7 Days in Italy: Rome, Florence & Venice — The Perfect Itinerary (2026)

7 days, day by day. Open any day for the morning-to-evening plan, where to eat, and where you sleep that night.

1. Day 1 Fri 31 Jul Arrive Rome Base day

   Arrival and the Centro Storico

   Morning. Land at Fiumicino and take the Leonardo Express into Termini, about half an hour; drop bags and buy nothing that involves a queue today.

   Afternoon. Walk the Centro Storico loop — the Pantheon first, because the oculus and the coffered dome are best before the light goes, then Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain.

   Evening. Aperitivo in Campo de' Fiori, then dinner in Trastevere across the river.

   Eat. Cacio e pepe — pecorino, black pepper and pasta water, nothing else — in a Trastevere trattoria.

   Where to stay. Monti or the streets around Campo de' Fiori — both are walkable to almost everything on Days 1–3 and have actual restaurants rather than tourist menus.

   Optional / swaps. The Spanish Steps and the Villa Borghese gardens if the group still has legs; the gardens are the best place in central Rome to let children run.

   Practical. The Pantheon now charges admission on most days and it is worth pre-booking a slot. Rome's cobbles are brutal on wheeled luggage — the walk from a taxi drop to the door can be the hardest part of the day.

   🛏 Rome · 3 nights · 2 guests

2. Day 2 Sat 1 Aug Rome Base day

   Ancient Rome

   Morning. The Colosseum on the first slot of the day, entering through the Stern gate; the standard ticket also covers the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, so use it in that order.

   Afternoon. Down into the Forum and up onto the Palatine, where the Farnese Gardens give you the view back over the whole site and some shade.

   Evening. Dinner in Monti, the neighbourhood immediately north of the Forum, which is where Romans actually eat near the ruins.

   Eat. Saltimbocca alla romana, or carciofi alla giudia — deep-fried whole artichokes — if they are in season.

   Where to stay. Rome (as Day 1).

   Optional / swaps. The Capitoline Museums sit above the Forum and hold the she-wolf and the Marcus Aurelius bronze; a good rainy-day substitution.

   Practical. The standard Colosseum ticket is €18 for adults, €2 reduced for EU citizens aged 18–24, and free for under-18s — but a free child ticket still has to be reserved. Tickets are released on the official site 30 days before the visit date and the good morning slots go within hours. There is almost no shade in the Forum; go early or go late.

3. Day 3 Sun 2 Aug Rome Base day

   The Vatican

   Morning. The Vatican Museums on a pre-booked early entry, walking the long corridors briskly so you reach the Sistine Chapel while it is still possible to look up without being jostled.

   Afternoon. Out into St Peter's Basilica — free to enter, with a separate charge and a long spiral climb for the dome, which is the best view in Rome if nobody is claustrophobic.

   Evening. Cross back over the Tiber and eat in Prati, which is calmer and cheaper than anywhere inside the Vatican's orbit.

   Eat. Roman-style pizza al taglio, sold by weight and cut with scissors, from a Prati bakery counter.

   Where to stay. Rome (as Day 1).

   Optional / swaps. Castel Sant'Angelo, on the walk back, has a spiral ramp built for an emperor's tomb and a terrace nobody queues for.

   Practical. Shoulders and knees must be covered in both the Museums and the Basilica — this is enforced at the door and a scarf in the bag has saved many afternoons. Book directly with the Vatican Museums rather than a reseller.

4. Day 4 Mon 3 Aug Rome → Florence ~304 km Train

   Rome → Florence

   Morning. Frecciarossa from Termini, about an hour and a half, arriving at Santa Maria Novella ten minutes' walk from the cathedral.

   Afternoon. The Duomo complex — the cathedral itself is free but the dome climb, the baptistery and the campanile are on a combined ticket, and the dome must be booked to a time slot.

   Evening. Cross the Ponte Vecchio at dusk and eat in the Oltrarno, the artisan quarter on the south bank.

   Eat. Bistecca alla fiorentina, ordered for the table and served rare — it is sold by weight and a single steak comfortably feeds three.

