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Best places to visit in italy.

Tourists and travel experts have long agreed that Italy is a special place, so much so that the country has become a de facto bucket list destination for just about everyone. Famous for its incredible food, rich historical sites, highly regarded art, charming small towns and picturesque cities, countrysides and coastlines, it's safe to say Italy's offerings are unmatched. U.S. News rounded up the best places to visit in Italy considering a number of factors, from affordability and seasonality to sights and crowds, to help you decide exactly where to go. Have a favorite destination in Italy? Cast your vote below to influence next year's ranking.

Amalfi Coast

Cinque terre, tuscany, italy.

A standard stop on many European vacation itineraries , Rome is not to be missed. Italy’s capital city is a globally renowned cultural and historical powerhouse, boasting everything from ancient ruins and tranquil parks to Michelin-starred restaurants. Here, you'll find the most important relic from the Roman Empire (the Colosseum), some of Michelangelo's greatest works (in the Sistine Chapel), an 18th century Baroque-style fountain (the Trevi Fountain) and, of course, the center of Catholicism (Vatican City). Other can’t-miss tourist attractions in the Eternal City include the Pantheon, the Roman Forum and St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest church.

Situated in the scenic Tuscan valley, Florence woos travelers with old-world avenues leading to picturesque piazzas big and small. While you're soaking up the city's splendor, make sure to stop by the Piazza del Duomo, where the breathtaking Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral is located, and the romantic Ponte Vecchio, a 14th century bridge overlooking the Arno River. Once central to the Renaissance movement, Florence also offers art aficionados the opportunity to see famous pieces by Michelangelo and other iconic artists of that period. As an added bonus, Florence is ideal for a daytrip to the Chianti wine region.

The journey to the cliff-side Amalfi Coast involves heart-stopping, hairpin turns on narrow roads, but travelers agree this is part of the fun. The region covers more than 30 miles of coastline and is home to 13 colorful seaside towns, each with its own story. Positano and Amalfi are the most popular, housing numerous hotels and sights. While here, hike, relax on the beach and eat to your heart's content (there are multiple Michelin-starred restaurants along the Amalfi Coast). For something more off-the-beaten-path, set your sights on Atrani. This humble fishing village boasts medieval whitewashed architecture, winding alleys and authentic Italian charm.

There are few destinations in the world that are quite like Venice. Its uniqueness can largely be attributed to the canals that run through this northern Italian city like roads, carrying water taxis and buses in addition to its fleet of famous gondolas. As such, there is a palpable bustle here that may surprise some first-timers. For a relaxing Venice vacation, seek out the smaller streets and canals away from the busy Grand Canal and St. Mark's Square. Just be sure to stroll across Rialto Bridge and tour the grand St. Mark’s Basilica at least once.

Cinque Terre, located on Italy's northern Ligurian coast, is made up of five picturesque towns – Manarola, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia and Riomaggiore. Manarola, the region’s oldest town, boasts scenic vineyards, olive groves and a centuries-old bell tower. Meanwhile, Vernazza, often considered one of Italy’s most beautiful villages, is well-known for its picture-perfect houses and grand medieval castle. The Cinque Terre offers an abundance of exciting activities, from boat tours and hiking to cooking classes and wine tastings. While here, don’t forget to save time for exploring the cliff-side Footpath Monterosso trail, a beautiful hiking path connecting Vernazza and Monterosso.

For centuries, this small island off the coast of southern Italy has attracted plenty of famous faces, from emperors to movie stars, due to its gorgeous scenery. Some of Capri's most amazing sights are best seen by boat, including the Faraglioni rock formations and the Blue Grotto, where sunlight turns the water into an unbelievably vivid shade of blue. On land, the Gardens of Augustus and Villa Jovis, an imperial palace, also provide spectacular views. Meanwhile, in the town center, visitors will find high-end shops and restaurants where they can relax after a long day of sightseeing.

Considered the land of the sirens in Greek mythology, Sorrento continues to lure people with its charm and stunning views. Here, vacationers can explore enchanting piazzas or relax near the water before watching the sun set behind the cliffs. Plus, lemons are big in Sorrento – both in size and in popularity – and the area is known as one of the best places in the world to taste authentic limoncello, a lemon-flavored liquor. It's also the perfect base for daytrips and boat tours to nearby Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and other popular Italian locales.

Italy's second-largest city is best known for its high fashion, playing host to Milan Fashion Week each winter and home to iconic fashion houses including Giorgio Armani, Prada and Versace. Visitors can peruse such high-end brands at the dazzling Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade. But Milan's architecture (including the Gothic Milan Cathedral and grand Teatro alla Scala opera house) and sites like Castello Sforzesco (which holds nearly 10 museums and exhibitions) are worth a visit on their own. What's more, the city is incredibly walkable, so feel free to explore on foot – with or without designer stilettos.   

Located about 30 miles from Verona, Lake Garda tends to be more approachable and wallet-friendly (if a bit more touristy) than Lake Como. Activities in this recreational hot spot include swimming and windsurfing, as well as hiking and taking a funicular to Mount Baldo. Lake Garda also attracts families with Gardaland Resort, which includes themed hotels as well as an amusement park, water park and aquarium. If you're looking to get away from the crowds, go beyond the main tourist sites to the quieter northern side of the lake, where you'll find the highest mountains and tucked-away towns.

If you're looking for Italy without the crowds, Tuscany is really all it's cracked up to be. Italy's famous countryside offers travelers spectacular landscapes dotted with romantic villas and castles equipped with wineries and superb restaurants. Don’t miss out on a visit to the walled city of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its medieval towers. What's more, Tuscan locales like Pisa (which offers much more than its leaning tower) and Siena are an easy drive from top destinations such as Bologna and Cinque Terre, perfect for daytrippers who don't want to stay in one place for too long.

Assisi, a medieval town with religious connections, sits on a hilltop in the lush landscapes of Umbria, just more than 100 miles north of Rome. This peaceful town's biggest draws are its sights dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, one of Italy's patron saints, including the Basilica of San Francesco, which houses his tomb as well as colorful frescos, and The Woods of San Francesco. Beyond its religious heritage, Assisi is worth a visit for its picturesque streets and sweeping views, while its location also makes it ideal for a truffle hunting excursion or wine tasting tour.

As the location of several ancient Greek legends, Sicily has an almost mythical quality. Once you visit for yourself, you'll see why so many writers were inspired by this island, which happens to be the largest in the Mediterranean. Be enchanted by Sicily's crystal-clear waters and golden beaches. Marvel at Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, or try hiking up it in summer or skiing down it in winter. Also save time for taking in the many cultures that have called this island home at its various cathedrals and archaeological sites.

This former Roman city in southern Italy is equal parts chilling and impressive. Pompeii was left almost completely intact after it was buried in ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Its astonishingly well-preserved ruins now provide present-day visitors a glimpse into what life was like during ancient times. True history buffs might also enjoy a trip to nearby Herculaneum, another city that was preserved by the same eruption, while more adventurous explorers should consider hiking to the top of Mount Vesuvius for jaw-dropping panoramas of the Bay of Naples and the Sorrento Peninsula.

Best known for its Shakespeare ties, Verona appeals to fans of "Romeo and Juliet" with themed tours of the sights that allegedly inspired the play. But there is more to this city than its literary link. Verona, located about 15 miles east of Lake Garda, is also home to several impressive attractions and historic buildings (the whole city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after all). Travelers won't want to miss the Arena di Verona, a first-century Roman amphitheater that is still in use, and Giardino Giusti, a beautifully sculpted Renaissance garden.

Sardinia provides the best of both worlds. Costa Smeralda is all about luxury, with its lush beaches and coves overlooking yacht-filled waters. And away from all of the glitz and glamour of Costa Smeralda, you'll find a more laid-back side of the island, including small medieval towns where Sardinians still practice sheepherding and wear traditional clothing. What's more, Sardinia features several ancient ruins, such as UNESCO World Heritage-listed Su Nuraxi di Barumini.

If you really want to treat yourself on your next vacation, Lake Como is where you want to be. Here, opulent villas and hotels line the shores and sandy beaches beckon to sun seekers. You'll see sleek sailboats and speedboats coasting in the middle of the lake, which is the perfect place to admire the region's surrounding hills. Meanwhile, for a lesson in luxury, tour one of the region’s grand villas; top picks among travelers include Villa Melzi d’Eril, Villa Carlotta and Villa Balbianello. Later, check out the Como Cathedral, a magnificent structure boasting Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architectural styles.

