Skeleton Itinerary for 20 days in Italy
Hello everyone! I am looking to spend 20 full days in Italy with my mom. The flights were too complicated to fly into/out of different cities, so we will be flying into and out of Rome. Looking for some feedback on the skeleton itinerary as there is SO MUCH to see. We are going in late October/early November.
Some things we are interested in: food, a little bit of shopping, WWII history, Architecture, and Catholic landmarks/history. My mom has requested some time outside of cities that are busier (like Rome). I'd love some feedback because I feel like I might be too heavy in some cities vs others. We've never been to Italy but have been to Europe 2x, last trip to Spain and Portugal we did several day trips outside the city and loved it (I still dream of Sintra lol). We are very on the go travelers, able bodied, and take trains where we can, are very comfortable with public transit, and walk whenever we can.
Day 0 (arrival in early afternoon) - Afternoon in Rome. We are coming from Hawaii so anticipating just walking around to reset clock, get dinner, and call it an early night
Days 1-2 Rome
Day 3- Rome to Milan
Days 4-6 Milan (1 day trip to Lake Como)
Day 7 Milan to Bologna
Days 8-11 Bologna (looking at day trips to Modena and Parma)
Day 12 Bologna to Florence
Day 13 to 15 Florence (looking at a day trip to Siena)
Day 16 Florence to Rome
Days 17 to 20 Rome (include a day trip or two)
Day 21 Head home
Venice doesn't really excite us so thats why it is not included. Would appreciate any feedback or suggestions!