What do you like most about Italy? The way Italians approach life in a carefree fashion, with charm and taste? Their keen sense of conviviality, hospitality, and friendship? The beautiful historical cities? The breathtaking views? The beautiful countryside?
Are you ready to leave and discover Italy on a journey from Naples to Venice?
Naples lies in a bay in the shadow of the sleepy Vesuvius by the beautiful islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida! It’s a land of ancient traditions, archaeological treasures, breathtaking views. The area is rich in history, churches, and monuments that UNESCO has declared Historical World Heritage.
Naples
There are many places to see. Above all, the picturesque Spaccanapoli with its craftsmen streets, where you can buy the shepherds of the Christmas Crib. Piazza Amedeo is the best place for fashion shopping while Via Caracciolo is the best for a walk with the locals. Enjoy the lively atmosphere and taste traditional food. You should absolutely try the real pizza Margherita (the one with “high dough”), the buffalo mozzarella, the Sfogliatelle, the Baba cake, and the Limoncello liqueur. Right above the center, in Vomero district, there is a beautiful guesthouse, Weekend a Napoli that is a pleasant place to spend a few nights in a Liberty Villa.
Near Naples, there are fascinating places such as the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, small villages perched on the sea, spreading from the citrus groves of Sorrento to the Amalfi Coast, stopping at Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, and Ravello.
Positano in Amalfi Coast
You can spend a few days around here staying in a former monastery in Ravello, now turned into the lovely Hotel Parsifal; in the luxury Hotel Villa Treville, in front of Positano; in the cozy family Hotel Margherita in Praiano or in the lovely Il Roseto in Sorrento, that is among the few B&Bs to offer a pleasant pool and free parking.
For those of you who want sea and islands, a full-day boat tour from Sorrento is the best way to discover the coast and Capri. You will reach the fashionable Piazzetta and authentic Anacapri. Try to enter the Blu grotto (always very busy) and then circumnavigate the island. Dramatic is the view passing through the Faraglioni cliffs where the depth of the sea reaches 3500 meters.
Capri
For those passionate about hiking, Mount Lattari and the natural park of Jeranto Bay offer a wide selection of panoramic paths. There are also cooking classes and food-lemon tours to enjoy!
From Naples, in a 2-hour drive, you could arrive in Rome but it will take much longer if you prefer driving along the coast to discover still untouristic picturesque villages like Gaeta, Sperlonga, San Felice Circeo, and Sabaudia. These are among the most popular summer holiday destinations for those living in Naples and Rome. Hotel Le Rocce in Gaeta is perched on the rocks and offers breathtaking views. The long golden beach of Sabaudia is stunning and the San Francesco boutique hotel provides unique rooms between Lake Paola and the sea. If you have time, it’s worth it.
Circeo – Sabaudia
Head then to Rome, the eternal city with immense charm, rich in history that blends ancient artistic styles, Baroque, Renaissance, Romanesque, modern, popular and bourgeois. In Rome, you breathe history at every corner and you feel like part of it!
The Spanish Steps in Rome
You will walk inside the Old Roman Forum and the Coliseum and imagine what happened thousands of years ago. You will meet people of all nationalities in St Peter’s Square! You will admire the “Giudizio Universale” by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel! If you feel you need a guide, Antonella is a great one and she is also available to buy tickets in advance.
You will go shopping in the streets around the Spanish Steps where all the best Italian and international brands have their shops! You will enjoy an aperitif in the crowded Campo dei Fiori square, together with the local youth at sunset, before entering one of the cozy pizzeria nearby! You will walk through the old popular village of Trastevere and taste the best “bucatini all’Amatriciana”, pasta-like you’ve never had it before. If you want to dive more into the local cuisine, cooking classes – food tours are always a memorable experience.
Trastevere in Rome
If you are looking for a cozy place to stay, I suggest heading downtown to the chic Hotel Manfredi Suites in Rome, near the Spanish Steps or to a charmful B&B, now so fashionable: Crossing Condotti, Relais Rione Ponte, Armony suites.
From Rome, in a 2-hour drive, you can reach the Umbria region and visit many picturesque villages like Orvieto, Todi, Spoleto, Assisi. Let’s stop and sleep in a historic residence near Perugia, the impressive Borgo Castello di Monticelli.
Castello di Monticelli in Umbria
Then you can go to Tuscany and you will soon feel like you are in a typical Italian movie, driving among the rolling hills and green valleys, enjoying endless vineyards: 500 square kilometers of land where Brunello, the Rosso di Montalcino, and Chianti wines are produced. You find yourself visiting a constellation of ancient villages, fascinating for their maze of tight streets, and where the tradition of the past is still alive. Places where the original medieval atmosphere is still untouched (Cortona, Montepulciano, Pienza, Bagno Vignoni, Siena, San Gimignano).
There are many charming places to stay in: the luxury La Corte dei Papi, near Cortona; Il Tosco Guesthouse or Sanguineto in Montepulciano; La Bandita Townhouse in Pienza; Relais La Costa, in the Chianti hills near Siena; the Hotel Antico Pozzo in the heart of San Gimignano. Choose the hilltop Relais Vedetta, in Maremma if you are fancy glamping.
Once in Florence, one of the most famous cities for its artistic and cultural value and also the capital of Italy before the full reunification, you will visit beautiful monuments (the Cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry Uffizi Gallery). You will take a romantic walk on Ponte Vecchio and stop at the jewelry, handbags, and leather shoe shops.
Florence
In Florence, stay at Hotel degli Orafi, hosted in a former convent where the Academy Award-winning film A Room with a View was shot.