The small, crescent-shaped village of Portofino is known as a vacation hot spot for the rich and famous. The water surrounding Portofino is often filled with yachts and is great for swimming and diving. Plus, the area's beauty and tranquil atmosphere make it an excellent place to unwind. When travelers need a break from relaxing, they can venture just outside of Portofino to check out historical sites like Castello Brown, an ancient military fortress with incredible views of the Marina di Portofino, and Abbazia di San Fruttuoso, a 10th century monastery that can only be reached by foot or ferry.

Thought to have been inhabited 12,000 years ago, Matera is one of the world's oldest continually occupied towns. Located in the Basilicata region in southern Italy, just west of Puglia, Matera's distinguishing features are its sassi (cave dwellings), which were inhabited until the 1950s. While here, look out for the many viewpoints, called belvederes, for a glimpse of the breathtaking cliffside. Visit Sasso Caveoso for the Casa Grotta cave house (inhabited until 1957) and the Santa Maria de Idris, a rupestrian church carved from the rocky landscape. Meanwhile, in Sasso Barisano – the oldest part of the city – you'll find modern comforts like hotels, restaurants and shops.

There are several reasons why Bologna, the capital of northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, is often called "la dotta, la grassa e la rossa" ("the learned, the fat and the red"). For one, it's home to the oldest university in Europe, the University of Bologna. The city is also a food lover's dream thanks to its world-renowned cuisine, which includes Italian staples like tortellini and lasagna Bolognese. Bologna even features a gelato university and the food-themed amusement park, FICO Eataly World. Plus, the city boasts an array of terra cotta-roofed medieval buildings, including a pair of leaning towers.

Located in the northwest corner of Italy, Turin is the perfect city break brimming with grand architecture, museums and delightful cuisine. Must-visit attractions include Mole Antonelliana (a former synagogue turned into a cinema museum), the 16th-century Royal Palace of Turin and the Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum). Once you've toured the top sights, settle into local life by enjoying the city's riverside parks, street markets, football games and historic cafes. At the latter, you'll find unique coffee blends and decadent chocolate, as well as elaborate aperitif hours. On the long list of things Turin does right, you can find these three items at the top.   

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The 15 best places to visit in Italy, from Venice to the Cinque Terre

Nov 19, 2023 • 11 min read

Rome should be the centerpiece of your trip if you’re going to Italy for the first time © Kathrin Ziegler / Getty Images

Home to some of the greatest artworks, historical monuments and food on the planet, and with the kind of varied landscapes that you often have to cross continents to see, Italy elates, inspires and moves its visitors like few other countries.

From its art- and architecture-stuffed cities to its astonishing diversity of natural landscapes – dramatic coastlines, serene lakes, pristine mountains, and those famous rolling hills – picking just a handful of destinations to visit in this wonderful country is no easy task.

So how do you decide where to go? It all depends on what you’re looking for in your Italian odyssey, whether that’s history, art, beaches, hiking or even food. No matter your passion, our list of 15 must-see places in Italy should be your starting point.

Best for history

Once caput mundi (capital of the world), Rome was legendarily spawned by a wolf-suckled boy, developed into a vast empire, rooted itself as the home of the Catholic church, and is now the repository of more than two millennia of art and architecture.

Rome should definitely be the centerpiece of your trip if you’re going to Italy for the first time, but there's simply too much to see in one visit, from the Pantheon and the Colosseum to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and countless works by Caravaggio. So do as countless others have done before you: toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain and promise to return.

Planning tip: There’s an overwhelming amount to see here, and with limited public transport in the city center, your choice of hotel can be crucial. Map out the sights you’re most interested in before you book – if you want to be at the Vatican at opening time, for example, don't stay near the Colosseum.

Read more: Italians reveal their under-the-radar vacation spots in Italy

Best for a Renaissance fix

From Botticelli’s Venus , emerging coyly from the water in the Uffizi Gallery , to the mind-boggling dome of its cathedral, Florence is a feast for the eyes. This was, of course, the seat of the Renaissance, and there are knock-out names at every turn – Michelangelo in the Accademia, Donatello in the Bargello, Leonardo and Raphael in the Uffizi. 

Further afield in  Tuscany – Italy's most romanticized region – is an undulating landscape of sinuous cypress trees, olive groves and coveted regional treasures. Glory in the Gothic majesty of Siena and the Manhattan-esque skyline of medieval San Gimignano before exploring the vineyards of Italy's most famous wine region, Chianti , and the rolling, cypress-studded hills of the Val d’Orcia.

Planning tip: You’re best off without a car if you’re sticking to major towns and cities since Tuscany has a good rail network. But if you want to explore the countryside, you’ll definitely need a car. 

3. The Dolomites

Best for dramatic mountains

Scour the globe, and you'll find plenty of taller, bigger and more geologically volatile mountains, but few can match the romance of the pink-hued granite Dolomites .

Maybe it's their harsh, jagged summits, the vibrant skirts of spring wildflowers, or the rich cache of Ladin legends. Then again, it could just be the magnetic draw of money, style and glamor at Italy's most fabled ski resort, Cortina d'Ampezzo , or the linguistic curiosity of picture-postcard mountain village Sappada . Whatever the reason, this tiny pocket of northern Italy takes seductiveness to dizzying heights.

4. Amalfi Coast

Best for classic beauty

Italy's most celebrated coastline is a gripping strip: coastal mountains plunge into the piercing blue sea in a prime-time vertical scene of precipitous crags, sun-bleached villages and cliffs rearing up behind. Between sea and sky, mountaintop hiking trails deliver Tyrrhenian panoramas fit for a god.

While some may argue that the peninsula's most beautiful coast is Liguria's Cinque Terre or Calabria's Costa Viola, it is the Amalfi Coast that has seduced and inspired countless greats, from Tennessee Williams and DH Lawrence to Elizabeth Taylor, Virginia Woolf and Jackie Kennedy. Of course, its staggeringly romantic looks also make it one of the best places in Italy for couples.

Planning tip: Yes, driving along the Amalfi Coast is one of the world’s most famous road trips, but often it feels like everyone else on the planet has the same idea as you. Traffic can be nose-to-tail, and parking is effectively nonexistent. Instead, take the ferry between towns or travel by public transport .

Best for stepping back in time

Frozen in its death throes, the time-warped ruins of Pompeii hurtle you 2000 years into the past. Wander through chariot-grooved Roman streets, lavishly frescoed villas and bathhouses, food stores and markets, theaters, and even an ancient brothel.

Then, in the eerie stillness, your eye on ominous Mt Vesuvius, ponder Pliny the Younger's terrifying account of the town's final hours: “Darkness came on again, again ashes, thick and heavy. We got up repeatedly to shake these off; otherwise, we would have been buried and crushed by the weight.”

Planning tip: If you have time, the other major city destroyed by the eruption, Herculaneum, is also worth a visit. Much smaller than Pompeii, its buildings are better preserved, and the location – surrounded by its modern descendant, Ercolano – makes the site even more piquant. Like Pompeii, it’s easily reached on the Circumvesuviana train.

6. Emilia-Romagna

Best for foodies

In a region as overwhelmingly foodie as Emilia-Romagna , it's only natural that its capital, Bologna , is dubbed “La Grassa” (the fat one). Many belt-busting Italian classics hail from here, including mortadella, tortellini and tagliatelle al ragù. Shop in the deli-packed Quadrilatero district – home to food stalls since medieval times – then hop on the train for an afternoon in Modena for world-famous aged balsamic vinegar.

Leave room for Parma , hometown of parmigiano reggiano cheese and the incomparable prosciutto di Parma. Wherever you plunge your fork, toast with a glass or three of Emilia-Romagna's renowned Lambrusco – a world away from the sickly sweet wine that was exported in the past.

7. Lago di Como

Best for a slice of luxury

If it's good enough for the Clooneys and vacationing Obamas, it's good enough for mere mortals. Nestled in the shadow of the Rhaetian Alps, dazzling Lago di Como is Lombardy's most spectacular lake. Its lavish Liberty-style villas are home to movie moguls, fashion royalty, and literal royalty, while the lake's siren calls include gardens at Villas Melzi d'Eril , Carlotta , and Balbianello that blush pink with camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons in April and May.

The city of Como itself is a hotbed of arresting architecture, from the Gothic cathedral to Palazzo Terragni – built by the Fascists as their party headquarters, it’s a classic example of Italian 1930s Rationalism and a striking reminder of the atrocities committed by the regime.  

Planning tip: Como is like the Amalfi Coast – the roads are clogged, and parking is a huge problem. Instead of driving, use public transport; there’s an excellent ferry and bus network, as well as a train line along the eastern edge of the lake.

8. Sardinia

Best for beaches and coastline

The English language cannot accurately describe the varied blue, green and – in the deepest shadows – purple colors of Sardinia’s seas. While models, ministers and perma-tanned celebrities wine, dine and sail along the glossy Costa Smeralda , much of the island – the Med’s second largest after Sicily – remains a wild, raw playground.

