Northern Italy Itinerary: Venice, Dolomites, Verona & Lake Como

For those who want to combine a few Italian cities with some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, you’ll love this northern Italy itinerary.

With more time, or some modifications, you can also add in Lake Garda or more time in the Dolomites. 

Northern Italy itinerary map (map adapted from Google)

About this Northern Italy Itinerary

This itinerary works best from the months of June through September, when the hiking trails are open in the Dolomites.

In the Dolomites, the first snow begins to fall sometime in October and continues through May, so during this time, the hiking trails will be covered with snow.

If you like skiing, this northern Italy itinerary works well from December through March, when the Dolomites become one of the best places in Europe to go skiing.

You can do this itinerary all year, but during the months of November, April, and even May, you will be very limited in what you can do in the Dolomites, as this area transitions between a hiking and skiing destination.

For this itinerary, it is best to rent a car. The entire itinerary can be done as a road trip or you can rent a car just for the Dolomites. We will get into the details of this in a little bit.

This northern Italy itinerary is a point-to-point trip. It starts in Venice and ends in Milan, but it can just as easily be done in the opposite direction. If you need to start and end in the same location (for example, if it is easier to find flights in and out of one airport), that can be done as well. It’s easy to travel between Milan and Venice by train, so you can get back to your starting point without much time, effort, and money.

It may look like I put a lot of time into the Dolomites (because I did 😉). On our first trip to the Dolomites, we had three days and once there, we wished we had a lot more time. The Dolomites looks like a small area on a map, but there is a LOT to do here. If you don’t want to spend four days in the Dolomites, you can take out a day and add it to Venice or spend a day at Lake Garda.

Renting a Car for this Itinerary

The best way to get around the Dolomites is by car. You can travel on your own schedule and get to places where it is difficult to get to by bus. It is possible to get around by bus, but buses have limited schedules and do not always run on time.

The cheapest option is to rent a car just for the Dolomites portion of this trip. Pick up the car on the morning of day 3, when you leave Venice, and then drop the car in Verona. From Verona, it is easy to do the rest of the trip with public transportation.

Alternatively, you can rent a car for the full 10 days. This is a more expensive option, since daily rental fees typically cost more than train tickets, plus you will have the added parking fees and hassle of parking in Verona and Milan. But you will have a little more flexibility for Lake Como.

As for picking up your rental car, you can do it on day 1, if you are arriving to the Venice airport. Pick up the car from the airport, drive to Venice, and park it in a parking garage during your time in Venice (you won’t need it). On the day you drive to the Dolomites, you will save a little bit of time, since you will not have to get back to the airport to pick up the car. But this is more expensive, since you are paying for 2 days of a rental car plus parking fees.

If you plan to pick up the car on the day you drive to the Dolomites, the best place to rent the car is at the Mestre train station followed by the Venice Marco Polo airport. Pick up the car ideally between 8 and 9 am (but even earlier is better), to give yourself as much time as possible in the Dolomites. It’s a little more of a hassle on this day but it does save money.

Hiking in the Dolomites

Midday: Lunch and the Rialto Bridge

Once you have checked into your hotel, have a quick lunch and then make your way to the Rialto Bridge. Depending on where you are staying in Venice, you can get here on foot or ride the vaporetto.

The vaporetto is a water bus that runs along the Grand Canal (and also out to the lagoon, Murano, Burano, and Lido). It’s a cheap way to get around Venice and the views are amazing, as you cruise along the Grand Canal.

It costs 9.50€ for a one-way ticket (good for 75 minutes) or 25€ for a 24-hour ticket.

The Rialto Bridge is a covered footbridge that is lined with shops. From here, you get one of the best views of Venice, and it is a nice way to start your visit to this city. A visit here is quick, taking 10 to 15 minutes for the view and lots of photographs.

View from the Rialto Bridge

T Fondaco Terrace

Sitting next to the Rialto Bridge is the T Fondaco Terrace. The terrace is free to visit and you have a great view overlooking the Grand Canal. For the best experience, book your ticket online. You will have to book a time slot in advance, and when to do this depends on your arrival time in Venice today. 

Grand Canal of Venice from T Fondaco Terrace

Pont dell’Accademia

From the Rialto Bridge, ride the vaporetto to Pont dell’Accademia. From this bridge, you get another iconic view of Venice and the Grand Canal.

