Italy is on many people’s dream destination lists for good reason.  You have the charm and ambiance in the small towns dotting the countryside and the incredible historical sites in the bigger cities of Rome, Pompeii, and Florence.  The people are friendly, the food delicious, and the wine…what more could you ask for?!  In this one week itinerary, we share our full experience, starting in the beautiful region of Tuscany and ending in the ancient city of Rome.

A Little About Italy

Italy is the boot-shaped country jutting off the southern end of the European continent into the Mediterranean Sea.  There is such variedness among regions in Italy:   the hill towns of Tuscany, the exquisite coasts of Amalfi and Cinque Terre, the mountainous region of the Dolomites in the north, and the incredible islands of Sicily and Sardinia.  Within the country of Italy are also two micro-countries, Vatican City and San Marino.  Italy is a nation that shares a geographical commonality although each region greatly differs from the next.  Cuisine differs from region to region as does culture and history.  No matter what region you visit, you will surely find Italy delightful.

Our Experience

On our first visit to Italy we visited Rome and Tuscany.  We based our itinerary on where we would be flying in and out of, Rome.  We knew we wanted to see the sites in Rome but also wanted to experience the Italian countryside.  Tuscany won us over so we settled on staying in the walled city of Lucca, located in northern Tuscany.

Rome & Tuscany, the northern region of Italy

When we visited

Early April during the kids’ spring break.  We found it to be a wonderful time to visit.  Flowers were blooming and the weather was pleasant for exploring.  

How we got around

We rented a car so we would be able to drive between Rome and Tuscany and were happy with the decision to self-drive.  First of all, driving in Italy was easy with fellow drivers having good “road manners”.  Second, driving here followed the same road rules as the US. 

NOTE:  You do have to obtain an International Driving Permit to drive in Italy in addition to carrying your American drivers license.  Check out this website for information on how to obtain an IDP). 

We also planned to do a couple of day trips while in Tuscany so the convenience of having a car won out over relying on public transportation.  On our way back to Rome, we turned our car in at the airport and then took a taxi from the airport to our hotel.  While in Rome, we walked everywhere!  We logged a lot of miles but we loved roaming Rome on foot! 

Here is our one week itinerary:

• Day 1 – Travel to Rome from the US
• Day 2 – Arrive in Rome, pick up rental car, head north to Lucca
• Day 3 – Explore Lucca
• Day 4 – Day trip to San Gusme
• Day 5 – Day trip to Florence
• Day 6 – Drive from Lucca to Rome, stop at Pisa on the way
• Day 7 – Explore Rome
• Day 8 – Explore Rome
• Day 9 – Travel home to the US

Our driving route in Italy

Our trip to Italy began with landing in Rome, picking up our rental car from the airport, and driving north to Tuscany.  That was quite a feat after a very long travel day with a transatlantic flight!  We had family would were also visiting Tuscany at the same time, which is why we decided to head there first. However, we suggest doing the Rome portion at the beginning.  Looking back, we would have preferred to get to our hotel and work our way through jet lag in the first few days of the trip while in Rome, but traveling is always a learning experience!

Lucca, Italy

Lucca is the city we based in while in Tuscany.  It is a lovely town with lots to do, while being perfectly situated for exploring Tuscany.

Lucca was founded by the Estruscans and settled as a Roman colony in 180 BC.  There are still some remnants of Roman time here, such as Piazza San Michele, which stands on the old Roman Forum, and the grid of the Roman street plan is preserved in the historical center.  Lucca a good sized town with multiple grocery stores and even a McDonald’s, but the real treasure of Lucca lies within its walls.

Where we stayed

We stayed in an Airbnb, a 500-year-old stone house with incredible views of Tuscany rolling out below.  Olive and lemon trees dotted the landscape and it was very peaceful with amazing views of Tuscany.

Our stone house in Lucca

As lovely as the house was, it was rustic!  We had a hard time figuring out how to use the stove and the kitchen felt like Snow White’s cottage.  There was a large gap under the front door and one night I saw a gecko make its way in!  Also getting here was a bit challenging in our rental van chugging up up up the high hills.  However, we appreciated the charm of the house and the beauty surrounding it. 

