A trip to Northern Italy gives you the opportunity to eat at some of the world’s best restaurants, see famous historical sites and visit picturesque villages nestled on mountainsides and lakeshores.
I spent almost two weeks in Northern Italy and here, I share practical travel tips on taking a trip there. This post covers:
- 💡 General tips for Northern Italy
- 🗓️ 2 different optimized itineraries
- 🗺️ Map with key attractions pinned
- 📍 Overview of 6 popular destinations
Planning a trip to Italy? This Italy guide covers things to know before getting there, including tipping etiquette, common scams, cultural differences and navigating with just English.
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3 Essential Tips for Visiting Northern Italy
Before getting into the itineraries, below are three helpful tips when traveling to Northern Italy.
🍝 Tip #1: Book restaurant reservations.
One of my biggest lessons learned after spending over two weeks in Italy is that there’s always a long wait for good restaurants in the bigger cities (e.g., Milan, Florence).
Make sure to make reservations or you might get stuck waiting for hours or eating at more touristy restaurants.
💶 Tip #2: Carry some cash.
Although Italy has a great credit card infrastructure, many smaller businesses and some of the charming areas you’ll be visiting (e.g., Cinque Terre, Lake Como and Venice) require cash, so carry some euro.
This Italy cost breakdown has other cash and budgeting tips.
🚊 Tip #3: Rely on Italy’s train.
Italy has one of the best train infrastructures in the world. You can rely on their trains to get you to most major cities and towns within the country.
This Italy guide covers other things to know before getting there, including how to get around, common scams, cultural differences and navigating with just English.
10-Day Northern Italy Itinerary
Below is a great way to spend ten days in Northern Italy. This itinerary takes you through six destinations covering a mix of city landscapes, coastal villages, narrow canals, wine country and stunning views.
It resembles my busy, packed trip and I’ve included some of my suggested duration so you can more efficiently sequence everything. For slower travel and more downtime, see below for how to modify this itinerary.
Map of Itinerary
10-Day Itinerary for Northern Italy
| Milan (1 day) | |
| Day 1 | ✈️ Arrive in Milan (morning) ⛪️ Visit the Duomo di Milano (30–60 minutes, afternoon) 🖼️ See The Last Supper (1 hour, afternoon) 🛍️ Wander around and shop (2 hours, afternoon) 🍝 Walk around and have dinner in Navigli District (evening) 🍨 Eat gelato for dessert (evening) |
| Lake Como or Lake Garda day trip (1 day) | |
| Day 2 | 🚆 Train to Varenna from Milan (1.5 hours, morning) 🏰 Explore Castello di Vezio (45 minutes, morning) 👟 Explore Varenna’s town (30 minutes, afternoon) 🌷 Visit Villa Monastero (1 hour, afternoon) ⛴️ Ferry to Bellagio (15 minutes, afternoon) 🍨 Explore Bellagio’s town (1.5 hours, afternoon) 💧 Walk to Bellagio’s waterfront and east side (1 hour, afternoon) ⛴️ Ferry back to Varenna (15 minutes, evening) 🚆 Train back to Milan (1.5 hours, evening) |
| Venice (2 days) | |
| Day 3 | 🚆 Train to Venice from Milan (3 hours, morning) 👟 Explore San Marco’s top attractions (3–4 hours, afternoon) ☀️ Catch the sunset at Fondamenta delle Zatter (30 minutes, evening) 🍷 Eat cicchetti and sip wine at Vino Vero (1.5 hours, evening) |
| Day 4 | 👟 Wander the streets of Dorsoduro and Castello (3–5 hours, afternoon) 🛶 Go on a gondola ride (late afternoon, 30 minutes) 🥖 Eat more cicchetti for dinner (1.5 hours, evening) |
| Bologna, Modena or Parma (1 day) | |
| Day 5 | 🚆 Train to Bologna, Modena or Parma (morning, 2–2.5 hours) 🍝 Eat at a Michelin-starred local restaurant |
| Cinque Terre (2 days) | |
| Day 6 | 🚆 Train to Cinque Terre from Parma (3 hours, morning) 🥾 Hike through and explore the five picturesque villages (all-day) |
| Day 7 | 🥾 Continue to hike through and explore the five picturesque villages (all-day) |
| Florence (3 days) | |
| Day 8 | 🚆 Train to Florence (3 hours, morning) ⛪️ Visit Florence’s Duomo and walk around the main square (1 hour) ☀️ Cross Ponte Vecchio to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset (3 hours, evening) |
| Day 9 | 🖼️ Visit the Uffizi Gallery (1 hour, morning) 🍷 Take a wine tour in Tuscany countryside (5 hours, afternoon) |
| Day 10 | 🍝 Have a Florentine meal (morning) ✈️ Depart to Rome in Central Italy or head home (afternoon) |
Slower 10-Day Northern Italy Itinerary
For more downtime and a slower Northern Italy itinerary, skip Bologna, Modena and Parma. Instead, spend an extra day visiting the beautiful villages of Cinque Terre.
| Day 1 | Milan |
| Day 2 | Lake Como Day Trip |
| Days 3–4 | Venice |
| Days 5–7 | Cinque Terre |
| Days 8–10 | Florence |
If you want to further minimize taking the train to different areas of Northern Italy, skip the Lake Como day trip and spend another day exploring Milan instead.
