I notice it’s been nearly 3 weeks since we’ve been again from probably the most magical place on Earth = and no, transfer over Disney, as a result of Italy takes the cake on that ranking for this fam. In the event you adopted our slice of social media life, you might know we took the ladies to Italy for the primary time two years in the past… we hit up Rome for the primary week of enjoyable after which ventured over to Venice for 4 extra days of journey. Protected to say all of us loved that journey a lot we began planning one other one nearly immediately.
We’ve been exhausting at work on this particular itinerary for greater than 18 months = sure, we’re large about planning prematurely. That approach you may nail down the precise lodging and experiences you need after which take your time honing in on all of the extras [restaurant reservations, special hot spots not to miss, etc]. I’ve to provide it as much as my hubby and Mimi as a result of they dominate the planning and we utilized the journey providers of Laura Tuley Journey and the IDI Journey staff who’ve executed most of our European adventures [tell them I sent you and they will take great care of you]!
My apologies for simply now getting this submit reside… truthfully I wanted a little bit of time to decompress from all of the journey, compensate for sleep, relive the moments and recollections over once more after which in fact put pen to paper to ensure I highlighted all of the magic for you within the hopes it might probably provide help to in your subsequent journey to Italy!
Earlier than we get into the nitty gritty particulars of our precise journey, I do need to point out our flights there. Months in the past, we stumbled upon an unimaginable take care of American Airways to fly on one among their flagship airplanes within the enterprise class pod seats. Not one thing we’d ordinarily do, however we went all in and mentioned GO BIG OR GO HOME and had an absolute ball! The luxe seating actually helped us chill out and relaxation up for our first day in Europe and I can’t lie = the meals was unimaginable, the service was past excessive and it was a spotlight everybody in our household will all the time bear in mind… so if you will discover some additional funds in your trip to splurge on these seats simply as soon as, do it!
Now, let’s get all the way down to enterprise… first cease FLORENCE = secure to say this metropolis stole all our hearts once more. It has THE excellent mixture of historical past, magnificence and a lot good meals. From admiring Michelangelo’s David in individual [always a highlight to see!] to sipping cappuccinos in charming piazzas and watching the ladies take in each second = Florence was the proper method to kick off our summer time travels.
Preserve studying for all the small print—the place we stayed, what we liked, what we’d do otherwise and all the things in between!
We flew into Rome [easier itinerary for our long travel day] after which we kicked issues off with a personal switch headed north—however not with out the dreamiest detour first! We made a pit cease in Orvieto, one among Tuscany’s most charming hidden gems. Perched excessive above the countryside, it’s a brilliant quaint, hilltop city that was made well-known by its beautiful duomo (critically, the façade is a showstopper) and picture-perfect streets stuffed with outlets, cafés and nice artisan finds. We stretched our legs, browsed handmade ceramics and olive wooden souvenirs, and grabbed an informal however scrumptious lunch at La Pergola—a household favourite we had been thrilled to revisit. After absorbing the views, we hit the highway once more made one other fast, however enjoyable cease in San Gimignano = it’s a tiny medieval city with tons of towers made for touring and climbing [the kids, Pappy and Jeff did that while Mimi + I shopped for art].
PRO TIP | In between bigger, extra metropolitan cities, attempt to go to 2-3 cities alongside your route… nice for visiting smaller villages with beautiful sights and such however not overwhelmed with individuals = additionally a unbelievable method to style out native faire and store lovely outlets with out the excessive markup! Our private favorites in Tuscany embody Moltalcino, Cortona and Montepulciano.
From there, we arrived in Florence, the place we checked into probably the most unimaginable AIRBNB condo within the Bargello Luxurious Condominium Constructing, completely nestled within the coronary heart of the town and able to be our house base for the week. Tremendous spacious with all the things we would have liked [and more], it was absolutely the excellent away from house… and sure, I’d extremely advocate staying right here if you happen to get the possibility and have not less than 6 individuals in your celebration.
That afternoon, we hit up the native grocery retailer for some necessities to have available, explored round our neighborhood after which completed our first night time in Italy with dinner at Osteria Antica Casa Torre, a comfortable spot with heat hospitality and hearty Florentine fare that hit the spot after an extended day of journey [when in doubt ALWAYS order steak florentine]. Jet lagged however giddy, we had been prepared for a full week of exploring Firenze however tried to remain up as late as doable to keep away from that dreaded subsequent day fatigue and it positively paid off!
