northern italy itinerary" width="1200" height="800" />northern italy itinerary" width="1200" height="800" />
Welcome to this comprehensive guide featuring my 10 day Northern Italy itinerary.
Whether you’re embarking on your first journey around this side of the country, or are a seasoned traveller looking to have the most refined experience, I believe this itinerary is perfect if you want to visit the main cities and towns in north east Italy.
This itinerary is designed to take you away from Venice, where the tour starts, and lead you through the picturesque landscapes of Veneto and Lombardy.
If your travel dreams include going for morning strolls along the shores of Lake Garda and discovering the charming mediaeval streets of Verona, then look no further!
This itinerary is just what you’re looking for. Join me, a girl born and bred in Veneto, on a journey that promises to unveil the beauty and charm of Northeast Italy.
What's in this guide?
In this northern Italy itinerary guide, I’ve tried to include the top destinations to not miss in northern Italy, especially if you’re interested in exploring the Veneto region.
I created a handy map that shows every stop of this itinerary. I’ll also explain how you can get around northern Italy, share some transportation tips, and finally my suggested itinerary with ideas on things to do and see for every destination.
I have created an itinerary map below. To download this Northern Italy itinerary map, simply click on it and Google Maps will automatically save it to your maps.
Keep it handy and use it as a resource to refer back to whenever you need, before and during your trip. To help you even more, I also included the must-see attractions for every single destination, so you have everything in one place!
Getting around Northern Italy by car and public transport is as easy as can be. If you prefer to have flexibility and complete freedom, the best option is a car rental.
Completing this itinerary in low season or during the shoulder seasons is more convenient because you can find good deals with several car rentals. Highways in northern Italy are well-maintained but you pay tolls to access them.
As you can imagine, the main perk of driving is to stop as many times as you want and make some detours if you feel like it (or even stop off for snacks).
I also want to encourage renting a car to explore the Dolomites and Lake Garda. There are many lovely villages in both locations and all close one the other.
Despite their closeness, it can take some time to get from one place to the other by public transport. That’s why the car is the best option for these specific destinations.
For my readers that are not considering driving in Italy, you can still reach every location mentioned on this itinerary. Trenitalia and Italo high-speed trains can take you from Venice to Verona and then onto Lake Garda and Milan in no time.
From Venice, I recommend joining a tour or getting the bus to the Dolomites and arriving in Cortina. You can easily get to Lake Garda from Verona and vice versa by train or by bus. The positive side of travelling by train is that you don’t have to think about parking once you get to the destination, and just start your exploration!
For this itinerary I suggest combining both modes of transport as you can quite easily rent a car in Venice that will allow you to reach the Dolomites in 2 hours.
Once there, you can explore alpine villages at your own pace and then drive down Lake Garda. Here you can continue your road trip along the scenic Gardesana Orientale road and stop along the way to visit different lakeside villages and towns.
You can drop the car in Verona, visit the city and then get a high-speed train to Milan. After exploring Milan, you can simply get another high-speed train and travel back to Venice where this itinerary ends.
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With no further ado, let’s dive straight into this 10 days in Northern Italy itinerary and find out how you can spend your time in this magical part of the country!
Before getting into this, I’d like to clarify that this itinerary starts and ends in Venice so you can plan your travel around one of the airports near Venice if you choose.
However, feel completely free to readapt it based on your arrival and departure airports that could alternatively be Verona or even Milan (see examples below):
As always, if you need my help and another pair of eyes to look at your itinerary/plan, or need more personalised plans, just email me at [email protected] .
For the first two days (day 1 and 2) of this northern Italy itinerary you’ll explore the unique streets and piazzas of Venice to get yourself acquainted with the region.
The city of canals and bridges is packed with things to do and see and 2 days are definitely not enough but you can certainly get a glimpse into its timeless beauty.
Since you’re currently planning your trip to northern Italy, I invite you to read my popular 2 days in Venice itinerary which contains a full schedule and personal tips.
While in Venice, don’t miss:
With 2 days in Venice you can indulge in some of the must-eat Venetian foods, visit the famous Libreria Acqua Alta and other lesser known gems, but also go for a stroll around the neighbourhoods of Dorsoduro and San Polo.
Here’s my personal selection of recommended places to stay in Venice:
There are so many other options, as you can imagine. See my guide that looks at where to stay in Venice in more detail to review more types of accommodation.