The outdoor space – what a view! | Lucca

Olive trees on the path to the home | Lucca

Things to do in Lucca

We enjoyed walking the 16th century wall that surrounds the city of Lucca.  One can either take a leisurely stroll or rent a bicycle to completely circumnavigate the wall and take in the views from above.  There are playgrounds along the way and grassy knolls for the kids to play on. 

On the wall that surrounds Lucca

Lucca is also known as the “City of 100 Churches”, so there are many churches to explore.  We especially enjoyed exploring San Michele in Foro, right in the city center.

The kids hanging out at San Michele in Foro | Lucca

Famous opera composer, Giacomo Puccini, is a native to Lucca and the home he was born in is now a museum sharing many of his personal items.  Lucca loves its Puccini and even hosts an annual music festival, the Festival Puccini.  Many famous composers have their roots in Lucca, but Puccini is the most celebrated.

The Guinigi Tower is a walled tower with a bit of fluff on the top – trees growing out of the top!  It is a peculiar sight but also a great site to visit.  The tower is part of Case de Guinigi which belongs to two medieval mansions.  One of these mansions now houses the National Museum.  

Lucca makes a great homebase for exploring Tuscany.  It’s about 30 minutes from Pisa, 1 hour from Florence, 1 hour 40 minutes from Cinque Terre, and 2 hours to Siena.  While staying in Lucca we day tripped to nearby towns as well.

Lovely Lucca

Day Trip to San Gusme

San Gusme was our Tuscan dream come true!  This tiny medieval town captured our hearts.  San Gusme is about a 2 hour drive from Lucca and definitely worth a visit.  Much of the little town is all connected to one another, all with the same stonework.  This is a place we visited without an agenda, rather just to take in the ambiance of a small Italian village.   

San Gusme

We strolled around leisurely, walking the little lanes and taking photos as everything was so picturesque. 

And then we had our extraordinary lunch.  The owner of the restaurant was very happy to have us!  He first set up a long table right outside on the cobblestone lane with enough seating for all of us – party of 12!  He excused himself for a few minutes and disappeared around the corner.  We got ourselves seated and before we knew it, he came back with a paper sack in hand.  Inside were items for our meal as well as a large baguette sticking out!  Soon, we were enjoying freshly sliced bread with olive oil for dipping and drinks while the chef created our meal.  Lunch on this quiet cobblestone lane in this charming little town was magical.  We spent a few hours eating and drinking and enjoying this most lovely meal.

San Gusme

Day Trip to Florence

We visited Florence as a day trip from Lucca.  We were looking forward to a day immersed in the city that is known as the birthplace of the Renaissance.  But for us, Florence is a city I think we need to revisit because we didn’t have the best experience.

For starters, we were caught in rush hour traffic on our way in.  Bumper to bumper traffic and fast moving cars, caused us a frenzied trip into Florence.  I had noted where the guidebook said to park however it took a bit of time to figure it out.  After several times circling about, we finally found the garage and parked our car.  Phew!

Next, we had to catch the ATAF bus that would take us into the city center.  Again, we could not figure out how to buy tickets ahead of time so we jumped on board and tried to ask the driver.  He refused to speak to us so we just got on and searched how to do so on our phones during the ride.  During our searching, Mike found out that if you do not purchase tickets ahead of time and an inspector comes on board to check tickets each person in your party can be subjected to a huge fine.  Gulp!  We sweated it out until we finally got to our stop and we could not get off the bus fast enough!

NOTE:  The ATAF system is now no longer and is replaced by Autolinee Toscane.  Tickets can be purchased from ticket offices and official retailers displaying the “Autolinee Toscane” sticker.  One can also use the Tabnet app.  Check the website for up-to-date information.

We arrived at our first stop of the day, The Uffizi Gallery, a tad after our timed ticket due to the issue with finding parking earlier.  Thankfully they allowed us in.  Now for the amazing art!