Explore its rugged coastal beauty, from the tumbledown boulders of Santa Teresa di Gallura and the wind-chiseled cliff face of the Golfo di Orosei to the windswept beauty of the Costa Verde's dune-backed beaches.

But spend time inland too, and you’ll find some of Europe’s finest prehistoric remains: mysterious nuraghi (megalithic buildings), burial sites so grand they’re known as “giants’ tombs,” and the mountain villages of Barbagia, where locals still practice centuries-old traditions.

Best for sheer italianità

Pompeii, pizza and a whole lot of panache – Naples is a city like no other. Layered like lasagna, each strip of history on top of the last, this is a place where (underground) you can walk along ancient Greek and Roman roads, while at street level there are sumptuous churches, baroque palaces and Maradona – Maradona everywhere .

Outside the city, Vesuvius looms over the time capsules of Pompeii and Herculaneum, while in town, living in the shadow of a volcano gives life a sense of urgency. All that makes for a place like nowhere else .

Planning tip: Naples becomes less chaotic from the water. Taking the ferry isn’t only an option if you’re going to islands like Ischia and Procida – you can also take a boat from the city to Sorrento , Positano and the Amalfi Coast.

Best for a fairytale city

“Unique” is an overused word, but in the case of Venice , there’s no better description. This really is a dreamscape of intricately carved palazzos, gilded churches and world-class museums, all floating on water and crisscrossed by quiet canals.

Avoid the temptation to do a quick drop-in visit to see the main sights – the real Venice is in the silent canals and narrow alleyways, which cast a spell on all who move through them. Tick off the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco , but then stay on to experience this most precious, and precarious, of cities.

Local tip: This is not the place to run a tight schedule. Leave time to wander the alleys , look inside the churches and artisan shops you pass, and hop on a vaporetto that’ll chug through the islands of the lagoon.

11. Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso

Best for hiking

If you're pining for a mind-clearing retreat, lace up your hiking boots and explore over 500km (310 miles) of marked trails and mule tracks traversing “Grand Paradise.”

Part of the Graian Alps and one of Italy's very first national parks, Gran Paradiso's pure, pristine spread encompasses 57 glaciers and alpine pastures awash with wild pansies, gentians and alpenroses, not to mention a healthy population of Alpine ibex, for whose protection the park was originally established. At 4061m (13,323ft), the eponymous Gran Paradiso is the park's only peak, accessed from tranquil Cogne.

12. Mount Etna

Best for thrill seekers

Known to the Greeks as the “column that holds up the sky,”  Mt Etna is not only Europe's largest volcano, it's one of the world's most active. The ancients believed the giant Tifone (Typhoon) lived in its crater and lit the sky with spectacular pyrotechnics; today they simply call it idda , or “her.”

At 3326m (10,912ft), she literally towers above Sicily's Ionian Coast . Tackle the climb on foot, on a guided 4WD tour, or stick to the lower slopes, where you’ll find some of Italy’s most exciting wines being grown in the uber-fertile volcanic soil. Sicily is one of the nicest places in Italy to visit, thanks to its extraordinary wealth of history and architecture, its jaw-dropping coastline and, of course, the ever-welcoming Sicilians.

13. Cinque Terre and the Liguria coast

Best for classic coastline

Liguria’s remote Cinque Terre area is coastal Italy at its most spectacular. Five seaside villages wedged between cliffs, encircled by a national park and connected by clifftop footpaths, this is a place where humanity has lived in symbiosis with nature for thousands of years. People have chiseled terraces into the steep cliffs and grown wine here since Roman times; until the 20th century, the locals got about by sea or footpath.

The villages themselves are gorgeous, but spare some time for a hike along the Sentiero Azzurro, the most popular of the paths connecting them. Cinque Terre may be the best known, but Liguria’s coastline is one showstopper coastal village after another – additional highlights include Portofino , Portovenere and Santa Margherita Ligure .  

Planning tip: This is another area where it’s not worth driving – there are ferry services, but our favorite option is the train, which runs along the coast and stops at each of the villages.

14. Valle d’Itria

Best for picture-perfect villages

They look like hobbit houses – small conical-roofed cottages, often stitched together to form a bigger home but always fairytale pretty, whatever the size. Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, is famous for its trulli, but you won’t find them all over the region.

Head south of Bari, in from the coast and up onto the high karst plateau, and you’ll find the Valle d’Itria , where the green fields around towns like Cisternino and Locorotondo are dotted with trulli. Alberobello is the center of it all – the centro storico of the town is nothing but streets of them. This is one of the prettiest parts of Italy – truly.

Best for a real city break

Italy’s fashion capital  often gets a bad rap – too international, too organized, not chaotic enough. Don’t believe it. Where else can you go from a Gothic-style cathedral, started in the 14th century, to masterpieces by Leonardo (his Last Supper fresco in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is a showstopper, but so is the Sala delle Asse in the Castello Sforzesco , which he painted as a trompe l’oeil forest bower)?

Milan's restaurants pull together the best food from the Italian peninsula, it’s home to one of Italy’s rare cocktail scenes, and its fashion houses are transforming the city’s modern art scene with venues like Fondazione Prada , an old distillery now housing works by the likes of Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, as well as putting on top-notch temporary exhibitions.

Planning tip: Milan doesn’t really have high and low seasons like the rest of Italy does; instead, its hotel rates rocket up and down depending on whether there’s a major event in town. Avoid Design and Fashion Weeks if you're traveling on a budget .

This article was first published June 2021 and updated November 2023

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24 Best Places to Visit in Italy

Written by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Updated Oct 6, 2023

Few places rank as high on travelers' bucket lists as Italy. Whatever your taste in travel, you'll satisfy it in this country that is at once exotic and familiar. History, art, food, music, architecture, culture, sacred sites, charming villages, and stunning scenery are all around, and in an atmosphere that only the most confirmed curmudgeon could fail to enjoy.

From the soaring Dolomite mountains in the north to the beaches of Puglia and the ancient temples of Sicily, Italy is filled with outstanding places to see. These range from magnificent natural and scenic wonders to some of the greatest masterpieces of art and architecture the world has known. No matter where you choose, you can't go wrong.

Plan your trip to Italy with our list of the best places to visit in Italy.

2. Florence

4. tuscan hill towns, 6. lake como, 7. amalfi coast, 8. capri & sorrento, 9. the cinque terre, 10. pisa and lucca, 12. pompeii and herculaneum, 13. lake garda, 15. bologna, 16. the dolomites, 21. sardinia, 22. ravenna, map of places to visit in italy.

Both for its history as the capital of much of ancient Europe and for its present-day role as one of Europe's most vibrant cities, for most tourists traveling to Italy, Rome heads the list of places to visit. Relics of its ancient glories—the Colosseum , the Forum , the Pantheon , the Appian Way, and the Palatine Hill —vie with the vast riches of the Vatican as the top attractions.

But between the important sights like the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's Pieta, take time to enjoy the city itself. Relax in the Borghese gardens ; eat gelato on the Spanish Steps ; explore the narrow streets of Trastevere ; sip morning cappuccino in cafés; window-shop on the Via Veneto; and toss a coin in Trevi Fountain , so you can return again and again. It will take several trips to see it all.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Rome

The showcase of the Italian Renaissance, Florence can at times seem like one giant art museum. The Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore , is a landmark of world architecture , topped by its gravity-defying massive dome.

Together with its marble-inlaid bell tower by Giotto and the octagonal Baptistery with its incomparable bronze doors by Ghiberti, this is one of the world's finest ensembles of Renaissance art.

Half a dozen art museums brim with paintings and sculptures, while more masterpieces decorate its churches and palaces. Before you overdose on art in the Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace , stroll through the Boboli Gardens and explore the artisans' studios and workshops of the Oltrarno, or shop for leather in Santa Croce.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Florence

Who could fail to love a city whose streets are made of water, whose buses are boats, and where the songs of gondoliers linger in the air? It is a magic city, and its major attraction to tourists is the city itself.

The hub of the city is the broad Piazza San Marco, St. Mark's Square , surrounded by several of its top tourist attractions. The great Basilica of St. Mark stands beside the Doge's Palace , and overlooking both is the tall Campanile.

Taking a gondola ride is one of the most romantic things to do in Italy . Gondolas congregate at the end of the plaza in the Grand Canal . In the other direction, a gate under the clock tower leads into a warren of narrow, winding passageways, where you're sure to get lost on the way to Rialto Bridge. But getting lost is one of the greatest pleasures of Venice, where a postcard scene awaits around each corner.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Venice

The undulating landscape of Tuscany is crowned by stone towns whose foundations go back to the Etruscans. Each sits atop a hill, and many still have the castles and towers that once defended their commanding positions.

