3 Italian cities in 3 days, is it possible? My recent trip with Kirker Holidays shows that it certainly is and seamless throughout.
Rome
After a short flight we arrived in the eternal city of Rome and were met by our driver and taken swiftly to the fabulous D'Inghilltera Hotel. This has got to be one of the best locations in Rome. Just yards from the Spanish Steps and adjacent to Via Condotti, Rome's 'Bond Street', a favourite of Hemmingway and Mark Twain and I can see why. Rome is one of my favourite cities, very noisy, busy and where ancient meets modern.
No visit is complete without visiting the Vatican City. We were fortunate to have a private guide. The Basilica of St Peter, the world’s largest church is the most amazing building I ever visited. Full of treasures including Michaelangelo's Pieta, its beauty and reverence are breathtaking. Included is a visit to the Sistine Chapel with its magnificent ceiling painted in the 16th century by Michaelangelo. Like all cities, tourist attractions get extremely busy so I would advise visiting early or late. I visited the Trevi Fountain at midnight and it was still quite busy but magical and romantic at that time.
Florence
The next morning we board a train to Florence. It was a very comfortable journey of only two hours through the Tuscan countryside on the high-speed Ivalo network. Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance, the city of Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Giotto and Dante. The best way to explore Florence is on foot, maybe taking a private city tour. We took in most of the sights including the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and the Uffizi Gallery. This is one of the greatest museums in the world, housing great works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Botticelli and Michaelangelo. What a privilege to see such great works including Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus'! However, even in December, this museum was extremely busy so timed visits I think are a must.
Venice
The next morning, another rail journey and an hour later we arrived in Venice. It's so hard getting your head around Venice. It's made up of 100 islands, with 200 canals and spanned by 400 bridges. The only way I can describe Venice is mystical and magical, shabby and beautiful and steeped in history. Smaller than I imagined with lots of cobbled and narrow streets and very easy to navigate. St Mark's Square was larger and quieter than I expected but it was December. It is dominated by St Mark's Basilica and the clock tower.
We had a private guide to take us around the Doges Palace, built in the 14th century and typically Venetian Gothic. Again, like most Italian museums, it houses rare sculptures, paintings and frescoes. The highlight for me was the Bridge of Sighs, linking the Doges Palace and the prison where prisoners would look out for their last time at the lagoon and freedom. I savoured every moment of this trip and it certainly gave us a flavour of what each of these great cities has to offer. I cannot wait to return to explore even more.
This is the express itinerary
