Ultimate 14-Day Italy Itinerary: From Venice's Canals to the Amalfi Coast

A trip to Italy is a dream for many travelers, offering a perfect blend of historical wonders, artistic treasures, and delectable cuisine. From the enchanting canals of Venice to the sun-soaked shores of the Amalfi Coast, Italy captivates with its diverse offerings. Join us as we share our meticulously crafted 14-day Italy itinerary, packed with insider tips and unforgettable experiences that will make your trip exceptional.

If you're new to traveling internationally, check out our blog, How to Prepare for International Travel.

Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Arrive in Venice

Day 2: Venice

Day 3: Venice to Florence

Day 4: Florence

Day 5: Florence

Day 6: Florence to Rome

Day 7: Rome

Day 8: Rome

Day 9: Rome

Day 10: Rome to Amalfi Coast

Day 11: Amalfi Coast

Day 12: Capri Day Trip

Day 13: Amalfi Coast

Day 14: Departure

Day 1: Arrive in Venice

Depending on where you're traveling from, the first day of your trip can be long and exhausting, possibly battling against layovers and jet lag. But there's nothing better than finally arriving at your destination to start your vacation!

Upon arrival, we took the Venetian public waterbus Vaporetto to Venice to check into our Airbnb and drop off our bags. Now, let this be a plug for anyone who has yet to go to Venice: traveling with roller bags across the cobblestone streets of Venice is NOT a pleasant experience. This trip caused us to re-evaluate our luggage situation, so much so that we've ditched our overly-sized roller bags and now only travel with backpacks. We've since gone on several other 2-week trips only with carry-ons, and it's made a difference (for more information, check out How to Pack Light with Carry-On Luggage).

The main highlights we saw on our first day in Venice included touring the Frari Church and visiting the Ca' Rezzonico and the Accademia Museums. We recommend downloading podcasts of Rick Steves walking tours for those interested in listening to a tour without joining the large crowded tour groups. We ended our first night in Venice with a fantastic dinner at the recommendation of our Airbnb host at Aciugheta. It may have been influenced by this being our first authentic meal in Italy, but we still have dreams about their fresh buffalo mozzarella pizza and pesto gnocchi.

Day 2: Venice

On day 2, we headed to the famous St. Mark's Square for another Rick Steves walking tour and then rode to the top of the Campanile. From there, we meandered to the Rialto Bridge and had lunch nearby. Then we went to the Correr Museum, St. Mark's Basilica, then the Doge's Palace. We finished the night with a wine/bar tour with Alessandro.

Day 3: Venice to Florence

Leaving Venice bright and early was the way to go, but no water taxis were available as early as we needed to get to the train station. So we had to haul all our roller luggage over the cobblestone streets and up and down the Rialto Bridge to the station. That is when we vowed never to travel abroad with checked bags again! Luckily we made it just before our train left for Florence.

Once we arrived in Florence, we went to the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) to find the Florence Cathedral (Duomo). We booked tickets to climb the 463 steps up to the top of the cathedral, where you'll access an external viewing platform that overlooks the entire city of Florence. Along the way, you get up close to the impressive mural of The Last Judgement painted on the top of the dome. Going to the top was an incredible experience and one of our favorite travel experiences. After visiting the Duomo, we grabbed lunch in the piazza and headed to the Museum of San Marco.

Another quick plug: if you plan on taking any tours of museums or cathedrals, we highly recommend booking tickets before your trip. It's a great way to ensure you reserve a spot while saving time away from standing in long ticket lines when you arrive. The same goes for booking dinner reservations at that nice restaurant you've been eyeing during your vacation planning!

Day 4: Florence

We started the day by going to the Accademia Museum, home to the famous Statue of David and many other pieces from Michelangelo's work.

From there, we went to the Medici Chapels & Basilica of San Lorenzo and Bargello, followed by the Uffizi Gallery. We finished the day by doing Rick Steves' Renaissance Walk audio tour and explored the Piazza della Signoria/Ponte Vecchio.

Day 5: Florence

One of the highlights of this entire trip was taking a horseback riding and wine-tasting tour with Fun in Tuscany. The views of the vast Tuscan vineyards were terrific, and the food and wine were delicious. The tour guides made everything a blast! We highly recommend that tour group.

Day 6: Florence to Rome

From Florence, we took an hour-and-a-half train ride to Rome in the afternoon and checked into our next Airbnb. Our first stop was the Santa Maria della Vittoria Basilica. After that, we had a relaxing dinner before an early night in.

Day 7: Rome

We woke early on our first full day in Rome to go to the Colosseum. We prefer to get up and get places early in the morning to beat the crowds and, depending on the season, the mid-day heat.

After the Colosseum, we visited the nearby Palatine Hill & Roman Forum to tour the ruins. We were exhausted after walking around all morning, so we stopped for a quick lunch and saw Trajan's Column and Altare della Patria.

Day 8: Rome

We intended to get up early again and head to the Vatican City, but we slept in a bit before heading to St. Peter's Basilica. We instantly regretted it when we saw how long the security line to enter had gotten, which finally took us over an hour and a half to get in. But the wait was well worth it. We didn't have time to Climb the Dome, but we recommend it if you have the time. We stopped to eat before we went to the Vatican Museum to see the famous Sistine Chapel.

Day 9: Rome

We started our next day at the Borghese Gallery, then visited the Spanish Steps, then the Museuo dell'Ara Pacis. After grabbing lunch, we saw the Trevi Fountain and took a short walk to see the Pantheon.

Day 10: Rome to the Amalfi Coast

We finished our Italy trip with a relaxing visit to the Amalfi Coast. Heading to the Amalfi Coast from Rome was a full day of travel. We first took a train from Rome to Napoli, then from Napoli another train and bus to reach our final destination of Massa Lubrense (near Sorrento).

Day 11-13: Amalfi Coast

Since we had done SO MUCH sightseeing earlier in our trip, it was amazing to get to the Amalfi Coast and unwind. We walked around the little town, went into some shops, and had wine and taralli on our terrace overlooking the ocean every night. Amalfi is famous for its limoncello, so if you find yourself there, we recommend trying some (we even bought small travel-sized bottles to take home as souvenirs for friends & family).

Capri Day Trip

On Day 12, we took a boat ride over to the island of Capri. We splurged here to get private transport, but they also have ferries. Once we went around the island, we stopped for lunch, followed by a bus ride to the main shopping area. Capri is also famous for their convertible taxi. After exploring, we took a cab back to the dock to depart. Unfortunately, the water was rough and high, so we could not go into the Blue Grotto, but we could boat through the massive picturesque rocks of Faraglioni.

Day 14: Departure

We returned to Rome after the Amalfi Coast to catch our flight home. After two weeks in Italy, we didn't want to leave, eating endless pasta, pizza, and gelato and drinking Aperol spritz. This trip exceeded our expectations. We continue to reminisce and talk about returning one day and seeing more of this beautiful country and everything it offers.