It's difficult to choose one above the others, as each has its own architecture, art, character, and story to tell. Fairly bristling with towers and enclosed in walls that are largely intact, San Gimignano looks much as it did in the Middle Ages, when it was an important stop on the pilgrims' route to Rome.

Volterra was an important Etruscan center before the Romans came and still has remains of both civilizations today. The tourist attractions of Arezzo are the legacy of the many artists, architects, and poets who lived there.

Like Volterra, walled Cortona was an Etruscan settlement and later a Roman one, but adds reminders of its Florentine past as well. Cortona is one of Italy's oldest towns. The proximity of these hill towns to the cities of Florence, Siena, Pisa, and Luca fills Tuscany with a concentration of many of the best places to visit in Italy.

Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Italy

Although Milan is a major entry point for tourists because of its airport, it's often overlooked as a destination of its own. That's a shame, because Milan has one of the highest concentrations of artistic and architectural attractions in all Italy, and for those interested in design and fashion (not to mention shopping), it's a must.

Milan has been the home and workplace for luminaries in all these fields: Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Verdi, Enrico Caruso, Toscanini, and designer Giorgio Armani.

Il Duomo, Milan's massive cathedral, is among the world's most magnificent churches, and finest example of the Flamboyant Gothic style. La Scala is the world's most prestigious opera house, Da Vinci's The Last Supper fills the wall at a monastery, and throughout the city are museums and palaces filled with some of the world's finest art. And no fashionista can resist a stroll through the famed Quadrilatero.

Italy's most beautiful lake, Como has been the favorite summer retreat of the rich and famous since ancient Romans fled Milan's summer heat to cool off in villas along its steep shores. Later villas decorate its tightly clustered towns, especially pretty Bellagio , artfully set on a point where the three narrow arms of the lake meet.

A microclimate makes the western shore of Lake Como temperate even in winter, so the white peaks of the Alps just to the north can be viewed between palm trees and camellias. Don't overlook the town of Como, on the southern shore, well worth a stop before boarding a steamer to explore the lake.

Just to the west of Lake Como is Lake Maggiore, with its own attractions ; to the east is Lake Garda , a summer playground filled with water sports and other things to do.

Read More: Visiting Lake Como: Top Attractions, Hotels & Tours

The high, precipitous Amalfi Peninsula juts sharply into the Mediterranean just south of Naples, forming the southern rim of Naples Bay. It's hard to imagine a more beautiful – or unlikely – setting for the towns that spill down its steep slopes.

Streets in most of these picturesque towns are stairways, and houses seem glued to the cliffs behind them. Flowers bloom everywhere, and below the towns are enticing beaches caught in coves of emerald water. High above the coast is the town of Ravello , where luxuriant gardens frame some of the coast's finest views.

The Amalfi Drive , along the southern coast, is one of the world's great scenic routes, or you can see the coast from the water by taking a 45-minute ferry ride from Sorrento to Positano. You have several options for getting to Positano from Rome .

Read More: Top Attractions & Places to Visit on the Amalfi Coast

The fabled Isle of Capri rises in steep cliffs from the Tyrrhenian Sea, only 20 kilometers from Sorrento. It was the bolt-hole for the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius and today attracts a steady stream of tourists arriving on the frequent ferries and hydrofoils from Sorrento and Naples.

Although very small – it is barely six kilometers at its longest – it has two towns, Capri and high above it, Anacapri. The lower town is where to find smart shops and cafés full of people-watchers hoping to spot a celebrity. Anacapri is the site of the lovely Villa San Michele and its gardens.

One of the top things to do on Capri is a trip to the Blue Grotto, a large flooded cave where reflected sunlight makes the water look as though it were lit from inside. At the other side of the island is the beautiful Marina Piccola, a tiny beach at the foot of the cliffs guarded by the craggy Faraglioni sea stacks.

Like Capri, the charming town of Sorrento seems to have been created for pleasure. The views, framed by candy-colored buildings and lemon trees, take in Naples and its bay, Mt. Vesuvius, and Capri. It's a town for strolling, sitting in cafés, and taking day trips to Capri, the Amalfi Coast, or Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Read More: From Rome to Capri: Best Ways to Get There

The five towns that cling to the steep, rocky Mediterranean coast north of La Spezia were almost impossible to reach by land until the railway connected them by tunneling through the headlands that separate them.

Today, the trail along the cliffs that locals once used to travel from town to town is one of Europe's greatest hikes; the shortest and widest of its sections, between Manarola and Riomaggiore is known as the Via dell'Amore, and has finally reopened after several years' closure due to a landslide.

Although hiking the trail is the goal of most tourists, don't overlook the pleasures of lingering in these little villages . Riomaggiore and Vernazza , with their narrow streets dropping down to tiny rock-bound harbors are the most filled with character, and despite its recent popularity with tourists, the Cinque Terre remains one of Italy's most appealing attractions.

The nearby towns of Pisa and Lucca are worth visiting while you're in Tuscany, the first for the exceptional Campo dei Miracoli complex and the other for its endearing charms.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa , actually the campanile for the adjacent cathedral, is a well-known Italian icon, and forms the centerpiece of a UNESCO World Heritage site that also includes the cathedral, baptistery, and Campo Santo.

The highlight of the impressive baptistery is Nicola Pisano's intricately carved free-standing pulpit, a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture. Completing the ensemble is a museum displaying some of the most beautiful gold and silver work of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Nearby, Lucca is one of Europe's most charming towns to explore and enjoy, surrounded by wide walls whose top is a tree-lined park. Inside the walls are beautiful Romanesque and Tuscan Gothic churches, tower houses (one of which you can climb to the top), and a Roman arena that has been "fossilized" into an oval piazza.

The compact historic center of this former Roman stronghold is embraced by a deep curve in the Adige River. Dominating its heart is the remarkable well-preserved first-century Roman arena , scene of the world-renowned summer opera festival.

Several Roman arches are mixed among the medieval and Renaissance buildings, many of which show Verona's long history as part of the Venetian empire. Alongside the river stands the large Castelvecchio , a castle built in the 14th century, guarding a brick arched bridge, Ponte Scaligero.

For all its rich treasury of architecture and art, Verona's biggest claim to tourist fame is based on pure fiction. Verona was the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , and over the past century, locals have obliged by creating homes, a balcony, and even a tomb for the fictional characters. These are some of the top things to see and do in Verona

In AD 79, Mt. Vesuvius erupted violently and suddenly, engulfing the thriving Roman city of Pompeii and encasing it for more than a millennium in six meters of ash and pumice-stone. The city remained frozen in time until excavations that began in the 18th century uncovered more than half of its buildings and public spaces.

The same eruption also engulfed the city of Herculaneum , but this time in molten lava, not ash. So instead of raining down and crushing buildings with its weight, the lava flowed in and filled the city from the ground up, supporting walls and ceilings as it rose, and preserving them in place.

Also preserved in this airtight seal were organic materials, such as wood, textiles, and food, giving a more complete picture of life in the first century. Details such as eating vessels and even food have been preserved as they were when the disaster struck.

Read More: Visiting Pompeii: Top Attractions, Tips & Tours

Combining dramatic mountain scenery with a wide choice of water sports and holiday amusements, Lake Garda is the most family-friendly of the Italian Lakes . Near Verona, Lake Garda is easy to reach by train, and close enough to be a day trip from Milan .

A favorite place to visit for families , Lake Garda is well supplied with low-key resorts and campgrounds, and at the southern end, the popular theme parks of Gardaland, Gardaland Sea-Life, and the movie-themed Caneva World are magnets for kids. The busiest area is along the southern shore, where there are several beaches with shallow water for young swimmers.

You can rent kayaks, paddle boards, and equipment for water sports at various places along the eastern and southern shores. Winds sweeping down from the mountains that rise sharply at the northern end of the lake make sailing popular there, and at Torbole you'll find some of Europe's best windsurfing and kitesurfing .

Lake Garda is not without tourist attractions to visit. The small town of Sirmione , almost an island at the end of a long peninsula on the southern shore, is approached through the gates of a small castle, which you can tour. Follow the only street past chic boutiques and souvenir stores (Sirmione is a popular place to go shopping) to the beautifully preserved ruins of a Roman villa and spa.

Farther north, Malcesine's castle clings to a rocky promontory above the lake, reached via narrow Medieval streets. For more mountain and lake views, ride the rotating cable car from Malcesine to the summit of Monte Baldo.

