Best Italy travel guide | explore the Most beautiful place do and Eat
Today, we’re going to Write to you how Italy travel , one of the most beautiful countries we’ve ever had the chance to visit. If you’re looking for the perfect two-week itinerary, you’ve come to the right place. Planning this trip was one of the hardest things we’ve ever done in our six years of full-time travel, due to the sheer number of things to do and places to visit in Italy—and, of course, all the different ways to get around.
Italy really does have it all, from the snowy Dolomite mountains in the north to the bluest, dreamiest beaches in the south—not to mention some world wonders and that iconic Italian food. We only had two weeks to explore this country, and we think it is the perfect amount of time to get a taste of what it has to offer.
We picked all the absolute must-see places for a first-timer, and honestly, we’re beyond happy with how our trip went. We literally cried when it came time to leave, so we think you’ll love every minute of it as well.
This blog will equip you with everything you need to know to plan the perfect Italy travel. If you find it at all useful, we’d appreciate it if you could give it a comment below.
Dreamy Venice
Built on a group of 126 islands in a lagoon of the Adriatic Sea, you’re coming to Venice to explore the incredible canals and bridges, eat some delicious Italian food, and just stroll around. We think a good amount of time to spend here is two nights. We personally did one, and it was great.
Landing at Venice Airport was a breeze. We got our luggage safe and sound, even though it went through Frankfurt, which is notorious for losing luggage. We’d recommend adding an AirTag to your bags just in case.
Right outside the terminal, you can purchase various bus tickets to get you either anywhere on the mainland—where most budget travelers stay—or onto the islands themselves. You can also purchase water taxi tickets inside the terminal, which will take you straight to Venice from the airport. We’ve heard really good things about it; people love it.
We have two affordable accommodations on the mainland that we can recommend to you: one near the airport called Venice Green and one in the suburb of Mestre, which costs around $80 per night.
We dropped off our luggage and purchased more bus tickets at a local tobacco shop—this is a common thing to do here. Before we knew it, we were eating a panini by the Venice canals and could not believe we were actually there. Welcome to Venice, the very first stop on our amazing Italian adventure!
Mushroom and three more? Yes, please! You choose pork and mustard? Okay, back!
While you’re here in Venice, you should try all the little snack stops and cozy restaurants along the canals. Grab a panini and a glass of wine if you want, and plunk yourself down pretty much anywhere—you’re allowed to eat, and it’s just bellissimo!
San Marco Square
After our sandwich stop (which was delicious, by the way—highly recommend this place), we grabbed some water taxi tickets, this time at a newspaper stand, for a trip down the Grand Canal to San Marco Square.
It honestly looks like a theme park here. It doesn’t even look real. All these buildings seem like they’ve been perfectly designed for a movie set. I cannot believe we’re in the real Venice! There are so many places in the world where you can experience something similar to Venice, but this is the real deal. All these buildings are historic, and they’re so beautiful.
We’ve made it to San Marco Square! It’s unbelievable to be back here 15 or 16 years later. Coming back to Venice has felt like seeing the city with completely new eyes. I was here on a cold, dreary winter’s day, and now we’ve returned in the summer. The blue skies, the sparkling water—everything just looks so amazing. I definitely don’t regret coming back.
St. Mark’s Basilica
Coming back to this place a second time feels surreal. Right behind us is St. Mark’s Basilica, and, guys, it’s the most beautiful building I’ve ever seen in my whole life. It’s so detailed!
Apparently, those horses up there were stolen by Napoleon. They were taken from where they are now, but someone eventually returned them. Napoleon was French, wasn’t he? Yep!
St. Mark’s Campanile
And then, right behind us, is a massive bell tower. This is St. Mark’s Campanile, I think it’s called. You can actually go inside the Basilica itself, but we’re not going to do it this time, partly because I’ve already done it before. Admission is €5 on-site, but if you want to book ahead of time with extra benefits—like skipping the line and an audio guide—you can book this experience on GetYourGuide, who are actually the sponsors of this blog. But we’ll talk more about them later.
This bridge behind me is the most famous one here in Venice. It’s called the Bridge of Sighs, and I bet you can’t guess why it’s called that.
On the left-hand side is the jail, and on the opposite side is the court. When prisoners were sentenced to jail, they had to walk across this bridge. As they crossed, they realized they were losing their freedom, and they would sigh because they were going to jail. That’s why it’s called the Bridge of Sighs. How insane is that?
iconic photo spots
It’s also really pretty—it’s one of the most iconic photo spots in all of Venice. It’s so busy here, but if you push your way through the crowd, you can find a nice little spot.
We took a closer look at the jail, and I think it’s absolutely insane. I’m smiling so much right now! By the way, we’re total history buffs, and this building is just incredible. You can see how old it is—look at the double bars on the prison windows! There was no way anyone was getting out of here. And it’s so beautiful, even the rust on the metal adds to its charm. It’s just so cool to be here.
We’re only spending a few hours in Venice, actually. We landed here and thought, “Let’s just pop in and see it.” We didn’t come here to sightsee or anything like that. We just wanted to experience Venice, be near the water, the canals, and the boats. That’s really why we came.
There are some people who say you should skip Venice, but I think those people are nuts! It’s so beautiful and charming. Yes, it’s touristy, and yes, there are crowds, but that’s part of the appeal. It’s iconic! Sure, there are a lot of touristy spots, but there are also quiet corners where you can observe the local way of life.
We got lost in Venice and found an alley where there was literally no one. It was so epic. Honestly, I do wish we were staying on the main island. If you can afford it, definitely book a hotel here to be in the thick of it—it’s so much fun!
Pasta On-The-Go
We grabbed a quick takeaway pasta in a box at Dal Moro’s. Just a heads-up: there are certain places where you’re not allowed to eat, so you’ll need to find a designated spot. The big question is, “Is this pasta as good as my gran’s?” Let’s see… It’s better! And it’s perfect for eating on the go.
