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Two-Week Slow Travel Itinerary in Venice & Bologna
This carefully crafted 14-day itinerary is built for travellers who believe that the best way to know a place is to stay long enough to stop rushing. Two bases, Venice and Bologna, let you linger over meals, explore side streets, and discover hidden gems beyond the highlights.
Week One — Venice
Day 1 — Arriving in Venice
Take the vaporetto along the Grand Canal from Santa Lucia station, drop your bags, enjoy cicchetti at a bacaro, and spend the evening wandering without a map.
Day 2 — The Heart of Venice
Visit St Mark's Basilica, climb the Campanile, explore Accademia or Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and enjoy an evening Spritz by the canal.
Day 3 — Day Trip to Murano & Burano
Discover Murano's glassmaking and Burano's colored houses and lace-making traditions. Return via Torcello to glimpse Venice's origins.
Day 4 — Day Trip to Padova
Visit Padova’s rich art and architecture, just 25 minutes from Venice by train.
Day 5 — The Quieter Venice
Explore Cannaregio and the Jewish Ghetto, walk through Castello to Santi Giovanni e Paolo, and admire Bartolomeo Colleoni’s statue.
Day 6 — Day Trip to Vicenza
Discover Palladio’s architecture in Vicenza, an essential stop for architecture lovers.
Day 7 — Venice Slowly
Spend your last day at leisure: visit Rialto market, explore neighborhoods, revisit favorite canals or artworks, and dine at a Venetian restaurant.
Week Two — Bologna
Day 8 — Arriving in Bologna
Walk the porticoes from the station, see the two towers, climb Asinelli, and enjoy aperitivo in the Quadrilatero.
Day 9 — Bologna Properly
Explore Piazza Maggiore, Basilica di San Petronio with its meridian sundial, Archiginnasio, and Museo di Palazzo Poggi.
Day 10 — Day Trip to Ferrara
Visit Ferrara, a Renaissance UNESCO city with remarkable urban planning by the Este family.
Day 11 — Day Trip to Modena
See Modena Cathedral and Galleria Estense for Este family art.
Day 12 — Day Trip to Ravenna
Admire mosaics at Basilica di San Vitale, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, and Sant'Apollinare Nuovo.
Day 13 — Day Trip to Parma
Visit Parma’s Baptistery, Camera di San Paolo, and enjoy local culinary specialties like Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma.
Day 14 — Bologna, Last Day
Walk the 3.5 km portico to Santuario di Madonna di San Luca for panoramic views over Bologna and the Po Valley.