Ponte dell’Accademia view

Afternoon and Evening

For the remainder of the day, we have a few more options of great things to do in this area of Venice.

From Ponte dell’Accademia, it is a short walk to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. From the cupola of this basilica, you get another spectacular view of Venice. Get updated hours before you go and you can learn more about how to visit this basilica in our Things to Do in Venice article.

View from Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute

In the afternoon, you can also stroll through the Dorsoduro neighborhood and/or ride a gondola through the canals of Venice.

For dinner, we recommend Osteria Enoteca San Marco (one of our favorite restaurants and it is located near St. Mark’s Square), Impronta (a seafood restaurant popular with locals and tourists), Ristorante Ca’Dolfin (gets rave reviews and is located in Canareggio), and Restaurant Quadri (a Michelin-starred restaurant).

Where to Stay in Venice

For suggestions on where to stay in Venice, take a look at our Venice Hotel Guide. You will stay in Venice for two nights.

Northern Italy Itinerary Day 2: Venice

On this full day in Venice, you will visit some of the most popular tourist attractions: St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and St. Mark’s Square. For more details about this day, refer to day 1 of our 2 Day Venice Itinerary.

9 am: St. Mark’s Basilica

St. Mark’s Square dates back to the 9th century AD. It is a gorgeous basilica, both inside and out. Lines can be long to enter it, but it is worth it, both to see the golden interior and to stand on the terrace for a view across St. Mark’s Square.

The basilica does not open until 9:30 am, but we recommend getting here at 9 am, or even a little earlier, to avoid a long wait in line. If you don’t want to wait in line, you can book your ticket online in advance or join a skip-the-line tour.

This very highly rated tour has skip-the-line access to St. Mark’s Basilica, it includes the terrace, and it also includes Doge’s Palace (the next stop on today’s itinerary).

A visit to St. Mark’s Basilica (once you are inside), lasts about 45 minutes to an hour, to walk through the basilica, see the Pala d’Oro, and take in the view from the terrace.

Get the full details on what to see and do in our Guide to St. Mark’s Basilica.

Mosaics on St. Mark’s Basilica

On the terrace of St. Mark’s Basilica

Doge’s Palace

The Doge’s Palace served as the residence for the Doge, the seat of the government, and a palace of justice. Now, it is a museum.

As you tour Doge’s Palace, you will cross the Bridge of Sighs. From this window, prisoners on their way to execution would have one final view of the city.

The Doge’s Palace is located next to St. Mark’s Basilica. Again, expect long lines here. You can either join the ticket line (expect a long wait), book your ticket in advance (highly recommended!!), or visit on a guided tour.

Get updated hours and pricing on the official website.

Lunch

There are lots of restaurants located in and around St. Mark’s Square but most of these are overpriced and mediocre. We recommend Ai Do Leoni, which is next to St. Mark’s Basilica and serves sandwiches and small plates of pasta.

Restaurant Terrazza Danieli. Hotel Danieli is a luxurious 5-star hotel located on Riva degli Schiavoni. You can have lunch or dinner on the rooftop terrace with views of the Venetian Lagoon. This is the priciest lunch option on our list.

The Campanile

Ride the elevator to the top of the Campanile for the best 360° view of Venice. To avoid waiting in line, you can purchase your ticket in advance on the official website.

View from the campanile

Stroll the Canals of Venice

For the rest of the day, you are free to explore the canals of Venice.

Strolling the canals is one of the best things to do in Venice and there are several ways to do it. You can either wander the canals on your own or take a walking tour.

I recommend starting on Riva degli Schiavoni, which is a wide promenade that runs along the Venetian Lagoon. As you cross Ponte della Paglia look down the canal for the iconic view of the Bridge of Sighs. As you continue east on the promenade, you will pass Hotel Danieli and to your right will be gorgeous views across the canal.

As you stroll through Venice, go shopping, have a glass of wine or aperitif at a café, snack on cicchetti, or hire a gondola.

Gondolas in Venice

Dinner

In the evening, have dinner. See Day 1 of this northern Italy itinerary for restaurant suggestions.

Northern Italy Itinerary Day 3: Dolomites

Morning: Drive to the Dolomites

In the morning, check out of your hotel. Pick up your rental car, either from the parking garage in Venice, the Mestre train station, or from the airport.

