"La Dolce Vita: A Romantic Honeymoon Itinerary for Exploring Italy's Best Destinations"
Welcome to my blog post about my romantic Italian adventure with my husband in September 2021! Although it may be a bit late, I am excited to finally share our travel itinerary with you, complete with recommendations on where to eat and what to do in some of the most beautiful cities in Italy. During our two-week journey, we explored Rome, Naples, Amalfi, and Venice, and I can confidently say that it was an experience of a lifetime. Despite the ongoing Covid-19 travel restrictions, we were fortunate enough to have fewer tourists around, making our trip even more special. If you are planning a trip to Italy and are in need of some inspiration, look no further! In this post, I'll share our itinerary, some highlights of our trip, and some tips and tricks to make the most out of your Italian adventure. So, let's dive in and start planning your own romantic and unforgettable trip to Italy! I have highlights on my Instagram page in which I’ve shared daily snippets of our trip which can be helpful.
Happy Traveling!
Overview of the trip:
Day 1: Flight to Rome via Frankfurt. Spent the afternoon in Rome.
Day 2: Spent the day in Rome
Day 3: Spent the day in Rome
Day 4: Took a morning train to Naples. Spend the day in Naples
Day 5: Spent the day in Naples
Day 6: Took a ferry to Amalfi. Spent the day in Amalfi.
Day 7: Spent the day in Amalfi.
Day 8: Took an afternoon ferry to Naples. Spent the evening in Naples.
Day 9: Took a morning flight to Venice. Spent the day in Venice.
Day 10: Spent the day in Venice.
Day 11: Spent the day in Venice.
Day 12: Spent the afternoon in Venice. Took an evening train to Switzerland and met my family.
Day 1: Flight to Rome via Frankfurt. Spent the afternoon in Rome.
We took an overnight flight to Frankfurt from Newark and flew on Lufthansa. We reached in the morning on Day 1 and then took a flight to Rome. We reached Rome early afternoon and went to the hotel. We stayed at the Radisson Collection Hotel in Rome. The hotel was really good, it was reasonably priced thanks to covid times, the room was clean and spacious and the location was amazing. We didn’t include breakfast. After checking in to the hotel we took an Uber to the Colosseum. We bought the entry tickets online to save time and downloaded a free audio tour guide. We had lunch at a nearby restaurant named Contrario. Vineria con Cucina for lunch which was fabulous. The pasta and the truffle Straccetellia appetizer were one of the best. We went to the Roman forum and walked around. We took a metro back to the hotel and then headed out for the evening later. Then we went to the Trastevere area and walked around. We went for dinner to Tonnarello and it was so good. Their Cacio e pepper and tiramisu were awesome. After dinner, we roamed around the Trastevere area and then called it a night.
Day 2: Spent the day in Rome.
Our morning started with breakfast at Roscioli Caffe which had excellent coffee and Maritozzi which is a must-try! After a delicious breakfast, we walked around the area and came across a flea market. We picked up so many spices, olive oils, and pasta from there. We had gelato at Fatamorgana Gelato and it was TOO good. We got lunch at a Forno in the area and had delicious pizza and arancini which is a must-try local food in Rome. After lunch, we took an Uber to the Vatican and went to the Museum and Sistine Chapel. After a museum tour, we went back to the hotel to get ready for the night. Our night started with going to a speakeasy called Jerry Thomas Eporium which was fantastic. I’m not much of a drinker but I LOVED the drinks. It’s an amazing process where you get the password through a quiz on their website. We then had dinner at Osteria Da Fortunata where they make pasta in front of you from scratch. After dinner, we called it a night.
Day 3: Spent the day in Rome
Our morning started early with going to St Peter’s Basilica. We were there at 7:45 am and it was empty. After visiting the church and roaming around the area we went to the Trevi fountain. We were there by 9:30 and it was quite empty like I’ve never seen it. There were probably 15 people there. After just sitting on the steps, enjoying the Trevi fountain for a while we got breakfast at a cafe in the area. We had lunch at Gandhi 2 restaurant (Indian food) and it was pretty decent. That afternoon we had booked a professional photo shoot so we got ready for that. We had the best time getting our photos clicked and I highly recommend him, click here for his website. After the photoshoot, we went for dinner to Otello which was one of the best Tiramisu we had in Rome. After dinner, we roamed around the Trastevere area and then called it a night.
Day 4: Took a morning train to Naples. Spend the day in Naples
In the morning we took a train to Naples which was so convenient and fast. We stayed at the Eurostars Hotel Excelsior and the hotel was great, the hotel balcony had beautiful views. After checking in and freshening up we went to the famous L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. There was literally no wait and we had amazing pizzas!! After that, we went to the main shopping street in Naples. Be sure to dress modestly here because no one is really dressed in fancy clothes and you'll stand out (I am saying this from experience). In the evening we went to Gran Caffe Gambrinus to get pastries. After that, we had dinner at Pizzeria Da Attilio which was my husband’s favorite pizza spot in Naples. We roamed around the shopping streets and then headed back to the hotel.