From Tuscany, move to the Ligurian coast, the narrow strip of land in the North West of Italy, between the sea and the mountains. You will visit the Cinque Terre National Park (UNESCO World Heritage), full of small peninsulas, bays, and trails connecting the villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Walk along the old paths for 12 kilometers, halfway between the countryside and the sea, you will find hills, cliffs, olive groves, vineyards, creeks, and villages with spectacular views.
Cinque Terre in Liguria
Struck by the sunset, the Way of Love (Rio Maggiore-Manarola), excavated in the rock in the twenties, seems suspended along the clifftop overlooking the sea and has been called the most beautiful walk in the world! To get there, you need to take the train. Excellent starting points and beautiful villages where to stay are Levanto (Park Hotel Argento or Hotel Carla) and Moneglia (Hotel Abbadia San Giorgio). Visit Portofino, one of the most exclusive tourist destinations with its famous Piazzetta, the Ligurian multicolored houses that are reflected in the blue waters of the bay and the marina, with luxurious yachts.
Portofino in Liguria
From Liguria, make a stop in Piedmont, a land of castles, medieval villages and Barolo-Barbaresco red wines. Rest a few days in an aristocratic villa (Hotel La Villa) or in a cozy B&B surrounded by vineyards (All’Ombra del Pero).
Hotel La Villa in Piedmont
Savor the rhythm of the agricultural life, helping during the harvest of grapes or nuts (we are in the homeland of Nutella). In autumn, everything turns red and yellow with exceptional landscapes. In Alba, there is the truffle festival and it’s definitely an experience tasting the truffle menu of the local starred restaurants. Then, you can visit Turin, which retains much of its aristocratic appearance in the buildings, the atmosphere and the 18 km of monumental porches. This is the city with the highest number of historic cafes in Italy, those with gilded mirrors, antique furniture, and frescoed walls!
Your journey continues towards Milan, the business, design, and fashion capital. In the center, climb up to the roof of the Cathedral (Duomo), visit the Castle, Sant’Ambrogio Basilica and The Last supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
The roof of Duomo in Milan
Reach the famous “fashion district” between Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, and Via Sant’Andrea. Here you will find all the major names of fashion and designs worth browsing for shopping. Milan also hosts an important exhibition center and the city life revolves around the many events that happen like “Salone internazionale del mobile” (furniture), “Settimana della moda” (fashion), “BIT” (tourism), “Macef” (everything for the house), only to name a few! In Milan, stay downtown at the design Hotel Palazzo Segreti.
Less than an hour from Milan, reach Lake Como, a charming destination with an unending chain of medieval villages perched along the lakesides, beautiful aristocratic old villas with luxurious parks and snowy mountains in the background! In the Lake Como countryside, stay at the family hotel La Torre, cozier than the luxury (expensive!) hotels on the shore.
Now move towards Venice, making a stop in Verona, the typical Italian town with its cobblestone main square, full of tables with cafes and restaurants, crowded with people reading the newspaper, taking a coffee, eating ice cream, and teenagers arriving on their scooters, exchanging glances and meeting at “the usual place”. At certain times, everyone seems to flow back into the street and it is like a silent appointment! Here, you will visit Juliet’s balcony, where Romeo and Juliet fell in love in Shakespeare’s tragedy, and where the famous movie “Letters to Juliet” was shot. This has become one of the most romantic places and lovers from around the world come here to declare their eternal love and utter the fateful “yes, I do.” During the summer, it is a must to attend a concert in the Arena, which has amazing acoustics.
Finally, arrive in Venice where you can leave the car. Here life takes place entirely on the water and there is huge traffic of boats (boats for everything: firemen, police, ambulance). On the ferry to Piazza San Marco, every minute you hear the chorus of sighs of surprise and excitement, as you pass through the various districts of Venice (sestiere) and admire monuments and historic buildings of many colors!
Venice
Pass under the Rialto Bridge, the symbol of Venice; meet typical gondoliers in their traditional costumes, slipping into tiny streets of water, passing under bridges narrow and low that you can touch; reach Piazza San Marco, the “living room of Venice”, one of the most beautiful squares in the world, teeming with people, live colors, sparkling, surrounded by a maze of streets and bridges, with lots of small craft shops of Carnival masks, blown glass, paperwork, and nice restaurants.
You will be fascinated by the majesty of the Basilica and you will understand the greatness of Venice reflected in the richness of its churches, embellished over the centuries with precious objects of art brought from the most remote places. Visit the 3 main islands in the Venetian Lagoon: Murano, popular for its glass laboratories; Burano, known for its fishermen houses, painted in bright colors so they could be seen from the boats when the fog blanketed the lagoon; tiny Torcello that preserves beautiful Byzantine mosaics in the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta. Stay at La Villeggiatura, an elegant guesthouse near Rialto bridge.
Burano Island in the Venetian Lagoon
Our virtual journey is now over, if you are excited and want to go, please visit www.boutiquehotelitaly.com. It’s a hand-picked collection of small, boutique, luxury hotels and B&B in Italy, where you can feel at home. I considered over 1000 hotels, visited almost 200, and selected less than a half. They are generally cozy nests with 10 rooms on average, directly managed by the owner. Some have been chosen for their remarkable location or as a historical building, some for their exceptional garden or food. I never compromise on hospitality and cleaning, they are a must! Of one thing you can be sure: all the places found in my collection, I really like them and I would go myself!
I wish you a wonderful and unforgettable journey to Italy!
If you want further tips, need help, or want to share your experience in Italy, please email me at barbara@boutiquehotelitaly.com, book your travel designer and ask for your free guide of Amalfi Coast, Rome, and Tuscany.
Did you ♥ this article? Please share it!