Classic Italy Honeymoon Itinerary: Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre and Venice

In the morning, the bakeries fill the air with the scent of freshly baked brioche and chocolate. The flower market in Campo de’ Fiori returns the bright hues of the blossoming petals to the bustling square alongside the daily farmers’ market. You take your time at breakfast, enjoying the simple pleasures of a fresh espresso accompanied by your loved one. Your guide greets you in the lobby and leads you to the icon of Roman history, the Colosseum. The sensational work of ancient architecture was erected in the 1st century AD and stands nearly 200 feet tall. You can envision the stadium at its zenith, shimmering with travertine marble with an interior adorned with an awning to shade the cheering crowd.

The scent of hot stone rises from the remaining benches and walls. You look down into the center of the stadium where the wooden stage once stood and which now gives way to the hypogeum. The walls of the once hidden subterranean labyrinth offered training rooms to gladiators and held exotic animals waiting for their release. After a full day immersed in the historic splendors of the city, you step onto a boat ready to cruise the Tiber River. The lights of the city cast an ethereal glow glinting off the statues on the Sant’Angelo Bridge. The aroma of artichoke and garlic fills the dining room and is accompanied with the gentle strum of guitar strings.

For a private moment at an icon of Roman sites, you sip a cappuccino alongside the trickling waters of the Trevi Fountain. The striking figure of Oceanus poses at the heart of the marble edifice spanning more than 160 feet in width and reaching nearly 90 feet in height. At mid-morning, you meet your private and enter the kitchen to learn how to craft delectable pasta from scratch. The private couple’s cooking class begins with a sip of Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine, and you find hints of peach and melon emanating from the wine’s effervescence.

The doors to the terrace are open, offering a fantastic view of the city’s rooftops. The aroma of garlic and basil fills the kitchen. You feel the soft, powdery flour on your hands as you and your love craft a perfect Bucatini all’Amatriciana, which uses the long, hollow pasta similar to spaghetti dressed in a bright tomato sauce filled with herbs, spices, and guanciale, a cured pork product. After the delicious meal, you make your way to Vatican City to experience the distinctive tour of the famous museum after dark. The doors close to the general public to create an intimate atmosphere surrounded by magnificent statues and enticing artwork, crowned by the unforgettable images of the Sistine Chapel. Remnants of frankincense and myrrh fill the room as you look to the ceiling and see the quintessential scene of the Creation of Adam.

The morning light washes over the golden stone of Castle Sant’Angelo, returning the drama of the outer walls and the graceful features of the angelic statues lining the bridge. Your private transfer meets you in the lobby after breakfast and escorts you north to Tuscany to reach Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” The old city walls continue to wrap around the historic center, and the brick dome of the cathedral designed by Brunelleschi continues to rise above the rooftops and cobblestone streets as a striking feature of the skyline.

The perfume of unique coffee concoctions emanates from a local cafe which features the Italian classics and highlights the city’s growing trend towards specialty coffee drinks. You stroll along the cobbled lanes of the city finding a labyrinth of historic palaces leading to open public piazzas. The city feels like a fantasy, welcoming you into its folds with surprises and delights around every corner. Before venturing to the Accademia to view the breathtaking figure of Michelangelo’s David, you can step into the elaborate nave of the Duomo.

The structure was erected between the 13th and 14th centuries and reaches a length of nearly 500 feet.  More than 40 windows decorate the walls, which once created the largest stained-glass collection in Italy.  The transept demands attention, drawing your eyes upward into the curvature of the dome. The octagonal design supports a stunning fresco depicting the Last Judgment by Giorgio Vasari. You can walk through the narrow stairway holding over 460 steps to reach the top of the dome at nearly 375 feet above the cathedral floor, providing a grand view of Florence and a moment of secluded romance for you and your loved one.

In the morning, locals of Florence venture to the corner bars to sip their espresso before venturing to work. The scent of the freshly brewed coffee filters through the streets accompanied by the aroma of the baking brioche that drifts from the hidden bakeries. After breakfast, you make your way to the Uffizi Gallery, the iconic art museum of Florence. Human statues grace the entrance and pose with unsuspecting tourists beneath the 16th-century edifice. The Medici family commissioned the building to house the magistrate offices before the galleries opened to the public in the late 18th century.

Natural light spills through the elaborate windows lining the upper halls, and the galleries display works by time-period, allowing you to follow the progression of art aesthetics and to note how contemporary artists compare to one another. Your guide leads you to the remarkable painting of La Primavera, by Sandro Botticelli. The immaculate artistry features the allegorical figure of Venus at the center of a blossoming forest as nymphs dance in the foreground, beneath a blindfolded cupid who hovers above the goddess. Instead of walking through the exit of the museum, your guide leads you along the Vasari Corridor, which once allowed the Medici an escape from the heart of the city, leading past the protective walls of the Palazzo Pitti on the opposite banks of the Arno River. You can take your time in the Boboli Gardens, enjoying the hidden fountains, marvelous hedges, and vibrant blossoming flowers spanning more than 110 acres.

At breakfast, you can’t help but think back to the romantic ambiance of your dinner the previous night. The basement location in the heart of the historic city offered a passionate connection to your meal set beneath frescoed vaults and cellar walls, accompanying the enticing aromas of classical Tuscan dishes. You meet your private transfer in the hotel lobby and venture west towards to the Mediterranean Sea, stopping en route at the famous city of Pisa.

