Six Italian Cities in Eight days

 

 

 

At least once in your lifetime, you must make a trip through Italy! This stunning European country is full of past memories and present wonders. Go for the food, go for the history, go for the art, or just go for the overwhelming experience.

Naples

Naples is a city of art. Although it’s only the third-largest city in Italy, it is perhaps the one that is most worth visiting. Beneath the thin smear of urban grime, this city is beautiful— full of good smells, good food and even better sights.

After checking into our hotel at Eurostars Hotel Excelsior, the first place we visited in Naples was Castel Nuovo. This is a medieval castle in Piazza Municipio!

For lunch, we stopped at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele for our first real Italian pizza. Yum!

That night, we had dinner at Gino Sorbillo on Via Partenope, which is very popular and came highly recommended. We finished with gelato at Chalet Giallo .

The next morning, we took the ferry to Capri and enjoyed the day on the island. While we were there, we took the Capri Blue Grotto tour and rode the cable car going up Mount Solaro. Here, we found great places for walking, restaurants, and shopping.

Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is the quintessential Mediterranean coastal region. A drive along the edge of sea will bring you through breathtaking views of the past and present.

There is so much to see on the Amalfi Coast! We took an Amalfi Coast & Pompeii Tour, which covered Sorrento, Salerno, Tramonti, Ravello, Maiori, Positano, and Amalfi. We just drove through most of the towns in the Amalfi Coast to take in the sights. We did make a stop at Amalfi, where we visited Amalfi Cathedral, the city center, and the market.

Pompeii

The ancient world’s most famous natural disaster preserved a snapshot of history. When Mount Vesuvius exploded over Pompeii, it froze time in place. Even thousands of years later, visitors can walk through the city to see how life once was.

Pompeii was the last stop on our tour. We were able to walk through the town and learn about ancient housing, lifestyles, and culture. This was the highlight of the entire day! Although it was part of a tour, it deserves special attention for being a special place.

Even the name of Venice sounds musical. Walk through the city’s streets, and you’ll find romance at every step—the gondolas floating on the water, the historic buildings lining the streets, the scent of fresh seafood.

We flew into Venice and checked into the beautiful Palazzo del Giglio hotel in Venice after a long day of travel to Venice.

Next morning, we headed off to see Piazza San Marco and Saint Mark’s Basilica. We also took a tour of Doge’s Palace.

Right after, we went to Rialto Bridge. This is a busting section of Venice that is full of life and culture. There is plenty of shopping and dining, but it’s also good for people watching.

There are so many food options in Venice! After much deliberation, we decided to get lunch and dinner at trattoria Ali D’Oro.

The highlight of the Venice trip was a father and son birthday celebration. My son, who was turning six, wanted to take a boat ride, so we took a trip down the canals in a gondola.

Pro Tip(s):

• Vaporetto, which is public transportation on the water, is a great way to commute in Venice! It goes through the canals, which you have to float through at least once when visiting Venice.
• Best advice I received about traveling to Venice from an Italian friend "Just Get Lost" and I concur.

One the capitol of a thriving empire, Rome still reigns as queen of Europe’s capital cities. Filled with the most famous ancient ruins, delicious food, and endless diversions, Rome is not to be missed.

Once we arrived in Rome, we checked into the Independent Hotel before exploring. There is a lot to see here! We took three tours in Rome to make sure we could see it all.

Walking Night Tour:

This walking tour was a great way to start our visit to Rome. We visited Campo di Fiori Square, which has a statue with an interesting history. Then we walked through Pamphili Palace, went to the Fountains of the Four River, and saw both Piazza Navona and Piazza di Spagna, where the Spanish Steps are located. We finished with Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. These are great places to see at night!

Morning Tour: Vatican City

This tour was geared toward children and included activity books, which made it interactive and fun. You can book it though Aviator or City Wonders. This tour took us through major Vatican attractions, like Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and Saint Peter’s Square. Technically, Vatican City is its own sovereign state, so we added another country to our list of places we’ve been.

Afternoon Tour: Colosseum & Imperial Fora

This was another awesome family tour. It took between two and three hours, and covered a lot of the most important Rome attractions. We toured through the Colosseum, the Imperial Fora, and a neighborhood called Trastevere.

We took a food break at Piazza Spagna and grabbed a gelato at Barcaccia near Spanish Steps. This is a wonderful place to hang out in the evening. Trevi Fountain is also great for evening visits!

On our last day in Rome, we went to Villa Borghese Gardens, which is Rome’s version of Central Park. It has great views, bike rentals, museums, and cafes.

Within walking distance of the gardens is Bioparco de Roma, the city zoo. It’s easy to visit both this and nearby Pincio Hill Gardens in the same afternoon.

Naples:

We stayed in the Eurostars Hotel Excelsior for three nights, from August 27 to August 30. This hotel is great for families and served as a good base for our trips to Capri, Amalfi Coast and Pompeii

Venice:

In Venice, we stayed at Palazzo del Giglio for 2 nights. We were here from August 30 to September 1st. This is a beautiful hotel centrally located within walking distance of all major attractions.

Rome:

We spent three nights at The Independent Hotel, from September 1st to September 4th. This place is awesome for its location. It is centrally located near Roma Termini and allowed us to travel everywhere with public transportation.

Pro Tip(s):

1. A walking night tour is a great way to start a Rome trip! 
2. Family tours are a good choice with children. This is also a great way to skip the lines.
3. The train system is easy in Rome! You can purchase tickets that include multiple rides.

Naples:

• pizzerias is L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele (First Ever Pizza Restaurant) 
• Dinner at Gino Sorbillo at via Partenope (Very popular and came highly recommended)
• Gelato at chalet giallo
• Cafe La NUIT Napoli - serves cafe Taroldo

Venice:

• trattoria “ALI D’ORO” pizzeria

Rome:

• La Casina - Dell Orologio near Pincio Villa Borghese
• La Scala Restaurant in Trastevere
• Barcaccia Bar Ristorante near Spanish Steps is a great place to grab Gelato and hang out.
• Caffè e Pasticceria U. Giuliani was our goto breakfast and snack place near Roma Termini

Here's a list of favorite restaurants from one of our guides.