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Visiting Italy during winter: 14 days of slow tourism. Get lost in Art cities, enjoy comfort food and relax at the spa.

Check it out the itinerary!

When you’re planning a trip, first step is thinking about When to Go.

For a trip to Italy it is natural to think about spring-summer. Italians call Beautiful Season. But is it true? In my opinion, Italy is beautiful all over the year because it has an incredible variety and diversity of natural enviroments. Moreover, the cultural richness covers the entire solar calendar.

Visiting Italy in winter can take on a particular charm made up of lights, comfort food, calm. The advantages of winter is low season: lower prices, fewer tourists and visiting the most famous cities with peace of mind and fewer wait on line to access the monuments.

However, it is essential to consider cold weather and the possibility of rain or snow. If you’re lucky, there will be sunny and warm days that feel like spring already.
Pay attention, some activities may be closed or with reduced hours. But you just need to check the websites carefully when organizing your trip. 

If all this doesn’t scare you, I assure you that Italy will surprise you even in winter.

2 weeks itinerary in Italy

• Day 1 – Arrival in Rome
• Day 2 – Ancient Rome
• Day 3 – The Vatican
• Day 4 – Baroque Rome
• Day 5 – Rome, the thermal baths and the water ritual
• Day 6 – Train to Florence
• Day 7 – Historic Center of Florence
• Day 8 – Florence – Santa Maria Novella and San Lorenzo District
• Day 9 – Florence
• Day 10 – Day Trip from Florence
• Day 11 – Train to Viterbo
• Day 12 – Viterbo
• Day 13 – Baths of the Popes
• Day 14 – Train to Rome and back home

Rome 

Arrival in Rome

Rome’s main airport is located in Fiumicino. You can take the Leonardo Express train which will take you to Termini Station in the heart of Rome.

You will probably be tired and jet-lagged. It’s ok to stay in the room to rest, or start exploring the city without a specific destination. Just follow the flow to get your bearings and admire this beautiful city.

Day 1 in Rome

How to move

The movements will be mainly on foot. You will only take the underground to get to the starting point or back to the hotel. 

What to see and do in Rome in winter

• Take advantage of the lack of crowds. You can visit the main tourist attraction such as Colosseum or Vatican Museum. You will have the feeling of having Rome all to yourself.
• Try typical winter food, so warm and comfortable. Follow the aroma of food cart and warm your hands with a paper corn of roasted chestnuts. Take a break in the Cafè and enjoy a nice hot chocolate, thick and steaming.

4 days itinerary

• Day 2 – Ancient Rome: Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Imperial Forum, Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill.
  • More Time? Visit the Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains or the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
  • Rainy day? Visit Capitolini Museum.
• Day 3 – The Vatican: St. Peter’s Square, the Basilica and Vatican Museum. Castel Sant’Angelo, Piazza Navona, Pantheon.
  • More Time? Visit the Church of Saint Louis of French and Caravaggio paintings.
• Day 4 – Baroque Rome. Piazza del Popolo, Terrace of the Pincio, Spanish Steps, Via Condotti and Via del Corso, Piazza Colonna, Trevi Fountain.
  • More Time? Visit the Church of the Santissima Trinità dei Monti or Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo.
  • Rainy Day? Visit the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art or Borghese Gallery and Museum.
• Day 5 – Rome, the thermal baths and the water ritual. Baths of Caracalla, Circus Maximus.
  • Last day in Rome. Just follow the flow to get your bearings and admire this beautiful city.
  • Sunny Day in Rome. You could rent a bicycle and explore the Appia Antica park.

What to eat

Among the many proposals of typical Roman cuisine, here are some tips for dishes to be enjoyed in winter:

• Carciofi alla Giudia – Deep fried artichokes, served whole, a traditional Roman appetizer from the Jewish tradition.
• Bucatini all’Amatriciana – Hollow spaghetti with a tomato sauce, flavored with guanciale with grated Pecorino cheese.
• Abbaccio scottadito – Grilled lab chops Roman style.
• Cicoria – Chicory boiled and stir-fried with garlic, chilli pepper and anchovies.
• Ciambelline al vino – Traditional Roman biscuits where the main ingredient is wine. Ssually combine with a glass of wine.

Florence

Arrival in Florence

The fastest and most comfortable way to go to Florence is by high-speed train. Travel time 1:30 hours.

You will arrive at the Florence Santa Maria Novella station a few steps from the historic center.

Start exploring the city without a specific destination. Just follow the flow to get your bearings and admire this beautiful city. Treat yourself to a walk of exploration: enter all the places that arouse curiosity, get lost in the alleys, linger for a long time to admire the beauty of the monuments.