As a city-state, Pisa held a powerful navy, instrumental in defeating rivals such as the Saracens and allowing their ships to command the Mediterranean until falling to Genoa in the 13th century and again to Florence in the 15th century. You first visit Campo dei Miracoli, the Field of Miracles, to find the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The first stones of the iconic structure were laid in 1173 to celebrated the power and prestige of the maritime republic.

The tower stands at over 185 feet tall with a list nearly four degrees. The different layers resemble a wedding cake, decorated with the traditional gothic Pisan architectural style of thin pillars supporting ornamental arches. You can climb the tower, following the nearly 300 steps to reach the top platform. The sunlight glints off the marble façade, turning the air warmer than the temperatures you felt while on the field. With your loved one, you bask in the view over the city, finding the architecture of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the Baptistery representative of the beauty of the historic city.

The charming seaside town of Levanto provides the perfect base to get familiar with the secluded towns of Cinque Terre. Levanto has been an important stop on the Via Francigena, the famous pilgrim route connecting Rome to France since medieval times. The aroma of sweet chocolate brioche fades beneath the sea breeze as the tranquil waves brush against the golden sands and splash along the protruding rocks. After breakfast, you take the train to the first stop south, connecting you to the most northerly town of Cinque Terre, Monterosso.

In the summer, the thin beach fills with sunbathers relaxing between the golden light and shade of the white and blue umbrellas. The water in the small bay laps against the gritty sand with turquoise and indigo hues. The boardwalk leads to the edge of town in the shadow of the bordering cliff to the north and the soaring tower on the rocks to the south. Old Town shimmers with pink, yellow, and red buildings that contrast the vineyards, orchards, and forest spreading along the terraced mountains.

The neighborhood of New Town rises out of the mountain away from the water’s edge, and the imposing figure of Il Gigante protrudes from the rock wall at a height of more than 45 feet tall. The concrete statue was erected in the early 20th century as a prominent Neptune, God of the Sea, who held the waves at bay.  With your partner, you take to the famous trails connecting the five towns together, winding along the coastline leading you to Vernazza, and stopping on the small outlook over the town to enjoy a quiet view as a couple.

In the morning, the scent of freshly baked focaccia emanates from the bakeries as the rolling waves along the beach fill the air with a soporific sound. You enjoy the view from your hotel’s terrace, basking in the gentle breeze blowing through the sporadic palms and orchards growing along the mountain ridges. Your private transfer escorts you northeast towards the remarkable city of Venice, stopping en route in the fabled city of Verona, known to romantics as the home of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

The Roman amphitheater rises out of Piazza Brá and continues to hold up to 22,000 spectators during the city’s summer Opera Festival. The scent of espresso and chocolate lingers in the main street leading to Piazza delle Erbe. The 14th-century fountain at the heart of the public square bubbles beneath an ancient marble statue repurposed as the Madonna of Verona during medieval times. The House of Juliet stands near the corners of the piazza, with a small tunnel leading into the central courtyard.

Letters decorate the brick in the tunnel, written by fans and those longing for romance around the world, asking for the newfound figure of love for help and advice. A committee known as the Juliet Club answers letters of love-struck correspondents, keeping the epistolary traditions alive. The leaves of an overhanging tree brush against the back of the bronze statue commemorating Juliet Capulet. A balcony looks down into the courtyard, offering a different perspective for you and your lover of fair Verona, including a special place to sneak a passionate kiss.

In the morning, the Rialto Market brims with activity. The aroma of tomatoes and apples drifts through aisles of the oldest continuous market in the city. A marble plaque nailed to the façade of the bordering building provides the rules and regulations of the marketplace. Lupines, carnations, and tulips decorate the florists shop at the fringe of the thriving marketplace filling with women looking to brighten their apartments and men searching for the perfect bouquet to bring their lovers. Your guide leads you through the throngs of the marketplace, passing the Rialto Bridge, and stopping in Piazza San Marco, the city’s famous public square.

The onion-shaped domes of the eponymous basilica perforate the skyline and the gilded mosaics on the façade shimmer in the sunlight. You enter into the Doge’s Palace, passing beneath the Porta della Carta. The main entrance has a remarkable collection of stained-glass windows shining above the statues of St. Mark and his winged lion. You look to the Bridge of Sighs arching over the Grand Canal where the graceful curvature and Baroque décor brings remarkable beauty to the bridge upon which prisoners crossed to reach their cells. The cells once held the romantic Venetian legend Casanova until he escaped. After exploring the stunning history of the Venetian Republic, you board a gondola ride bound for the hidden, narrow canals winding through the 118 islands creating Greater Venice, indulging in the secluded amorousness that the surrounding scenery affords.

In the morning, old women return to the cobbled labyrinthine lanes of Venice heading for the local markets, and gondolas wade on the water in the tranquil ambiance before the city wakes. The most northern neighborhood of Venice, known as Cannaregio, rarely sees tourists and retains a relaxed, sensual atmosphere amidst the sunny churches and hidden lanes leading to schools and charming coffee shops. In the district of Castello, a local book shop opens its doors. The charming store sits near the water’s edge and contains countless shelves and stacks of books positioned in retired gondolas, creating a booklover’s paradise and an escape from the daily crowds Saint Mark’s Square. After breakfast, you board a vaporetto, a local canal ferry, from your hotel’s private dock, and return to the main shore of Venice before reaching Marco Polo International Airport for your flight home.