We hit the bottom operating on our first full day in Florence with a personal half-day strolling tour that gave us the proper lay of the land. Our information met us proper exterior our condo [talk about door-to-door service!] and we set off to see among the metropolis’s most iconic sights—the Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Campanile, the Opera del Duomo Museum [a newly created museum dedicated to showing the workmanship of the actual duomo = it is EXCELLENT!!] and naturally, the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s David in all his glory = and no, even seeing this for the second time you may’t think about the and scale and the intricate particulars! It was the easiest way to dive into the wealthy historical past of Firenze whereas holding issues relaxed and enjoyable for everybody = extremely advocate asking for a tour information that’s nice with children… it makes all of the distinction, particularly when touring historic monuments/museums/galleries, and so on.
After our tour, we grabbed genuine Tuscan impressed paninis from the famous Retrobottega—fast, scrumptious and precisely what we would have liked to refuel earlier than a little bit of afternoon wandering and window buying. We ended the day with a dinner to recollect at Antico Ristoro Di Cambi, a traditional spot recognized for conventional Florentine dishes like pasta and againm my private favourite, the well-known Florentine steak. Full hearts, full bellies and already falling in love with this magical metropolis.
Day three took us past Florence for a Tuscan day journey that checked all of the containers—views, villages, and vino vibes. We hit the highway early and made our first cease in San Gimignano, a picture-perfect medieval city recognized for its skyline of historic towers. We spent the morning wandering the cobblestone streets, popping into little outlets, and naturally grabbing a scoop [or two] of well-known Italian gelato whereas soaking within the sweeping countryside views.
From there, we headed to Siena [MY FAVORITE TOWN IN TUSCANY!!] the place we sat down for lunch at Antica Trattoria Papei—rustic, scrumptious and tucked proper close to the center of the town. Afterward, we met up with our information for a three-hour strolling tour, protecting the beautiful Piazza del Campo, the intricate Siena Cathedral, the breathtaking Piccolomini Library, and Santa Maria della Scala—an sudden spotlight filled with historical past and hidden gems. We had been visiting the city on the PERFECT time, as the town was in preparations for his or her annual Palio di Siena = probably the most well-known attribute of the city and a HUGE spotlight the place guests come from throughout to witness the race in the midst of the town! It was really exceptional and someday I hope we will really attend. We wrapped up the day again in Florence with an informal dinner close to the condo, grabbing pizza and sandwiches earlier than calling it an evening. Belief me, after at the present time we would have liked a soothing night time in! A protracted however completely worth-it day exploring extra of Tuscany…
PRO TIP | Arrange your house base in Florence as a result of you may take day journeys to SO many shut cities and cities all inside a 1-2 hour drive = renting a driver with a personal automotive makes for straightforward transport, too!
After a couple of jam-packed days of sightseeing and road-tripping by way of Tuscany, Day 4 was all about slowing down and absorbing the attraction of Florence at our personal tempo… and sure, that was a morning we determined it was completely essential to sleep in a bit! We spent the day wandering the cobblestone streets, popping into boutiques, artisan outlets for some artwork and native markets, with loads of time for window buying and people-watching.
We had initially deliberate to hit up the Uffizi Gallery for a dose of tradition, however made a gemtime determination to pause and simply benefit from the metropolis. For lunch, we braved the road at All’Antico Vinaio—arguably probably the most well-known sandwich store in Italy—and let’s simply say, it lived as much as the hype. We wrapped up the night at Trattoria del Pennello, a comfortable neighborhood favourite with all of the traditional Tuscan consolation meals we had been craving. A slower day, however one among our favorites—generally the very best recollections are made with out a plan, proper?!?! And with the hustle and bustle of so many different days, I used to be thrilled that we took a day to savor the sights with out a set to-do record.
PRO TIP | In case you have additional time in your itinerary, attempt to construct in relaxation and restoration days… after exploring museums, taking excursions of outdated ruins and such you’ll want some downtime to recuperate earlier than you do it once more! We wish to construct in one among these in between two busier days = your toes will thanks for it!
