Eight-days itinerary in the North of Italy + Florence

Day 1: Bergamo

1. Piazza Vecchia: The main square in the medieval town. You can get there by walking through the narrow pebbled roads, looking around and enjoying a pizza from Panificio Tresoldi. It's impossible to resist their mouth-watering selection of goodies.

2. Funicolare Città Alta: This cable car gives you a unique view of the city, and it's quite a handy way of getting to the top of Bergamo and the next point on this list. The ticket costs 1,30 Euros, and it's valid for 75 minutes.

3. San Vigilio: The highest point you can reach with the cable car and one of the most romantic places in Bergamo. Sit on the walls and have an ice cream while watching the World go by. Unmissable!

Day 2: Milan & train to Florence

1. Duomo & Galleria Vittorio Emanuele: This is a masterpiece. I'm not going to lie. It's swamped and touristy, people will try to sell you a selfie stick, and there are A LOT of pigeons, but whenever you step out of the metro and see this wonder in front of your life, it makes it all worthwhile. Take a minute to walk up to the door and lose yourself in the carved details. They're stunning. Looking at the Duomo, you'll see the Galleria on the left. Walk through there with your head up high and take in the architecture, once again, incredible. Don't have lunch around there as the risk of tourist-trap is high!

2. Castello Sforzesco & La Triennale: We had lunch in the park of the Castle, and it’s just a great place to visit. I’m not going to lie, we didn’t have a clue about the history of it (shameless), but it’s a great place to chill.

3. Arco della Pace & Aperitivo sui Navigli: At the end of the Castle's park, there's a stunning building which looks like the Arc du Triumph, and at the moment, it's also the home of an enigmatic statue. Do you think the man is pushing the building down, or holding it up? Let us know!

Day 3: Florence

1. Sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo: I love this place, and whenever I'm in Florence, I try and stick this one in my plan. The view from the giant staircase is unreal, and if you pop in a supermarket before and buy some beers, you can just enjoy the nature show without getting scammed for a fake spritz or else from the food trucks nearby. The atmosphere is just jolly around there.

2. Santo Spirito: Every guide you'll read will tell you that this is where "the locals" go. It isn't a secret anymore, so you'll find a few tourists there, too, but the rule still stands. You can find some great places to have a proper Fiorentina, some chill-out cocktails in the square, and if you're as lucky as we were, there will be some live music at the Church gate.

3. Cappelle Medicee: The Giotto dome is obviously unreal, so this doesn't want to take anything away from its greatness. Although, there's almost often a very long queue, and a lot of people waiting in line or just coming in alongside you. Cappelle Medicee, on the other hand, are just as stunning, but they're not as popular among tourists, so you can see some excellent statues and a breathtaking ceiling without the queue. Perfect if you're short of time!

Day 4 & 5: Empoli & Chianti

Day 6: Cinque Terre

1. One of my Cinque Terre favourites is Nessun Dorma in Manarola. We had a tasty aperitivo there. Compared to our previous experience, the wait was less painful, thanks to their new app. It's a trendy place, though, so expect some queues. We enjoyed our time at Nessun Dorma. The drinks and service were great, but the best part for me was the bruschetta al pesto (pictured above). PS: If you've read our blog about Cinque Terre, you'll know that we had already been to Nessun Dorma in 2020 for a pesto-making class.

2. Vernazza is a small fishing village that can be reached by walking for about 45-60 minutes from Monterosso, the first village you arrive in when you take the train from La Spezia. It's one of the most picturesque towns in Cinque Terre, with long stretches of stony beaches and a beautiful castle on top of a hill overlooking the sea. There are no roads, only steep paths and a thousand steps (or at least that's what they felt like!) to reach the houses nestled in the hill, and one can easily get lost in the maze of alleys between them. Focaccia is excellent here, have it.

3. Riomaggiore is a lively town and a great place to spend an afternoon. A crowd had gathered on the rocks near the harbour to watch the sunset, so we joined them. It was an unmissable experience! Especially if accompanied by a gelato.

Day 7: Cinque Terre & Pisa

1. Piazza dei Miracoli: The Leaning Tower is probably the most famous one. It was built on weak ground, so it leans because of its weight. You can climb to the top and enjoy a view of Pisa. The Duomo is another beautiful building. It was built over 800 years ago and has been restored since then. In fact, you may notice that parts of the walls are painted white where they used to be black or something else before restoration work took place!

2. Walk to Ponte Solferino: another lovely place was Ponte Solferino, a bridge over the Arno river. There are other bridges, but this one has excellent views and is very close to Duomo. The view from the bridge is very picturesque, and it isn't as touristy as the main square, so you can enjoy a relaxing time there.

3. For a delicious, light lunch, Pici all'Aglione is a perfect choice. This dish combines pasta with tomato and garlic. The taste can be described as creamy and slightly spicy. We were told that it's one of the most popular dishes in Pisa, so we had to try it! Many restaurants serve this exquisite dish (you can even buy it in supermarkets). However, we recommend trying Pici all'Aglione at Osteria del Duomo. Their "Terramisù" is served in a plant pot and is delicious!

Day 8: Pisa & Home