Late October in Italy wonderfully quiets the crowds of Venice, Dolomites, Cinque Terre, and Pisa. My third visit to Venice saw new corners on foot including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Piraeus Lion, Contarini del Bovolo Palace, the interior of Saint Mark’s Basilica and its panoramic Bell Tower view. The aging architectural beauty of Italy will forever warm our hearts.
Mid to late October is a magical time to wander Italy’s Dolomites, when vast forests of larch turn golden. Fresh snow dusting lofty summits was the icing on the cake.
Tougher than expected, hiking the steep, rocky trails of Cinque Terre justified bringing hiking poles. Delightful off-season travel in early November quieted the towns, paths, and trains while maintaining sunny days. Staying 5 nights in Vernazza captured multiple romantic sunsets. Next most photogenic were Riomaggiore and Manarola. On a partly-rainy day, Pisa’s Square of Miracles made an impressive day trip.
CONTENTS: ITALY 2025 Oct 21–Nov 7
Venice ■ Dolomites ■ Genoa ■ Cinque Terre , tips ■ Pisa ■ Monte Rosa seen from Milan
See next: Nov 7–23 in Morocco: “Marrakesh, Benhaddou, Erg Chebbi, Fez, Chefchaouen, Rabat”
Earlier Italy: Dolomites ( 2023 , 2013 & 2011 with Venice ) ■ 2022 Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB)
Venice, 3 nights
Venice (Venezia) is the capital of Italy’s Veneto region, named for the ancient Veneti people from the 900s BC. The romantic “City of Canals” stretches across 100+ small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea. Venice and the Venetian Lagoons are honored on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Republic of Venice wielded major sea power during the Middle Ages, Crusades, and Renaissance. Riches from Venice’s silk, grain, and spice trade in the 1200s to 1600s built elaborate architecture combining Gothic, Byzantine, and Arab styles.
Above: Built in the 1400s, the Contarini del Bovolo Palace has a beautiful external multi-arch spiral staircase, in Venice’s San Marco district, near Campo Manin. (Photo by Carol Dempsey.)
Below: A vaporreto (public water bus) cruises under Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto, built 1591), the oldest of four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice. In 452 AD, Attila the Hun invaded Italy, and people retreated to offshore islands called Rivo Alto (high bank), or Ri’Alto, the center of Venice. Venice (Venezia) is the capital of Italy’s Veneto region, named for the ancient Veneti people from the 900s BC. (Photo by Carol Dempsey.)
Above: See the domes of Saint Mark’s Basilica from its Bell Tower (Campanile di San Marco). On the upper right is the Campanile (Bell Tower) of San Francesco della Vigna, built 69 meters tall between 1571 and 1581. The Byzantine architecture of Saint Mark’s Basilica dates from 1063 AD. Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark’s Square) is the prime walking center of Venice. The Piazzetta extends Piazza San Marco to the Venetian Lagoon waterfront.
Above: See St. Mark’s Bell Tower (Campanile) and the replica Horses of Saint Mark from the basilica’s Loggia dei Cavalli terrace. The Fourth Crusade (1204) brought spoils of war to Venice, most famously the Horses of Saint Mark, four gilded bronze statues looted from the Hippodrome of Constantinople. (Photo by Carol Dempsey.)
Below: The original Horses of Saint Mark are installed inside Saint Mark’s Basilica, with a separate entrance fee to access the Loggia dei Cavalli.
Below: The Byzantine architecture of Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice dates from 1063 AD.
Above: Now installed at the Venetian Arsenal, the Piraeus Lion was originally carved in 360 BC and proudly mounted at Piraeus, the port of Athens. A thousand years ago, someone carved Viking runes into it. In 1687, Venetian naval commander Francesco Morosini looted it during the Great Turkish War against the Ottoman Empire. Morosini’s cannons damaged the Parthenon as the Venetians sacked and captured Athens. Ancient Greece, La Serenissima, Viking mercenaries, the Ottomans, and the Byzantine Empire have all left their mark on this special cat. ‘Serenissima’ — meaning ‘the most serene’ — reflects the power, stability and greatness of the Republic of Venice during Medieval and Renaissance times, when ‘La Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia’ was its official title.
