At a glance
| Recommended days | 10 - 14 days |
|---|---|
| Budget level | $$ / $$$ |
| Daily cost | €60-100 / €140-220 |
| Best season | Apr-Jun · Sep-Oct |
| Region | Southern Europe |
Day-by-day plan
This route comes from our full Italy: Rome, Tuscany & Amalfi guide - each day below links to the deeper detail there.
- Rome: Vatican + Castel Sant'Angelo
- Rome: Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill
- Rome: Trastevere + Borghese
- Train to Florence (1.5h)
- Florence: Uffizi + Duomo
- Florence: day trip to Siena
- Florence → Tuscany (rental car)
- San Gimignano + Volterra
- Val d'Orcia: Pienza + Montepulciano
- Tuscany → Naples → Pompeii
- Naples pizza + Circumvesuviana to Sorrento
- Amalfi Coast: Positano + Amalfi
- Capri boat day trip
- Sorrento → Naples, fly out
Pacing this route
The itinerary runs Rome (3–4), Florence (2–3 with a Tuscany day), Venice (2). Rome spreads out; Florence is compact; Venice is a maze — each city needs a different walking pace, and the sequence recovers jet lag before the hardest walking.
Protect one museum-free afternoon per city: the piazzas, aperitivo hours and evening passeggiata are the actual Italian experience, not a bonus.
Fewer or more days
- Fewer days: Rome (2) + Florence (1) + Venice (1) is a 5-day sprint — bookable but breathless; skip the Tuscany day.
- More days: add a Florence-side base for Siena/San Gimignano, or extend Venice to the lagoon islands (Burano, Torcello) with a third night.
Practical tips for this route
- Train stations are the trip's clock: buy high-speed tickets ahead (Italo/Trenitalia), validate nothing on e-tickets, and arrive 20 minutes early for platform peace.
- Watch bags on the 64 bus and around Termini — the classic pickpocket routes; nothing about the sights requires a backpack on one shoulder.
- Dress code lives: shoulders and knees covered for St Peter's and the Vatican, enforced, with scarf workarounds unreliable in high season.
Pair the route with the daily budget breakdown and the best-time-to-visit calendar to lock your dates, or hand the stops to our interactive trip planner.
Related guides
Best time to visit Rome, Florence & Venice · Rome, Florence & Venice travel budget · Full Rome, Florence & Venice guide · Interactive trip planner
FAQ
How many days for the three cities?
Ten is the itinerary's comfortable answer: 4-3-2 plus travel. Six days is the sprint minimum; two weeks lets Tuscany and the lagoon breathe.
Rome or Florence first?
Rome first — its monuments need the freshest legs, and the jet-lag-friendly early mornings suit the Vatican and Forum slots. Florence rewards a slower rhythm mid-trip.
Do I need to book the Accademia and Uffizi?
Yes, both, days-to-weeks ahead in season — timed entries sell out and walk-up queues can consume a morning. Same for the Borghese, which caps visitors strictly.