The Transparent Travelers

A Budget-Luxury Italy Couple Trip: Rome, Cinque Terre, Venice & the Dolomites

Overview

Destinations: Rome, Cinque Terre, Venice, Dolomites (Ortisei & Cortina)
Vibe: History, coastal views, food experiences, scenic hikes
Budget: Mid-Range with Smart Splurges

• Transportation: $1,614 (trains, rental car, flights, scooters)
• Hotels: $2,664 (mix of boutique hotels & Airbnbs)
• Excursions: $1,186 (tours, gondolas, parking passes, boat day, cooking class)
• Food: $1,389 (restaurants, takeout, cafes, snacks)
• Souvenirs: $120 (photoshoot, handmade leather goods)
• Total: $6,873 for 2 people

Things to Know

• Best Time to Visit: Shoulder seasons (May-June or September to October) for fewer crowds and great weather.
  • We would have planned this trip earlier but this was Cori’s 30th birthday trip so we went during her actual birthday.
• Language: Italian, but English was widely spoken in tourist areas.
  • We had no problem at all, a few times had to use a translate app but majority spoke some english.
• Currency: Euro. Tap-to-pay and cards worked almost everywhere.
  • We had 500 euros in cash to use when needed but everywhere accepted card (Not AMEX).
• Transportation: Fast trains, regional trains, and rental car for the Dolomites.
  • Book fast trains ahead of time, some were booked day of and we noticed the price increase a little. Pay to select a seat if it is a long trip!
  • You can get by with buses but Jess gets very car sick and we wanted flexibility with a car. It is a large expense but we felt worth it! (Also, we drove from the Dolomites to Slovenia so we needed a car for that.)
• Safety & LGBTQ+ Friendliness: We felt very safe and welcomed as a lesbian couple.
  • Rome Pride was a highlight, and most areas felt inclusive and comfortable, never had a problem.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Rome Arrival

• Landed in Rome 2pm, took a car to our hotel Piccola Navona Roof Garden.
  • We usually always do public transportation to save money, but we have found that booking a private transfer saves a lot of stress after a long travel day when you are in a new country. Private transfer was €65, compared to the train for two would have been €28.
• Piccola Navona Roof Garden
  • $643 for 3 nights, so cute and clean, family-run, staff very nice and helpful, cool A/C, great location (walking distance to everything but quieter street).
• Attended Roma Pride, watched the parade pass by the Colosseum – felt like a movie. We stayed up till 8PM to fight the jet lag.

Day 2 – Sunrise Walking Tour & Colosseum Tour

• Sunrise walking tour – made by Jess with the help of Chat GPT.
  • Piazza Navona → Pantheon → Trevi Fountain → Spanish Steps
  • Went at 6AM with no crowds, it was magical.

• Breakfast at Bar La Licata – near Colosseum, it was €20 for a large shared meal + cappuccinos. The Americana meal was large portion, a little expensive but delicious and sitting outside you can see the Colosseum down the street.
• Colosseum + Arena Floor + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill Tour — booked via Viator ($284 for 2). Highly recommend this tour. It was 3 hours and fascinating, got to see so much.
• Dinner at Osteria Da Fortunata – famous for their fresh handmade pasta, great vibes, we went early at 6:00pm and got a table but when we left at 7:30pm the line was down the block.

Day 3 – Photoshoot & Vatican

• 6:30AM photoshoot at the Colosseum.
  • We have started a tradition of doing a photoshoot for each trip because we do not buy souvenirs or really do much shopping when we travel. We love having photos to look back on and frame for our home.
• 8:00AM Vatican Tour with GetYourGuide that we would not recommend so no details for that one.
• Lunch at Terrazzo Tevere – a riverside restaurant with live music, great food and good vibes.
• Dinner at Papa Re – recommended by our B&B host, it was so good! Great local spot.

Day 4 – Travel to Cinque Terre

• Trains using Trenitalia
  • Rome → Florence → La Spezia → Riomaggiore ($49 per person total)
• Checked into Airbnb with ocean view ($829.44 for 3 nights)
• Dinner to-go from Pizzeria Kepris – pizza + sparkling water enjoyed on our balcony

Day 5 – Cinque Terre Hike & Beach Day

• Attempted hike from Riomaggiore to Monterosso but because of the heat we only made it halfway.
• Took the train to Monterosso and spent the day at the beach.
  • Monterosso is the only town that has a sandy beach. There are multiple public areas that are free to lay your towels down to enjoy the water or fancy private areas with chairs that can be €70-90 per person.
• Dinner at Il Grottino in Riomaggiore – fancy spot, delicious sea bass and grilled octopus, went at 7pm and got a table.

Day 6 – Cori’s Birthday Boating & Cooking Celebration

• Brunch at Britta Café – açaí bowl, avocado toast, fresh juice ($22 total)
• 2-hour boat tour with Hyena 5 Terre Boat Tours – swam in two stunning spots, saw all 5 villages, a snack and drinks were provided, plus the bad-ass captain was incredible and first female captain.
• Evening cooking class with Barbara (booked via Cesarine) — made her Italian family’s recipes for gnocchi pesto + tiramisu in her home ($150/person). This was one of our favorite things we did all trip!

Day 7 – Cinque Terre to Venice

• Took trains via La Spezia → Milan → Venice (€76 per person)
  • 2-hour Milan layover turned out to be fun, there is a HUGE amazing food court (Mercato Centrale Milano).
• Checked into Hotel Nani Mocenigo Palace in Venice.
  • This was a splurge for us to celebrate Cori’s birthday! ($654 for 2 nights, included breakfast). It was a 5 star hotel, absolutely stunning, the bathroom was all white marble, the room was small because we chose the smallest available.
• Dinner at Bar ae Maraveje, we took delicious lasagna to go and ate at a park (€10).
• Dark Chocolate gelato at Gelateria Lo Squero was AMAZING (€2 each)

Day 8 – Exploring Venice

• Slept in, then had included hotel breakfast (eggs, bacon, cappuccinos)
• Walked around St. Mark’s Square, saw Doge’s Palace and then went to Caffè Florian.
  • With only 1 full day here, we decided to just walk around Venice all day to see everything and not spend time on tours.
  • Caffè Florian was a pricey but very cool experience. It is the oldest Italian coffeehouse and one of the oldest in the world, established in 1720. The art is all original, loved it!
• Walked to around the Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal.
• Skipped the €90 gondola – took a quick €2 gondola ferry across the Grand Canal instead. Google “Gondola Station S. Sofia to find it.

Day 9 – Venice to Dolomites (Ortsei)

• Took a private water taxi to the airport — €120 for a beautiful 30 minute ride through the canals (vs. €30/person for 90-min ferry)
• Picked up rental car at Venice airport and drove to Ortisei
  • We decided on a rental car in the mountains to give us more flexibility, to get to hikes we wanted to do and because Jess gets car sick so sitting on a bus on the winding mountain roads would make her sick.
• Checked into Hotel Digon – beautiful spot with an infinity pool, saunas and mountain views.

Day 10 – Alpe di Siusi & Seceda

• Breakfast included at the hotel – eggs, bacon, and fresh juice from a DIY machine
• Took gondola to Alpe di Siusi (€35/person) and then to Seceda (€50/person)
  • Alpe di Siusi: largest high-elevation Alpine meadow, it was beautiful, we did a loop hike on the top.
  • Seceda: famous Odle Peaks, we did a loop hike at the top and had a late lunch.
  • If you only have time for one, do Seceda.

Day 11 – Lago di Sorapis Hike & Cortina

• Early start with hotel breakfast, checked out and then drove to Lago di Sorapis trailhead
  • Did the high loop hike via Forcella Marcuoira (not out-and-back) – 8.2 miles with nearly 3,000 ft elevation gain + scramble, definitely a hard but worth it hike.
  • The lake is absolutely stunning, turquoise blue with jagged peaks.
  • If you aren’t physically able or tight on time, do the out-and-back.
• Post-hike meal at Mato Kitchen Bar – massive burgers (€18, recommend sharing)
• Checked in to Hotel Il Cardo near Cortina – free breakfast + parking included.
  • Cortina is extremely expensive, if you have a car stay outside of it.

Day 12 – Spa & Tre Cime Hike

• Slept in and had breakfast at Hotel Il Cardo.
• Used the hotel spa (hot tub + sauna) for a nice relaxing morning.
• Lunch at The Roof Cortina, it was delicious!
• Grabbed snacks/sandwiches from a market for later
• Drove to Tre Cime di Lavaredo for 5 PM entry – €40 parking reservation required (do this online, this is new as of 2025)
  • Hiked the counterclockwise loop – breathtaking views, lots of space for private photos, highly recommend later before sunset to have less crowds.
  • Favorite paid hike of the trip!

Day 13 – Italy to Slovenia

• We wrapped up our time in the Dolomites with breakfast at our hotel and then began the drive toward our next adventure.
• After nearly two unforgettable weeks, we said goodbye to Italy and headed to explore Slovenia.
• 👉 Follow along in our next post: Slovenia Travel Blog – Coming Soon!

Overall Top Recommendations

Top 3 Experiences

• Cooking class in Cinque Terre – making gnocchi and tiramisu in Barbara’s home was such a unique, personal experience. https://cesarine.com/en/h/barbarao-riomaggiore?srsltid=AfmBOorA3jlHBYz7RNyfH-iSYULomo3MeePTTPVKU5ow6-8Qx5PElcrO
• Boat & Swimming tour in Cinque Terre – swimming along the coast was unforgettable. https://hyena5terreboattour.com/en/
• Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike – jaw-dropping views and plenty of peaceful spots to take it all in.

Top 3 Meals

• Osteria Da Fortunata (Rome) – handmade pasta prepared in front of us, truly delicious
• Il Grottino (Riomiaggore) – perfectly cooked sea bass and grilled octopus
• Snetonstube (Ortisei) – cozy local spot with rich beef goulash and spätzle

Top Transparent Tips

• Rome was HOT, like 90 degrees unbareable sweat through your clothes hot. Get up early to explore while it’s cool and think about how your outfits will show sweat marks.
• Book train tickets ahead of time and make sure to book a seat.
• There is no need to see all 5 Cinque Terre towns. Pick 2 to explore to really see them. We loved staying in Riomaggiore.
• Ortisei was cozier and more charming, while Cortina offered better access to epic hikes and dramatic mountain views. Both towns are pricey, so if you’re on a budget and have a rental car, consider staying just outside the town – both have easy, affordable parking for day trips.