Give each day one anchor
A timed museum visit, a palace visit or one of our self-guided walks can be the main event. Choose it first, then fit meals and transport around it. Avoid an itinerary in which every stop is an appointment. If the first activity runs long, an open afternoon gives you a choice; a second timed ticket gives you a problem.
Treat weather as part of the plan
Open squares and broad avenues can feel demanding in hot conditions. Start earlier when appropriate, carry water and deliberately schedule somewhere indoors. In unsettled weather, keep an alternative for the park section. Check the current forecast and city access notices close to the day instead of assuming a route is equally comfortable in every season.
Leave meals flexible
Choose a neighbourhood for lunch rather than a reservation at every possible stop. Read menus and any terrace conditions before ordering. If you have dietary or access requirements, make the important reservation in advance and leave the less consequential break spontaneous. Carrying a small snack can help you avoid turning a hungry moment into an unnecessary detour.
Split the group kindly
Travellers do not all move at the same pace or want the same length of museum visit. Agree a clear meeting point and a time before separating. Keep the hotel address available to everyone. A café break for one person and a short extra loop for another can make a better shared day than forcing the whole group through every optional stop.
Build in the route home
Stop before everyone is exhausted. Check the return transport while you still have energy and phone battery. The last walk back to your hotel counts too, even if it is absent from a sightseeing list. Save an optional stop for tomorrow rather than treating an itinerary as a test that must be completed. Our route numbers are a suggested order, never a score.
Sources & planning links
Primary sources checked 6 November 2026. Recheck opening, transport and room conditions before travel.