Day 1 in Florence

How to move

The best way to explore the city is on foot. The center is not extensive and is an open-air museum, with the main attractions all close together!

What to see and do in Florence in winter

• Visiting Museums and Churches. It is a good idea to warm up a little or to avoid getting wet in case of rain! And because they are treasures of art and beauty.
• Tuscan cuisine. What better way to warm up than sitting in a restaurant in front of a plate of ribollita, Florentine tripe or peposo?
• Day trip. In winter it is too a great idea to take a trip outside Florence for a wine tasting, a car tour in the Tuscan countryside, or a cooking class at holiday farm.

3 days itinerary

• Day 2 – Historic Center: Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and monumental building, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Porcellino Fountain and the market, Palazzo Strozzi, Ponte Vecchio.
  • More time? Visit the Basilica of Santo Spirito.
  • Rainy Day? Visit Palazzo Pitti museum.
• Day 3 – Santa Maria Novella and San Lorenzo District. Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and monumental building, The Mercato Centrale, Medici Chapels, Accademia Gallery.
  • More time? Visit the Basilica of San Lorenzo.
  • Rainy day? Visit the 900 museum.
• Day 4 – Santa Croce District. Basilica of Santa Croce and monumental building, the Uffizi Gallery, the Rose Garden and Piazza Michelangelo.
  • More time? Rainy day? Visit Casa Buonarroti or National Museum of Bargello.
• Day 5 – Day Trip from Florence. Is it a beautiful day or raining? No problem, because it is always a good idea to organize a tour in the Tuscan countryside.
  • Chianti Wineries Tour.
  • Cooking Class & Lunch at Tuscan Farmhouse.
  • Tour the Tuscan countryside in a vintage Fiat 500.

What to eat

• Crostini: slice of grilled or toasted bread with chicken liver patè or black cabbage patè.
• Ribollita: the most famous of the typical Tuscan winter dishes. The main ingredients are black cabbage and bread. These are cooked together with beans, carrots, celery and onion. This soup must boil and simmer for several hours.
• Peposo. Beef stew cooked with red wine and peppercorns.
• Ricciolina is a perfect dessert for a winter snack. It’s made by shortcrust pastry filled with meringue and chocolate.

Viterbo

Arrival in Viterbo 

To go to Viterbo by train it will be necessary to make a change. Travel time 3:30 hours.

1.  Regionale Veloce 4103 from Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Attigliano-Bomarzo.
2. Regionale 12568 from Attigliano-Bomarzo to Viterbo Porta Fiorentina

Such a long journey might seem exhausting. As soon as you arrive, head to the hotel and spend the rest of the day relaxing.  

Day 1 in Viterbo

How to move

Viterbo is the italian city with the largest medieval historic center, but it can be visited on foot.

What to see and do in Viterbo in winter

•  Viterbo upside down. Explore the historic city center and the great spaces of the underground: the labyrinth under the city of Viterbo.
• Thermal Bath Experience: restore yourself at the spa.
• Try hand made pasta. In Viterbo you can taste the best dishes of strictly handmade pasta.

1 day itinerary

• Cathedral of Saint Lawrence
• Pope’s Palace
• Palazzetto di Valentino della Pagnotta
• Colle del Duomo Museum
• Piazza della Morte
• Viterbo Underground
• Medieval old town
• Piazza del Gesù
• Palazzo dei priori
• Piazza delle Erbe
• More time? Rainy Day?  You can visit these museums: Rocca Albornoz Etruscan National Museum, Knights Templar Historical Museum.

Day 3 in Viterbo: Thermal Bath Experience

Second day in Tuscia and last day in Italy. How are you feeling? Tired? Do you feel overwhelmed by emotions and all food tasted?

Ok, it’s time to relax, to refuel after 2 weeks of travel. It’s time to live an experience that is imprinted in the italians history. How to get here: you have to take bus line 2, Terme stop.

What to eat

The traditional cuisine of Tuscia is a meeting point of 3 italian regions: Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany.

• Frittelle: vegetables dipped in batter and fried.
• Gnocchi col ferro: fresh handmade pasta, worked with a knitting needle. They are served with meat sauce and porcini mushrooms.
• Pignataccia: stew with beef and vegetables, cooked in a crock pot.
• Tozzetti: rustic and crunchy desserts with hazelnuts from the Cimini Mountains.

Last day in Italy

Today you’ll go back in Rome airport. 

1. Regionale 12797 from Viterbo Porta Romana Station to Roma Trastevere Station. Travel time 2 hours.
2. Regionale 20393 from Roma Trastevere Station to the airport. Travel time 30 minutes.

Did you like my itinerary in Italy in winter?

Have you already been to Italy? In which season? Tell me in the comments.

Buon Viaggio!