In late December 2024 and early January 2025, I took this Italy trip with my family. We flew into Milan, then traveled through Lake Como, Venice, the Cinque Terre, and Rome before flying out of the Vatican City. The trip was a mix of city and nature stops, with a lot of ground covered in between. Below is a day-by-day itinerary of the trip, including route maps, photos, and details about each stop.
Route map
The map follows the trip in order from Milan to Rome. Each marker links to the matching day below.
Dec 25 - Arrival in Milan
Landing day started at Malpensa and moved straight into the city center for the first Milan landmarks.
A clean arrival day with the airport, the station, the Duomo, and the Galleria all in the same arc.
- Milan Malpensa Airport
- Milano Centrale
- Duomo di Milano
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Dec 26 - Lake Como + Switzerland
Lake Como opened the day before the route pushed into Switzerland for St. Moritz and the Bernina Express.
The day moved from the lake to the mountains, which made it feel like the biggest change in pace on the trip.
- Lake Como
- St. Moritz
- Bernina Express
Dec 27 - Venice Day Trip
Venice packed a lot into one day, with the bridges, squares, basilica, palace, and canal crossings all in sequence.
This is the day where the route becomes very obviously Venice: dense, walkable, and tied together by water.
- Venice
- Rialto Bridge
- Piazza San Marco
- St. Mark's Basilica
- Bridge of Sighs
- Doge's Palace
- Accademia Bridge
Dec 28 - Shopping Day
This was the simplest day on the itinerary, centered on Serravalle Designer Outlet.
A reset day between the bigger city stops and the longer route south.
- Serravalle Designer Outlet
Dec 29 - Castello Sforzesco, Arco della Pace + San Siro
The day stayed in Milan, moving from Castello Sforzesco to Arco della Pace before ending with AC Milan vs Roma at San Siro.
A full Milan day that mixed the castle, the arch, and the evening match at the stadium.
- Castello Sforzesco
- Arco della Pace
- San Siro Stadium
Dec 30 - Cinque Terre + Pisa
The coast day moved through Vernazza and Riomaggiore before ending in Pisa.
It is the most classic shoreline-to-landmark day in the trip, with a lot of movement packed into one route.
- Vernazza
- Riomaggiore
- Pisa
Dec 31 - Travel to Rome
The year ended with the move into Rome and a stop at the Pantheon.
A transition day that sets up the slower Rome sequence that follows on New Year’s Day.
- Rome
- Pantheon
Jan 1 - Rome Landmarks
The first day of the new year was a loop through Rome's classic center.
Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, and Villa Borghese make this the easiest day to read as a Rome walk.
- Trevi Fountain
- Piazza Navona
- Spanish Steps
- Villa Borghese
Jan 2 - Vatican + Historic Sites
The Vatican day focused on St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square, the Sistine Chapel, and Castel Sant'Angelo.
This is the densest monument day in the itinerary and it sits well as the penultimate full stop in Rome.
- St. Peter's Basilica
- St. Peter's Square
- Sistine Chapel
- Castel Sant'Angelo
Jan 3 - Ancient Rome + Departure
The final day starts with Ancient Rome and ends at Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino Airport.
Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum close the trip before the flight out of Rome.
- Colosseum
- Palatine Hill
- Roman Forum
- Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino Airport