Italy Travel Guide

Well, here we are, two months later, and I’ve finally mustered up the guts to write this post. Back in April we went to Italy for two weeks, I shared a bunch of photos and video on Facebook the day after we got home, and have been scared to dive back in again since I knew it would make me miss it so much. And boy was I right! Pairing down my 700-some photos to a post’s worth and re-watching our video has got me feeling ALL THE FEELS.

Italy is hands-down my favorite place I’ve ever visited. Not only was there amazing architecture, history, and sites, but the scenery was the most beautiful I’ve seen. And the food… oh, don’t even get me started on the food. Especially since I’m currently half-way through the Whole30. 🙂

Monte di Procida & Amalfi Coast

We flew into Rome and started out by heading down to the Naples area where we have friends that live right on the coast in Monte di Procida. We spent our time with them exploring the surrounding Islands, the Amalfi Coast, Mt. Vesuvius, and their mountain town. They were incredible hosts, and it was so helpful to start our trip with people who know the culture.

Favorites from Monte di Procida & Amalfi Coast

• Procida—an island close to Monte di Procida
• Ravello and Positano—two picturesque towns on the Amalfi Coast

Rome

We then headed back to Rome where we spent a couple days touring the Vatican, seeing the Colosseum, and basking in all the other historical sites. Rome was busy, especially the Vatican, as it was Easter week. We felt a little like cattle being herded through the Vatican, but it was still pretty incredible to learn the history and see all the beautiful art and architecture.

Favorites from Rome

• Vatican Museum Dark Rome Tour
• The view from the top of St. Peter’s Basilica
• Della Palma Gelato shop—hundreds of flavors!
• Borghese Gardens—rent a covered bicycle cart!

Venice

After Rome we headed up to Venice for a quick one-night stay. We spent our 24 hours getting lost in the tight alleys, eating lots of gelato, touring the city by water bus and a walking tour, and dining at the oldest restaurant in Italy.

Favorites from Venice

• Rick Steve’s Grand Canal Cruise Tour
• Venice Free Walking Tour
• Al Squero Restaurant—adorable and delicious little sandwiches

Florence & Tuscany

From Venice, we headed to Florence. Florence housed Brian’s favorite site of the trip, the Basilica and Duomo (pictured below). It really was an incredible building, with so much detail and pretty colors. During our stay in Florence we did some street shopping, ate at the market, saw David, took a day-trip out to Tuscany for a wine tour, ate the BEST steak and tortellini, and walked past the Duomo many, many times.

Favorites from Florence & Tuscany

• The Duomo and Basilica
• I’Raddi Restaurant—divine cheese, pear, and honey board
• Wines and Villas Tour through Grape Tours
• Piazza Michelangelo—great view of the entire city
• Mercato Centrale
• Rick Steve’s Renaissance Walk Tour
• 4 Leoni Restaurant—Florentine steak and pear ravioli! We died!

Cinque Terre

Our last stop was Cinque Terre. These five villages built right on the coast were the perfect place to spend our last few days in Italy. We stayed in Manarola, but hiked and took the train to the other four villages to explore what they had to offer. This was our most relaxing location… we took a nap, shopped around, watched the sun set, and of course, ate more gelato.

Favorites from Cinque Terre

• Nessun Dorma—amazing cheese and meat boards!
• Trattoria dal Billy—the lobster dinner was incredible
• Castello Doria in Vernazza

If you ever have a chance to go to Italy, here’s my word for you—GO! This trip was magical for many reasons, but I do have to say, the best part was spending 15 days straight with the love of my life. Sappy?? YES! But true?? Absolutely!

Here’s a video of our trip… we used the 1 Second Everyday app, which was the perfect tool to capture our adventures! Enjoy!

 

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