Are you lucky enough to have one month to spend in Italy this summer? If so, we have you covered for some great places to visit that capture the beauty and diversity of this unique country! But I must warn you, we thought this trip in 2022 would tick Italy off our bucket list, leaving us to set our sights on other destinations. We were wrong. One month in this country just made us fall in love with it even more! So much so… we’ve already been back.
We used a combination of train travel and car hire throughout this period, mainly taking trains from region to region (as it’s quicker and faster) and hiring a car to explore the area once we arrived.
Day 1-4 – VENICE
🎭Wander the streets and get lost! This was one of our favourite family things to do. It’s like being in a maze and our kids loved leading the way and discovering interesting little shops and bridges along the way!
🎭Make a mask at a mask-making workshop. This is such a uniquely Venetian experience, you must try! It was absolute heaven for me; imagine sitting in an old studio, surrounded by masks while you paint with your family. Priceless memories and a souvenir to take home!
🎭Go on a Gondola ride or a water taxi. If you arrive by plane then you can catch a water taxi across to Venice from the airport. It’s a fun way to arrive in the iconic city. They work like buses, dropping you at certain stops along the way so just check which stop is closest to your accomodation. We had a lot of luggage and they were able to fit us no problem. The best place to find a gondola is in the quieter areas where there are no lines. All rides cost the same and are charged by timeframe so there’s no need to worry that you’re getting a bad deal.
🎭Do our Treasure Hunt through Venice. A great way to get your kids walking and exploring, focused on ticking off the items on their list (not on tired, sore feet!). Thank us later!
🎭Visit St. Mark’s Square. We stayed in a very quiet area of Venice away from the hustle and bustle. We wondered where all the tourists were and the answer was here! It’s worth a visit to see iconic structures like the Basilica and Palace, as well as browse the shops that line the piazza.
Day 5-10 – LAKE GARDA
⛰️Swim in Lake Garda. We did this in the northern part of the lake at Riva Del Garda. There’s a lovely grassed picnic area with epic views of the mountains surrounding the water. It’s a popular place to gather and there are a lot of cafes and restaurants nearby. A little warning that they only had squat toilets at the public bathrooms here (in case your child is like ours and just refuses to use them!)
⛰️Drive around or sail on Lake Garda. Either way, you will experience gorgeous views! I recommend sailing so you can look back and the beautiful buildings that line the shores. There are plenty of ferries operating between the towns.
⛰️Have a fun day out at Gardaland Themepark. Gardaland is one of a few themeparks on Lake Garda, but certainly the most popular… and for good reason. It has something for the whole family! There’s a great kids area with Peppa Pig Land and a Fantasy-themed land with an amazing tree as the centrepiece! It is truly magical! There’s the usual rides like carousels and thrill rides for the dare-devils. We spent hours here and that’s without visiting Legoland Waterpark and Sealife Aquarium, which are also on site.
⛰️Visit picturesque towns like Lazise or Sirmione. As there’s only one road around the lake, it’s important to note that these popular towns can be really crowded on weekends and holidays. We suggest getting there early.
Day 11-16 TUSCANY
🍕Visit Florence. Enjoy exploring the streets of Florence with its iconic buildings and sites.
🍕Hire a family bike and peddle around the walled town of Lucca. This was a memorable family activity that didn’t take long but covered a lot of ground! Within our one hour bike hire we had circled the whole town high up on the bike path, stopping for a drink at a cafe along the way. It was so much fun!
🍕Have a picnic lunch at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Of course, Pisa needs to be on your list for the iconic photo opportunities of the Leaning Tower, but our favourite part was picnicing on the grass behind the cathedral, eating our leftovers from our home-cooked pizza the night before.
🍕Drive through the sprawling rolling hills, visiting towns like Montepulciano, Siena and Volterra.
🍕Stay in an AirBNB that has a pizza oven and try making traditional pizza at home! This was another highlight of our month in Italy. We were lucky enough to have our incredible hosts brother (who was a chef) visit one night, fire up the pizza oven and help us make a range of pizzas. It was absolute heaven sitting in the setting summer sun as we sipped on our Italian wine and ate our freshly-made pizzas!
DAY 17- 20 ROME
🏛️Rome involves a lot of walking and it can be extremely hot during summer. Thankfully, our kids were fueled by gelato along the way!!! Another great city for searching for items as you explore using our Treasure Hunt through Rome.
🏛️Visit the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. All very iconic and different. We loved using the Mission Rome book to spot things in the fountain and inside the Pantheon. A great resource!
🏛️Find the beautiful old toy shop off Piazza Novona, Al Sogno. Piazza Novona comes to life at night with artists and musicians, but if you happen to visit during the day make sure you visit this gorgeous toy shop. We stumbled across it and it was such a treat. We didn’t realise until later that our kids were given a beautiful snow globe from their grandparents from this very toy shop years ago!
🏛️Eat lots of pizza, pasta and gelato. Well…when in Rome!
DAY 21- 26 PUGLIA
🍝Stay in a Trulli. This region is known for its iconic trulli houses so it’s a must to stay in one! You can choose from a town location like Alberobello or a more rural location like we did. We enjoyed swimming in the pool and meeting other families who were staying here.
🍝Visit beautiful towns like Alberobello, Matera and Ostuni. There are many picturesque towns in this region, exploring their tiny streets with white-washed walls made for a fun outing.
🍝Visit the beaches of Monopoli or Polignano a Mare. Although popular in summer, these are definitely worth a visit. Pebble beaches are so different for us Aussies and take a bit to get used to, but that’s part of the appeal! Polignano a Mare has an impressive cliff made for the dare-devil jumper in the family!
🍝Book a tour through the caves at Grotte di Castellana. We stayed close to these caves and boy, were they impressive! It was the first time our kids had experienced a cave system like this, the guided tour was popular but informative.
DAY 27-31 AMALFI OR SORRENTINE COAST
🏖️Wander through shops and down to the beach at Sorrento. The beach at Sorrento wasn’t as kid-friendly as Monopoli or Polignano a Mare, but we enjoyed browsing through the colourful shops.
🏖️Take a picturesque drive to Positano for lunch. Hanging on the cliff is this very interesting town with lots of charm! If you drive here, you will arrive at the top of the town and drive down a one-way winding, narrow street past many stores and eateries. There are plenty of carparks along the way, choose one halfway down so you don’t need to walk all the way back up upon return!
🏖️Visit smaller towns like Vico Equense. There are plenty of charming smaller towns along this coastline with delightful food and stunning views. We stayed here and enjoyed the quieter pace with one of the best bnb views we’ve ever had!
🏖️Watch the sunset over the Gulf of Naples. One word… stunning!
🏖️See Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii.
There’s our intinerary for an unforgettable summer month in Italy. Out of all of our travels, this is the one place that we’d go back to in a heartbeat… it truly was magical! Let us know if you are planning a trip to Italy and what you are looking forward to the most. Happy travels!