Day 5: Spent the day in Naples
The morning was a slow morning where we had breakfast on the balcony with views of Pompeii and the sea. After breakfast, we went to explore the streets of Naples. It is lively and has many shops, small local ones, and brands. We had lunch at Sorbillo de Pizzaria and even with its great reviews, we were not fans of this place. We got gelatos from Gelateria della Scimmia and it was so yummy! In the evening we went to a bar on the water and it was an amazing sunset view. We tried the fried pizza but it smelt too much like pork so we couldn’t eat it. We really didn’t eat dinner because we were just so full from all the food. We had an early morning ferry so we called it a night. We took some taxis in Naples, make sure to explicitly say meter rates or you can be fooled and asked for more money. We earlier had booked Positano but all the locals and hotel staff said to change it to AMlafi instead. They all said Positano is overhyped and good to visit but not to stay. So we changed our reservation to Amalfi and it was a great decision because it was less crowded, quiet and so beautiful.
Day 6: Took a ferry to Amalfi. Spent the day in Amalfi.
The next morning we took a ferry to Amalfi which stopped in Capri, it was so convenient. The ferry was cheap and beautiful and avoided all the road traffic to get there. In Amalfi, we stayed at Hotel Marina Riviera which was my favorite hotel on the trip. The rooms were great with the best balcony views. It was also a great location perfectly close to the center. We got ready ad left for the center where we had lunch and then went to the dock where we rented a boat to the sea. It was amazing, going in the water and we went to the emerald grotto. That was a must-visit because the colors are stunning. We went all the way to Positano and it was an unforgettable experience. Dinner was at a restaurant in the center which was very okay. The star food in Amalfi was the lemon delight at Pansa, which is a MUST TRY!
Day 7: Spent the day in Amalfi
In the morning, we went to the beach and the water was perfect! Swimming in the Meditterean Sea is amazing. We got ready and walked along the center, there is a lot to do. A lot of local shops and we bought a lot of things like pasta, limoncello, and oils. You must visit the store, Nino and Friends, their pistachio cookies and pistachio spread is the best I’ve tried. We even had lemon ice cream in giant lemons where you can choose the lemon and they scoop it out and dill it with sorbet. Dinner was at Ristorante La Piazzetta which has really yummy Cannelloni!! We obviously had to stop at Pansa for the lemon delight again.
Day 8: Took an afternoon ferry to Naples. Spent the evening in Naples.
The next morning we had breakfast on our room balcony which was amazing! We roamed around the center and then took a ferry back to Naples. We reached in the afternoon and went to lunch at an Indian restaurant Mughal-e-Azam. I don’t know if it was because we missed Indian food or it was genuinely amazing but the food was INSANE! After lunch, we went to our hotel (back to Eurostars Hotel Excelsior) and checked in. In fact, we left our big suitcases in the hotel so we weren’t carrying everything to Amalfi. After freshening up we went to the city center and went for dinner at Pizzeria Brandi which claims to have the invented Margherita pizza. It was really yummy for sure. After dinner, we called it an early night.
Day 9: Took a morning flight to Venice. Spent the day in Venice
We took a morning flight to Venice and reached there around 10 am. Then we took the airport transfer water cab to our hotel. We stayed at Sina Palazzo Sant'Angelo which was a perfect location, they had a water bus stop right outside so it was a really easy commute. We took the 2-day pass and made full use of it. After reaching the hotel and checking in we set out to explore Venice. We first went to the famous Rialto bridge and roamed around that area. We went to the shops and roamed around the streets. We had dinner at a restaurant by the canal which was too touristy and not worth it. Even exploring the streets of Venice at night, though scary was fun.
Day 10: Spent the day in Venice.
The morning started with breakfast in the hotel there was high tide in Venice, meaning the canals were overflowing and they had set up raised planks to walk over. It was truly a different way to see the city. We went to St Marks's Square which was full of water and it was so much fun wading in it. We then went to experience a non-touristy part of Venice and had lunch at Orient Experience which had very different food. It had farmers’ markets and local shops around and it was so nice to see how locals lived. In the evening we got ready and went for a gondola ride in St marks square. Thankfully the canal smell had gone down but there were many smelly parts. it definitely was a fun romantic experience but a little overhyped. After that, we went for Cicchetti and wine at Vineria Alla’Amarone which was really good!! We bought wines to take back from this shop. After that, we walked around the center again and then called it a night.
Day 11: Spent the day in Venice.
We went to a farmers market and a cheese shop in the morning and bought some fresh burrata and parmesan cheese. After that we went to Iguanna for lunch was AMAZING Mexican food, in fact, it’s one of the better Mexican restaurants we have eaten at. Their chips and nachos are a must-try. After lunch, we bought Venetian masks for ourselves. We had the tiramisu at I Tre Mercanti which was so so good! We roamed the streets around St Marks's Square. Dinner was at Ital India restaurant which was so bad, we didn’t enjoy it at all. This day was spent exploring a lot of the different areas as well. We had plans to go to the nearby islands but it was raining so the tours got canceled.
Day 12: Spent the afternoon in Venice. Took an evening train to Switzerland and met my family.
The next morning we went to a local cafe for breakfast in a part of town we hadn’t explored. We got lunch at La Zucca and I highly recommend the food, everything was so good! After lunch, we packed up and checked out, and took a water taxi to the train station. We took a train to Switzerland where we met my family and then went to Chamonix for a week. I have a Chamonix itinerary here.