At its height in the 13th and 14th centuries, Siena rivaled Florence for its arts and culture, and it still has a wealth of art and architectural treasures. The highlight is the magnificent Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta , whose inlaid marble facade and striped bell tower stand dramatically among Siena's mostly red brick buildings. The cathedral interior is a museum of works by great artists and sculptors, including Donatello, Giovanni Pisano, Bernini, and Lorenzo Ghiberti.

But art treasures are just some of Siena's attractions . The winding medieval streets and broad plazas are inviting places to wander. Piazza del Campo is considered one of Europe's finest medieval public squares. Twice each summer, this gigantic, sloping main square is the scene of a chaotic horse race known as the Palio.

Renowned for its culinary skills and cuisine, as well as for its historic university (Europe's oldest), Bologna is the most appealing city to visit. The elegant arcades shelter the streets from the sun or rain, and beneath them are shops with their original century-old interiors. Follow Via Galleria to admire its old aristocratic mansions.

Life centers around the adjoining Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno, where you'll find the magnificent 16 th -century Neptune Fountain and the still unfinished façade of the Basilica of San Petronius.

The other church to see is the atmospheric Santo Stefano, a complex of seven religious buildings built by the Benedictines from the 10th to 13th century. Its two leaning towers, Asinelli and Garisenda, are tall thin pillars of brick and stone, taller than the more famous one at Pisa. These are remnants of medieval times, when families had their own defensive towers attached to their homes.

Read More: Top Attractions & Places to Visit in Bologna

Home to six of Italy's top ski resorts , the jagged peaks of the Dolomites are spectacular at any season, whether the mountains are white with snow and ice, or rising dramatically above lush green Alpine meadows. The most famous town is Cortina d'Ampezzo , one of the top ski resorts in the world .

Other villages of wooden chalets are ski centers, too, and hidden deep in the valleys are more hamlets that curious tourists can discover by following the mountain roads that radiate from the Strada delle Dolomiti, the Dolomite Road .

This year-round route stretching from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo, is a continuing series of mountain views as it crosses the Passo Pordoi and passes the peaks of the Gruppo del Sella to reveal the Cinque Torri, five peaks overlooking Cortina.

Although the road snakes up and down the mountainsides in switchbacks, it is wide, well-paved, and free of the alarming drop-offs that make so many Alpine roads teeth-clenching experiences. You can pause the drive at several points to take gondola rides for even more breathtaking views of mountains in every direction.

Highlights are the forest-surrounded Lake Carezza, the waterfall in Canazei, and the tree-framed views from Passo di Costalunga. In inscribing the Dolomites as a World Heritage Site, UNESCO called the Dolomites "among the most attractive mountain landscapes in the world."

As the canals characterize Venice, and the Renaissance is the essence of Florence, in Naples, it's the sheer exuberance that will hold you spellbound. It's a boisterous place, its narrow streets filled with color, noise, and life.

You'll find plenty to see and do in Naples , in its treasure-filled churches, its magnificent palaces lavished in the riches of European royalty, and its premier archaeological museum displaying the finds from nearby Pompeii.

Join locals and stroll by the waterfront to savor views of Mt. Vesuvius across the bay, hop a ferry to the island of Capri or magical Sorrento, shop in the glass-domed Galleria Umberto I, and by all means, sample the pizza—Neapolitans claim to have invented it.

The island of Sicily has earned seven places on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, three for its ancient sites, two for natural wonders, and two for architectural treasures. Some of the finest remaining examples of ancient structures are in Sicily: at Selinunte is one of the largest Greek temples; in Agrigento , at the Valley of Temples, is one of the three most perfect Greek temples anywhere; and the 3,500 square meters of mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale in Enna decorate one of the best-preserved villas in the entire Roman Empire.

Sicily's landscapes, crowned by Mt. Etna, and its spectacular golden-sand beaches match its world-class attractions.

The capital of Palermo is a vibrant city full of color and fine buildings. Nearby Monreale Cathedral is a masterpiece of Norman architecture, its walls covered by 6,340 square meters of the interior walls with intricate mosaics by artists from Constantinople and Sicily. Monreale stands today almost exactly as it was built in the 1100s, and is one of Sicily's top tourist attractions .

Most tourists visit Assisi as the home of St. Francis, and for the Franciscan sites that rose here to memorialize him. The Basilica di San Francesco was constructed over the saint's tomb in the early 13th century and is one of the world's most visited pilgrimage destinations.

Along with the Basilica, a pilgrimage includes other sites closely associated with the saint. The Renaissance church of Santa Maria degli Angeli was over St. Francis' oratory (Porziuàncola ) and the cell in which he died.

St Francis preached and prayed at the 12 th -century Cathedral of San Rufino , and the Gothic Basilica of Santa Chiara is dedicated to St. Clare, the disciple of St. Francis who founded the order of Poor Clares.

Religion is not the only draw for tourists to Assisi. The building and decoration of all these holy sites drew the finest artists of their day, making Assisi a center for the arts and leaving works by great artists that include Giotto and Cimabue. Assisi is a popular day trip from Florence , and there are several ways of getting to Assisi from Rome .

One of the great industrial cities of the north, Turin, unlike Milan, is relatively small and compact, and it's highlights are easy to explore on foot. There is a grandeur to its architecture and its formal layout, designed by the Savoys to show that they were as regal as any of Europe's royal families and could surround themselves with splendor that rivaled Paris.

Its arcaded squares and avenues and royal palaces right in the center set the tone, but that is not all of Turin's charm. A small medieval quarter, Roman sites, and entire neighborhoods of Art Nouveau lend variety, and a riverside park with a complete faux-medieval village prove that Turin doesn't take itself too seriously.

Don't miss the extraordinary Museum of Cinema in a skyscraper that was once a synagogue. Turin's contrasts will charm you—as will its coffee houses and grand cafés.

Read More: Top Tourist Attractions in Turin

This enigmatic Mediterranean island seems worlds apart from Italy, and is itself a land of stark contrasts. Best known for its glamorous Costa Smeralda, the jet-set paradise of luxury enclaves set against the emerald waters of the northeast coast, Sardinia has a lot more to offer adventurous tourists or even the sun-loving beach seeker.

The entire south is ringed with mile after mile of white-sand beaches , and the rugged interior is prime territory for hikers and climbers. Sardinia is a place for travelers who want to explore remote mountain villages, where old traditions not only survive but are a way of life.

The most enigmatic and fascinating attractions are the hundreds of mysterious round stone towers, known as Nuraghe, which dot the entire island and make Sardinia high on the list of unique places to visit in Italy. Prehistoric sites are everywhere and include these towers, sacred wells, "giants tombs," and other ancient structures. Entire Phoenician and Roman cities wait to be explored.

Read More: Top Attractions & Things to Do in Sardinia

This ancient city on the Adriatic is truly unique in Italy. Unlike any other, Ravenna's artistic origins are almost entirely Byzantine, and here you'll find Western Europe's finest collection of Byzantine mosaics , all in nearly pristine condition.

In the sixth century, Ravenna was the seat of the king Theodoric the Great, who was raised in Constantinople, and it became a center for mosaic artistry that reached its zenith here.

Seven buildings decorated with some of the finest examples of mosaic art are included in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See all of them, but above all don't miss the early 5th-century Neonian Baptistery; the impressive interior of San Vitale; and the jewel-like Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, which UNESCO calls "one of the most artistically perfect" and best preserved of all mosaic monuments.

Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Ravenna

If Puglia were less remote, it would be one of the country's best-known tourist destinations. Picturing Italy as a boot, Puglia forms the heel — a long stiletto heel reaching southeast into the Adriatic Sea.

The capital city of Lecce is filled with Baroque architecture, magnificent churches with facades intricately carved in local golden limestone. At the very tip of the heel is the Salento, a largely pristine coast of rocky cliffs, soaring headlands, and beaches in the deep coves between them. On the Salento's western shore, some of Italy's most beautiful beaches stretch in kilometers of golden sand.

The eastern shore is protected by the Parco Naturale Regionale Costa Otranto. Its picturesque village of Otranto (see the mosaics in its 12th-century church) is the gateway to the pristine blue-flag beaches on Baia dei Turchi . From the 15th-century castle, you can see across the Adriatic to the mountains of Albania.

At Alberobello, you can see the picturesque villages of trulli, little conical-roofed houses that now constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site . You can make one of these little houses your home while you tour the region.

Riches from its maritime past have left the port city of Genoa with a rich legacy of Italy's most splendid noble palaces. Dating from the 16 th and 17th centuries, these marble showcases of Italian art and architecture are Genoa's prime tourist attractions and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

But don't overlook the steep, atmospheric streets of the old sailors' quarter above the Old Harbor, or the Aquarium and the Maritime Museum , both overlooking the harbor. One of Europe's best aquariums, it holds more than 10,000 aquatic animals in a state-of-the-art facility that replicates their natural environments; the Maritime Museum is also a draw for families, as it brings the age of sail to life for children.

