La Dolce Vita: A Tour of Italy in 13 Days

Our first full day in Italy felt like stepping straight into a postcard. We took a scenic drive to the village of Tremezzo, then cruised around Isola Comacina before stopping in beautiful Bellagio. Lunch at Mr. Panino—tucked up a little staircase alley—was exactly what you picture. I highly recommend the Parma & Bologna panini. We wandered, shopped, enjoyed a wine tasting at Enoteca La Principessa, and soaked in those unbelievable views of Lake Como and the Swiss Alps. And while in Lecco, a must‑try is Pizzoccheri from Valtellina—buckwheat pasta with potatoes that you can only find in this region, and it was absolutely delicious.

Day 3 took us from Lecco to Venice with a perfect pit stop in Verona. We wandered the charming streets, visited Piazza delle Erbe, saw the Romeo & Juliet balcony, and stood in awe of the 2,000‑year‑old Verona Arena. After shopping, strolling, and grabbing gelato at Savoia dal 1939, it became one of those unexpected highlights of the trip. We continued on to Venice, staying on Lido at Hotel New Reiter, and ended the night with dinner at Al Cavalier Ristorante.

Venice felt almost impossible to describe, even while seeing it with our own eyes. We toured the Doge’s Palace, crossed the Bridge of Sighs, explored St. Mark’s Square, and even watched a glass‑blowing demonstration. A gondola ride—something I originally thought we didn’t need—ended up giving us a completely different, surprisingly peaceful perspective of Venice from the water. We spent the rest of the day walking, shopping, eating, and treating ourselves to chocolate and wine, easily racking up more than 20,000 steps as we soaked in every moment.

Our days in Florence were overflowing with beauty, history, and some of our favorite moments of the entire trip. Our walking tour took us through incredible UNESCO sites like the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo, and the Basilica of Santa Croce, each one more breathtaking than the last. We shopped, visited the leather store Leonardo, and had an unforgettable cooking class at Osteria Il Cantinone with Alessandro. Between affogatos at Vivoli, the wine window, lunch at Francesco, Negronis at Giocosa 1815, and dinner at Osteria dei Leoni Firenze, there truly aren’t enough adjectives to describe everything we saw, tasted, and loved about Florence.

Assisi completely surprised me, because it was a place I knew almost nothing about—and it ended up being one of the most beautiful stops of the trip. Perched high on a hilltop overlooking the valley and known as the birthplace of St. Francis, the city feels truly magical. We visited the UNESCO‑listed Basilica of San Francesco d’ Assisi, shopped, enjoyed a private wine and olive oil tasting, and explored the fortress Rocca Maggiore, towering above the town. It was an unexpected favorite, and our charming hotel, Hotel Terrazza, with its spectacular views, is one I would recommend in a heartbeat.

The last leg of our journey was packed with unforgettable experiences, starting with a full day exploring the ancient ruins of Pompeii before an overnight stay in Sorrento filled with relaxation and shopping. From there, we headed to Rome, where one and a half days proved nowhere near enough for everything the city holds. We walked the path of Palatine Hill, toured the Roman Forum, passed through the Arch of Titus, and ended inside the Colosseum before joining a fabulous night tour that took us to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s Square, the Campidoglio, and the Trevi Fountain—seeing the Colosseum lit up at night was absolutely spectacular. On our final day, we went inside the Pantheon and tried to soak in as much of Rome as possible before saying goodbye.