From Venice, it is a 2-hour drive to Cortina d’Ampezzo, in the Dolomites. It is a beautiful drive, especially the final 45-minutes, as you drive along winding roads into the mountains.

Afternoon: The Dolomites

We have tons of information on the Dolomites, which you can see in our Dolomites Travel Guide. I recommend referring to this as you pick out what you want to do in the Dolomites.

You will have the afternoon free to do something, whether that is a hike or a scenic drive or a cable car ride.

Spend the afternoon by hiking one of the nearby trails. For this afternoon, we recommend something short and not too far away: Lagazuoi to the Falzarego Pass or the Cinque Torri with the optional add on Rifugios Averau and Nuvolau.

If you don’t want to go hiking on your first day, and the skies are clear, ride the Freccia nel Cielo cable car to Cima Tofana. This cable car station is located in Cortina d’Ampezzo and from the mountain station you have jaw-dropping views of the Dolomites.

Afterwards, explore the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, check into your hotel, and then have dinner.

Cinque Torri

Lagazuoi, Dolomites

The view of Cortina d’Ampezzo from the Tofana cable car

Tonight, stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Savoia, which is a beautiful 5-star hotel in Cortina. The Dolomiti Lodge Alverà gets exceptional reviews. Restaurant Rifugio Ospitale is located outside of town but is also very highly rated. And if you need a pet friendly apartment, take a look at Cristallo & Faloria Suite Apartments. For more recommendations, take a look at our Dolomites Hotel Guide.

Northern Italy Itinerary Day 4: Dolomites

Spend the day either hiking near Cortina d’Ampezzo or visiting Lago di Braies.

Tre Cime di Lavaredo is one of the most popular hikes to do in the Dolomites and you can easily add on the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint.

Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Cadini di Misurina viewpoint

If you like hiking, we highly recommend the Croda da Lago Circuit, Lago di Sorapis, and the Cinque Torri + Rifugios Averau and Nuvolau, if you didn’t do that yesterday.

Croda da Lago Circuit

Lago di Sorapis

Lago di Braies is a beautiful lake to visit and great for families and those who don’t want to do a lot of hiking. The cover photo for this itinerary was also taken at Lago di Braies.

Lago di Braies

If skies are clear, consider riding the cable car from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Cima Tofana for one of the best views of the Dolomites.

Sleep in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Northern Italy Itinerary Day 5: Dolomites

Today you will drive across the Dolomites to Val Gardena. For more information, refer to day #7 of our Dolomites Itinerary.

From Cortina d’Ampezzo, drive over Giau Pass or Falzarego Pass to Marmolada. Then, ride the cable car to Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Dolomites.

The view from Marmolada

From Marmolada, drive over Passo Fedaia and Passo Pordoi, two beautiful scenic drives in the Dolomites. Once at Passo Pordoi, you have the option to ride the cable car to Sass Pordoi, for more big views of the Dolomites, and to hike to Piz Boè, one of the easiest 3,000+ meter peaks to summit in the Dolomites (5.3 km/3.3 miles, 2 to 4 hours).

Sass Pordoi

Drive over the Sella Pass and check into your hotel in Selva di Val Gardena or Ortisei.

In Selva di Val Gardena, Hotel Tyrol has an excellent location and gets wonderful reviews. We had dinner twice at Hotel Freina and this hotel also gets exceptional reviews. For a splurge, we recommend the Granbaita Dolomites, a luxury hotel with a wellness center. For more recommendations, take a look at our Dolomites Hotel Guide.

Northern Italy Itinerary Day 6: Dolomites

Today, you have several options to choose from.

If you like hiking, hike the Puez-Odle Altopiano. This 17 km (10.6 mile) hike takes 6 to 9 hours and starts in Selva di Val Gardena. It’s a big day hike but it is our favorite in the Dolomites.

View from the Puez-Odle Altopiano trail

You can also spend the day in Alpe di Siusi, hiking or biking between the rifugios, dining on Italian food, and enjoying the view of Sassolungo. Or, venture to Val di Funes, to hike the Adolf Munkel Weg and/or walk the Santa Maddalena Trail for gorgeous views of the Santa Maddalena church.

Alpe di Siusi

Val di Funes

Geisler Alm, Adolf Munkel Weg

Tonight, sleep in Selva di Val Gardena or Ortisei.

