Best 28 Days in Italy — Without Walking Tours

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

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

Take the 2.5-hour train to Pompeii's UNESCO ruins buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD — walk a frozen Roman city

Ride through Rome's ancient streets in a Vespa sidecar with a local guide narrating the city's history

Cook three Roman classics — fresh pasta, cacio e pepe, and tiramisu — in a hands-on family kitchen class

Drive through UNESCO Val d'Orcia wine country visiting Montepulciano, Pienza, and Sant'Antimo Abbey

Visit two UNESCO sites 30km from Rome — Emperor Hadrian's 120-hectare villa and 500-fountain Renaissance gardens

Take the 1.5-hour Frecciarossa train to Florence for a day of Renaissance art at the Uffizi and Duomo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii and walk a frozen Roman city buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD

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

Board a traditional gozzo boat and circle the entire island past the Faraglioni, White Grotto, and Punta Carena lighthouse

Cook a three-course Campanian meal in a Positano resident's home — pasta, seafood, and limoncello dessert

Learn to assemble five Italian aperitivo nibbles and pair them with a Positano sunset and a glass of Falanghina

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

Catch a 45-minute train from Milan to Como, then take the ferry to photogenic Bellagio and Varenna

Hike from Manarola to a hillside vineyard and taste Cinque Terre DOC and the rare sweet Sciacchetrà with local focaccia

Sail from Monterosso past all five pastel villages at sunset, stop for a swim, and sip prosecco as the cliffs turn golden

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