What to book before you travel to Italy?

Most visits can be booked on the spot. A few sell out days ahead. Here they are, stop by stop, with what you can do without booking underneath. Keep the rest of your time free.

8 activities to book · about €380 per person

Venice

Days 1-2
Days 1-2Gondola ride30 minThirty minutes on the small canals, where the city looks the way it was designed to be seen.€40Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-2Doge's Palace, guided2hThe seat of the Venetian republic, its council rooms and the bridge that took prisoners out of them.€35Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Saint Mark's Square · Rialto Bridge · Murano and Burano islands

All activities in Venice on GetYourGuide

Florence

Days 3-4
Days 3-4Uffizi Gallery, skip the line2hBotticelli, Leonardo and Caravaggio in one corridor. The queue outside can run to two hours in summer.€30Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 3-4Chianti tasting in TuscanyHalf dayHalf a day among the vines between Florence and Siena, with the wine and the food that goes with it.€60Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Duomo and Ponte Vecchio · Piazzale Michelangelo · San Lorenzo market

All activities in Florence on GetYourGuide

Rome

Days 5-7
Days 5-7Colosseum and Forum, skip the line3hThe arena that held fifty thousand people, then the square where the empire actually ran itself.€45Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 5-7Vatican and Sistine Chapel, guided3hFour kilometres of galleries ending under Michelangelo's ceiling. Go early or go late.€55Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Trevi Fountain · Pantheon · Trastevere · Spanish Steps

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Naples and Pompeii

Days 8-10
Days 8-10Pompeii, guided visitHalf dayA Roman town frozen mid-morning in 79 AD. A guide is what turns the stones back into streets.€45Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 8-10Capri by boatFull dayA day on the island the Roman emperors kept for themselves, and the blue cave under its cliffs.€70Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: UNESCO old town · Real Neapolitan pizza · Chiaia seafront

All activities in Naples on GetYourGuide

Indicative prices per person, checked when written. The button opens the GetYourGuide search for the activity and the town, on the days of the stop once your dates are known. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the activities to book in Italy cost?

€380 per person if you do them all, across 8 bookings. The most expensive is "Capri by boat" at €70, the cheapest "Uffizi Gallery, skip the line" at €30. Prices checked when written: confirm them when you book.

What can you do in Italy without booking anything?

13 visits on this itinerary need no ticket or time slot, starting with Saint Mark's Square, Rialto Bridge, Murano and Burano islands, Duomo and Ponte Vecchio. They make up most of your days: booking ahead only concerns a handful of sites with limited places.

At which stop should you book earliest?

Venice, with 2 activities to book, against 2 at the quietest stop. That is where slots go first.

How long do these activities take?

From 2h for the shortest to Full day for the longest. Fit them into your days before filling the rest: a guided visit often takes half a day.

The rest of the trip