Oh my word, the next two weeks are going to be fantastic! Everyone’s here right now, eating their pasta by the canals. It’s one of those quintessential Venice experiences—having a takeaway pasta by the canal? Check!
We spent the rest of our day exploring more beautiful canals, and of course, we had to try some gelato at one of the most popular spots.
We stopped by a popular gelato spot called Gel Netto, and that was it for our time in Venice. We felt an afternoon was more than enough for what we wanted to experience here.
Oh, and here’s something no one tells you: the walk back to the station after visiting the San Marco Square area can be really long, so be prepared for that!
It’s time to catch a train from Venice to Rome. The train ride should take about 4.5 hours, and we’re traveling with Trenitalia. Highly recommend booking your tickets online so you don’t have to validate them at the station.
Guys, we made that train by the skin of our teeth! It was so close—we nearly missed it.
What can I tell you about the trains? They’re really nice! You can store your luggage overhead, and if there’s no space, feel free to move some bags around—everyone’s so friendly about it. You can also place your hand luggage under the seat in front of you. Oh, and there’s a restaurant on board, so we’ll definitely need to grab some coffee and something to eat.
Welcome to Rome
Rome is a remarkable city with one of the richest histories in the world. As the birthplace of the Roman Empire, its legacy spans thousands of years. It’s home to hundreds of incredible historical sites, must-visit attractions, and, of course, world-class food.
This is our Airbnb in Rome, and it’s right across the street from Vatican City. You can even see St. Peter’s Basilica from our window! We’re paying around €100 per night, excluding the tourist tax.
Every tourist who comes to Italy has to pay a tourist tax, which varies by city. In Rome, it’s €6 per person per night. They’ll usually ask you for this fee when you check in or out.
Upon check-in, but sometimes at checkout too, most people are pretty surprised by this fee when they arrive. So now you know about it—and you’re welcome!
If you’re a first-time visitor to Rome, you can’t go wrong with staying in the historic center. It’s one of the most beautiful areas of the city, with hundreds of hotels and restaurants to choose from.
Other good areas to stay in include Prati, where our accommodation is. It’s across the river from the major sites, so you’ll need to do a bit more walking or use public transport. Prati is really close to Vatican City and has some affordable accommodation and restaurant options.
Monte gives off a small, boho village vibe, filled with boutique stores, bars, and some great restaurants. It’s also very close to the Colosseum.
Foodie hub
Across the river is the vibrant Trastevere, a popular place to stay and known as the foodie hub of Rome. The Jewish Quarter, or Ghetto, is a great area too. It’s conveniently located and is filled with amazing restaurants serving Roman Jewish foods.
For the most budget-friendly accommodation, you can look at the Roma Termini area. It’s not the most attractive part of town and does come with a bit of a reputation for being slightly unsafe. However, we passed through here multiple times and didn’t feel unsafe at all. There were always so many people out and about, so anything bad happening is pretty unlikely.
Throughout Italy, we’re up bright and early, and we’ve come to the one and only Trevi Fountain. It seems everyone else had the same idea as us, to come after sunrise. It’s before 7 a.m., and there are tons of people here already. Realistically, though, we’re probably not up early enough. I’d recommend coming here around 5:30 a.m. We were here at 7, and it was already quite full.
Trevi Fountain itself was one of the original water sources for the city, so you know it’s fresh and great. Isn’t it iconic, drinking the water right here from the fountain? I love it!
Good deed done: at the end of every day, they collect all the coins—thousands of euros worth—and it all goes to charity. I love that!
Right by Trevi Fountain, there’s a beautiful café where you can sit, have chocolate-stuffed croissants, and cappuccino right in front of the fountain. But there’s already a massive line, which is a bit disappointing. I’m sad. Those croissants better be worth it! Anyway, most of the cafés here have huge lines, so we decided to make our way toward our next spot and just find a café somewhere, hoping to get a croissant and a coffee.
What a way to start the day!
You really just walk around corners here in Rome and bump into historical sites—they’re literally all over the city. This is the Pantheon, and we didn’t even know it was here. We just bumped into it. I was like, “What is this?” and he said, “No way!” At the time we bumped into the Pantheon, it wasn’t open yet, so we decided to grab some coffee and croissants from a highly rated café right across the road and wait for it to open at 9:00 a.m.
By the time we finished our coffee, the lines were already super long. But we’ve got a tip for you to avoid waiting in those long lines. The Pantheon is an architectural marvel, with its perfectly symmetrical ceiling. It’s the best-preserved ancient Roman building in Rome. All the huge pillars were brought from Egypt, and it’s one of the first buildings to use concrete to make the roof.
Welcome to the Pantheon! Construction started in 27 B.C., and they finished about 150 years later. So, this building is literally over 2,000 years old. Honestly, it looks pristine, almost modern. The actual dome itself looks so new that I can’t even fathom it being over 2,000 years old!
One big tip
There are three lines. One for those who bought tickets beforehand (you can buy them online on the website), one for cash purchases (which was super long), and the shortest line of them all was for credit card payments.
The credit card line is on the far right side of the building, and that’s what we used. We literally walked into the Pantheon, tapped my Apple Pay, and we were in! I highly recommend you do the same. It honestly felt like we were cheating, but we were let in first. The credit card line is allowed in first, and it’s so quick and easy. Plus, you don’t even have to book tickets in advance. There’s your tip!
Just a short walk from the Pantheon is Piazza Navona, another must-see spot here in Rome. But as a reality check in Europe, sometimes your favorite buildings will be under construction—but it’s only to keep them looking beautiful.
We used the metro to get to our next destination: a world wonder and the very reason you come to Rome—the Colosseum!
Obviously, we’ve entered the Colosseum, and we’ve already learned so much about the animals that were brought here for the big battles. I don’t think people realize how much of an architectural marvel this place actually was. It had all the hoists and sails above to keep the spectators out of the sun. This is the inspiration for all modern stadiums, and it worked very much like a general stadium.