Alternative to Lake Como: Lake Garda
Lake Como is Italy’s most popular lake and it’s an hour-and-a-half train ride north of Milan. A great alternative option is to travel to Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) instead, which is a one-hour train ride east of Milan and takes you much closer to Venice.
Comparison to Lake Como: Lake Garda is not as picturesque as Lake Como, but it’s the largest lake in Italy, boasting a more diverse landscape and a larger range of water activities (e.g., windsurfing, sailing, kiteboarding).
Best Lake Garda’s towns: Like Lake Como, Lake Garda is surrounded by charming towns. Its most popular towns include:
- Sirmione, the most iconic town with the Scaligero Castle and Roman ruins
- Riva del Garda, a town loved by outdoor and nature enthusiasts
- Desenzano del Garda, the largest town with a lively town center and lakeside promenade
- Peschiera del Garda, a town with historic importance
With Extra Time: Emilia-Romagna Region
If you have an extra day or two in Northern Italy, you can either spend more time in Cinque Terre, Florence or the Emilia-Romagna region (e.g., Bologna, Modena and Parma).
The Emilia-Romagna region is worth its own multi-day trip, but it’s usually not a main stop in many first-timers’ itineraries. Here’s a comparison of the three main cities in the region.
7-Day Northern Italy Itinerary
Northern Italy deserves two weeks or more, but if you only have a week, below is a great way to spend seven days there.
This seven-day itinerary takes you through four of Italy’s most popular destinations.
Map of Itinerary
7-Day Itinerary for Northern Italy
| Milan (1 day) | |
| Day 1 | ✈️ Arrive in Milan (morning) ⛪️ Visit the Duomo di Milano (30–60 minutes, afternoon) 🖼️ See The Last Supper (1 hour, afternoon) 🛍️ Wander around and shop (2 hours, afternoon) 🍝 Walk around and have dinner in Navigli District (evening) 🍨 Eat gelato for dessert (evening) |
| Venice (2 days) | |
| Day 2 | 🚆 Train to Venice from Milan (3 hours, morning) 👟 Explore San Marco’s top attractions (3–4 hours, afternoon) ☀️ Catch the sunset at Fondamenta delle Zatter (30 minutes, evening) 🍷 Eat cicchetti and sip wine at Vino Vero (1.5 hours, evening) |
| Day 3 | 👟 Wander the streets of Dorsoduro and Castello (3–5 hours, afternoon) 🛶 Go on a gondola ride (late afternoon, 30 minutes) 🥖 Eat more cicchetti for dinner (1.5 hours, evening) |
| Cinque Terre (2 days) | |
| Day 4 | 🚆 Train to Cinque Terre from Venice (5 hours, morning) 🥾 Hike through and explore the five picturesque villages (all-day) |
| Day 5 | 🥾 Continue to hike through and explore the five picturesque villages (all-day) |
| Florence (2 days) | |
| Day 6 | 🚆 Train to Florence (3 hours, morning) ⛪️ Visit Florence’s Duomo and walk around the main square (1 hour) 🍷 Take a wine tour in Tuscany countryside (5 hours, afternoon) |
| Day 7 | 🖼️ Visit the Uffizi Gallery (1 hour, morning) ✈️ Depart to Rome in Central Italy or head home (afternoon) |
Northern Italy Map With Recommended Places
This Northern Italy map has all the recommended places pinned and organized by city.
6 Amazing Places To Visit in Northern Italy
I spent over two busy, packed weeks in Northern Italy visiting six destinations that are great for first-time visitors.
These destinations are some of Northern Italy’s most visited places covering a mix of city landscapes, coastal villages, narrow canals, wine country and spectacular views.
1. Milan
🇮🇹 Known for: An economic center in Italy, Milan is known as the premier fashion capital of the world and has some of Italy’s most treasured cultural heritages.
🌟 Top attractions: The vibrant city of Milan is best known for these main attractions:
- Duomo di Milano. Milan Cathedral is the largest church in Italy and is a Gothic architectural masterpiece in the city center. It’s considered one of the must-see attractions in Milan.
- Santa Maria delle Grazie. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this Reinassance church hosts Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous artwork, The Last Supper.
