Our Northern Italy Itinerary with a Baby

In March 2025, we took an unforgettable trip through northern Italy, exploring vibrant cities, charming villages, and stunning scenery. It was more than two intense weeks, with drives, walks, museum visits, churches, markets, and even race tracks — all as a family, with a baby just under two years old.

Our First Cities in Northern Italy

We began our journey in Milan, arriving on the 21st and staying at the Novotel Milano Nord Ca Granda. We visited the imposing Duomo di Milano, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and other downtown landmarks. The following day, we explored the city further, including a visit to the legendary San Siro Stadium.

Duomo di Milano

On the 23rd, we drove toward Parma, where we visited the Palazzo della Pilota and the beautiful Teatro Farnese. That evening, we arrived in Bologna, our base for the following days, staying at the Hotel Mercure Bologna Centro.

Panoramic view of downtown Bologna

Northern Italy: Bologna and Its Surroundings

During this week, we took several day trips through the region: we walked through Bologna’s historic downtown, visited Reggio Emilia, where we learned more about Italy’s flag and toured a world-renowned early childhood education school; we passed through Maranello and Modena, where we explored the Ferrari museums and the Casa Museo Luciano Pavarotti.

On the 27th, the highlight was the Museo della Preistoria Luigi Donini, followed by a charming visit to the village of Dozza, where we bought wine at Merlota and met the Dragon in the Castle’s dungeon.

Dragon in the dungeon of the Rocca di Dozza Castle Museum

That same day, we went to Imola, where we visited the race track and the moving statue honoring Ayrton Senna. We also explored Brisighella the next day, and on the 29th, we visited the beautiful Santuario Madonna di San Luca, offering an incredible view over the region.

Statue honoring Ayrton Senna

Venice

On the 30th, we left Bologna and headed to Venice, passing through Ferrara and Rovigo along the way. In Venice, we stayed at the Mercure Venezia Marghera. The next day, we went to Padua, and on April 1st, we spent the day in Venice, arriving easily by bus.

Photo during a boat tour in Venice

Lago di Garda, in Northern Italy

On the 2nd, we made a day trip to Verona and continued to Sirmione, where we stayed the night. Over the following days, we circled Lago di Garda, passing through villages like Lazise, Bardolino, Torri del Benaco, Garda, and Riva del Garda, where we stayed overnight. On the 4th, we tried to visit the cable car in Malcesine, but it was closed. Even so, the Castello Scaligero di Malcesine made the stop worthwhile. On our way back, we passed through Canale di Tenno, Salò, and continued on to Brescia, where we stayed one night. Finally, we wrapped up the trip with a walk through Brescia on the 5th, and in the late afternoon, we headed to a hotel near the Milan airport, from where we departed the next morning.

Verona, seen from Castel San Pietro

This post serves as a general overview of the trip. So, coming soon, I’ll go into more detail on each destination, with practical tips and fun facts about every place we visited.

Also check out a few towns in southeastern Italy, like Naples.