quite the experience as well as the amazing view you will get from above.
After taking the bus ride, roaming the streets and plazas, and climbing to the top of the city throughout the morning, you can find a nice restaurant around the area as you enjoy the city around you.
Up next is the Siena Cathedral – an amazing piece of architecture with huge striped columns and arches throughout. You will find plenty of detailed mosaics and other types of artwork as you walk through the complex.
Besides for the Cathedral there are some other smaller places to visit right around the area including The Baptistery of San Giovanni ,The Crypt, and The Museo dell’Opera.
You will also want to give yourself some time to just enjoy the city, walk around, and get some shopping in. Once you have had enough time in Siena, take the bus back to Florence and call it a day.
Day 6 – Travel to Rome & Vatican City
After two days in Florence and a day enjoying Siena, it is time to head to Rome, the capital of Italy. There are plenty of trains all throughout the morning that will take you the 90 or so minutes south.
Try and get into Rome earlier rather than later so you will have more time to enjoy the city. After checking into your hotel and grabbing some lunch it is time to already visit another country – Vatican City!
There is much to explore within Vatican City and a full afternoon will give you a good amount of time to enjoy it all. You can make your way to Saint Peter’s Square, the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Basilica.
» For an in depth guide about this experience check out the writeup of Visiting the Vatican.
For highly rated Rome hotels with great location & price, check out these for nights 6 & 7:
Day 7 – Rome Part II
To end you Italy itinerary 7 days route, you will explore some of best that Rome has to offer. While there is a ton to experience in Rome, I wanted to list out some of the highlights that are must do’s when visiting the city.
You can make your way to the following five attractions and then if you have some more time, you can just enjoy wandering the city streets. Some of the main places you can make stops at include:
1) The Colosseum
2) Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
3) Pantheon
4) Trevi Fountain
5) Spanish Steps
» To get a better understanding of everything to do check out the One Day in Rome Itinerary
Unfortunately, this one week in Italy itinerary is now coming to an end. The easiest option here is to take a flight out of Rome on the night of day 7 or first thing on day 8. Hope you enjoy your trip to Italy. Have fun out there!
Head over to the Italy itineraries and guides page to check out some more helpful posts, and feel free to comment below with any questions!
Mr. V. Gangani
Monday 15th of May 2023
Can you work out 7 night 8 days italy package for one singke pax from 8th june to 14 june 2023 give me best rate covering all tourist places in italy