Best 28 Days in Italy — from Florence

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

Join a small-group day tour through Chianti vineyards, medieval San Gimignano, and a Tuscan farmhouse lunch

Hand-stitch a leather wallet, card holder, or bracelet under the guidance of an Oltrarno master craftsman

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

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

Stand before Botticelli's Birth of Venus at the Uffizi and Michelangelo's 17-foot David at the Accademia

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

Spend unscheduled time in Florence — climb the Giotto Campanile, browse Oltrarno leather shops, or linger at a cafe

Take the 1-hour train to Pisa and climb the Leaning Tower alongside its marble cathedral and circular baptistery

Take the 2.5-hour train to Cinque Terre and hike or ferry between five pastel fishing villages on the Italian Riviera

Take the 75-minute bus to Siena and walk Gothic brick streets to the fan-shaped Piazza del Campo and striped Cathedral

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

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

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+

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

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

Ride vaporetto Line 1 the full length of the Grand Canal past 200 Gothic and Renaissance palaces — then take a gondola through back canals

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

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

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

Take the bus to Anacapri and descend by rowboat into the Blue Grotto's eerily glowing sea cave

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

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

Catch the morning hydrofoil to Capri, visit the Blue Grotto, and browse the glamorous Piazzetta before the return ferry

Book months ahead to see Leonardo's Last Supper mural — only 40 visitors admitted every 15 minutes

Walk among 135 Gothic spires on the Duomo rooftop and admire 3,200 marble statues on Italy's largest cathedral

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

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

Drive through UNESCO-listed Val d'Orcia, stopping at cypress-lined roads, Pienza village, and a Brunello di Montalcino tasting

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

Cross the lake by ferry between Bellagio and Varenna, browsing pastel lanes, gelato shops, and silk boutiques