Things To Do
Florence
1. Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square): definitely go inside to see all the magnificent structures. 2. Ponte Vecchio Bridge: the oldest bridge in Florence. Great place to go for jewelry shopping or to admire the sunset! 3. Piazza della Repubblica: one of the main squares in Florence that has a carousel in its center. 4. Michelangelo's Statue of David in the Accademia Gallery of Florence: book your tickets at https://www.accademia.org/buy-tickets/
Metropolitan City of Rome Capital
1. The Colosseum: One of the wonders of the world, and for good reason. This CANNOT be missed if you are in Rome. Absolutely beautiful both during the day and at night. 2. The Ruins of the Roman Forum: Recommend a tour to understand what structures you are looking at. 3. The Spanish Steps: Luxury shopping and some great restaurants right across/on the same street. 4. The Trevie Fountain: Don't forget to toss a coin in the fountain for good luck :) 5. The Vatican Museum: Definitely worth the time if you have it. Make sure to book tour ahead of time especially because our wedding is so close to Easter Sunday next year.
Montepulciano
This small medieval town, perched high on a hilltop, is full of impressive Renaissance architecture, family-owned shops and restaurants, and some of Italy’s best red wines. 1. Piazza Grande 2. Stroll down Il Corso, which is home to a variety of cafes, bars, restaurants, and shops. 3. Contucci winery: over 1000 years old 4. Cantina De'Ricci: one of the most popular wineries in the region 5. Ercolani winery: delicious wines with a great selection of food as well 6. Poliziano: one of the larger wineries and offers tours that include the vineyard, cellar, archives, and wine tasting 7. Trattoria Latte di Luna: the suckling pig and lasagna were delicious 8. Osteria Acquacheta: one of the top-rated restaurants in town, can get a great Tuscan steak
Cooking Class and Wine Tasting in Chianti with Giorgia
Nick and I did this exact cooking class on our first time to Tuscany and absolutely loved it! Highly recommend :)
Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre is made up of five villages, with Monterosso being the largest. You can hike between all 5 villages along the Blue Trail or use the Cinque Terre train to hop between them. Recommend starting in Monterosso al Mare. In Corniglia, there’s a swimming hole that you can lay out at 10 min walk from the center. After Corniglia, you can catch the train to Riomaggiore and go to the colorful waterfront and also explore the old town with busy shopping streets. Make sure to walk the Via dell’Amore coastal trail - only a very small section is open to the public but it’s really beautiful. Local recommended drinking at the local bar A Pie’ di Ma’ in Riomaggiore. Then take the train to Manarola for sunset and dinner. **Do not miss Nessun Dorma for dinner with an amazing view for sunset.** They are open from 11:30AM-6PM and you can get reservations online/on their app.
Dolomites
Hikes: 1. Cadini di Missurina: iconic viewpoint, 2.4 mi out and back, 112m elevation gain, moderate 2. Col Raiser to Seceda: park at Col raiser gondola and take the gondola up/back, walk around up top to explore 3. Tre Cime di Lavaredo: best view over Drei Zinnen, 6.2 mi, 340m elevation gain, loop trail 4. Lago di Braies: one of the most popular lakes in Europe, 2.4 mi, 181m elevation gain, loop
Terme di Saturnia
Great thermal hot springs to stop at if they're along your route!
Positano
Arguably the prettiest town along the Amalfi coast. 1. Wander the streets and walk up the hills to get the best views of the colorful houses along the hill. 2. Can go to Spiaggia Grande beach or the lesser known and less crowded Fornillo beach. 3. Check out Il Pirata restaurant, which has a terrace built into rocks above the cove. 4. Ristorante La Sponda also has beautiful views with great Italian food. 5. Terrazza Cele restaurant is a little higher up with views made for a sunset. 6. Can also check out Alcione residence hotel for a great sunset view. 7. Music on the rocks is a dance club in a cave within the rocks. 8. Lastly, can check out some great wine tasting tours from Positano.
Capri
Can take ferry from Naples, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, or Salerno. Can go just for a day, but you can definitely find things to do if you stay longer. You can travel around the island with taxis, but we mostly walked everywhere. 1. Blue Grotto boat tour: book from Marina Grande when you get there (the port where the ferries arrive). 2. Check out the public beach near Marina Grande if you're short on time. It can get pretty busy depending on time of year. 3. Other beaches that were recommended: Marina Piccola (great view of Faragolioni Rocks offshore, beach is free but you can rent chairs from some of the beach clubs there for $), Torre Saracena (in a secluded cove, has a seafood restaurant), Da Gioia beach club and restaurant, La Canzone del Mare. 4. Check out some of their delicious restaurants: Ristorante Michel’angelo (caprese cuisine, need reservations), Buca di bacco (really good pizza and seafood dishes), or Bar Piccolo.
Amalfi
1. Check out the Duomo (Cathedral of Sant'Andrea) 2. Il Duoglio beach with it's crystal clear water 3. Ristorante la Tonarella which is a beachside restaurant located in a private cove reachable only by shuttle boat.