The Uffizi Gallery’s collection spans the middle ages through modern times.  Some of the famous pieces are The Birth of Venus, Medusa, and Madonna with the Long Neck.  

The incredible Uffizi Gallery

As is typical with kids, they had their fill within a couple of hours so we headed out to find lunch.

We had a lovely outdoor lunch on the square in front of the beautiful church, Santa Croce.  This square was a great spot to sit back and take in the beauty of Florence while dining. 

View from our lunch spot

Post-lunch handstands by Ava, in front of Basilica of Santa Croce

After lunch, we had one more museum to see while here, The Accademia Gallery.  

The Accademia is a perfect museum to visit with the kids!  It is small and has one major, very recognizable piece of art, Michelangelo’s David. 

The star of the Accademia, David

We learned that Michelangelo did not simply chisel his statues from the stone, rather he believed the statue was in there, he was just just chiseling it out. 

David commands the crowds

The gallery also features other pieces by Michelangelo as well other Renaissance artists.  A new addition is the Museum of Musical Instruments, which features one-of-a-kind instruments from famous instrument inventors.

The kids checking out The David | The Accademia, Florence

After our visit to The Accademia, we ready to head back to Lucca.  On our way out of Florence, we dodged peddlers at every turn.  We also had to watch where we stepped on the sidewalks and streets as a lot of art was just placed right in the middle of the walkways.  Florence is a lot busier and hectic than we expected so we were ready to get back to peaceful Lucca!

Goodbye, Florence!

Quick Stop in Pisa

Pisa gets mixed reviews but we are glad we stopped to see its famous sites.  We only spent about an hour here, checking out Campo dei Miracoli, the location of the Leaning Tower of Pisa as well as three other buildings:  the Cathedral, Baptistry, and monumental graveyard.

Campo dei Miracoli

Pisa first became a Roman colony in 180 BC.  It survived the collapse of the Roman Empire and remained an important port due to its prime location on the Arno River and proximity to the Tyhhrenian Sea.  Today, Pisa is most well-known for The Leaning Tower of Pisa, which draws the tourists in to check out this curious leaning piece of architecture.

Family photo!

We enjoyed grabbing our touristy photos and seeing that lean for ourselves.  We were on our way from Lucca back to Rome so this was just a quick stop for us.  In our opinion,  Pisa is definitely worth a stop.

 Rome Sweet Rome

Rome absolutely captivated us!  We loved the energy and vibrancy in this city.  The history is unmatched and we could have spent much longer here.  We had just a few days and were able to see the top sites.

After our tour of Tuscany, we turned our car in at the airport in Rome and then took a taxi from the airport to our hotel.  While in Rome, we walked everywhere.  We logged a lot of miles but we loved roaming Rome on foot! 

Where we stayed

We stayed at Hotel Santa Maria and to this day it remains one of our favorite hotels.  Sitting behind an iron gate, you walk past multiple orange trees to get to your room. 

Upon entering the iron gates, this is your view! | Rome

Orange trees right outside our door | Rome

We had plenty of room to spread out for the six of us (my mom joined us on this trip).  Every morning, a delicious buffet breakfast was set up with made-to-order drinks such as lattes or cappuccinos.  We also relaxed on the rooftop deck with a glass of wine after a day of busy sightseeing in Rome.

Lovely seating for relaxing; Ava on the roof deck | Rome

Wander the Trastevere Neighborhood

I am including the Trastevere Neighborhood as something to experience while in Rome because it is full of ambiance.  Our hotel, The Santa Maria, is located here and we were so happy with the location.  The streets are picturesque with piazzas throughout, where you find locals lounging at the end of the day.  We just couldn’t get enough of roaming around here, especially as the light changed to golden hour and soon to cozy evening time. 

Evening ambiance in Trastevere | Rome

Take in the history of the Colosseum

As one of the world’s most famous landmarks, the Colosseeum is a must when visiting Rome.

The Colosseum | Rome

The Colosseum dates back to 70 AD and has quite the infamous past.  It is known for hosting gladiator battles in many forms:  human vs. human, animal vs. animal, and even human vs. animal.  Its official name is the Flavian Amphitheater, although it’s better known by its nickname, the Colosseum, which referrs to its “colossal size”.  

