How To See Italy In 10 Days: Milan to Rome

Traveling to Europe is totally doable for the working guy or girl, and it’s possible to see multiple cities of Italy in just 10 days.

Sure – it’s not entirely ideal to only have 10 days for exploring (9 or so once you cut out travel days) but it’s possible. And no one should limit or prevent themselves from seeing parts of the world just because they only have so many vacation days to work with.

If you work in an office, you know how important it is to strategically use that PTO (paid time off).

For example, if you take off one full work week (5 days) and combine that with two weekends (one at the front and and one at the end), you got yourself 10 days in Europe.

Depart from your home city on a Friday night flight, you’ll wake up in Italy with an amazing adventure in front of you.

Here’s a sample itinerary I used last summer that’ll get you from Milan to Rome with plenty of things to see, do and eat in between.

Day 1: Milan

Land in Milan. I suggest Milan as your starting point because you can usually get cheaper flight deals here then to Rome or Florence. And since you’re starting in the North of Italy you can work your way down over the next ten days.

Some activities to consider:

Visit the Gothic Duomo di Milano and climb to the top for epic views.
Shop (or window shop) in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Eat gelato.
See Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” in the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent.

Fortunately for us, when we visited Milan in 2015 the World Expo was going on. So we spent majority of our time exploring the expo and “drinking around the world.” Check that out here.

Day 2 & 3: Cinque Terre

Personally I think one day in Milan is enough, and there’s a lot left to see in Italy. Hop on the EuroRail and head to the towns of Cinque Terre, the colorful cities in the cliffs along the Italian Riviera.

Stay in an Airbnb for the next two days so you get a taste of what it’s like to live in this area and wake up with an amazing oceanfront view everyday!

Curious what to pack for Italy? Check out my Europe Packing Checklist!

Some activities to consider:

Eat pasta with pesto, focaccia and white wine (all originating from this area).
Hike the iconic oceanfront trail.
Hit the beach in Monterosso, followed by a wine tasting.

Pit-Stop Option: After a couple of days filled with sun, sweat and sea, it’s off to your next Italian city. But as you head south, take a pitstop in Pisa for lunch.

You’ll pass through it anyway, so why not stop to see the leaning tower, eat some pizza, then climb back on the train and head to Florence.

Day 4, 5, & 6: Florence

Depart for Florence – a magical city, that’s really crowded during peak season. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to explore its charm. Three days should be enough to at least get a taste.

Some activities to consider:

Visit the Duomo di Firenze.
Explore and shop on Ponte Vecchio.
Eat at Buca Mario. You might even consider making this your first stop.
Shop in the Leather Market.
Admire the Boboli Gardens.
Eat at Gusta Pizza.
Wander the art galleries and see Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture.

Day-Trip Option: If you can spare one of your three days allotted for Florence, consider taking a day trip into the heart of Tuscany. Visit medieval towns like Siena or San Gimignano and escape the crowds, sip wine and admire the sweeping views.

Day 7, 8 & 9: Rome

Depart for your final stop. Once you get to Rome you’ve reached the end of your 10 days in Italy, but there are three days and plenty of things left to do.

Some activities to consider:

Tour the Colosseum.
Check out the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain.
Get wine and bites in Piazza Navona and admire local performers.
Go underground and explore the Catacombs of Rome.
Spend some time in the Vatican City, especially if this is your first visit. Iconic sites like St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel need to be seen.
Have dinner in Campo de’Fiori.

With three days in Rome you have lots of time to cover the basics, and you’ll want to leisurely explore these iconic sites before you leave. Unfortunately during my last time in Rome, we only had 24 hours to see it all. Check out how we did it.

This is just a sample itinerary of how to see Italy in 10 days, traveling from Milan to Rome. Use it all, or use some… but make it your own Italian adventure!