Northern Italy Itinerary Day 7: Verona

From Selva di Val Gardena, it is a 200 km, two-and-a-half-hour drive to Verona. If you leave by 9 am, you will arrive in Verona just before noon.

Optional: On the drive to Verona, you will be very close to the Santuario Madonna della Corona. A visit here adds on another hour of driving, plus time to visit the church, which takes about an hour.

Santuario Madonna della Corona

Madonna della Corona is a church that clings to the side of a mountain. To get here, you will park in town and it is a 0.8 km (0.5 mile) downhill walk to the church (or you can take a bus). For more information on how to do this, click here.

Spend the afternoon strolling through the streets of Verona. For a full list of things to do, check out our Guide to Verona, but the top sights include Piazza Bra, the Verona Arena, Ponte Pietra, Torre dei Lamberti, and Juliette’s House. An afternoon is plenty of time to see these sights.

Verona

Verona

In the evening, have dinner and check into your hotel. Arena Suite is a 4-star hotel in the city center that has large rooms and gets exceptional reviews. Relais Balcone di Giulietta is another highly rated hotel located next to Juliet’s balcony. And Hotel Torcolo “Residenze del Cuore” is a centrally located budget hotel that gets very good reviews.

You will spend one night in Verona.

RENTAL CAR: You can drop your rental car in Verona (and travel by train for the rest of this itinerary, which is the cheapest, most environmentally friendly option) or keep it until the end of your trip. If you have a car and plan to stay in the city center, ask your hotel for advice on where to park. Some hotels will have designated parking, either with or without an additional fee.

Northern Italy Itinerary Day 8: Milan

In the morning, travel to Milan. By car, it is a 160 km drive that takes 2 hours. Or, you can take a train from Verona to Milan (roughly 1.5 hours with ticket prices ranging from $17 to $27 USD).

Once in Milan, the main things to do include a visit to the Duomo (walking on the rooftop is an awesome experience), seeing DaVinci’s “Last Supper,” and visiting the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

For DaVinci’s “Last Supper” you must book a time slot in advance. If you can’t get one, consider joining a tour.

One Day in Milan Itinerary

For full details of this itinerary, plus suggestions on how to visit the Duomo and see the “Last Supper,” refer to our One Day in Milan Itinerary.

From the train station, take the metro to Santa Maria delle Grazie for your scheduled viewing of the “Last Supper.” Remember to arrive 20 minutes before your appointment. If you can’t reserve a time slot on the official website, here is a one hour tour that includes your admission to see the “Last Supper.”

Next, take the metro to the Duomo. From Duomo Square, visit the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Tickets to tour the Duomo and the rooftop can be purchased at the Duomo or online in advance.

Milan Duomo

In the evening, check into your hotel and have dinner. You will stay in Milan for one to two nights, depending on how you plan to visit Lake Como.

PRO TRAVEL TIP: You will use the ferry to get between Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio, so you aren’t missing out on anything by not cruising from Como to Bellagio. If you take the train to Varenna, you will have less travel time, which you can then use for a private boat tour of the villas.

If you still have a rental car, drive to Bellagio (1.5 hours) or Varenna (1.5 hours).

Once in the area of Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio, you will get around by ferry, which runs frequently and it doesn’t take long to get from town to town.

For the best experience, we recommend arriving in Bellagio or Varenna by 10:30 am, to give yourself enough time to visit the area.

Bellagio

Bellagio

Varenna

Plan on spending about 2 to 3 hours in both Varenna and Bellagio. There is not a whole lot to see in Menaggio, so this can be skipped. It is also worth it to hire a boat to cruise by the villas, or even tour one of them. We have more info on how to do this in our article Things to Do in Bellagio.

This evening, return to Milan or check into your hotel in Bellagio or Varenna.

Day 10: Fly Home

Fly home from Milan or Venice.

If you have a flight leaving from Marco Polo Airport (Venice), from Milan it takes a minimum of 3.5 hours to travel by train and just over 3 hours by car. Unless you have a late afternoon flight, you will either have to leave very early in the morning or travel to Venice the night of day 9.

How to Modify this Itinerary

With Less Time

If you have less than 10 days, then remove a day or two from the Dolomites. You can also skip Verona, but it is a wonderful city and one of our favorites in Italy.