We spent about an hour here on a self-guided tour, exploring the all nooks and crannies.  Tours are available to view the gladiator floor and arena up close.  Our kids were young so we decided to self-tour, which was still amazing.  This iconic structure holds so much history that we were in awe.

The inside of the Colosseum | Rome

The gated areas are where spectators used to sit watching battles | Rome

The Colosseum | Rome

Wander the Ancient Roman Forum

When purchasing your tickets to visit the Colosseum you also have access to The Roman Forum, located nearby, as well as the Parthenon.

The Roman Forum | Rome

Visiting the Roman Forum is like walking back in time to Roman Days, entering homes, living rooms, libraries, and public spaces.  Interestingly, back then people mostly ate out in restaurants instead of cooking at home.  

The Roman Forum | Rome

We found it intriguing, imaging Romans living life here centuries ago.  The pinnacle of the visit was the mount of dirt in The Temple of Caesar, where Julius Caesar’s body was burned.  To this day, fresh flowers are still brought to honor the slain emperor.

The kids checking out where Julius Caesar’s body was burned | The Roman Forum, Rome

TIP:  I highly recommend a guide to explore the Roman Forum.  For the most part, you’re looking at crumbling archeological ruins.  Although there is signage and we had a book we referenced when visiting, a guide would have definitely brought the forum to life even more.

The kids loved the Roman Forum!

The Vatican & St. Peter’s Basilica

When visiting Vatican City, you can check another country off your list!  As the world’s smallest country, it also remains the capital of Catholicism, with the Pope residing here, carrying out papal duties.  

I knew we had to add visiting The Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica to our itinerary while in Rome, although our visit here blew away any expectations we had – it’s that incredible.  We purchased our tickets ahead of time on the website which allowed us to skip past the line that wrapped around the building, saving us hours!

Skipping the line with our pre-purchased tickets! | The Vatican

First, we visited the Vatican Museum.  Artifacts collected by the Catholic Church spans centuries and includes some of the world’s greatest treasures.  We opted for the audioguide, which was great to have to guide us through the museum.

Pillaged artifacts, a mummy, and Ava with the statue of the Greek god, Hephaestus, who she had a school project on at the time! | The Vatican

My favorite area of the museum was the Gallery of Maps, of which the ceiling is a work of art alone.  Along the walls are hand painted maps from centuries ago.  

The gorgeous ceiling in the Gallery of Maps | The Vatican

Hand painted maps on the walls lined the Gallery of Maps | The Vatican

We then visited St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Catholic Church in the world.  The beauty that lies within this church is indescribable.  Soaring domed ceilings allow natural light in to make them appear to have a heavenly glow. 

The incredible St. Peter’s Basilica | The Vatican

The altar in St. Peter’s Basilica | The Vatican

Michelangelo’s Pieta is here and St. Peter is buried under the altar.  St. Peter’s Basilica evoked emotions out of all of us! 

Michelangelo’s Pieta | St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

After visiting the Basilica, we made our way to the Sistine Chapel.  The Sistine Chapel is known for its ceiling painted by Michelangelo in the 16th century.  It is mesmerizing to look up at the ceiling view the masterpiece as Michelangelo painted it.  Michelangelo actually did not want to paint this, but was forced into it!  Hundreds of years later, we all still marvel at his work, hopefully he would be proud 🙂

NOTE:  No photography is allowed in the Sistine Chapel.  Guards are everywhere keeping order and making sure everyone is following the rules.

The stairs in the Vatican are a work of art themselves | Vatican City

A colorful Swiss Guard guarding the Vatican | Vatican City

Toss a Coin into the Trevi Fountain

To toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain is a very touristy thing to do, but who doesn’t want to ensure a return trip to Rome?!   Simply toss a coin over your left shoulder using your right hand, and you’ll ensure that return visit!  Be warned, the crowds here are massive, so pack your patience during your visit.  

The famous Trevi Fountain |Rome