Take advantage of the numerous funiculars to navigate the city's steep terrain, and don't miss the chance to sample some of Italy's finest cuisine.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

Where to Go from Rome: For a break from the bustle of Rome, you can easily spend a day exploring gardens and attractions in Tivoli , and even farther with the help of our page From Rome to Capri: 5 Best Ways to Get There . For even more suggestions, refer to our page on the Top-Rated Day Trips from Rome .

Where to Go near Florence: You don't have to travel far to find many of the top tourist attractions in Tuscany . Travel west to the lovely walled city of Lucca , and only a little farther to see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, with its cathedral and baptistery. South of Florence is Siena, where our Visitor's Guide to the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta will lead you to its greatest treasures.

Where to Go from Venice: The Veneto region is filled with exciting places to visit, such as nearby Padua . The villas of Andrea Palladio are the top tourist attractions in Vicenza , and not far beyond are historic Verona and beautiful Lake Garda .

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Compass & Pine

The Ultimate Travel Guide

The 25 Best Places to Visit in Italy

Italy is a country that is rich in history and culture. There are so many places to visit it can be hard to know where to start. In this article, we will provide a guide for travelers on the 20 best places to visit in Italy. From bustling cities to stunning coastal towns, there is something for everyone. Plus, we’ll give you tips on traveling with kids and how long you should spend in each city. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your Italian vacation today!

Cinque Terre

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Florence is the capital city of Tuscany that is brimming with art and history. It was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and there are plenty of places to learn about this period of time.

It is home to some of the world’s most famous museums, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery. Both of which hold works from the most impressive masters of the western world:

• Michelangelo

Be sure to visit and climb the impressive Duomo at the heart of the city. The views atop the dome are some of the best in Italy, and the dome’s interior is decorated with Giorgio Vasari’s elaborate portrayal of heaven and hell .

What Should I See in Florence? Uffizi Gallery, Accademia Gallery, Duomo, Baptistery, Ponte Vecchio, and the Boboli Gardens.

When Should I Visit Florence? Spring or fall. The summer gets hot and is packed with other tourists.

Traveling to Florence with kids: Florence is a great place to travel with kids. In between climbing towers and the duomo, be sure to stop by and grab some delicious gelato and walk through the Boboli Gardens.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Florence? While you could see the Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery in a single day, we recommend a minimum of three or four days. This will give you enough time to visit the highlights and take your time around this amazing city. Honestly, though, I could spend a lifetime in Florence. It is my favorite Italian city!

There is no doubt that Rome is one of the most popular places to visit in Italy. Over 10 million people make the trek to the Eternal City each year!

This ancient city is home to some of the world’s most famous landmarks, such as the Colosseum and the Vatican. The best part is Rome acts as one large open-air museum. You could see most of the top sights without paying a dime (except for flying and staying there, of course).

You can see the exterior of the Colosseum, Castel Sant’Angelo, and the Vatican just by walking around the city center. Some of the most important sites in Rome, including UNESCO World Heritage sites, are free to visit:

• Piazza Navona
• Spanish Steps
• Trevi Fountain
• Roman Forum
• Altar of the Fatherland
• Palatine Hill
• Campo de’ Fiori
• Arch of Constantine

For the foodies out there, Rome has some of Italy’s best food. Make sure to try traditional dishes like carbonara and amatriciana. Trust us; it’s just as good as you’re envisioning.

Do You Love Art?

Heading to Rome but unsure which of the 60-plus museums to visit? Here’s our pick of the top 10 museums in Rome.

What Should I See in Rome? Colosseum, Vatican City, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, and Borghese Museum. Walk around the city and see stunning cathedrals, places, and Renaissance architecture.

Heading to the Vatican? Find out who painted the Sistine Chapel ?

When Should I Visit Rome? Spring or fall. Avoid the summer heat and crowds.

Traveling to Rome with kids: Rome is a great place to travel with kids. There are plenty of kid-friendly activities, such as visiting the Vatican Museums, exploring the Roman Forum, or taking an underground tour of the Colosseum. If you’re looking for something a little more active, try biking one of Rome’s oldest roadways: the Appian Way.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Rome? While you could spend weeks exploring Rome, we recommend staying at least 3-5 days to see the highlights and taste the local culture. If you’re pressed for time, tourism companies offer jam-packed city tours that can be done in 4-6 hours but feel too rushed in our experience.

There is no place quite like Venice. This unique city is built on canals and is full of charming bridges and beautiful architecture.

For those that like to see a lot in a short amount of time, Venice should be at the top of your list of places to see in Italy. You can practically explore all of the top sights in just one day. Be sure to visit St. Mark’s Basilica, the Grand Canal, and the Rialto Bridge .

Interested in churches or architecture? We wrote a guide on the top 15 Venice cathedrals and churches you should see on your next visit.

Oh, and while you’re there, don’t forget to enjoy a ride in a gondola amongst the oldest buildings in Venice .

What Should I See in Venice? St. Mark’s Basilica, Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, Doge’s Palace, and the Venetian Ghetto.

When Should I Visit Venice? Spring or fall. Avoid the summer heat and crowds.

Traveling to Venice with kids: Venice can be a great place to travel with kids, regardless of age. Take a gondola ride, visit the dungeons of Doge’s Palace, and explore the unique creative art held in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Venice? While you can see the major highlights in just 24 hours, we recommend a minimum of two days in Venice. This will give you enough time to explore the city, see all the highlights at a leisurely pace, and visit the neighboring islands of Murano , Burano , and Torcello .

Heading to Venice?

No Venetian trip is complete without visiting these top sights.

Milan is a fashion-forward city known for its high-end shopping. But there is more to Milan than just designer clothes and luxury brands.

Milan is home to some of the world’s best art, including Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper . Other highlights include the Duomo (shown above), the Sforza Castle, and the La Scala Opera House.

If you go to Milan expecting Rome or Florence, you’ll be let down. Milan takes some effort to experience and appreciate. It’s more industrial than other cities on our list and doesn’t feature as many “must-see” highlights. That said, Milan is still one of the best places to visit in Italy.

What Should I See in Milan? Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper (located in Santa Maria delle Grazie church), Duomo, Sforza Castle, La Scala Opera House, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

When Should I Visit Milan? Spring is the best time to visit Milan. Summer receives the most visitors, while Fall and Winter get fairly cold.

Traveling to Milan with kids: Of all the places on our list, Milan might be the least kid-friendly. While there are fun activities like climbing to the top of the Duomo, it’s more geared towards adults.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Milan? We recommend one or two days. This will give you enough time to see the highlights and do some shopping. We feel like Milan is a great place to see in between other cities, but maybe not a place you’d prioritize on your first visit to Italy.

Tuscany is a picturesque region of central Italy that is known for its rolling hills, cypress trees, and vineyards. This is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy some of Italy’s best food and wine. If you’re already visiting Siena, Florence, or Pisa, it’s well worth taking a day trip to the Tuscany countryside.

What Should I See in Tuscany? Go to neighboring hill towns like San Gimignano, Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano, and Volterra and visit a vineyard. Be sure to try Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti wines!

When Should I Visit Tuscany? Tuscany is beautiful year-round, but late Summer and Early Autumn are recommended since that is wine harvest season.

Traveling to Tuscany with kids: Tuscany isn’t the best spot for children. While it’s a nice break from the big cities on our list, the main highlight is exploring smaller towns and drinking wine.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Tuscany? Tuscany is a day-trip type of location. Rent a car or book a tour that leaves from Florence, and you’ll have a great time. If you’re really into trying a variety of wines from the region, then you could easily spend three-to-five days in the area.

Sienna is a hill town in central Italy known for its distinctive brick buildings and medieval architecture.

It gets compared to neighboring Florence regularly, but the comparison isn’t fair. If you’re heading to Sienna expecting Florence, then you’ll be let down.

Siena is a beautiful and quaint place for more leisurely activities, such as wandering the cobblestone streets and watching the sunset. If you’re more interested in relaxing and drinking wine than you are urban exploration, Sienna is one of the best places to visit in Italy.

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What Should I See in Sienna? The Duomo, the Piazza del Campo, Torre del Mangia, and the Palazzo Pubblico.

When Should I Visit Sienna? Like most of Tuscany, it’s beautiful year-round.

Traveling to Sienna with kids: Sienna is a great place to travel with kids, as there are plenty of kid-friendly activities. Kids will love visiting the Duomo, exploring the Piazza del Campo, and learning about the city’s history.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Sienna? Sienna is a great city to visit if you are already spending time in other parts of central Italy. It’s fantastic for a day trip or overnight.