Below: The Basilica of Saint Mary of Health (“La Salute” = Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute) is a dramatic Roman Catholic church built from 1631-1687 in the Dorsoduro sestiere across the Grand Canal from Piazza San Marco. After the city’s devastating outbreak of bubonic plague in 1629-1630, the Republic of Venice built the Salute as a votive offering for deliverance from pestilence. This basilica, last of Venice’s “Great Plague churches,” was designed in baroque style by Baldassare Longhena, a pupil of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio.
Above: Landscape with Red Spots, No. 2, by Vasily Kandinsky, 1913. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection showcases pivotal modern art on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro sestiere of Venice. (Photo by Carol Dempsey.)
Read more in Tom’s 2013 & 2011 trips to Venice.
Dolomites, 7 nights
Mid to late October is a magical time to visit Italy’s Dolomites, when widely accessible forests of European larch turn golden. In San Martino di Castrozza resort, one night wasn’t enough at wonderful Hotel Cima Rosetta, which featured a large wellness spa included with the room price plus a fine restaurant. The town is perfectly poised for recreation under the spectacular Pale Di San Martino Group of Dolomites, 15 minutes drive from Passo Rolle. The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps.
Taking a week, we drove a one-way rental car from Venice Mestre via the Dolomites to Genoa. At least 2 weeks before departure from the United States, an International Driving Permit (IDP) should be obtained from AAA for use in Italy, carried along with your normal driver’s license. To handle possibly icy roads, we had requested an all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicle “VW T-Roc or similar” from Enterprise but received a front-wheel drive car, which drove fine on the one freezing day. (The Kia Kona is another economical AWD rental.) Lodgings with kitchens (no breakfast) in Cortina and Funes allowed more flexible hiking times than hotels providing meals.
Above: A short trail climbs to the dramatic reflection pond at Baita Segantini (3 miles round trip, 800 ft gain). With more time, one should ascend the panoramic Monte Castellaz before looping to Baita Segantini (5-mile circuit, 1700 feet gain, GaiaGPS). The stunning needle of Cimon della Pala (10,446 feet elevation) catches photographic light best during afternoon and sunset.
Below: Stroll a gravel road through a lovely golden larch forest in Val Venegia (3.6 miles round trip, 500 feet gain, GaiaGPS.com); optionally extending to Baita Segantini round trip. Or if you can set up a car shuttle, this can be hiked one way from or to Passo Rolle; photo lighting may look best with afternoon sun in Val Venegia then sunset admired at Baita Segantini.
Above: The Pale di San Martino range reflects in Lake Welsperg, an ornamental artificial lake in Canali Valley, 25 minutes drive from San Martino di Castrozza, in Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy.
Below: The Pale Di San Martino Group of Dolomites dominates San Martino di Castrozza resort, in Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. The town was wonderfully deserted with only two hotels open. This image shot in the morning would be better shot in late afternoon, so I wish we had stayed more than one night.
Above: Golden larch fall colors are stunning along the winding road to Passo Rolle, in Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale Di San Martino.
Below: Mount Pelmo, seen from Citta Di Fiume Rifugio Trail (3 miles round trip, 815 feet gain, GaiaGPS.com). We arrived just in time to be refreshed by the refuge’s apple kuchen and beer before closing; check service hours before hiking. For improved views, optionally ascend steeply to Col De La Puina (for a total of 4.4 miles round trip, 2000 feet gain, GaiaGPS.com). (Photo by Carol Dempsey.)
Above: Lago Federa, Croda da Lago trail, in the Croda da Lago-Formin-Cernera group of Dolomites, near Cortina d’Ampezzo, Belluno province. Start from the trailhead at “Ponte de Ru Curto” below Passo di Giau, above Cortina d’Ampezzo to reach Lake Federa (5 miles round trip with 1650 feet gain). Walking up further, the view shown below is part way to Forcella Ambrizzola pass (8.4 miles round trip with 2100 ft gain, GaiaGPS.com; or a much rougher loop back is 8.2 miles RT with 2800 ft gain GaiaGPS.com). (Both photos by Carol Dempsey.)
Above: Cadini di Misurina Viewpoint (Punto Panoramico) on Monte Campedelle, 40 minutes drive from Cortina d’Ampezzo. The toll road and trailhead parking at Auronzo Refuge require online reservations as of 2025. (Photo by Carol Dempsey.)
Below: European larch trees with golden autumn colors reflect in Lago Antorno, in Tre Cime/Drei Zinnen Nature Reserve. (Photo by Carol Dempsey.)
