Italy Guide: 5 Major Cities

The 5 major cities I stayed in during my tour of Italy.

May 2023

Ciao! I traveled all around Italy and these are the 5 major cities I stopped at in order of the trip.

Rome, Italy

1. Sorrento and Pompeii

Sorrento was full of fresh lemons and amazing views. Flying into Naples we stayed in Sorrento, which is on the coast and was filled with great restaurants, cute shops, and fresh fruit everywhere. Also, a short train ride to Pompeii to see the breathtaking history of the city frozen in ash. I highly recommend going to Pompeii if you find yourself near Naples.

2. Capri, Amalfi Coast

We scheduled a private 8-hour boat tour out of Sorrento to Capri where we floated under the White Grottos. Docking in Capri, we ate at the private beach club called Torre Saracena. One of the best views of the entire trip. Capri was beautiful but also very very busy filled with tourists so we did not stay too long. We anchored at Positano where we laid out on the boat for a while. Overall, an amazing experience but you must take Dramamine or something of that nature trust me, many of us were quite sick at some point.

3. Rome & Vatican City

Rome was full of history and so much to do for tourists. The city is huge so it never felt too busy. The Colosseum tour was so interesting and a must if you are going to Rome, but prepare for lots of walking and steps. You definitely will need good walking shoes and water because I probably walked the most in this city. The Trevi Fountain was one of my favorite parts of my stop in Rome but I recommend going very early around 6 A.M. to beat the crowd. I also went to Vatican City, which is a landlocked independent country in Rome. We didn't need our passports when we went but I would bring it just in case, dress appropriately, and be prepared to wait in line for at least an hour if you want to enter St. Peter's Basilica. I didn't get to go into the Sistine Chapel but that is something I wish I could have done. Rome was great and a must-see but would I go more than once?... personally no.

4. Florence

Florence was my favorite city out of all of the places I went to in Italy. It is great for all ages, my sister and I are in college and both agreed it was one of our favorites. This city is also one of the most popular study-abroad destinations so there are a lot of young people. But the city is still quite slow-moving but has great music and beautiful buildings like the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and the Baptistery of St. John. Florence is very well known for their steak and leather goods, so going to the leather markets is a must. Overall, my favorite culture of any city in Italy, and would love to go back and spend more time there.

5. Venice

Venice was the most interesting city I have ever been to. There are no cars, you walk and take gondolas everywhere. the water everywhere was really beautiful and Venice had unique shops and really good food. At this point, we were tired of Italian food so we went to a great Japanese restaurant called Fusjon about 3 days in a row. The best way to see the city of Venice is to go on a gondola boat ride. I would definitely go back to Venice.

Conclusion:

Italy is full of amazing cities with so many different cultures, I didn't get to see all of them so these are just a few suggestions I can offer. Overall, each one was great in its own way but my favorite was Florence. But wherever you go in Italy, it will be beautiful. Try real gelato, eat a lot of pizza, all of the pasta- definitely the cacio e pepe, and see the history it's all around.

PS: I will write blog posts on each city individually to go more in-depth on the specifics and cultures.