   Where to stay. Inside the historic centre between the Duomo and the Arno; Florence is small enough that anywhere else is a compromise you will feel twice a day.

   Optional / swaps. The Mercato Centrale's upper food hall is a good, low-stress dinner with a group that cannot agree.

   Practical. Brunelleschi's dome is 463 steps with no lift, narrow passages and no way back down once you commit; there is a minimum age and it is genuinely unsuitable for anyone claustrophobic. Book the dome slot well ahead — it is the first thing to sell out.

   🛏 Florence · 2 nights · 2 guests

5. Day 5 Tue 4 Aug Florence Base day

   Uffizi, the David and the view

   Morning. The Uffizi at opening — Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera are in the same room and it is worth going straight there before working back.

   Afternoon. The Accademia for Michelangelo's David, which is smaller-roomed and quicker than people expect; then the leather and paper workshops of the Oltrarno.

   Evening. Walk or take the bus up to Piazzale Michelangelo for the sunset over the Arno and the whole city laid out under the dome.

   Eat. A lampredotto roll from a street cart — Florence's tripe sandwich, and the local lunch rather than a dare.

   Where to stay. Florence (as Day 4).

   Optional / swaps. The Boboli Gardens behind the Pitti Palace if you would rather have space and shade than another gallery.

   Practical. Both the Uffizi and the Accademia are timed-entry and both sell out in season; book direct. State museums are free on the first Sunday of the month, which sounds like a saving and is in practice the worst possible day to go.

6. Day 6 Wed 5 Aug Florence → Venice ~269 km Train

   Florence → Venice

   Morning. Frecciarossa across the Veneto, a little over two hours, arriving at Santa Lucia where the station steps come out directly onto the Grand Canal.

   Afternoon. The vaporetto down the Grand Canal to San Marco — the number 1 line, slow and stopping everywhere, is the best value boat trip in Europe — then St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace.

   Evening. Get lost deliberately once the day-trippers have gone; the city after eight is a different and much better place.

   Eat. Cicchetti — small plates at a bàcaro counter, eaten standing with a glass of wine — then fritto misto.

   Where to stay. Cannaregio or Dorsoduro rather than San Marco — quieter, cheaper, and still fifteen minutes' walk from the basilica.

   Optional / swaps. The Rialto market in the morning if you would rather see Venice work than Venice perform.

   Practical. Venice's day-tripper access fee applies on 60 peak days between 3 April and 26 July 2026, Fridays to Sundays, between 08:30 and 16:00 — €5 if booked at least four days ahead, €10 if booked later. **Overnight guests staying in the municipality are exempt**, which this itinerary is, but you may still need to register for an exemption code. Book the Doge's Palace and the basilica to time slots.

   🛏 Venice · 1 night · 2 guests

7. Day 7 Thu 6 Aug Venice Base day

   Last morning and home

   Morning. A last walk with a coffee, ideally out to the Zattere on the Giudecca canal where the light comes off the water and almost nobody goes.

   Afternoon. The Alilaguna boat from San Marco or the bus from Piazzale Roma to Marco Polo — the boat takes about an hour and is the better experience, the bus takes twenty minutes and is the safer choice for a tight flight.

   Evening. Home.

   Eat. A last tramezzino and an espresso standing at a bar counter.

   Where to stay. —

   Optional / swaps. Left luggage at Santa Lucia if the flight is late and you want the morning free.

   Practical. Give Venice departures more margin than feels sensible — you cannot hurry a vaporetto, and moving luggage over stepped bridges is slow.

Every overnight base on the route. Check-in and check-out follow your travel dates above — open a stay for a live map of places to book.

1. 1 Rome Italy · book a stay 31 Jul → 3 Aug 3 nights · 2 guests ⌄
2. 2 Florence Italy · book a stay 3 Aug → 5 Aug 2 nights · 2 guests ⌄
3. 3 Venice Italy · book a stay 5 Aug → 6 Aug 1 night · 2 guests ⌄

How far and how long between each base, leg by leg, with the mode of travel — so you can see where the big driving days fall. Modes: 🚗 Drive · ✈ Fly · ⛴ Boat/Ferry · 🚆 Train · 🚌 Bus.