Above: One of my favorite places in the Dolomites, Lake Braies / Pragser Wildsee makes a spectacular loop walk (2.6 mi, 165 feet gain) in Fannes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, in the Puster Valley region, Dolomites, in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, Italy.
Above: Built in the 1200s in Bolzano, Runkelstein Castle (Castel Roncolo) preserves impressive wall frescoes including secular stories of King Arthur’s knights, the love story of Tristan and Iseult, medieval castle life, and the Vintler family who commissioned the frescoes.
Below: Golden larches embrace the Saint Sylvester/San Silvestro Chapel in Vallunga/Langental, Puez-Geisler Nature Park, Dolomites. Park in Selva di Val Gardena village, in South Tyrol / Südtirol / Alto Adige, Italy.
Above: St. Johann in Ranui / Chiesetta di San Giovanni is a church built in 1744 in Funes Valley (Villnöss), in the Geisler/Odle Dolomites Group.
Below: The Geisler/Odle Group rises dramatically above a church in St. Magdalena (Santa Maddalena) village. Visit the valley and municipality of Funes (Villnöss) in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol), Italy. Enjoy great hiking here in the vast Nature Park of Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles).
Genoa, 1 night
Completing our one-way car rental from Venice Mestre, we returned the car in Genoa. A morning was well spent walking the avenues of beautiful Renaissance and Baroque palaces and churches along Genoa’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, “Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli.” We learned that Palazzo San Giorgio held Marco Polo in prison 1296-1299 where he dictated his travel book — now it’s the Port System Authority building.
Cinque Terre National Park, Vernazza for 5 nights
From Genoa or La Spezia, frequent trains link to Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Riviera Levante. Translated as five “lands,” Cinque Terre’s car-free picturesque villages and vineyards cling to steep cliffs along the Ligurian Sea.
Above: Vernazza at sunset.
Below: The charming town of Riomaggiore.
Above: Manarola.
Below: The Church of Saint Peter (Chiesa Di San Pietro) was built 1334-1351 in Corniglia.
Above: We walked the Ligurian coast from Corniglia to Vernazza on our third and easiest day of hiking.
Below: We ended that day with lunch at Ristorante La Torre, including seafood marinara, with a nice views above Vernazza to the Ligurian Sea.
TIPS for Cinque Terre
- Reserve lodging 6-12 months in advance.
- Fall through spring have better hiking temperatures and are much less crowded than summer. As off-season started on November 3 in 2025, purchasing a Cinque Terre Card was no longer required to access trails through February, except the Via dell’Amore/Path of Love requires paid time-slot reservations for tourists year round.
- When rain is forecast, Pisa or Florence make good day trips by train from Cinque Terre.
- Frequent trains run from La Spezia Centrale terminus to Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso al Mare, and Levanto (at the northwest terminus). Cinque Terre Treno Passes are unnecessary unless you’re walking a paid trail AND boarding 3+ rides per day; or you want to avoid daily ticket lines or online forms or want to contribute more to the parks.
- Boats between towns offer a different scenic perspective. If the scheduled boats are crowded, hire your own boat from captains waiting at each harbor.
- A rental car would be a hindrance around Cinque Terre due to limited access and parking; trains are most efficient.
- Many Italian businesses close on Nov 1–2, due to All Saints’ Day on November 1, an official Italian national holiday, and All Souls’ Day (Ognissanti / I Santi) on November 2. Enterprise Rental Car locations at Genoa and La Spezia were closed on Nov 1–2, 2025 so we had to return the car on October 31. Larger cities such as Milan may allow cars to be returned on holidays.
Over 3 days, we walked 16.8 miles from Levanto to Riomaggiore with 3450 feet gain and loss. Hiking poles were very helpful in most sections. The trails were tougher than expected due to large steps, loose rocks, mud, and hot sun as noted:
■ Nov 3: We hiked a steep, rocky, eroded trail from Levanto train station to Monterosso al Mare through native groves of fruiting strawberry trees, the “wildest” part of this coastal trail, then walked a nicely-maintained trail from Monterosso to Vernazza (8.4 miles total, 1650 ft gain, GaiaGPS.com). The Levanto section is free and doesn’t require a Cinque Terre Card but can be skipped if you have limited time or want to avoid the roughest trail; or as a compromise, simply ascend the hill west of Monterosso al Mare to see its best views.