We kicked off Day 5 with a fast journey west to verify off a real Italian icon—Pisa! It was my first time and I’ve to confess I used to be nervous as a result of lots of people had mentioned it wasn’t that thrilling however we LOVED visiting the leaning tower city. Our 2-hour guided tour gave us simply sufficient time to study concerning the metropolis’s wealthy historical past whereas nonetheless snagging that traditional Leaning Tower photograph [yes, we fully leaned into the cheesy pose… pun intended]. We bought tickets to stroll to the highest of the tower and all of us did it collectively = positively an journey, however the views from the highest had been completely beautiful and we’d positively advocate doing it!
Afterward, we continued on to the charming city of Lucca for a gradual afternoon exploring this lesser-known gem. From the beautiful S. Martino Cathedral and San Michele to the quirky, oval-shaped Piazza Anfiteatro, Lucca completely gained us over with its relaxed tempo and distinctive format. We grabbed lunch at L’Angolo Tondo Trattoria, a easy native spot serving up recent, flavorful bites + then we headed again to Florence and capped off the day at Ristorante Il Granaio with one other dinner that hit excellent after a full day of exploring. P.S. I’ve to provide it as much as Jeff for all of his restaurant suggestions… he labored for MONTHS on discovering the correct hidden gems and each single vacation spot was a winner!
Day 6 gave us an entire new have a look at Tuscany with a day spent exploring Lari: a medieval village tucked away within the hills—a slower tempo, fewer crowds, and SO a lot candy attraction. We toured the well-known native pasta manufacturing unit, Martelli, watched recent pasta being made by hand, and loved a home made lunch proper there at an area close by restaurant, full with wine, recent bread and the dreamiest sauces. And bought a behind-the-scenes have a look at the Busti Cheese Grotto!
The afternoon included a go to to a close-by fortress and a cease at an area butcher store, the place we bought a peek into the area’s culinary traditions [and yes, came home with a few goodies to nibble on, too]. On the way in which again to Florence, we paused at Piazzale Michelangelo to snap some household photographs and take within the unreal panoramic views of the town at golden hour—it’s a type of postcard moments that sticks with you and a must-stop for certain! We stored dinner informal that night time with a fast chunk close to the condo and toasted to a different unforgettable day in lovely Italia.
Final however not least in fact!!! We saved among the greatest for our closing day in Florence, kicking issues off with a guided tour of the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens—a shocking combo of artwork, structure and out of doors magnificence multi functional. Our information made the historical past come alive as we wandered by way of royal residences, admired the grand halls, and took within the sweeping views from the gardens. P.S. see if you will get VIP tour entry tickets for the bedrooms and personal areas in Pitti Palace= they had been GORG!
We grabbed an informal lunch on the town [always something delicious around every corner in a place like Firenze]), then made our method to Vivoli for dessert—as a result of no journey to Florence is full with out their well-known affogato. The afternoon was gradual and candy, with a stroll over to Santa Croce for one final glimpse of Florence’s wealthy historical past and naturally to see the tombs of Michelangelo + Galileo Galilei. We had deliberate to take a personal boat tour of the Arno River, however needed to cancel final minute attributable to rain and lightning so we headed to an area wine enoteca/bar/market referred to as Enoteca Alessi which was INCREDIBLE = so some ways to style a number of tapas and bites and discover among the greatest wines and liquors ever!!
We ended the night time on the proper notice with dinner at Ristorante Buca Mario—traditional Florentine dishes, unimaginable win, and a desk filled with completely satisfied hearts. Simply be sure you snag reservations MONTHS prematurely as they promote out utterly… this was arms down one among our favourite nights as a household and would extremely advocate shifting this one to the highest of your Florence record! Caroline and I had the lasagna and agreed it was THE greatest we had! The right method to say ciao for now to this unforgettable metropolis.
Don’;’t fret… we’ve the second half of our Italian summer time journey to recap oh so quickly so keep tuned!! Candy Sorrento plus all of the coastal cities you’re itching to know extra about BUT till then, I’ve saved our grasp itinerary with every day breakdowns beneath so you may obtain:
