Rome → DelhiFlight · 12h 30m · Air India / ITA Airways (non-stop, a few times a week) · one stop via the Gulf or Istanbul
About this circuit
Italy's classic trio, linked by Frecciarossa and Italo trains of two to three hours: Venice for St Mark's, the Grand Canal by vaporetto and the islands of Murano and Burano; Florence for the Duomo, the Uffizi and Michelangelo's David; and Rome for the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon and the Vatican. Fly into Venice and home from Rome, which has non-stop flights to Delhi a few times a week.
Why it matters
Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance; Rome is three thousand years in one city, with Vatican City, St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel across the Tiber; and Venice is the city on the lagoon, with no cars at all.
Stop by stop
How the 9 days split across the 3 stops, and what each one costs on the ground for two.
The city on the lagoon: St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, the Grand Canal by vaporetto water-bus, the Rialto, gondolas, and the islands of Murano (glass) and Burano (coloured houses). No cars: trains arrive at Santa Lucia on the Grand Canal. Day-trippers pay an access fee on set spring and summer days; hotel guests are exempt but register. From October to January high tides (acqua alta) can flood St Mark's Square. Indian restaurants near the station and Rialto.
Don't miss: St Mark's Basilica · Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs.
How long: 2 days here; on its own Venice is worth 3 — add a day if you can.
Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), 12 km
2 days for two from ₹44,638 · ₹87,886 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
The cradle of the Renaissance and the base for Tuscany: Brunelleschi's dome on the Duomo, the Uffizi gallery, Michelangelo's David at the Accademia, the Ponte Vecchio and the view from Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset. Compact and walkable; the centre is a ZTL where cars are fined. Pisa is an hour away by train, Siena and Chianti an hour by bus or car. Leather markets and Florentine steak; vegetarians do well on ribollita and pasta. Indian restaurants are in the centre.
Don't miss: Climb Brunelleschi's dome · Uffizi Gallery.
How long: 3 days, which is the recommended stay.
Florence Peretola Airport (FLR), 6 km
3 days for two from ₹91,048 · ₹1,55,839 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
Italy's capital and its main arrival airport: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, and, across the Tiber, Vatican City with St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Trastevere and Monti are the neighbourhoods for evenings. Every major sight now runs on timed tickets, so book ahead. High-speed trains reach Florence in about 1.5 hours and Naples in about 1 hour 10. Indian restaurants are easy to find near Termini station and in the centre.
Don't miss: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill · Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
How long: 4 days, which is the recommended stay.
Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), 32 km
4 days for two from ₹85,924 · ₹1,78,087 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
What it costs
from ₹1,82,993 a person
The whole 9-day trip as the planner prices it in March, for two sharing at budget stays: flights from India and back, travel between the stops, stays, food, getting around, entry fees and the planner's buffer.
The visa for an Indian passport, about ₹11,590 a person, is on top.
When to go
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April to May and September to October suit all three; from October to January high tides (acqua alta) can flood St Mark's Square, and July and August bring heatwaves of 35-40 °C
Entry rules
Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹11,590
Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa at a VFS Global Italy centre in India, 4-8 weeks before you fly (no earlier than 6 months). Apply to Italy if it is your only or longest stay in Schengen. The fee is €90 (about ₹9,600; €45 for children 6-11) plus the VFS service charge, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Make it yours
Opens in the planner with all 3 stops, suggested days and your home city pre-filled, in March. Swap anything.
·Indian passports need a Schengen visa: apply at a VFS Italy centre 4-8 weeks before you fly; one visa covers Italy and the rest of Schengen for up to 90 days in any 180
·Book the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, the Uffizi and the Accademia for timed slots before you fly
·Venice charges day-trippers an access fee on set spring and summer days; staying overnight you don't pay, but you register with your hotel booking
·Every hotel adds the city tax (tassa di soggiorno) at check-out, per person per night
·Churches, St Peter's and the Vatican need covered shoulders and knees: carry a light scarf in summer