■ Nov 4: We hiked from beautiful Riomaggiore to dramatic Manarola (Via dell’Amore) to Corniglia (5.5 miles, 1300 feet, GaiaGPS.com). The Via dell’Amore/Path of Love has the easiest walking of the Park, a 1-kilometer paved path and garden built into a cliff. The steep, hot climb out of Manarola to Corniglia can be eased with a shuttle up Manarola’s hill but that would miss some dramatic views. Large steep uneven steps traverse and descend to Corniglia followed by 380 paved steps down (in 33 zig zag flights) to its train station. The day begins and ends by train, from and to Vernazza.
■ Nov 5: Starting with a train back to Corniglia station, we walked up the same 380 steps as descended yesterday, then hiked on well-maintained trail back to Vernazza (2.9 miles, 500 feet gain, GaiaGPS.com).
Pisa: Square of Miracles
makes a great rainy day outing from Cinque Terre. (Further afield is Florence/Firenze which I hope to see in the future.)
Above: The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the bell tower (campanile) of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Pisa (built 1064-1092, on the right) in the Square of Miracles (Piazza dei Miracoli, formally called the Piazza del Duomo or Cathedral Square), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tuscany, Italy. Threatened by ground subsidence from the outset, the bell tower was built 57 meters high in several phases from 1173 through 1372. By 1993, its worst tilt reached 5.5 degrees, an overhang of 15 feet. Subsequent engineering stabilized the building with a tilt of 12 feet (3.97° from vertical) maintained since 2008.
Above: The Baptistery of St. John (Battistero di San Giovanni) was built in a Gothic manner from 1152 to 1363 in Pisa’s Square of Miracles. Its interior is also impressive. (Photo by Carol Dempsey.)
Below: The Campo Santo / Camposanto Monumentale / Camposanto Vecchio / “Old Cemetery” was built from 1278 to 1464 in Pisa’s Square of Miracles.
Milan Malpensa Airport, 1 night
Above: Seen from Milan Malpensa Airport, the 15,203-foot Monte Rosa Massif beckoned Tom’s circumnavigation, planned for next September 2026. Dufourspitze, second highest mountain in western Europe, rises prominently in the eastern Pennine Alps on the border between Italy (Piedmont and Aosta Valley) and Switzerland (Valais).
Sadly, Tom’s day pack including his big camera and its 17-day photo shoot were stolen on the train from Sestri Levante to Milan. Signs warn of pickpockets, but you should also clutch your hand luggage at all times. Don’t place lightweight items in a train’s overhead compartment or storage, as they can easily be slipped away by a thief in the bustle of people coming on and off the train during each stop. We soon saw the thief with my bag on the platform but couldn’t get off our railcar due to doors locked for departure. After waiting in a 2-hour line of fellow victims at Milan Centrale Station, I filed a police report to support our home insurance later compensating the loss.
Also, a smartphone lanyard (Amazon) prevents thieves from snatching your phone, a device valuable for dismantled parts despite any lock screen.
All photos from Italy and Morocco are from our two Samsung S23 Ultra phones, which capture quality as good as my former film cameras and substituted for my stolen main camera. Shooting using Samsung’s Expert Raw app maximizes editable image quality by using Digital Negative (DNG) files, especially when edited with Adobe Lightroom Mobile (beating Samsung’s editor, which lacks Adjustment Brushes and adjusts tones unsubtly). On other brands, iPhones can be set to ProRAW and Google Pixel phones to RAW. Shooting raw format significantly improves editing images from phones or larger cameras — but at the cost of files being around 10 times larger; raw doesn’t help if you never adjust image tones.
Nov 7: We flew on EasyJet from Milan Malpensa Airport to Marrakech in Morocco, my next trip report.
Any image above can be clicked to reach Tom’s more extensive gallery in his PhotoShelter Portfolio, “2025 Oct ITALY: Venice, Dolomites, Cinque Terre” (where you can Add to Cart).
CONTENTS: ITALY 2025 Oct 21–Nov 7
Venice ■ Dolomites ■ Genoa ■ Cinque Terre , tips ■ Pisa ■ Monte Rosa seen from Milan
See next: Nov 7–23 in Morocco: “Marrakesh, Benhaddou, Erg Chebbi, Fez, Chefchaouen, Rabat”
Earlier Italy: Dolomites ( 2023 , 2013 & 2011 with Venice ) ■ 2022 Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB)