Destination: Italy
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: The Grand Tour
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ONE MONTH / MILAN TO PALERMO
To complete this grand tour you’ll need at least a month but you can extend it for as much time as you have available; traverse a world of different cultures and a treasure chest of art along this 1720km trail from Milan to Palermo.
Thankfully no longer the preserve of aristocratic young men, anyone with time on their hands can make the most of a trip to Italy by starting in the north and working slowly south (or vice versa), taking in all the attractions of a traditional grand tour as you go.
A good starting point is the financial metropolis and shopping capital of Italy, Milan, from where you can head north and east to the glittering Lombard lakes, then onto elegant Verona and the unique lagoon city of Venice.
Take time to sample the architectural and culinary delights of ‘red’ Bologna before progressing to Florence for an art infusion. From there you could loop west to explore the Romanesque jewels of walled-in Lucca and Pisa of the Leaning Tower fame. Swing southeast to experience the medieval splendour of Siena before continuing south to the equally enchanting Umbrian hill capital of Perugia.
From Perugia let all roads lead you straight to Rome to discover the wonderful ancient city in all its glory before scampering onto Naples, the chaotic metropolis of the south and one-time capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Don’t miss the fascinating ruins of Pompeii and the precipitous cliff-lined Amalfi Coast before you set off east across the bottom of the boot into Puglia to Lecce, with its extravagant baroque palaces, and the wild Penisola Salentina coast. Alternatively, opt for the road along the Calabrian coast and the ferry across to the sizzling island of Sicily, with its wealth of history, good food, stark landscapes, island hideaways, beautiful beaches and volcanic splendour. Wind up in Palermo, the southern island’s fascinating capital.
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