Italy in 2 Weeks

Arrive at Fiumicino Airport and take the Leonardo Express to Roma Termini (30 minutes, 14 euros). Drop bags and head to the Colosseum — book combo tickets online with the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (18 euros) and explore for 2-3 hours. Evening dinner in Trastevere: cacio e pepe at Da Enzo al 29 or supplì (fried rice balls) from a takeaway.

Book Vatican Museums early admission (20 euros, 7 AM entry) to reach the Sistine Chapel before the crowds — Michelangelo's ceiling is overwhelming in the quiet morning light. Walk across St. Peter's Square to the basilica (free), climb the dome (8 euros) for panoramic city views, then explore Castel Sant'Angelo ramparts at golden hour.

Reserve the Borghese Gallery (13 euros, mandatory 2-hour time slot) for Bernini's Rape of Persephone and Apollo and Daphne — the finest baroque sculpture on earth. Walk to Piazza Navona for gelato at Giolitti, then to the Campo de' Fiori market for lunch. Evening: explore the Jewish Ghetto and eat artichokes alla giudia at Ba'Ghetto.

Morning at the Pantheon (free, best visited when it opens at 9 AM — the oculus beam of light moves across the marble floor as the sun climbs). Toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain and explore the Spanish Steps neighborhood. Have a final Roman aperitivo — Campari Spritz with olives and bruschetta — at a bar in the Prati neighborhood near the Vatican.

Take the Frecciarossa high-speed train from Roma Termini to Florence Santa Maria Novella (90 minutes, from 19 euros booked in advance). Check into your accommodation and head to the Uffizi Gallery (20 euros — book at least a week ahead) to see Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Raphael's portraits, and Caravaggio's Medusa. Walk Ponte Vecchio at sunset.

Climb Brunelleschi's Duomo dome (18 euros, timed entry at 8 AM opening) for terracotta rooftop views. Visit the nearby Accademia Gallery (12 euros) to stand before Michelangelo's original David — 5 meters of white marble up close is genuinely awe-inspiring. Evening: cross the Arno for dinner at Buca Mario or Buca dell'Orafo — try the bistecca Fiorentina (T-bone, sold per 100g).

Hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo at 7 AM for the finest panorama over Florence's dome-studded skyline, then walk up further to the green-and-white marble San Miniato al Monte church (free). Spend the afternoon exploring the Oltrarno artisan quarter — leather workshops, bookbinders, and frame-gilders line Via Maggio and Via de' Serragli. Aperitivo at Enoteca Pitti Gola.

Take the train from Florence to La Spezia Centrale (2 hours, about 20 euros), then a local Trenitalia train to Vernazza (20 minutes). Check into a room with a sea view — book months ahead for peak season. Walk Vernazza's harbor promenade, swim off the rocks, and eat a plate of trofie al pesto (the local pasta shape) at Ristorante Belforte overlooking the sea.

Walk the Sentiero Azzurro (Cinque Terre Card, 7.50 euros/day for trains + trails) connecting Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. The Manarola to Riomaggiore stretch (Via dell'Amore, recently reopened) takes 30 minutes; Vernazza to Monterosso takes 2 hours of steep coastal trail. Watch the Manarola sunset from the rocks above the harbor.

Take the Intercity or Frecciarossa from La Spezia to Venice Santa Lucia (3.5-4 hours, from 25 euros). Leave your bags at your hotel near Cannaregio or Castello (avoid hotels directly on the Grand Canal — they're 3x the price). Take vaporetto line 1 down the entire Grand Canal to learn the city's layout, then browse Rialto fish market (closed Sunday) and eat cicchetti (bar snacks) and Prosecco at Cantina Do Mori.

Visit St. Mark's Basilica at 9 AM (free, or pay 5 euros to skip the queue) — the Byzantine gold mosaics covering every ceiling are overwhelming. Book the Doge's Palace Secret Itinerary tour (28 euros) to walk the Bridge of Sighs and the hidden prisons. Afternoon: take the vaporetto to Murano island for free glassblowing demonstrations at the furnaces.

Take a train from Venice Santa Lucia to Naples Centrale (4-5 hours with the Frecciarossa, from 30 euros), then a SITA bus or ferry from Naples to Positano (1.5-2 hours). Check into your accommodation in Positano — even budget rooms have terraces with sea views here. Walk the Church of Santa Maria Assunta with its majolica-tiled dome, swim at Spiaggia Grande, and eat pasta alle vongole overlooking the cliffside.

Take the local SITA bus to Agerola and walk the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) — a 7.5 km trail traversing the cliffs 600 meters above the sea with views of Capri and the Gulf of Salerno. Descend into Positano. Afternoon: take a 20-minute ferry to Amalfi town — visit the 9th-century Cathedral of Sant'Andrea and the cloistered Paradise Garden.

Take a morning bus up to Ravello — visit Villa Cimbrone's Terrace of Infinity for what Gore Vidal called 'the most beautiful view in the world.' Buy a bottle of artisan limoncello from a family producer on Via Nazionale. Head back to Naples by ferry or bus for your departure train or flight home — Naples Centrale connects to Rome in 70 minutes by high-speed rail.