Best 28 Days in Italy — Budget

Visit the Pantheon, toss a coin in Trevi Fountain with the children, and stroll to Piazza Navona for gelato

Wander Trastevere's cobblestone lanes at sunset and eat supplì, cacio e pepe, and Roman pizza al taglio

Shop the Testaccio covered market and taste supplì, porchetta, and maritozzo in Rome's most authentic food neighborhood

Stroll from the Spanish Steps through the Baroque heart of Rome to the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona

Pre-book Vatican Museums tickets to see the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms without queuing for hours

Spend unscheduled time in Rome at your own pace — browse markets, linger at a café, or follow a last-minute lead

Reserve a mandatory 2-hour slot at the Borghese Gallery, then let the children ride bikes and row boats in Rome's loveliest park

Make fresh ravioli, fettuccine, and pappardelle in a small-group Roman cooking class — great for children age 5+

Climb the dome of St. Peter's Basilica and walk the world's smallest country at the Vatican

Walk Florence's UNESCO historic center from the multicolored Duomo to the medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge

Walk across the medieval Ponte Vecchio and browse Oltrarno's leatherworkers, bookbinders, and mosaic workshops

Graze the Mercato Centrale's two floors of Tuscan street food — lampredotto, ribollita, schiacciata — and browse outdoor leather stalls

Watch the sunset over Florence's rooftops and Arno River from the panoramic Piazzale Michelangelo

Book ahead for the Uffizi to see Botticelli's Birth of Venus, da Vinci's Annunciation, and the world's greatest Renaissance collection

Climb 463 steps to the top of Brunelleschi's revolutionary dome for 360° views over Florence's terracotta rooftops

Book a timed slot to stand before Michelangelo's 5.17m marble David at the Galleria dell'Accademia

Take the vaporetto to the Murano glass museum and glassblowing demos — kids love the fire — then ride to Burano's candy-colored houses

Visit the Rialto Fish Market at dawn, cross the 16th-century stone bridge, and watch Grand Canal boat traffic below

Stand in Venice's iconic Piazza San Marco and climb the Campanile bell tower for sweeping lagoon views

Navigate Venice's back canals and medieval calli (alleys) away from the tourist trail, discovering hidden campi and craft shops

Enter St. Mark's golden Byzantine basilica and the Doge's Palace — book the Palace in advance to skip long queues

Walk Sorrento's clifftop center, descend to the fishing harbor, and take in views of Vesuvius across the Bay of Naples

Stroll to the clifftop park at the Gardens of Augustus — children love spotting the Faraglioni sea stacks from the viewpoint

Spend a free morning or afternoon in Capri — swim at Marina Piccola, browse boutiques in the Piazzetta, or walk to the Natural Arch

Walk Positano's steep narrow lanes, photograph its pastel dome from the beach, and swim at Spiaggia Grande

Spend a free block in Positano — swim at Fornillo Beach, browse ceramic shops on Via dei Mulini, or sit at a beach bar

Walk through Milan's 1867 glass-vaulted arcade and stroll the Quadrilatero della Moda — Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga

Stroll Milan's 12th-century canal network and join locals at canalside aperitivo bars from 6pm

Hike the Sentiero Azzurro coastal trail from Monterosso to Vernazza along dramatic cliffside paths above the Ligurian Sea

Swim and sunbathe at Monterosso al Mare's sandy beach — the only proper beach in Cinque Terre — with views of medieval towers

Take the train to the Ligurian coast and hike the coastal Blue Trail between Monterosso, Vernazza, and Corniglia

Swim from a private lido, rent a kayak, or sit on a villa garden terrace and watch the light change on the Alps

Spend a free half-day at Lake Como — visit Villa Carlotta's gardens, swim from a lido, or take the Bellagio funicular up to the fortress