Lake Como is a stunning lake in northern Italy known for its scenic beauty, celebrity villas, and romantic charms.

It’s nestled at the foot of the Alps, just near the border with Switzerland. While not as large as Lake Garda (also on our list), it’s just as beautiful and offers some fantastic hiking if you’re up for the challenge.

The only downside to Lake Como is that it’s a bit of a tourist trap. Just as many people flock to Lake Como for its natural beauty as they do for the celebrities that have summer retreats here.

If you’re looking to experience the Italian Lake District and want to avoid large crowds, opt for Lake Garda instead.

What Should I See at Lake Como? The lakeside towns of Como, Bellagio, and Varenna.

When Should I Visit Lake Como? Lake Como is perfect year-round. It’s close enough to the mountains to offer some great skiing during the winter but is picture-perfect during the summer, spring, and autumn.

Traveling to Lake Como with kids: If you and your family is really into outdoor adventures, Lake Como is a great place to be. Go hiking nearby, rent a boat to explore the lakes, and take adventures to the local waterfalls in Orrido di Bellano.

How Much Time Should You Spend at Lake Como? It depends on what you want to do. If you’re just visiting the lakeside towns, a few days is enough. However, if you’re planning on doing some hiking or other activities, we recommend at least a week.

Chances are, if you picture a coastal Italian town in your head, it’s either Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast.

Cinque Terre is a group of five small villages on the Italian Riviera that offer dramatic coastlines, colorful houses, and tasty vineyards. Each town is beautiful, but the highlight is Manarola (pictured in the photo above). Manarola is so beautiful that it was a highlight in Italy’s tourism campaign.

What Should I See in Cinque Terre? All five villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare.

When Should I Visit Cinque Terre? Spring or fall. Avoid the summer heat and crowds.

Traveling to Cinque Terre with kids: Kids will love visiting the five villages, exploring the coastline, and hiking between all five villages (the trail is perfect for a day trip).

How Much Time Should You Spend in Cinque Terre? If you don’t think hiking or wine tasting is up your alley, you can make a long day trip from Florence (the train ride is about two and a half hours). If you want to hike or relax on the beach, it’s best to stay for a night or two.

Verona is a large city in northern Italy best known as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. But there’s much more to see in Verona than just the balcony where Romeo professed his love. This city contains a first-century Roman amphitheater, medieval castles, and lovely gardens. It’s extremely underrated, and we didn’t see many other tourists while visiting.

Stroll around town, grab some gelato, and experience an Italian town not often visited by tourists.

What Should I See in Verona? The balcony of Juliet’s House, Ponte Scaligero, the Roman Arena, and the Castelvecchio Museum.

When Should I Visit Verona? Northern Italy can be fairly cold during the winter, so keep that in mind while planning your trip. Otherwise, Verona is beautiful year-round.

Traveling to Verona with kids: Kids love exploring the Roman Arena, visiting Juliet’s House, and seeing the medieval castle. Our niece liked climbing to the top of Torre dei Lamberti as well.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Verona? If you’re quick about it, you could see Verona’s highlights in just a few hours. That said, it’s well worth spending the night and enjoying local pasta.

Turin is a capital city in northwestern Italy that is sometimes overshadowed by its more famous neighbors (Florence, Milan, and Venice). But Turin has plenty of sights and activities to keep visitors entertained, including the Egyptian Museum, the Royal Palace, and the Cathedral of San Giovanni.

What Should I See in Turin? The Egyptian Museum, La Venaria Reale, the Royal Palace, Palazzo Madama, Basilica of Superga, and the Mole Antonelliana.

When Should I Visit Turin? September and October are the best months to visit. The autumn colors are in bloom, and the weather is pleasant.

Traveling to Turin with kids: Kids love visiting the Egyptian Museum, exploring the Public Pellerina Park, and the Planetarium of Turin.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Turin? We recommend two or three days. This gives you enough time to see all of the key sights and explore the area in a leisurely place.

Pisa is a small city in central Italy known for its iconic leaning tower and is one of the most popular places to visit in Italy.

I’m sure native Pisans would disagree, but Pisa is so small that you can see everything in the city within two or three hours.

If you’re already in the area or traveling between Cinque Terre and Florence, it’s worth a quick stop for photos.

What Should I See in Pisa? The Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, and the Baptistery.

When Should I Visit Pisa? Since you’ll be there for such a short amount of time, it doesn’t matter too much when you visit. Peak tourist season is from June – September.

Traveling to Pisa with kids: Our niece loved climbing the tower. It offers a fantastic view of the city and the neighboring Cathedral.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Pisa? Two or three hours. Maybe a little more if you plan to climb the tower.

Bergamo is a city in northern Italy that likely won’t be many itineraries, and that’s partially the reason it makes ours. While locally, it’s known for its well-preserved Old Town, which is surrounded by medieval walls, it has gone under the radar of tourists.

Bergamo locals are more than happy to chat about their beloved city and give you recommendations on where to get drinks and authentic food.

If your idea of traveling is exploring off-the-beaten-path options, Bergamo should make your list of places to visit in Italy.

What Should I See in Bergamo? The Citta Alta, Colleoni Chapel, Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, and Piazza Vecchia.

When Should I Visit Bergamo? It’s busiest in May and June, so we’d avoid those months. Even then though, there aren’t many tourists making their way to Bergamo.

Traveling to Bergamo with kids: The Citta Alta is a great place to visit with kids. They’ll love exploring this ancient city and learning about Italian history.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Bergamo? You can explore the main sights and Old Town in a day, but it’s worth spending the night as it’s more affordable than most cities.

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most popular places to visit in Italy. It’s a 50 km stretch of coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea, dotted with dramatic cliffs, picturesque colorful towns, and crystal clear waters.

It’s also home to some of the scariest roads we’ve come across thus far in our travels. Seriously, taking a bus to the Amalfi Coast is like a close brush with death.

The Perfect Day Trip to Amalfi

Planning on visiting Amalfi? You have a couple of options if you’re leaving from Rome. Click here to learn more.

What Should I See on the Amalfi Coast? The towns of Amalfi, Positano, and Ravello.

When Should I Visit the Amalfi Coast? Head to the Amalfi Coast in May or September. They’re just outside the peak tourist season, but the weather is still enjoyable.

Traveling to the Amalfi Coast with kids: Go swimming for beautiful views of the cliffs and towns, hike Path of the Gods for one of the best coastal trails we’ve experienced, and rent kayaks to paddle around the coastline.

How Much Time Should You Spend on the Amalfi Coast? If you’re going to the Amalfi Coast for a beach vacation, we recommend three or four days. This will give you enough time to explore the towns and do some swimming and hiking. You could also take a long day trip from Naples and see the highlights.

Pompeii is a small town near Naples that was destroyed by a volcano in 79 AD. The entire town was covered in ash, preserving it for thousands of years. Today, it’s a popular archaeological and UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the town’s ruins.

Want to learn more about Mount Vesuvius and how it destroyed Pompeii? We wrote the guide on it.

What Should I See in Pompeii? The ruins of the town, including the Forum, the amphitheater, and the Villa of Mysteries.

When Should I Visit Pompeii? Spring or fall. Avoid the summer heat and crowds.

Traveling to Pompeii with kids: There’s only one thing to do here, but booking a tour guide made it more enjoyable. Our guide helped paint a picture of life before the eruption and made seeing the ruins more exciting.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Pompeii? You can see the whole site in about two or three hours. We recommend you take a day trip from Rome.

How to Visit Pompeii From Rome

Pompeii is one of Italy’s best history lessons. Explore the ancient ruins with our guide.

The Dolomites are a mountain range in northern Italy known for their dramatic peaks, alpine forests, and lovely meadows. They’re extraordinarily beautiful and popular destinations for hiking, mountain biking, and skiing.

The scenery offered by the Dolomites is on par with the best mountain ranges I’ve seen in the United States, Western Canada, Iceland, and Switzerland. Seriously, as soon as you arrive, you’ll wish you had visited sooner.

What Should I See in the Dolomites? The peaks of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the Val di Fassa valley, and the Marmolada glacier.

When Should I Visit the Dolomites? Spring, summer, or fall. Avoid the winter if you’re not interested in skiing.

Traveling to the Dolomites with kids: The Dolomites are a great place to visit with kids. The hiking and mountain biking offers some incredible views. We recommend the Cinque Torri and Tre Cime di Lavaredo hikes.

How Much Time Should You Spend in the Dolomites? We recommend three days. This will give you enough time for scenic drives, hiking, biking, and soaking up views you won’t get elsewhere.

Capri is an island off the coast of Sorrento and is known for its mountainous coastlines, luxury hotels, and designer shops.

