Booking a trip to Northern Italy fills me with excitement as I imagine exploring the beautiful cities of Venice, Florence, and Milan! We joyfully traveled to Venice using Delta/KLM/Air France miles, which not only made our journey possible but also kept my Air France account active for future adventures. We will go through our daily adventures here. What tours, what restaurants, how do you get around Venice? We will answer those questions below!
Hotels: Expedia Link Venice, Florence and Milan
Viator Shop Venice: Viator Shop Link
Day #1 Arrival Day
We arrived in Venice at 11:20 am and hired aprivate car/boat via Viator to our hotel, then took a taxi boat right into the heart of the city. We checked into the Residence Ca’Foscolo, which was awesome because we had a 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment that gave us plenty of room to spread out. Small breakfast options were offered along with Nespresso coffee. After dropping our bags, we were off for our first tour to stay awake and grab some dinner. We decided to go with Venice Food Tours on Viator. We got to try a bunch of tasty small plates, known as cicchetti in Italy, along with a few glasses of wine and of course, some gelato.
Viator Tour: Venice Street Food Tour with Local Guide
Day #2
I decided to do a day tour outside of Venice because I wanted to see Verona, a city steeped in history and romance, but I was also lucky enough to visit the picturesque towns of Borghetto and Sirmione along the way.
Before our day trip outside of Venice we needed to meet the driver by Piazzale Roma. We needed to take the vaporetto (boat transfer) to the area of Piazzale Roma. We took the Rialto Bridge vaporetto (Route 2) to our pick up location and it was really easy. We even used the vaporetto to transfer to the train station with luggage and it was a piece of cake, I would use it again over a private taxi. Google maps will help you get around Venice if you have wifi/data in Italy. I purchased a Wifi hotspot from Amazon and got 30 GB for our trip and it worked great even with 4 phones connected. Tip: Turn it off when you get free wifi to save your data. (hotels, restaurants, etc.)
Verona was like a small Rome, featuring its own colosseum, an impressive bell tower, and, of course, Juliet’s Balcony, a popular attraction from Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, Romeo & Juliet. If you are interested in experiencing Juliet’s balcony, it’s advisable to book your entrance time before your arrival to guarantee smooth access to this iconic site. The charm of Borghetto captivated me with its beautiful riverside setting, where colorful buildings lined the water and the aroma of freshly made tortellini pasta filled the air, making it a true delight for food lovers. Sirmione, on the other hand, was a stunning lake city nestled next to Lake Garda, where I marveled at the breathtaking views of the water and explored the impressive Scaligero castle, a well-preserved fortress that transported me back in time. Each location offered a unique glimpse into the rich culture and beauty of Italy, making my day tour an unforgettable experience. Viator Tour: Private Day Trip to Sirmione from Venice
For dinner we ate at La Piazza in Venice, the food was delicious and cooked perfectly. Was a very popular spot so get your reservations in.
Day #3
Early this morning we walked to St. Mark’s Square, a nice 15 minute walk from our hotel. Small passageways and bridges kept our love of Venice flowing. On arrival to St. Mark’s Square, the Basilica, Bell Tower aka Campanile in Italian, and Doge’s Palace were so imposing that I was glad we had a group tour scheduled Our visit included a group tour of the Doge’s Palace with detailed explanations and a 15 minute visit to the Basilica, after that we received our tickets to go on our own the the Bell Tower immediately following the tour. We loved the Bell Tower visit and the views from the top were fantastic. After all that touring, we were hungry so we headed to lunch at the Rialto Bridge to sit beside the Grand Canal while we dined.
After lunch we headed back to the apartment for a few hours and then headed out again for our Ghost Tour of Venice. We had a great time talking about Marco Polo, Venetian history and ghost stories while walking through the city with a local Venetian. The tour also included a night time 30 minute Gondola ride to finish our long day. Worth it to end on a high note before we headed out to Florence.
Viator AM tour: Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica Fast Track Tour in Venice (Option: Bell Tower Entrance)
Viator PM tour: Private After Dark Tour and Gondola Ride
Lunch: Ristorante Caffe Saraceno
Dinner: Farini Pizza and Suso Gelato (Rialto Bridge Area)
Venice was the perfect Italian city, from the food, the people and maze-like passageways, we loved every minute. We will be back Venice, but now onto Florence!!! Day #4-Now to head to the train station : Venezia Santa Lucia, the only train station inside of Venice.
