Voila! A plan that seems much better and a bit more relaxed.

1.5 days Venice; 1.5 days Milan; 3.5 days Rome; 2.25 days in A'dam.

I'd drop Milan and add that time to Venice, London or Rome.

My plan :

5-9 Aug with 5 nights in London
10-12 Aug with 3 nights in Venice
13-17 Aug with 5 nights in Rome
18-20 Aug with 3 nights in Amsterdam
21 Aug Afternoon flight back home

Do we really need so many days in London & Rome?

We are not very into museum, maybe just see one museum in Rome.

Do we really need so many days in London & Rome?>

Definitely not IMO- 4 days is about enough for a first-time average tourist I'd say- drop them and put Florence or Milan back in your itinerary as you say you don't care much for museums (me neither) and will need in those smaller towns not as much time.

Don't miss the Vatican Museum however and that with the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica (no shorts no sleeveless shirts I think and may need head covering for women -not sure today but that has been the case when I was last there.)

ill need in those smaller towns not as much time.>

Well Milan is a huge huge city but I meant not nearly as much major sights-I'd skip it unless you have something specific you want to see there - like the great Duomo (cathedral) - Last Supper painting or attending La Scala, etc Milan is nice but IME much more modern and less old-worldish than Florence or Rome.

Florence I think would make a nice short 2-night stop for you.

With 5 nights in Rome or London however if you tire of these to me at times tiring cities (Rome and Florence however can swelter in August!) do a day trip to a smaller city or place - like in Rome day trip to Ostia Antica -ancient Rome's ruined port -kind of to me on a par with Pompeii and just a short metro ride from central Rome.

In London easy day trips abound like to Oxford to tour the famous uni quads or to Salisbury and Stonehenge - also easily done from London by train and bus to Stonehenge from Salisbury.

These days trips can be in flux - no need to advance buy anything.

Your last itinerary is actually good. London probably has more tourist activities than anywhere else in the world. Four full days is fine. If you feel you have extra time you can do a day trip outside the city to somewhere like Cambridge, Stonehenge, Bath, Windsor, Stratford Upon Avon, Greenwich, Salisbury or even Oxford. Weather in London can be variable with rain but you can usually work around it. Two full days in Amsterdam and Venice is perfect IMHO. Could do Rome in 3 -4 days but again you can do day trips outside the city. You could do a day tour to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast or a day trip to Ostia Antica or even Assisi. You could even do Florence as its only little over an hour by train but Florence really deserves more time. Florence is however mostly about the Renaissance and quite frankly museums so if you have no interest in Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael etc. you might be able to take in Florence in a long day trip. Milan is much more of a modern city and outside of the Duomo I am not sure what attracts you. La Scala has no performances in August and you are not interested that much in museums. Cannot comment on shopping as I do not do much of that while traveling. Is there shopping in Milan that you cannot accomplish in Rome? Also remember that Italy will be crowded and as pointed out above, can swelter. You may find that you cannot accomplish as much as you want in a short time. Walking around a city with 20,000 to 30,000 steps a day in heat can be quite draining.

>We are not very into museum, maybe just see one museum in Rome.>

Me either but some of London's museums are enjoyable even for non-museum types - Tate Modern, V & A especially - not just your stuffy old art and London museums are free - of course the British Museum as well - so don't automatically be put off by museums in London at least.

Thank you everybody...

Have a good trip ! Was just reading the current edition of Virtuoso and saw an ad for the Florence outlets. Reminded me that there are several outlet malls outside of Florence for high end Italian goods. Have never been because I am not a shopper but a day trip from Rome might be of interest to you.

Oh thank you so much. My Cousin will be very interested. Do you mind to share the link or address?

Final Itinerary

4-8 Aug London (4nights)
8-9 Aug Venice (1night)
9-12 Aug Florence (4night)
13-18 Aug Rome (4 nights) one night in CT
18-21 Aug Amsterdam

Any suggestions of places of "MUST SEE" attractions?

Sorry but that isn't great

>>4-8 Aug London (4nights)<<

Doesn't compute. Which 4 nights? Aug 4-7? If so, that will net you 3.5 days. (you won't be doing anything in London on the 8th -- you will be traveling to Venice)

Then w/ just the night of Aug 8 you will have about half a day in Venice.

Are you spending one of your Rome nights in the CT? Or -- where are you squeezing in the CT?

CT is a long long way from Rome- scrub it. Plus in August CT a complete zoo. Could be a day trip from Florence but still 3 hrs each way on train.

Your itinerary is OK IMO except CT and yes another day in Venice.

Thank you maybe we really have to let go of CT and stay in Rome.