One-week trip to Friuli Venezia Giulia - Italy

Hello, I’m planning a trip for about ten people—seniors—to Friuli Venezia Giulia in September 2026.

Day 1 – We’ll likely arrive in Treviso and head first to UDINE for two nights. Day 2 – Morning in Udine, then an afternoon visit to Cividale del Friuli. Travel by local train. Day 3 – We’ll leave for a quick visit to Gorizia before heading to TRIESTE for one night. Day 4 – Visit Trieste and Miramare. At the end of the day, take the train to Cervignano, then a local bus to Grado. Stay in Grado for three nights. Day 5 – Explore central Grado and take a boat tour to the island of Barbana. Day 6 – Relaxation day in Grado (as requested by the participants). Day 7 – Visit Aquileia and possibly Palmanova.

Day 8 – Return to the airport or maybe a quick detour to Venice. For the three days in Grado and the surrounding area, I was thinking of hiring a small bus with a driver. It seems like it’d be simpler—what do you think? Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks for your feedback! MADAPOLAM

Hi Marie, What a great idea to visit Friuli Venezia Giulia! You won’t run into many French people there—it’s a region French travelers tend to skip. I spent a month there (September 2020), and the French folks I met could be counted on one (or maybe two) hand(s).

Since my trip was five years ago, I’ll need to dig back into my post-travel notes—but I’m currently traveling myself and don’t have the time right now. I’ll circle back to this thread (and/or send you a private message) between October 5th and 10th. Hopefully, I can share some thoughts or suggestions about the region (if that works for your timeline).

Hi Marie, I’m revisiting your plans for a trip to FVG (Friuli Venezia Giulia). Two things stand out to me: 1- The pace feels really fast, especially Udine + Cividale del Friuli in one day and Miramare + Trieste in another (what are you planning to see?). 2- Grado.

It’s a well-known seaside resort where I’ve been.

The beaches: They’re located (except for one) east of the town center and stretch for several kilometers. 1- They’re classic Italian beaches (perfect grid of rows and columns with lettini and ombrelloni). You’ll find areas of "spiaggia libera" toward the east. 2- The sand is gray (not golden). 3- The beach is *very* flat (I noticed people far from the shore—"they’ve only got knee-deep water"). 4- The day I was there, the water was murky. I think that’s due to the two points above, maybe combined with morning wind or something. It’s not a water-quality issue—Grado has all the certifications—but it’s not exactly inviting. My take on the beaches is mixed. I’m not a fan of the points above, and the positives (access via bike path and southern exposure, in my opinion) don’t outweigh the rest.

The historic center: It’s pretty nice, with an interesting monument (Basilica di Sant'Eufemia), a few others, and some charming alleys. But there are souvenir shops... the kind where they call out to you in English if you stop—or even if you just walk by. Some restaurants in the historic center do this too ("good food"). I associate these practices with overtourism, and I’m not a fan. It’s the only place in the region where I felt that way... (result of a single-industry focus?). I didn’t notice anything interesting in the modern part of town, and the Sanctuary of Barbana (a Marian shrine) didn’t wow me. Overall, I wasn’t impressed, despite two positives (a bike path through the lagoon to get there and an events program).

After all that, my suggestion is simple: skip Grado, spend more time exploring the (or near the) other cities, and slow down a bit. That could mean 2 bases (Udine, Trieste) if you focus on Udine, Trieste, and Cividale, or 3 bases (Udine, Trieste, Gorizia) if you’d rather explore Gorizia.

I’ll share two more suggestions about Trieste and its surroundings.

Just to clarify, I always travel independently—I’ve never done an organized tour.

Tonight, I’ll share an illustrated tip about Trieste.

Trieste’s setting is remarkable: the city lies at the edge of the gulf and is dominated by a karst plateau (the Carso) rising over 300 meters above sea level. To fully appreciate Trieste’s site, you need to gain some height and climb up to the Carso’s edge. A road called the "Strada Napoleonica" (actually a pedestrian path and cyclist route) runs along the Carso’s edge between the obelisk (Opicina village) and the village of Prosecco (Borgo San Nazario). It’s about 4 km long and offers panoramic views along its entire length. Above, on the Carso’s edge, about 1 km from Prosecco and 3 km from the obelisk, you’ll find the Monte Grisa Sanctuary (Santuario Maria Madre e Regina di Trieste) with a panoramic terrace. The obelisk (Opicina), the sanctuary, and the village of Prosecco are all served by urban buses.

Illustrated walk (long version: about 5 km). Start at the sanctuary.



Panoramic terrace.



Go down to Prosecco, then take the Strada Napoleonica.



Follow it to the obelisk.





4 km version. Start from Prosecco and go to the obelisk.

Adjustable version. Start at the obelisk and walk as far as you like round-trip.

Non-walking options. - Go to the sanctuary and enjoy the panoramic terrace, or - Go to the obelisk and stay in the area.

There’s another way to get from Trieste’s city center to the obelisk besides the bus: a panoramic tram. It wasn’t running in 2020 (not sure why), but it’s operational in 2025.

I almost forgot: try to do this walk in the late afternoon or at sunset if possible.

You can find plenty of viewpoints over Trieste—just be on the Carso’s edge—but they’re less accessible. Below is a viewpoint where you can see Miramare Castle.

Do you read Italian?

Yes, I understand Italian. The organization responsible for tourism in the FVG region (FVG Turismo) offered a schedule of guided tours across the region for individual travelers. I mention it because it's the only Italian region where I found this. All the offerings are in Italian, with some in English. That’s where I chose the guided tours I did during my trip. Nothing in French, but I only saw two French tourists in the region over a month (September 2020). For a pre-formed group, it’s definitely possible since several of the guides leading the tours I joined spoke French.

Second and final suggestion (around Trieste): Duino Castle. The villages of Duino and Sistiana are served by buses from downtown Trieste.

If you take the bus to Duino and arrive near the castle, you get the impression of a fortress (an impression that will change later). I’ll illustrate the castle site.



Once inside the castle, you realize there are actually two. The old castle (in ruins) occupies a nearby promontory, all set in an unreal landscape.





You can actually "visit" it (access the promontory). You get a view of the castle



and, on the other side, of the rest of the coast with Panzano (Monfalcone) and its shipyards (cruise ships under construction).



Another way to reach the castle is to take the bus to Sistiana. From there, you walk the Rilke Trail, carved into the cliff, which leads to Duino; the poet Rainer Maria Rilke gave his name to the trail. The trail first rises above Sistiana.



Then it progresses along the cliffs



before arriving at Duino Castle.



The Rilke Trail is about 2 to 3 km long. You can, of course, walk it in the Duino-Sistiana direction after visiting the castle. Trieste and its surroundings have no shortage of remarkable sites.