The following stop of this itinerary are the beautiful Dolomites. This mountain range extends for nearly 16000 km in north east Italy, more precisely in the Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige regions.
From Venice, you can either join one of the organised day trip tours to Dolomites that will take you back to Venice once finished.
Alternatively, you can get the Cortina Express bus from Piazzale Roma that takes between 2 to 3 hours to get to Cortina. The bus stops in different places along the way such as Valle di Cadore, Borca di Cadore and San Vito di Cadore.
I suggest hiring a car in Venice (or Mestre) and driving to a village of your choice in the Dolomites. Any village near Cortina d’Ampezzo is perfect to explore the entire area. See my guide to driving in Venice for more ideas on how you can plan ahead.
These are some of the unmissable things to do in the Dolomites:
Here’s my personal selection of places to stay in or near Cortina d’Ampezzo:
From the Dolomites, drive down to Lake Garda, your next destination of this northern Italy itinerary. By car you drive along the Gardesana Orientale road and visit a couple of villages and towns of your choice.
Some places you can stop by along the way arriving from the Dolomites are:
Lake Garda, which is also called Lake Benaco (did you know?) is located in north east Italy and it’s the largest lake in the country. Its coasts belong to 3 different regions: Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige and Lombardy.
By following this itinerary you’ll cover the main locations worth visiting on Veneto’s side. If you happen to have more time on your hands, you can also take a look at my Lake Garda itinerary if you want see how I recently spent my time here.
Here’s some ideas on what you can do in each place:
Here’s my personal selection of recommended places to stay in Lake Garda:
From the southern shores of Lake Garda, you can reach Verona in less than 30 minutes and start your exploration of the famous City of Love.
Verona is known for:
After dropping off your car, you can spend the rest of your time exploring all these attractions during your day 5.
Everything in Verona is within walking distance and you can get the Verona city card and skip the line access to the Arena and visit Juliet’s house and other city museums.
I also recommend going for a walk along the Adige river, crossing the Ponte Pietra and getting the cable car or walking up to Castel San Pietro. From there, you can admire incredible views of Verona from above and it’s a popular spot around sunset.
From Verona Porta Nuova, you can get a Trenitalia or Italo high-speed train to Milano Centrale, where you’ll spend 2 days.
Milan is a cosmopolitan city, also called the Fashion capital city and you’ll pretty soon understand why, simply walking around its streets.
Despite its modern look, there’s a lot of history and architectural masterpieces to explore during your time here.
Here’s what you can do in 2 days in Milan:
The rest of your time, I suggest going for long walks in the Brera district, in the Sempione park and do some (window) shopping in the Quadrilatero district and Corso Venezia.
Here’s my personal selection of recommended places to stay in Milan:
From Milano Centrale, you can travel back to Venice, the starting point of this 10 day itinerary by high-speed train. You’ll arrive at Santa Lucia train station.
Depending on what time your flight is, you can either get a bus or water bus to Marco Polo airport or spend some extra time in Venice, exploring the neighbourhood of Cannaregio.
I like to recommend that visitor to Venice go to Cannaregio because it is one of the closest districts to the station and one of the best to explore with limited time.
Here in Cannaregio neighbourhood you can:
To make sure you have all in order for the airport, check my guides to find out how to get from Venice city centre to Marco Polo airport or from Venice to Treviso airport.
This Northern Italy itinerary is perfect if you have 10 days to explore this side of the country, and even better if have a special interest in the Veneto region.
The good news is that you can choose to complete it by train, by car or ideally, combining these 2 modes of transport. What I like, and I think you will like about it too, is all the diverse landscapes that you get to visit in such a short span of time.
With it’s starting point in Venice, then heading up on over to the majestic Dolomites, then to some of the charming villages that surround Lake Garda and the rich cities of Verona and Milan, this itinerary has literally it all!
Feel free to complete the itinerary in reverse and change the arrival or even the departure airport (if necessary) to make it fit to your exact needs.
Also, if you have more time in Italy to spend, why not see this list of some of my favourite cities in Veneto for ideas on places that you can visit while in the region?
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Ciao! I'm Maddy. My best memories of Venice go back to the days when I was a little girl. My goal is to share my tips and ideas on how you can have a wonderful time in Venice Read More About Me.
