Luca Inspired Italy Itinerary
If your house is anything like mine, your kids have had Luca playing on repeat and it has you wanting to eat pasta on the Italian coast.
If you haven’t Disney and Pixar’s latest release, it is set in a fictional town in the Italian Riviera. The story follows two teenage sea monsters who magically appear human when they dry off and explore Pontorosso, a fictional animated town created using “the best parts of every one of the five real towns” in Cinque Terre. The story is adorable and I love the message of silencing your fears to try new things.
Despite the picturesque setting and the idea of sipping aperitivo on the cliffs overlooking the water, I know you have your own fear of traveling to Italy with your kids. How are you going to visit the ruins without the kids whining, what do you do with them when you finally live your dream of drinking chianti in Tuscany?
Well, SILÊNCIO BRUNO!!
Just because you have kids doesn’t mean you can’t travel. You can go to Italy as a family, and enjoy it!
Here is my suggested itinerary: A family trip to Italy inspired by Luca.
Day One
Flying internationally into Rome from the States typically has you arriving in the early morning. I recommend just taking this day easy and not planning much as you deal with jet lag.
I love to do a tour on my first day to get acclimated with the layout of the city and learn a little of the history. Because this is a Luca themed itinerary obviously the best type of tour is on a Vespa! Luca and his friend Alberto visit the human town so that they can get their own Vespa so it is the perfect way to start this itinerary. The Vespas are available with sidecars for children 5-14 to enjoy this Italian tradition, safely.
Overnight in Rome
Day Two
While I don’t have anything specifically Luca inspired today, I am sure you don’t want to travel all the way to Rome and not visit some of the main attractions.
Hit the ground running on your Rome itinerary by visiting the Colosseum with kids. I recommend a Gladiator for the Day tour. This is a unique Family Experience combining a private visit to the Colosseum with a real training session at the Rome Gladiator School and healthy family competition.
After a leisurely lunch, wander through the Roman Forum and go up to Palatine Hill for a great view. It’s a lot of history in one day, but the climb up and through the ruins make it fun for little ones. The hill also tends to be less crowded on top than the Forum below. There’s a nice garden maze that’s fun for kids to explore.
Overnight in Rome
Day Three
Head over to the Vatican bright and early. (Make sure you reserve tickets in advance.) While it’s sure to be crowded and hot, it’s still incredible and is a must see on the list of things to do in Rome. Don’t miss the Raphael rooms, the Sistine Chapel, and stop into St. Peter’s Basilica. 2-3 hours is usually enough time to get an overview of the Vatican Museums and avoid tired and grumpy kids (and adults.).
After lunch, if you are refreshed enough to tackle another museum, head over to the Borghese Gallery. Before heading in, stop at the gift shop to pick up the I Am the Artist book. It has about 15-20 works of art with just the right length description for kids and will help make the museum more fun for them. If you don’t think they can handle more museums, I still recommend heading over to play in the Borghese Gardens. You can rent bikes, take a carriage ride, or just meander – there are several playgrounds and lots of room to run and play for little ones.
Overnight in Rome
Day Four
Today you are heading into the Tuscan Sun! Rent a car or hire a private driver for a day of exploring Tuscany on your way to Florence. I would plan a stop in the hilltop town of Montepulciano about a 2 hour drive from Rome. Walk around the little town and enjoy some incredible views of the Tuscany countryside before finding somewhere for lunch.
About an hour away from Montepulciano is Castello Banfi, a beautiful family owned estate in Montalcino. It is one of the bigger vineyards but it has a castle for kids to explore before you head into the tasting room. As you are sipping your wine, they are happy to provide seltzer for the kids to have their own tasting.
Florence is about a two hour drive from Castello Banfi. If you are feeling antsy, the drive has plenty of small towns to stop and explore. Siena is located about halfway and has some fun playgrounds.
Overnight in Florence
Day Five
Start your day with a stroll through the city’s winding medieval streets with a guide, stopping to see the spots where history was made by legendary figures like Michelangelo, Galileo, and Dante, and visit the Leonardo da Vinci Museum for an interactive exploration through the mind of Italy’s creative genius.
For a fun “hands-on” activity, with a special souvenir to take home, I love Francesca Vannini and her 2 – hour paper-making class. The colorful designs that you will see all around Florence, actually are native to the area and this artisan will show you and your kids how to make authentic Florentine designs.
Overnight in Florence
Day Six
Florence has some of the most incredible museums and several provide excellent programs to involve young visitors in the exploration of color, design, and technique … as well as secret passageways and ghost stories. Check the calendars of Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Strozzi, Novecento Museum and Museum of Santa Maria Novella for kid friendly tours and workshops and pick one to experience.
After lunch, coordinate a tour to one of Florence’s most famous neighbors… Pisa! See the iconic Leaning Tower on a tour with round-trip transportation. Admire Cathedral Square and the Pisa Baptistery as you follow an expert guide past the city’s main attractions. After posing with the UNESCO-listed Leaning Tower of Pisa, some time to explore the area independently.
Overnight in Florence
Day Seven
Ok! Now we are getting back to the Luca tie in with a stop in Lucca!
Traveling to Lucca by train is super easy and only 20 minutes from Florence. Enjoy bicycling around the town’s medieval city walls or take one of my favorite family tours – Medieval Beasts & Mystic Symbols of Lucca. This tour of the city gets kids looking and drawing some of the most famous beasts and mystical symbols depicted all around Lucca. Kids will be challenged to find a menagerie of animals on the most famous churches in town, on towers, buildings and shops, finishing at the stunning church of San Frediano.
After lunch, head back to the train station and enjoy a two hour train journey to Monterosso – one of the towns of Cinque Terre. These are the 5 seaside towns that inspired Luca and you will easily see how the architecture and heart of these towns inspired the story.
Overnight in Monterosso
Day Eight
Spend your morning enjoying the beach, look out for sea monsters! Monterosso has the most sandy beach with gradual water entrance so it is definitely the best for families.
It is extremely popular to “hike” between the five towns but I think the Monterosso-to-Vernazza trail is the best with kids. It is not the easiest part of the route but it is the best combination of accessibility for little legs and incredible views. From Vernazza I would take the train to Corniglia for gelato. Next, hop on a boat to Manarola where you can enjoy the iconic view with an aperitivo in hand while the kids enjoy the little playground nearby. After dinner, take the ferry back to your hotel in Monterosso.
Overnight in Monterosso
Day Nine
This morning, after a leisurely seaside breakfast, you are going to take your last train ride (about an hour) to Genoa.
Start your day by visiting what has become the symbol of the city: it’s Acquario di Genova, with its 70 exhibits plus 4 open-air tanks that host many animals of 400 different species, including fish, marine mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. You can see how some of the creatures lead fisherman to believe in sea monsters!
No matter what age or even destination one of my favorite things to include on any itinerary is a food tour with a cooking class. I saved this for the end so you that you could do it in Genoa the home of pesto. Do you remember the scene in Luca where he and Alberto start gobbling up the pasta that Gulia and her father make? It is trenette al pesto. As a part of the tour you will visit local gourmet food shops & markets and gather the ingredients so you can learn how to make your own.
Overnight in Genoa
Day Ten – Genoa
Head home
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