Italy Itinerary: Our 10 Nights in Milan, Lake Como, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast

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This is the exact route we took on our Soul Sisters Italy trip in June 2024: four nights in Milan, a day trip to Lake Como, two nights in Venice, and four nights on the Amalfi Coast.

Below is the day-by-day plan, how we got between each stop, where we stayed, and what I’d keep or change.

Where We Went: Our Italy Route

Our route ran north to south. We started in Milan in the north, went east across the top of the country to Venice, then flew down to Naples for the Amalfi Coast in the south.

These are the stops, numbered to match the map above. Each one links to Google Maps.

1. Milan: Italy’s fashion and business capital, and home of the Duomo. We stayed four nights.
2. Lake Como: A long, deep lake at the foot of the Alps, about an hour north of Milan. We visited Como and Bellagio on a day trip.
3. Selva Capuzza: A winery near Lake Garda, between Milan and Venice, where we stopped for a tasting.
4. Venice: The city built on canals. We stayed two nights.
5. Naples: The closest big airport to the Amalfi Coast, and the home of pizza. We landed here and flew home from here.
6. Amalfi Coast: A stretch of cliffside towns south of Naples. We stayed four nights between Amalfi and Minori.

Open Italy in Google Maps to see how the stops fit together.

Our Italy Itinerary, Day by Day

This is what we did, in the order we did it.

Days 1 to 4: Milan

We started in Milan and used it as our base for the first four nights. The Duomo, the Galleria, and the food tour stops are all walkable from each other, and Lake Como is close enough for a day trip, so we didn’t have to pack up and move for it.

Our food tour was with FollowMi Around, and the cooking class was taught by Cesarine. I also bought my first Prada bag at the original store in the Galleria.

Everything we did, ate, and booked is in our Milan guide.

Day 4: Lake Como Day Trip

Lake Como is about an hour from Milan. We went with a private driver, walked Como town in the morning, had lunch on the water in Cadenabbia, and spent the afternoon in Bellagio.

The full day, with a map of the lake towns, is in our Lake Como guide.

Days 5 and 6: Venice

We left Milan by bus and broke up the drive with a wine tasting at Selva Capuzza, a winery near Lake Garda known for Lugana. From the edge of the lagoon, a water taxi took us to our hotel.

With one full day, we saw St. Mark’s Square from the outside, did a walking food tour, shopped for masks and glass, and took a gondola ride. The food tour was amazing, and the gondola ride in our masks was so fun.

What we did and where we ate is in our Venice guide.

Days 7 to 10: The Amalfi Coast

Part of the group flew home from Venice. The rest of us flew to Naples, met a private driver, and stopped for lunch at Cantina del Vesuvio, a winery on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, on the way to the coast.

We stayed four nights at Hotel Marmorata, between Amalfi and Minori, in an apartment with a terrace over the sea. From there we did the Amalfi Lemon Experience, a private boat day around Capri, and a beach club day in Positano.

The full four days are in our Amalfi Coast guide.

Where We Stayed

• Milan: NYX Hotel Milan. A pretty modern hotel in a great location for the train station and the city center.
• Venice: Hotel Carlton on the Grand Canal.
• Amalfi Coast: Hotel Marmorata. Our apartment was a short walk up the hill from the hotel itself, which turned out to be no big deal at all.

We paid for all three stays ourselves. They were not hosted or sponsored.

Getting Between Each Stop

• Milan to Lake Como: Private driver, about an hour each way.
• Milan to Venice: Private bus with the whole group, with a winery stop near Lake Garda. Here’s how we plan a girls trip for a group this size.
• Home: We flew out of Naples.
• Into Venice: Water taxi from the edge of the lagoon to the hotel.
• Venice to Naples: A short flight.
• Naples to the Amalfi Coast: Private driver.
• Around the Amalfi Coast: Ferries and a private boat.

If you’re traveling on your own, the train covers Milan to Lake Como and Milan to Venice.

Italy Itinerary FAQs

Final Thoughts

This route gave us a city, a lake, the canals, and the coast in one trip. For the food side of it, see our foodie guide to Italy.