The Last Supper can only be viewed for 15 minutes. You must book a timed ticket to see it and some tours will allow you to skip the line.
- Navigli District. One of the most famous districts in Milan, Navigli runs along the river and is a picturesque town that comes alive during the night.
Many of Milan’s top restaurants are often booked, especially in popular and tourist-heavy areas like Navigli. Make reservations in advance or else you might be stuck waiting for seats for hours, which is what happened to me.
📍 Location: Milan is located in the Lombardy region, the northernmost region of Italy. Its location makes it the best location to take a day trip to Lake Como. Milan is a little under three hours west of Venice by train.
🚇 Getting there: Milan has one of Italy’s major international airports, Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) that you can easily fly into. Otherwise, Milan is a major city well-connected to Italy’s trains.
🗓️ How long to visit: You can spend one to four days in Milan, depending on your interest. One to two days is sufficient to do the top attractions, but if you want to shop and explore more of its galleries, three days or more is appropriate.
If you want to see the best of Milan and understand its history better, here’s a well-rated guided tour.
🍀 My take: Truthfully, Milan was my least favorite city in Northern Italy, which is why I recommend spending one to two days there in my itineraries. Milan is a great place to see a bustling and fashionable city in Italy, but I found all other cities and towns more unique and breathtaking. That said, I found Milan to be one of the best places to eat gelato.
2. Lake Como
🇮🇹 Known for: One of the most beautiful lakes in Italy, Lake Como is known for its dramatic mountain scenery with spectacular views, picturesque towns lined along its shores and villas with beautiful gardens.
Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore are Italy’s second and third most popular lakes that are also known for beautiful views. They’re both a one to two-hour train ride away from Milan, making them good alternatives to Lake Como.
🌟 Top attractions: Lake Como is surrounded by more than ten towns and villages. Its most famous towns are Bellagio, Varenna and Como and their top attractions are:
- Castello di Vezio (Varenna). Located on a hill, this is a medieval castle with some of the best views of the lake.
- Villa Monastero (Varenna). This is one of Lake Como’s most notable villas, featuring a beautiful botanical garden.
- Bellagio town. Bellagio is a small town considered one of Lake Como’s most charming ones. Famous Street gives visitors a picturesque view of the lake and town shops.
This Lake Como guide shares a day trip itinerary and more details on the lake’s best towns and attractions.
📍 Location: Lake Como is very far north in Italy, located less than 10 miles south of Switzerland.
🚇 Getting there: The best way to get to Lake Como is from Milan by trail. The train ride takes one to two hours, depending on which of the lake’s towns you’re visiting. Once you’re in a town, you can get to the other towns by taking a boat ride, bus, train or guided tour.
🗓️ How long to visit: You can spend one to three days on Lake Como depending on how many towns you want to visit.
🍀 My take: Lake Como is a beautiful lakefront that’s worth spending a full day at. If you enjoy visiting villas or are visiting Northern Italy in the summer and love water activities, Lake Como is worth at least a two-day trip.
3. Venice
🇮🇹 Known for: Venice is a beautiful city world-famous for its intricate networks of canals, gondola rides and romantic ambiance.
🌟 Top attractions: Venice’s best attractions and activities include:
- Piazza San Marco. This is Venice’s main square lined with cafes and a major tourist attraction featuring notable, historic buildings.
- St. Mark’s Basilica. Basilica di San Marco is a stunning church with intricate details and it’s one of Venice’s most popular attractions. Expect long lines, even in the morning when it first opens.
- Doge’s Palace. Palazzo Ducale is a historic palace connected to the famous Bridge of Sighs on the Grand Canal.
Due to its rich history, Doge’s Palace is best experienced with a guided tour. Here’s a highly-rated tour combined with a tour of St. Mark’s Basilica.
- Rialto Bridge. One of Venice’s most iconic bridges, Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge on the Grand Canal and was historically a bustling center of trade.
- Venetian gondola rides. Gondola rides are one of Venice’s most iconic activities. This gondola ride guide shares the best time and place to catch a ride.
- Cichetti. Cichetti are small snacks typically served on a piece of bread and Venice is an excellent place to enjoy them. I had them at several places and my personal favorite was at a local spot called Vino Vero.
This Venice itinerary shows how to do all of the city’s top activities and attractions in one day.
📍 Location: Venice is located on the northeast coast of Italy.
🚇 Getting there: Venice has one of Italy’s international airports, Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), that you can fly into. Otherwise, it is located a three-hour train ride east of Milan.
The train ride from Milan passes through the city of Verona, which is most famous for Casa di Giulietta, the setting for Romeo and Juliet.
🗓️ How long to visit: Two to three days in Venice is sufficient to do its main attractions and explore its different districts on foot.
Given its popularity, try to avoid traveling to Venice during the weekend. The small canals and streets become overly crowded. It’s a much more pleasant city to visit on the weekdays.
🍀 My take: With its narrow streets and canals, Venice is a perfect place to wander. Venice has six districts and although San Marco is the most popular one, I enjoyed walking around the quieter Dorsoduro district the most.
4. Bologna, Modena and Parma
🇮🇹 Known for: Bologna, Modena and Parma are located in the Emilia-Romagna region, which is known to have some of the best local restaurants in the world, so they’re great for food lovers.
This Parma guide highlights the differences between the three cities in terms of atmosphere, food and main attractions. It also has a day trip itinerary for Parma.
🍀 My take. I recommend stopping in one of these three cities even for just a day because it’s a nice way to break up the commute from Venice to Cinque Terre. One of my favorite discoveries in the region is Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine that’s difficult to find in other regions of Italy.
5. Cinque Terre
🇮🇹 Known for: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cinque Terre is one of the most beautiful places in Italy, known for hiking trails and its picturesque villages, complete with dramatic cliffs and ocean views.
Cinque Terre is the more affordable version of the popular and luxurious Almafi Coast in Southern Italy. This Italy cost breakdown has all my trip’s expenses.
🌟 Top attractions: Cinque Terre is compromised of five villages located near the coast. Aside from wandering around each small village, one of the best things to do is hike through them.
This Cinque Terre hiking guide shares trekking tips and the best hikes.
📍 Location: Cinque Terre is located on the northwest coast of Italy.
🚇 Getting there: The best way to get to Cinque Terre is by taking the train to Monterosso al Mare (the northernmost town) or Riommaggiore (the southernmost town).
🗓️ How long to visit: Two to three days in Cinque Terre is sufficient time to visit and spend meaningful time in all five of its villages.
🍀 My take: Cinque Terre was my favorite place in Northern Italy and it’s absolutely worth visiting. The hike and breathtaking views were a nice break from the cities and old architectural landscapes commonly found in other regions of Italy.
6. Florence
🇮🇹 Known for: Called the “Cradle of the Renaissance,” Florence is known for its historical sites and acts as a gateway to the Tuscany wine countryside of Italy.
🌟 Top attractions: Florence’s top attractions and activities are:
- Uffizi Gallery. Galleria degli Uffizi is one of the most famous art museums in the world, featuring art from Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Caravaggio. Here’s a well-reviewed tour of some of these historic art pieces.
- Piazza del Duomo. The main square of Florence is bustling with restaurants and cafes and is home to Florence’s duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
One of the most popular things to do is to climb Brunelleschi’s Dome of Florecen’s Duomo to get a panoramic view of the city. You need a guided tour, like this highly-rated one, to visit the dome.
- Piazzale Michelangelo. Another famous square in Florence, Piazzale Michelangelo gives you a panoramic view of the city and is a great place to catch the sunset. You can walk across the famous Ponte Vecchio to get to the square.
- Wine tasting tour. Florence is located near several famous wine regions in Tuscany, so it’s a great place to do a wine-tasting tour.
I did this highly-rated, small-group wine-tasting guided tour from Florence and highly recommend it.
📍 Location: Florence is the capital city of the Tuscany region. It’s a two-hour train ride from Rome, making it a great last stop in Northern Italy before visiting Southern Italy.
🚇 Getting there: If you take the train from Cinque Terre to Florence, you will pass by the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You can get off at the Pisa S. Rossore train station for a quick visit to the tower.
🗓️ How long to visit: Three days is sufficient to visit and see Florence’s top attractions.
🍀 My take: Florence is a great city that mixes history and charm, while still feeling like a big city. I spent five days in Florence, which was a bit too long for me personally, so I recommend spending under five days there.
This Florence itinerary optimizes your time in the city and shares great things to do there.
If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
Italy Travel Guides
- ✈️ Planning A Trip to Italy: 13 Practical Things To Know
- 🍝 7-10 Amazing Days in Northern Italy: 2 Itineraries
- ⛰️ How to Hike Cinque Terre Guide: Best Trails + Tips
- 🛶 Gondola Rides in Venice: Best Place, Time and Tips
- 🛶 One Amazing Day in Venice: Best Full-Day Itinerary
- 🌷 How To Plan a Lake Como Day Trip: Itinerary + Map
- 👨🏻🎨 3 Perfect Days in Florence: Best Itinerary + Map
- 🧀 Parma, Italy Day Trip: 13 Great Things To Do + Itinerary
- 💰 Trip to Italy Cost: 2023 Travel Expense Breakdown
🧋 This site is run entirely by me, Lukiih. I spend hours writing each article to ensure its accuracy and conciseness. If you find my site helpful, you can say thanks by buying me bubble tea!
