13/02/2014
Astha Baheria & Gaurav Bhaya's Italy Trip - Aug 2013
Venice:
Day 1: Reached Venice around 6 pm. Did nothing
Day 2: Morning:Dodge palace (ticket includes bridge of sighs and prison), Afternoon: St Mark's Cathedral (bought the tickets in advance), Evening: rialto bridge and roamed around
Day 3: Morning:Gondola ride , Afternoon: left for Florence by train
Florence:
Day 3: Had dinner in Florence
Day 4: Morning : Dumo (climbed the stairs, bought the tickets in advance for Duomo+Museum behind), Museum: Museo dell' Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore , Afternoon: Uffizi Musem (bought tickets in advance, Birth of Venus painting is interesting), Evening: Arno bridge (it is next to Uffizi)
Day 5: Morning : Accademia museum (Michaelangelo's David. Made a mistake and did not buy tickets in advance. Had to wait long), Afternoon: Pisa (bought tickets in advance for leaning tower, cemetry, museum)
Rome:
Day 6: Morning: Left for Rome from Florence by train, Afternoon: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine hill (Bought the tickets in advance), Evening: Trevi Fountain
Day 7: Vatican city 3 hr tour (we took a our which covered Musem+Sisitine chapel+ St Peter's ), Evening: Spanish steps
Day 8: Morning: Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Afternoon: Capitol Museum
Day 9: Morning: Left for SF
We downloaded Rick steeves audio guide. It is really good. Also, buy the tickets in advance because there is long queue everywhere.
For Venice we bought Vaporetto pass for 3 days. Also, we booked train tickets in advance but I think you can get it there also. For regional trains like going to Pisa you need to validate the ticket after buying it. We forgot to buy tickets for Accademia museum in advance in Florence and had to wait in a queue. Also, there is dress code also if you want to enter the churches.