Summer In Italy Packing List

I love the anticipation of a good packing list. As soon as I know I am going on a trip, even if only for a weekend, I make a list of all the essentials and plan my outfits based on where we will be going and what we plan to do. This trip to Italy has now been pushed back twice and this is our third plan. So you can imagine my anticipation (and growing lists). The last time we were in Italy was four years ago for our honeymoon. Matthew and I are returning to Italy this summer for two weddings. One I will be photographing on July 5th in Sienna and the second we will be attending as guests in Umbria ten days later. Having visited in July before, we know what to expect with the summer heat and also how to dress and pack appropriately for summer in Italy.

In 2018 we ventured from Verona to Venice and ended our Italian tour in Rome. This time we will be visiting Milan, Florence, Sienna, Cinque Terre, the Dolomites, and Assisi over the course of twenty days. Because the first part of the trip will be a work trip I will be packing my photography equipment and professional clothing like an all black jumpsuit. I will also need coastal summer clothes and bathing suits for Cinque Terre, picnic and hiking attire and shoes for the Dolomites, cocktail and formal attire for the second wedding festivities and wedding day, and clothing attire for the cities and country side.

Believe it or not, I still intend on packing quite light other than my professional gear for the wedding I will be photographing. I typically travel with just a carryon, but my camera gear will be my carryon so I will have the benefit of a full sized suit case this time around. I intend to use it wisely for a variety of travel needs and styles. And hopefully I will also have enough room to fit in a small picnic basket. Sadly, we will not have time for Verona or Venice this trip, but we are looking forward to so many new places around Tuscany and the Dolomites.

The Absolute Essentials

Our packing lists may look completely different, but our essentials are going to be the same. You will without a doubt need your:

Passport
Photo copy of your passport and ID in a separate bag just in case of loss or theft
Vaccine card (and photo copy)
Photo ID and International drivers license
Wallet and credit cards
Travel insurance
Some cash for travel
Mask (just in case!)
Cell Phone
Phone Charger
Outlet converters (I like to pack a few)
Camera with batteries, charger, and memory cards
Sunglasses
Sunhat
Sunblock
Tooth brush and tooth paste
Travel hygiene (deodorant, hair and skincare products)
Bathing suit
Reusable water bottle
Comfortable walking shoes
Travel day bag (like a hiking back pack)
Mini first aid kit with bandaids
Razor
Hair brush
Book for the plane/travel reading

Clothing

Figuring out which outfits I want to bring is my favorite part about packing for Italy. I am packing for quite the trip so my list is going to be a lot more varied than the typical tourist. I usually suggest packing light, but I need quite the wardrobe for a variety of events. Still, I do plan to wash and rewear items to save on space. I need my work clothing, formal-ish clothing for rehearsal dinners and wedding festivities, wedding guest attire, hiking attire for the Dolomites, swim and beach wear, tourist clothing for Cinque Terre and some nice casual outfits for dinner dates and pre-wedding events in Assisi. Basically, a little bit of everything. thankfully, it is summer so most of the items I am packing will roll up small in my bag. I use the roll method to prevent wrinkling in my bag and save on space. I also like separating clothing based on location into little packing cubes. Besides the unmentionables I will need:

For the First wedding festivities and Florence:

I need to dress work appropriately here, but there will also be several casual days between wedding festivities and photo shoots. I am also hoping to spend an afternoon in Florence exploring the museums.

Rehearsal dinner dress
Wedding work day jumpsuit
Comfortable wedding day shoes
Sandals
Nice dinner dress
Casual day dress
Bathing suit for the hotel pool
Shorts and a blouse
Striped button down blouse
Summer pajamas for nights at the villa
Small purse for Florence

For Cinque Terre:

Now it is vacation time. We will only be spending a few days here exploring the small villages along the sea, going on a boat tour, eating delicious food (maybe even taking a how to make pesto class), overindulging in gelato, and swimming at the beach. My color palette for Cinque Terre is reds and navy blue.

Red polka dot day dress
Navy blue polka dot dress with white lace gloves for dinner out
Navy blue polka dot one piece bathing suit (I know, lots of polka dots going on)
Red bikini for swimming on the boat tour
Our yellow and white striped beach towels
Wet bag for our wet bathing suits
Goggles for swimming off the boat
A small cooler bag for drinks and snacks for the beach
White sun dress
Hair scarf
Sunhat
Comfortable walking shoes
Basket purse
Round raffia tote bag
Striped date night dress

The Dolomites:

After Cinque Terre we are going up to the Dolomites for some hiking and picnicking in the mountains. Matthew cannot wait to drone the mountain views and I’m looking forward to a relaxing picnic after a long hike.

Hiking shoes
Hiking socks
Sneakers
Leggings, sports bra and t-shirt
Small hiking backpack
Fanny pack
Reusable water bottle
Cute dress for an afternoon picnic
Picnic blanket
A picnic basket for food
Reusable silverware
Tiffin lunch boxes to hold our lunches
The cooler for our drinks and lunches
Jeans and a cardigan for cooler evenings

Assisi:

Assisis is not a touristy area of Italy. It is a small village and it will be quiet. We will be there for the second wedding of the trip. For this reason I will need nice dresses for dinner, a rehearsal dinner outfit, wedding guest dress, and some essentials for some day trips and hopefully an afternoon at the local lake. I fully intend to rewear several of the dresses I had already planned to wear in Cinque Terre and the rest of our trip, especially my thrifted navy blue polka dot dress.

Wedding rehearsal dress
Wedding guest dress
Dressy sandals
Pashima shawl to wear over my shoulders sat the church ceremony
Silky camisole
Midi skirt
Lemon print dress
My makeup and hair essentials for the wedding
My jewelry for the wedding
Colorful J Crew dress and matching headband for a day trip

My birthday!

Our last day in Italy will be my 32nd birthday! I’m not quite sure where we will be that day just yet, but chances are a part of it will be spent in Milan as we are flying out the next day. I am packing a pink tiered party dress to celebrate my birthday.