I didn’t actually know that each arch was an entryway, marked with Roman numerals. You’d have your little terracotta ticket, and you were assigned a seat, just like in modern stadiums. You had to give your little terracotta plank to one of the officials, who would show you to your seat. How bizarre!
I must admit, all these statues and images around the Colosseum are brilliant. They give you a real look inside what the Colosseum might have been like.
Colosseum
The Colosseum actually looked like this many years ago. There were beautiful statues absolutely everywhere. It must have been incredible to come here back in those days. I told you these statues are epic. This is exactly what the Colosseum used to look like. Look at the beautiful statues all around, and look at the wooden pillars that the ropes were attached to.
For those who don’t know what the Colosseum is, it was basically an arena where people would come and watch others fight. You’d have gladiators, slaves fighting for their freedom, and sometimes, they wouldn’t just fight each other—they’d fight other animals, like rhinos, lions, tigers, and more.
Right down there is the Colosseum’s stage floor, which would have been made of wood. It’s now broken, but underneath the stage floor, there were cages where they would hold the tigers and other animals. These animals would then be brought up on an elevator into the arena, and the whole crowd would see it.
this man is going to fight a tiger! Often, the men fighting the animals were unarmed, so it was really an unfair fight. They were essentially coming here to watch people get killed by animals just for entertainment.
I want to know in the comments: Would you have come here if you lived in Roman times? Would you have watched a fight in the arena? Today, we mostly watch the World Cup final or some entertainment like Zinédine Zidane headbutting someone, but back then, they watched people get eaten. It’s crazy.
Roman Forum & Arch of Constantine
Once you’ve visited this world wonder, you’ll then walk over to the Roman Forum, passing the Arch of Constantine, built in the 6th century to celebrate the first Christian emperor. The Forum was the very center of the Roman Empire and, at the time, the capital of the western civilized world.
The Roman Empire lasted about 1,000 years, starting in 500 BC and ending in 500 AD. Now, it’s just a bunch of ancient rubble, but if you can use your imagination, you can picture the daily lifestyle of Romans here. There were markets, courts, jails, emperors roaming around with gods, gladiators, animals, food, produce, and so much more—all covered in white marble
Palatine Hill
The final stop, the Palatine Hill, was just as the name suggests—a hill filled with towering palaces. It’s one of the seven famous hills in Rome, and where the emperors themselves used to live.
Nearly every fun experience, tour, and entry ticket that we booked during our time in Italy was booked on our favorite platform, GetYourGuide. We’ve been using the app for about 4 years now during our travels, and it’s truly one of our favorites. Why? Because it streamlines the entire process of finding and booking highly rated tours and curated experiences all over the world. There’s no need to walk around the streets of a foreign place and get harassed by dodgy tour operators.
everyone! It’s another day here in Rome, and we’ve got something so exciting planned. We actually took it really easy this morning because after the Colosseum tour yesterday, our bodies are broken—my feet are so sore! We’re definitely not used to walking this much coming from South Africa.
I don’t know how you guys do it in Europe—it’s a lot of walking! Anyway, I just wanted to mention one thing: Rome is a bustling, bustling city, guys. There is so much going on. We’re here in early June, and there are so many tourists. There’s tons of traffic, noise, and ambulances passing by—it’s full-on.
This is our room here, and we have such awesome views of all the tourists passing by the Vatican. But listen to when I open the window—how intense the noise is. All the windows in Rome have to be double-glazed, or it’s just too noisy. But anyway, let’s head out.
Rome has some of the best food in all of Italy, and this area we’ve come to today, Trastevere, has the best food in all of Rome. And the best way to explore food in Rome is to do a food tour. You guys know how much we love food tours, and we do them in every city we possibly can.
First off, we’re going to try two of the most famous cheeses here in Rome. We all know cheese is a big part of Italian cuisine. We’ve tried Parmesan and Pecorino Romano, which is actually the cheese used to make cacio e pepe, the most famous pasta dish here in Rome.
When you cheers here in Italy travel, you have to say salute, maintain eye contact, you can’t cross arms with anyone, and you have to tap on a surface before you take a drink. If you break any of these rules, you get seven years of bad luck, so be careful, guys!
Porchetta
we’re trying porchetta, which is slow-roasted pork. I wish you could smell it—it smells phenomenal! Be careful, though, because it’s greasy, but what a great bite! This is supplì al telefono, which is basically rice balls stuffed with mozzarella, coated in breadcrumbs, deep-fried, and served with a Neapolitan-style tomato sauce. It’s super popular here in Rome, and you can find variations of it throughout Italy, but this one is the original. It’s so good, and I’ve seen it all over the internet—so excited to try it!
This spot is a popular takeaway, sometimes with lines stretching for meters. Luckily, we’re here early and managed to grab our food. As we leave, we already see a lot of locals lining up—definitely the place to eat if you want to know the food is top-notch.
The link to this specific tour, if you’d like to join it, will be in the description for you, and you can also scan the QR code right here.
When we first arrived in Italy, the temperatures were perfect—not too hot. Now, it’s around 33°C, and it’s not even summer yet. It’s going to get up to 40°C, so we’re having Roman-style pizza. Each of us is trying three different flavors. And apparently, the way to eat pizza here in Rome is with beer.
You’re not supposed to separate the two, so I guess I’ll try it, even though I don’t normally drink beer. The pizza is delicious and crispy—definitely living up to the hype.
Queen Margherita
We just learned the fascinating origins of the Margherita pizza. Pizza was invented in Naples, and Queen Margherita, who was born and lived in the north of Italy, where pizza didn’t exist, made a trip down to the city. She visited a restaurant where she saw a type of food called pizza. Originally, pizza was a food for the lower class—it wasn’t very popular among the royals.
When the restaurant knew she was coming, they decided to make a pizza inspired by the Italian flag. They used basil for the green, mozzarella for the white, and a tomato base for the red. She tasted it, loved it, and asked them to name it after her. That’s why Margherita pizza is called Margherita pizza after Queen Margherita herself. She’s known as the first food influencer in history!
Next, I’ve come to a very special and historic restaurant to have some more wine, bruschetta, and of course, try some pasta. It’s absolutely delicious!
I’m currently standing in the basement of the restaurant, which is as old as the Coliseum itself. It even has some of the same bricks we saw at the Coliseum. They only discovered this basement a few years ago, and inside, they found two statues that were stolen—a statue of a man and one of a horse. They were taken from outside the Pantheon and were found in the basement of this restaurant.
It’s crazy—this neighborhood is so beautiful and peaceful compared to where we’re staying across from the Vatican.
Over there, it’s super loud!
Now it’s time to finish this tour. I got a chocolate and hazelnut gelato topped with panna (cream). This is the real Roman way to enjoy gelato!
There are a few rules when looking for the best, most authentic, and high-quality gelato in Italy.
First, it must always be covered by metal lids to preserve the correct temperature—never openly displayed. Second, it should be pale and natural in color. Bright colors usually mean artificial flavors have been added. No visit to Rome is complete without having gelato at the end!
I got pistachio and chocolate gelato. It’s so good! And that wraps up our tour. I highly recommend doing a food tour as soon as you get to Rome because not only do you get to explore the city and learn about its history, but you also get to experience it through food. We absolutely love food tours—cannot recommend them enough.
It’s our last evening here in Rome, and all we really wanted to do during our time here was grab a takeaway pizza and eat it in front of one of the world’s wonders. So, that’s exactly what we did tonight! The Coliseum lights up so beautifully in the evening. Honestly, it’s so worth it to visit at sunset and see it at night. We grabbed some cheap pizzas, and that’s going to be our evening—two pizzas and a beer for €17. The view was priceless and totally worth it!
Amalfi Coast
It’s day five of our trip, and it’s time to explore the Amalfi Coast. Located in the southwest of Italy, it’s known for its breathtaking, rugged shoreline dotted with quaint cliffside towns and some of the best Italian food made with the freshest ingredients. We’re going to spend 72 hours exploring this beautiful region, sharing all the costs and the best things to do along the way.
We’re on our way to the Amalfi Coast, and it’s literally been on my bucket list for the longest time. I’m so excited! Today, we took an Italo train from Roma Termini to Naples, which was about a 1-hour ride. We got off in Naples and now we’re on an ITA bus that will take us all the way to Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. Along the way, though, we’ll be stopping in Pompeii.
Pompeii is, of course, the town that was completely covered in ash from the massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius. When you come out of the train station, you can actually see the volcano—it’s massive and so epic.
You can use this same bus to stop in Pompeii. There are luggage storage areas at both the train station and the bus station, where you can leave your bags, explore Pompeii for a couple of hours, and then come back to catch the same bus to continue on to the Amalfi Coast. We recommend taking the train early in the morning if you want to make the most of your time there.
We decided to skip Pompeii this time because we’re both really tired and not feeling great today.
But now, I’m just so happy to say we’ve made it to our Airbnb here in Sorrento! It’s about 20 minutes outside the main town, up on a hill in the mountains on a farm. This is our private little villa, and there are cats everywhere—so cute! The views of the ocean are amazing.
Let me quickly show you the property, and then I think we’ll just relax this evening because it was a long travel day, and we’re both feeling under the weather. But honestly, this place is perfect!
Come and just relax and unwind—it’s totally peaceful here. They’ve even given us some special gifts to help us feel better. This is our own private little courtyard with sunbeds, a bit of an ocean view, and some tables. It’s so beautiful and tranquil here.
Airbnb
This is our Airbnb—already a bit of a mess, haha! But we’ve just organized all our food, and we’re so excited to cook some Italian food for ourselves. The kitchen is fully equipped, and we’ve got everything we need to make a great meal. The bathroom is downstairs, and it’s so beautiful! It has a toilet and a separate bidet, which is pretty common in Italy. I love it. We even have a washing machine, which is great, and a stunning shower with these lovely little windows. I just love them. There’s also a hairdryer and a heated rack so you can stay cozy even in the winter.
In the common area, we have air conditioning, and the bedroom has air conditioning as well. The smell in the bedroom is amazing—it’s so fresh! We have a double bed, a closet, and a TV, and everything is just so cute and perfect for our stay. There’s a fridge stocked with all kinds of snacks and drinks—wine, beer, and even lemoncello made right here on the farm. It’s the perfect place to unwind, especially since we’re both feeling a bit under the weather. And look at these beautiful fresh lemons and oranges from the farm!
It’s a tiny little apartment, but it’s got everything we need. We’re really looking forward to relaxing here.
A whole bunch of snacks they gave us! I’m going to be so happy! It’s so peaceful here—there’s the sound of church bells ringing, and in front of us is the most incredible view of Sorrento and the cliffs. We can even see the island of Capri from here.
In terms of getting around, we were picked up by our host at the Sorrento bus station, and it was a 20-minute drive up into the mountains to reach our Airbnb. There’s a bus station here that will take us down to the nearest town, from where we can catch a train back to Sorrento. From there, we can hop on another bus to explore places like Positano and the Amalfi Coast.
Alternatively, we could rent our own scooter to zip around the Amalfi Coast. I think that would be the perfect way to explore, as driving a car around here isn’t ideal due to the nightmare parking situation. Scooters are small and can be parked pretty much anywhere, which is great. Otherwise, there’s always public transport.
We honestly love nothing more than stopping by a small grocer, meeting the locals, and picking up the freshest local ingredients to cook for dinner. It’s one of our favorite parts of traveling.
It’s finally time to explore the Amalfi Coast, and this is our trusty steed for the next 24 hours—an amazing Vespa to ride around the coast. Honestly, how awesome is this? We’re paying around €65 for 24 hours, and they even dropped it off right here at our villa so we didn’t have to mess around with public transport or go to their office to pick it up. There was a €15 drop-off fee and a €15 pickup fee. It’s not cheap, but it’s super convenient!
Positano
Convenient, and honestly, it’s a bucket-list item for us to ride a Vespa along the Amalfi Coast. We can’t get over how awesome it is. The weather’s not the best today, so we’re hoping it clears up later, but first, we’re heading straight to the most beautiful part of the Amalfi Coast: Positano.
look at this! The coastline is unbelievable! It’s so steep here that driving a scooter on the Amalfi Coast is not for the faint of heart. I can’t even look to the right the whole time! Red’s driving, and I can’t stop being amazed. This place is pretty iconic, isn’t it? The views are just stunning!
We’re super excited to get down to Positano, though, so let’s go!
We’re doing it! We’re driving through the Amalfi Coast. I didn’t expect it to be this massive and grand. The mountains are gigantic! It’s not just a small town on the beach—it’s huge, with massive villas and hotels everywhere. It’s insane!
After driving all the way down the hill, we’ve found parking for just €4 per hour, which I think is quite reasonable. We’ve heard car parking can go up to €60 per hour, though, so the scooter is definitely the way to go.
Look at all these cute little shops! And just look at this view! All I can say is, it’s pretty damn iconic to be here. I love this place—it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in my life. The Bougainvillea everywhere, the beautiful trees, flowers, birds, and all the yachts—just incredible.
The stores here are all lemon-themed, which makes total sense since this whole area—Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast—is known for farming tons of lemons.
They’ve really embraced the theme, and I absolutely love it! Yes, it’s a bit touristy, but it’s still so cute. I mean, how could you ever call this place “too touristy”? It’s simply too beautiful for that. I can’t even believe we’re here right now, even though the weather’s not great—it’s still stunning!
Basil
I don’t think it gets better than this. Honestly, I’m on the verge of tears. It’s hard to put into words how amazing this is. I’ve got a basil pesto pasta, Rey’s got a carbonara, and we’re enjoying some water and an Aperol Spritz. It’s a strong drink that’ll make you tipsy after just one. So fabulous! It’s Italian, so it only makes sense to try it here in Positano, surrounded by these amazing views, this beautiful table, and these iconic glasses. Everything is just so perfect right now, I can’t even explain it.
I’m so happy. Italy is one of those places you visit and wonder if it will ever meet your expectations. But Positano, in particular, has completely blown my mind. It’s absolute perfection. Yes, it’s busy with tourists, but who cares? It deserves all the visitors. And Italy as a whole—so far, it’s been so bloody good.
If it’s on your bucket list, just make the investment. Yes, it’s expensive and a bit scary, but you have to live your life. You’ll always make more money—it always comes back.
Not often does a restaurant live up to the hype, but that one certainly did. Highly recommend it. Delicious!
Why is it so slow? Okay, this beach is so painful and so hard to actually walk along. The black sand here, and then there are bigger pebbles, and even bigger pebbles in the water itself. They just separate each step you take, so you fall in. But that was just beautiful, so beautiful. The water is actually quite chilly; it took my breath away for a second. But, see, as much as I absolutely love these umbrellas and how cute they are, there are just far too many of them. Guys, I have never seen this many umbrellas and sunbeds.
Honestly, they could half this because there’s barely anyone using them. I don’t understand. It’s just a little… It’s kind of such a pity because this beach would be much more pleasant if we had more space. Besides that, it’s one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole world, just because of all the buildings and stuff. The bay is out of the lemons; it’s all just so beautiful. I love it.
Before we get this day started, I just wanted to show you our breakfast because we’re in a self-catering unit, and we usually make our own breakfast in the morning since we like a slow start. But our Airbnb host gave us cute little snacks, and they gave us the teeniest, tiniest little pieces of toast, and little Nutellas and jam.
We’ve got a coffee machine, so here’s why we’re making our breakfast. Look how small these are! Hey, oh, word. And here’s the little Nutella they gave us, and little jam. Isn’t that so cute? We’ve made it to the train station, and here in Italy, the traditional way of drinking coffee is to have an espresso at the bar. Espresso means fast, so you have it here, coffee caffeine, and then you get going.
You don’t sit at a table really, so that’s what we’re going to do. And instead of what we normally have, which is an Americano (espresso shot mixed with water), in the coffee, you drink a little cup of water before and then take your shot of espresso. Makes sense? A little bit. How do you say “little bit” in Italian? That’s Cute. Sal salow. Very yummy.
Sal salow
Well, we just picked up some lunch and are taking a stroll through Sorrento, a very beautiful town. It’s also quite busy on our way to pick up something very exciting. We’ve got super cool plans for today! Definitely one of the popular things to do on the Amalfi Coast is to rent a boat or get a captain to take you out on the waters. We had planned to get the boat ourselves and try to go to Capri, which is about an hour away, but the water was a little rough and the wind was a little strong, so we weren’t able to do that.
But we’ve just been exploring the Sorrento coast, going into some caves, doing a bit of swimming, checking out the Grand Marina, which I think is the only public beach in Sorrento. It’s quite busy and lively, with lots of cool restaurants and beautiful buildings on the mountain. This is an incredibly beautiful city, I must say. As you can see from the drone footage, it’s just insane. The water is so crystal clear, and the temperatures are perfect for swimming. You could stay in for an hour.
This morning, we actually had plans to visit the island of Capri. My granny and grandpa did it in the late ’70s or early ’80s, I think, actually, and they did camping around Italy. They came here to Sorrento and took a boat out to the island of Capri.
They visited the Blue Grotto, and my grand said it was one of the most beautiful experiences of her life. That’s why we wanted to visit Capri today. But unfortunately, when we got to the dock, we found a tour on GetYourGuide (they’re so awesome), but when we got here, they said the ocean was too choppy and it wouldn’t have been a pleasant ride over.
They advised us to hop in the boat with them and just do a bit of the Sorrento coast instead. The water here was super calm and not choppy at all. Apparently, when you go around the bay, like to Positano or over to Capri, it’s super choppy because of the wind direction. So we weren’t able to do that, and I am bummed. But these things happen in travel, you know? Things just don’t go to plan, and you just have to be here and grateful to be in Italy on the Sorrento Coast. That’s what I’m going to do now—fix my mind.
I’m sad that I didn’t get to do what my granny and grandpa did, but we’ll obviously come back and do it one day. If you have good, calm waters here and amazing weather, you have to do either a self-drive boat trip or a guided one, either to Positano or Capri, or do both. Absolutely magnificent! The coastlines here are some of the most beautiful in the whole world.
Fiat 500
what’s going on? You’ve outdone yourself, huh? Dinner is served, cooked by yours truly. This is tortellini stuffed with prosciutto and bolognese sauce with mozzarella on top, and it’s got some basil leaves picked straight out of the garden. Here we’ve got water with lemon that comes from the farm here as well.
This is just fabulous, and also a budget-friendly meal. So that’s all settled. We’ve got beautiful views of Mount Vesuvius in the background, and the sun is about to set. All is good and well, isn’t it?
Tomorrow we’ve got an amazing, amazing day planned. That’s because we’re renting ourselves a little Fiat 500 and driving to Tuscany. It’s a bucket-list thing for us to do, and that’s our time in the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento finished. Really sad to be leaving here. It’s a very, very special place in this world.
Today, we’re driving a cute little Fiat 500 through the rolling hills of Tuscany, a province in central Italy known for its vineyards, wine tasting, walled cities, and, of course, the beautiful capital city of Florence. We’ve got our trusty little car for our road trip here in Italy, and it is the iconic Fiat 500.
We come from South Africa, and we’re used to driving on the opposite side of the car and the opposite side of the road, so it’s a little trickier. And obviously, the roads here are so small—they are so small. But luckily, this car is really small too. Guys, it’s so cute and very fancy. It’s got Apple CarPlay, air conditioning, everything we could need for a comfortable drive across Italy.
Roughly an hour outside of Sorrento is Naples. Naples is the birthplace of pizza, and the very first pizza restaurant is still there, so feel free to make a stop.
There, if you want, and try one of the OG pizzas. We’ll put the link to that pizza restaurant in our resource pack. First stop here at, I think it’s called Q8. It’s got everything in there that your heart desires. We picked up some almond cinos, which are absolutely delicious, and these buffalo sandwiches with mozzarella, some cheese, and meat.
Fantastic. The total was €21, so a little bit pricey for us South Africans, but maybe that’s the norm in Europe. Yeah, off we go.
What are your thoughts on Tuscany so far? Exactly how I pictured it in my mind. It’s so beautiful. Oh, this shot right now looks like a painting. How are we staying here? Is this what I booked? I cannot believe this is what I booked.
This has never happened before, where the place you booked exceeds your expectations. Well, the scenery outside does, so far, that’s for sure. Oh, yeah, I don’t actually care, but like I could sleep on a wooden plank right now. I do not care. The views! I cannot even tell you guys how beautiful it is right now.
Yeah, it’s super handy, especially when you go off the beaten track and you’re out of the big cities where nobody speaks English. Hey, I thought we were double-booked, guys. I really thought we didn’t have a room tonight. We arrived and she was so confused. “You in the right place?”
We are checked in.
Our host finally came and brought us in, and he even brought us cakes, milk, yogurt, and Italian coffee to make our stay comfortable. I think that was his mom who greeted us, and she just comes here to farm on the land. She absolutely loves it here. She couldn’t speak a word of English, and I love it. Guys, nobody is under obligation to speak English.
I absolutely love communicating through touch, words, and translation. It was stressful at first because she was like, “No, no, no.” I think she was trying to tell us she didn’t know where we were or what. It was kind of stressful in the beginning, but it was such a lovely moment. It just reminds you that you are really in the middle of Italy right now. It doesn’t get more Italian than this. It is a literal dream.
I don’t know about you guys, but R and I have really been craving nature—the middle of nowhere, the sound of birds and trees, and just zero construction, like zero traffic noise. It doesn’t get better than this, for real. You may be wondering why exactly I booked this stay,
Val d’Orcia
This specific area, and that’s because I came across a blog post, a CNN travel blog post, and it said that Val d’Orcia is the most photographed place and most beautiful destination in the whole of Italy. I found this BnB right near Val d’Orcia, or in Val d’Orcia, and right near one of the most beautiful streets or roads in the whole of it. Well done, I’m pretty proud of this.
We just got back from the little M, like 2 km away. We bought a full bag of groceries with stuff for four, five, six meals, and it was only €30, including this bottle of wine that was only €1.70 for the entire bottle. How insane! You’d think being in Tuscany would be super expensive, but it really is not.
In fact, I just cooked up a nice chicken stew because R is still feeling sick, so that’s just comfort food right there. It’s a lot cooler here in Tuscany as well, so some wine, some stew, maybe a cup of tea later, and some of the sweets that they gave us. Oh, it’s going to be a good evening. This is really, really something we needed.
I literally cannot even explain to you guys how in love we are with Tuscany, how unbelievable this landscape is, and how much we love our Airbnb that we’re staying in. But today we’re on our way to do some wine tasting, obviously, because that’s what Tuscany is really known for. So I think we’re going to visit one or two wineries today and just explore the region at our pace.
It’s just such a vibe. Oh my word, so many farms and also so many little castle-like villages on each hill. So let’s see what we get up to. We have no plan, and I think I really like that. We have no plans, just taking it easy and seeing what we see.
We mainly produce… and to make Brunello, we produce merlot to make our super-Tuscan style wine, but the most important wine is BR.
Sick, guys, the public transport—I think it’s to blame here in Europe. Sick people everywhere on the trains in Rome, and apparently, there’s this thing called the Euro flu, and all foreigners pretty much get it every time they come to Europe. I think we’ve got it the worst. Sickness and all.
Florence
Well, we’ve just been roaming around all over the hills of Tuscany. We’ve visited a couple of different villages and towns. We’ve gone to Pienza, done some wine tasting, and really, we’ve just been visiting all the viewpoints in the whole of this region.
But I think the area that we’re staying in, Val d’Orcia, is by far the most beautiful area, in my personal opinion. But not only in my personal opinion, in the big filmmakers’ opinions as well. Why? Because there have been some really famous films actually filmed in Val d’Orcia. Does it look familiar? In the 2000s, Russell Crowe in a little film called The Gladiator—well, this is the set for one of the scenes.
And I must say, the directors definitely chose an incredibly beautiful part of Tuscany, and I’m so happy that we are staying literally just 10 minutes from here. How amazing! I cannot believe how many men are nerding out right now—literally, R and all these other guys are here doing the exact pose. I think about the Roman Empire on a daily basis.
Although Tuscany does change a little bit, we’ve seen a lot of changes in the landscape as we’ve been driving around today. It’s still incredibly beautiful everywhere. So, if you stay anywhere in Tuscany, I’m sure you’ll be more than happy.
Okay, we’re finally home, back in our favorite place, our Airbnb. Honestly, it’s been one of my favorite days we’ve ever had—like, I’m completely obsessed with it. I’ve just made myself a med lemon because I’m feeling quite flu-ish, and R’s gone on a run in the hills here. I’m sure he’s loving every second.
This is exactly where I want to be. I don’t want to actually be gallivanting and sightseeing—that’s not what I wanted out of our Tuscany trip. Bye, Tuscany! We didn’t even get to use the jacuzzi. Jokes—we’re not leaving Tuscany.
We’re actually just leaving the Tuscany countryside, but we’re on our way to the capital of Tuscany, which is Florence. We don’t have a lot of time here in Florence, unfortunately; we just have the afternoon and the evening. But our hotel is really close to a lot of the good sites here. The hotel is on the screen now; I think it’s called Melli, and yeah, it’s pretty comfortable. I booked it on Booking.com; it’s probably around €130 per night.
We’ve just spotted the Gioia Tower, and then there are a lot of sites around that to see, so let’s head over there now.
Oh, this is literally the most beautiful tower I’ve ever seen in my little life, and it’s huge! There are so many cute restaurants where you can eat out right here. This is the Cathedral of Santa Maria, and then right across the road is the Baptistry of St. John. John is my grandad’s name. Grandad, I’m thinking of you. Oh, and I’m going to cry. But this whole square, like this, is so beautiful.
I’ve convinced myself: Florence is actually known as Italy’s most beautiful city, and there are a couple of really amazing things you can do here. A lot of it is about going to museums and art galleries, and that’s because some of the world’s most famous paintings are here.
Number one: you can go to the Academy Gallery to see the statue of David.
Number two: you can go to the Uffizi Gallery and see the Birth of Venus painting in real life. Number three: you can just walk around here and take it all in. That’s exactly what we’re going to do because it is already so beautiful.
The Academy Gallery
So, we went to the Academy Gallery to see the statue of David, but the line was literally too long, and we just don’t have the energy to wait in it. We didn’t pre-book, but you guys can go ahead and book it on GetYourGuide.
A little fun fact: around the corner, there is a replica of the Statue of David, and there he is right over there. Apparently, he looks identical to the one inside the museum—just a little smaller, though, right? Maybe. No, I think he’s the same size. He’s an exact replica. So, there you go, folks, come see the Walmart version of the statue of David.
Honestly, visit Italy if you want to be transported back 600 years in time because there are virtually no modern buildings around in any of the cities—Rome, Florence, Venice. You just feel like you’re living in history, and it’s just beautiful. Obviously, there’s a lot to do in Florence, and it’s one of the best cities to just walk around in.
We explored on foot, but one thing we had to do before leaving Italy was a cooking class, specifically to learn how to make those legendary pastas like tagliatelle and ravioli. So, we found the perfect tour on GetYourGuide for that, with the added bonus of learning how to make tiramisu too.
So, I’m going to start with the egg whites, okay? And I will put… So, most of the recipes tell you to add all the sugar to the yolks, but my Nanny always used to tell me to add one scoop to the whites as well because it helps to glue everything together.
We’ve already learned the history of tiramisu, and it’s so fascinating. It’s actually known as a “pick-me-up” dessert, and that’s because “tirami” means basically “pull me out” or “lift me up,” and that’s literally what it translates to. And that’s because it’s got coffee in it, and it was often made for people who had night shifts, just so that they would have a bit of a pick-me-up.
Some of those people included, um, gods and prostitutes. You can also talk positive affirmations to your tiramisu.
After creating our tiramisu, it was time to head to the kitchen in the back to start with the real cooking portion of this class. The first step was to create dough for both our ravioli and tagliatelle. This was super simple, as it was just a whole bunch of flour, some egg, and a lot of good kneading.
Pasta machines
This is the moment I’ve been waiting for for ages: to finally use one of these pasta machines. It’s intimidating. Okay, let’s go. You ready?
By the way, guys, this is so much fun. We make a little pancake. Isn’t she lovely? Like so. Dip her in, yeah, just make sure there’s flour all over. Then we put it in. Missing… I’m going in. That looks done to me. Oh, no, yeah, you’re done.
Beautiful. Other one, one more. Done. No, you can do the other one. I did it. It’s a lot hotter than it looks like. What the heck? Having so much fun. So good.
So, we’re just making our spinach and ricotta cheese filling. Look at him, he’s so cute. And then we just chuck them right there in the ravioli. I think we’ve got about six pieces of ravioli. This is not cooking; this is making art.
This is architecture. This is so involved. I will never eat a piece of ravioli ever again and not appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making it. It’s difficult, but it’s fun.
Bottomless
I’m a proud mama. This is so much fun, I can’t deal. This tour is bottomless. What is this? Pesto? Prosecco? Excuse me, Prosecco.
And now we’re getting white wine because it pairs well with ravioli. It’s a lot of alcohol, guys, and there’s no limit whatsoever. We have a beautiful Ban Pano doc. Pano is very close to Siena; it’s one of the best wines. It’s dry, but it’s also.
That’s what we made: ricotta cheese and spinach stuffed ravioli, cooked in a sage and butter sauce. Guys, this is it. This is amazing. This is living.
Yay! We’re on the train now from Florence to Milan, and then we are going to drive up to Lake Como. But if you want to end your trip here, I think you’ll be more than satisfied with what you’ve done in Italy. From Venice to Rome to the Amalfi Coast to Florence, it’s a fantastic trip.
When we were booking our train from Florence to Milan, an option on Trenitalia popped up to upgrade to business class for just €13, so we decided, “Yeah, sure, let’s do that.” We are sitting in a very comfortable cabin here right at the front of the train. We’ve got a lot more space than on the other ones, and yeah, it’s just really nice.
We also get a few snacks and drinks on this one, so we don’t have to go to the shop ourselves and buy coffees and stuff. We’ll let you know if it’s worth it at the end, though. But do look out for those little pop-ups for upgrades. Also, there’s Wi-Fi on the train that you can access pretty easily, and it’s very fast too. The trains travel at 300 km per hour, so you really get around the country pretty quickly.
I must say, my drive from Amalfi to Florence on the highways was a little bit hectic. There were a ton of trucks. I didn’t really enjoy the drive. I do prefer just sitting here, doing a bit of work on a laptop, scrolling on the internet, and just chilling on the train. I think it’s a bit better.
Fiat Ducato
Let’s start the next leg of this Italian journey. If all the vans in this yard didn’t give it away, we’ve decided to give van life a try for a week. We’re here at the Indie Campers Depot in Milan to pick up this bad boy: a fully kitted-out Fiat Ducato that sleeps four and costs roughly €130 per night, including fresh new pillows and linen. For a full tour of the van and our experience doing this for the first time.
For now, our plan is to drive up, spend a night on the shores of Lake Como, and then head into Switzerland. We’ve heard groceries are crazy expensive there, so we decided to stock up on some good old Italian ingredients. Who doesn’t love that?
The drive to Como was spectacular, albeit a little tight on some of the hairpin turns. Nonetheless, we got to our campsite safely. We’re staying here at La Foras, which costs around €35 for the night. It has amazing bathrooms and cleaning facilities, electricity, and some of the best views you’ll ever see.
Our very first meal in a van ever! We cooked some risotto. It’s raining outside, so a warm meal… we’re doing so well.
Lake Como
We are at Lake Como now, and we spent the night camping at Laas Campsite, which was right on the lake. We haven’t told people that we got a van yet.
They know we got a van from Indie Campers, and we drove it from Milan to Lake Como. Now, the next day, we are walking to Bellagio, which is a cute little town here on the shores of Lake Como. It’s the main area where most tourists end up staying here in Lake Como, and it’s stinking cute.
We can’t actually drive into Bellagio with our huge van, so we just found a parking spot about 1.5 km back, and now we’re just walking in. Yeah, it’s a beautiful, peaceful town. We would love to retire here. What a place—literally.
I’m saying it now—Lake Como is my absolute favorite place in the whole of Italy that we have been. Wow, that’s huge. It is unreal. Unreal. Take nothing away from Tuscany—I love Tuscany, it was beautiful—but this is… wow.
A little panini, a little cappuccino, an insane view, birds… it doesn’t get better than this. It is so beautiful.
Bellagio, you have to book a hotel somewhere along here and stay right here in Bellagio. It’s stunning. Maybe when we’re big and strong, we can book a hotel right on this strip here. The Bellagio Hotel would be a really good one.
So what else can you do here in Lake Como and in the Bellagio region? Well, there are some really cute towns all over the lake that you can stop at. There’s Nesso, where there’s the famous bridge. You can do some cliff jumping there. You can grab a water taxi or one of the boats and actually go in front of the bridge. It’s so beautiful. Spend the day there swimming on a nice warm day.
Unfortunately, the weather isn’t that great for us. It’s quite chilly. And then, of course, just get out onto the water, take a boat ride, and we’ll link all of the best tours in Lake Como on our GetYourGuide wish list so you can have a browse and see what suits you guys.
You have to come to Bellagio. It is so worth the visit, and to stay here would just be absolutely perfect. There are so many cute restaurants and little shops and little alleys to walk up and explore. We wish we had more time here, honestly. And Lake Como is actually very posh. It’s upmarket.
It’s not overly touristy, so I’m so glad we made the little pit stop here. The camping was fantastic as well. I don’t know—do you prefer camping there on the lake, having a swim, or… both are really good options?
Alright, well, yeah, that’s basically the end of our trip now in Italy. We are really going to drive into Switzerland in the next hour. Guys, Lake Como is the cherry on top for me here. I’m going home with the biggest freaking heart. Yeah, Italy, you are fantastic! Hope you guys found this itinerary blog super helpful, and if you did, don’t forget to give it a comment. We’ll see you in the next one.
Thank you, and that wraps up our Best Italy travel guide | explore the Most beautiful place do and Eat. Do you agree with the places we chose, or is there somewhere you visited that you feel should be on the list? leave us a comment.
You can find me on Instagram: @dreamytravelersofficial/.