Here is a sample 7-day itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Venice
Day 2: Venice
Day 3: Dolomites
Day 4: Dolomites
Day 5: Drive to Milan
Day 6: Lake Como day trip
Day 7: Fly home

With More Time

With more time, you can add extra days to Venice, the Dolomites, or Lake Como. If you enjoy hiking, put as many days as you can in the Dolomites (in our opinion, it’s a better use of time than adding on Lake Garda, mentioned next).

You also have the option to add Lake Garda.

View from Castello Scaligero di Malcesine, Malcesine, Lake Garda

Castello Scaligero, Sirmione

Riva del Garda

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, and it sits between the Dolomites and Milan. There is plenty to keep you busy here for three days, and the minimum amount of time that we recommend is one day in Lake Garda.

You should also know that Lake Garda is an extremely busy place to visit in the summer, more so than Lake Como, at least in our experience. We prefer Lake Como over Lake Garda, which is why we designed this northern Italy itinerary with Lake Como. However, if you like the idea of visiting Lake Garda, here is a sample itinerary, if you have 12 days in Italy.

Day 1: Arrive in Venice
Day 2: Venice
Day 3: Dolomites
Day 4: Dolomites
Day 5: Dolomites
Day 6: Dolomites
Day 7: Northern end of Lake Garda (stay in Riva del Garda)
Day 8: Southern end of Lake Garda (stay in Sirmione)
Day 9: Verona
Day 10: Milan
Day 11: Lake Como day trip
Day 12: Fly home

I put Lake Garda before Verona since you save a little driving time by visiting the north end of Lake Garda first. Plus, having a car makes it much easier to get around Lake Garda and transfer from Riva del Garda to Sirmione, and then once in Verona, you can drop the rental car if you prefer. It’s also a little easier to get from Verona to Milan by train.

For more information on how to plan your time, check out our Lake Garda Itinerary.

How to Get Around Italy

For this itinerary, you will get around by rental car and train.

For information on renting a car, including rental car fees, drop fees, and things to know ahead of time, take a look at our article Important Things to Know Before Renting a Car in Europe.

To check train schedules and to book your trains online, Italiarail.com is the easiest website to use. Just be aware that they charge a €5 booking fee to use their website. You can avoid the €5 fee by using Trenitalia.com, but this website is more difficult to use.

Average Trip Costs

Here are some estimated costs per person (all prices are in USD during peak travel times).

Hotel costs:

• Budget Hotel, double room with two people: $50 – $150
• Mid-Range Hotel, double room with two people: $150 – $300
• Luxury Hotel, double room with two people: $300+

Train Travel: To travel from city to city, train fares range from $15 to $60, depending on the distance traveled and the speed of the train. Regional trains can take twice the length of time to cover the same distance as a high-speed train, and cost half as much, but you will be sacrificing sightseeing time. I think it is best to cut costs by staying in a cheaper hotel or eating out less often, so you can take the faster train and have more time exploring the city.

Meals: Meals cost $10 to $30 per dish, depending on the restaurant. To save money, stay in a hotel that offers breakfast, put together picnic lunches, and skip the drinks at dinner.

Entrance Fees: On this itinerary, entrance fees average out to roughly $50 USD per day, for the days that include a city visit. That does not include tours, only entrance fees. In the Dolomites, it is free to go hiking, but there can be parking fees and fees to ride the cable cars.

Miscellaneous: Factor in approximately $50 USD per day for miscellaneous fees, such as short taxi or Uber rides, souvenirs, etc.

Designing Your Own Italy Itinerary?

This Italy itinerary is a great starting point for designing your own custom itinerary. For more tips and tricks to help you plan the perfect trip, consider reading this article:

7 Things to Know When Planning Your First Trip to Europe

More Italy Itineraries:

Here are a few more itineraries for Italy:

• 10 Days in Italy: 5 Amazing Itinerary Ideas
• 10 Days in Italy: Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre & Venice
• 14 Days in Italy: Best Way to Spend Two Weeks in Italy
• Southern Italy Itinerary: Amalfi Coast, Matera, Alberobello & Puglia

To see all of our articles about Italy, take a look at our Italy Travel Guide. For more great itineraries in Europe and around the world, visit our Travel Itineraries page.

If you have any questions about this northern Italy itinerary, let us know in the comment section below.

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