While not a large island by any means, there are some great hiking and swimming holes. Plus, it’s fun to watch all of the boats and yachts drive by. Somehow there’s always a bigger yacht.

If you’re looking for a beach town, Capri is a must see place in Italy.

What Should I See in Capri? The Blue Grotto, Villa Jovis, Faraglioni rocks, and Capri town.

When Should I Visit Capri? Avoid the summer heat and explore Capri during the other three seasons.

Traveling to Capri with kids: Like most of the other beach towns and cities, some of your best options are to go swimming. Head to the Blue Grotto and explore an underwater cave and the most bright blue water I’ve ever seen.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Capri? Catch a boat from Sorrento and have a fantastic day trip filled with outdoor activities.

I admit the first time I visited Bologna, I didn’t get the appeal. I was looking in the wrong areas. Bologna has a beautiful historic center, but the heart of Bologna is its people.

Visit one of the many excellent restaurants, and the locals will gladly tell you about their city. Explore the University of Bologna for a history lesson in the world’s oldest university. Go walk through the streets and be amongst the people. That’s how you should enjoy Bologna.

Now, when I am helping friends decide on where to visit in Italy, Bologna makes the list.

What Should I See in Bologna? The Basilica di San Petronio, the Palazzo Re Enzo, the Fountain of Neptune, and the University of Bologna.

When Should I Visit Bologna? Spring or fall. Avoid the summer heat and crowds.

Traveling to Bologna with kids: If your children are interested in cars, Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini is a fascinating museum with a lot of classic Italian cars.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Bologna? We recommend spending a night or two in Bologna.

Mount Etna is an active volcano on the island of Sicily. It’s one of the most popular tourist attractions on Italy’s largest island, and for a good reason. You can take a cable car to the top, hike around the crater, or even go skiing in the winter.

I’ve never hiked on an active volcano before Mount Etna, and the experience is very surreal. The dried lava and red coloration made me feel like I was walking on Mars.

Make sure you bring clothes you don’t mind getting dirty because you’re pants and sneakers are going to be covered in soot.

If you’re looking for a place to visit in Italy that is a little out of the norm, Mount Etna is must-see.

When Should I Visit Mount Etna? Spring or fall. Sicily in summer is brutal, so we advise skipping it. Winter is beautiful, and you can ski on the mountain.

How Much Time Should You Spend on Mount Etna? A day trip from Catania is enough time to see the highlights.

Taormina is a small town on the east coast of Sicily that sits atop a mountain. It’s known for its dramatic setting, with views of Mount Etna and the Mediterranean Sea.

Taormina is also home to some of Sicily’s best beaches, as well as an ancient Greco-Roman amphitheater that is still in use today. Be sure to walk around the city at sunset for some of the most beautiful views in Italy.

Taormina holds a special place in my heart because I proposed to my wife right down the road from where this photo was taken.

No matter how many times I visit the country, Taormina always has a place on my list of must see places in Italy.

What Should I See in Taormina? The Greek Theater, the Piazza IX Aprile, and the beaches.

When Should I Visit Taormina? Avoid the summer heat and opt for spring or autumn.

Traveling to Taormina with kids: The Greek Theater is a great place to visit for a history lesson and fantastic views. Take a cable car down to the beach and enjoy the ocean.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Taormina? Taormina is best for a day trip to see the highlights. While you could spend a night or two there, it’s very expensive, and it would be more for relaxation than exploration.

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and is a personal favorite of ours. Due to its proximity to Milan and Venice (it’s about halfway between both), it’s a great location to add to your Northern Italy itinerary.

The lake is surrounded by mountains and several picturesque towns along its shores. We recommend taking the 150 km (93 miles) scenic drive around the lake. Another cool option is to take the ferry between towns. Each town is beautiful in its own right, but Sirmione, at the south end of the lake, is our favorite and most popular with tourists.

You can’t go wrong with any of the towns in the Italian Lake District, as they’re all UNESCO World Heritage sites and worthy of adding to your list of places to visit in Italy.

What Should I See at Lake Garda? The lake towns of Sirmione, Malcesine, Limone Sul Garda, and Riva del Garda.

When Should I Visit Lake Garda? It’s beautiful all year round, but Lake Garda is best explored during the summer so you can take advantage of the crystal-clear water.

Traveling to Lake Garda with kids: All of the towns along the lake offer a variety of activities for children. but Sirmione is your best option. Go kayaking in Lake Garda, hike the nearby forests, explore Castle Scaligero, and visit Gardaland Theme Park.

How Much Time Should You Spend at Lake Garda? While you could visit the lake as a pit stop on your way to Venice or Milan, we think you should spend at least one night in a lakefront town. It’s a very romantic destination.

Naples is the third-largest Italian city and is known for its chaotic streets, passionate people, and of course, pizza. The pizza here is some of the best in the world, and you can’t visit Naples without trying it. Just be warned that it’s not like the pizza you’re used to in the United States. It’s thinner, has a slightly charred crust, and is often only topped with fresh mozzarella and basil.

Maybe more than any other city on the list, Naples feels the most lived-in. For whatever reason, we saw more people going about their day than elsewhere in the country. It was charming and offered a different atmosphere than Rome, Florence, and Milan.

What Should I See in Naples? Eat pizza (trust us, it’s amazing), visit the Naples National Archaeological Museum, and explore the historic city center. If time permits, take a day trip to Pompeii or Herculaneum.

When Should I Visit Naples? The best time to visit Naples is between March and May. Daytime temperatures hover in the 80s — making it perfect weather for the beach.

Traveling to Naples with kids: The Naples National Archaeological Museum is a great place to visit with kids. The museum has some cool ancient Roman artifacts. Also, did I mention that Naples has amazing pizza? Yeah, children will love that.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Naples? We recommend spending at least two days in Naples and southern Italy. Pompeii and Herculaneum are worth visiting, and you’ll need at least one day to eat your way through the city.

San Marino is one of the world’s oldest republics and also one of Europe’s smallest countries (see map below). It’s located on the east coast of Italy and is completely landlocked by the country. San Marino is known for its medieval architecture, stunning mountain views, and tax-free status.

I know it’s cheating since San Marino is its own country, but it still makes our list of places to visit in Italy.

What Should I See in San Marino? The Three Towers of San Marino, the Guaita Tower, the Cesta Tower, and Mount Titano.

When Should I Visit San Marino? Spring or fall. Avoid the summer heat and winter cold.

Traveling to San Marino with kids: The Three Towers of San Marino are a great place to visit with kids. They’ll love exploring the towers and learning about the country.

How Much Time Should You Spend in San Marino? We recommend visiting San Marino on a day trip from Florence or Bologna. It’s so small that you’ll easily see everything this country offers.

Apulia is a region in southern Italy that tourists often overlook due to how far it is from Rome and Naples. But this region has so much to offer, from its beautiful coastline to its centuries-old villages. Apulia is a great place to relax and enjoy the slow pace of life.

What Should I See in Apulia? The trulli houses, Alberobello, Ostuni, and Lecce.

When Should I Visit Apulia? Visit during the summer months so you can enjoy the crystal clear waters and do some cliff diving!

Traveling to Apulia with kids: The real highlight for kids is swimming in the warm Adriatic Sea. Some places offer kayaks for you to paddle along the coastline.

How Much Time Should You Should You Spend in Apulia? It takes a little over 2.5 hours to get from Naples to Bari and even longer to get to the smaller towns. If you plan on enjoying the beaches and sea, it’s best to spend at least one or two nights in Polignano a Mare or an equally beautiful beachtown.

Sardinia might not be as well known as Italy’s most famous island, Sicily, but this large island has equally compelling white-sand beaches, clear water, rugged coastlines, and unique culture.

Sardinia is a great place to relax and enjoy the Mediterranean lifestyle. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more active vacation, there are plenty of hiking trails and sightseeing options.

What Should I See in Sardinia? The beautiful beaches, Costa Smeralda (and La Madalena Archipelago), Porto Cervo, and the 1,500 BC Nuraghe (stone building).

When Should I Visit Sardinia? Avoid the summer months as they get very hot. Otherwise, spring, autumn, and winter are beautiful.

Traveling to Sardinia with kids: The beaches are a great place to visit with kids. The white-sand and azure-blue waters are fun and relaxing. Go hiking in La Maddalena and explore this beautiful island.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Sardinia? We recommend spending at least one week in Sardinia. This will give you enough time to relax on the beaches and explore the island.

Palermo is the capital of Sicily and is located on the island’s north coast. The city is known for its beautiful architecture, Mediterranean cuisine, and friendly people.

Palermo is a great place to explore Sicilain culture (note, it’s fairly different than Italian culture) and see some of the country’s most impressive buildings.

For history afficianados, Palermo is a great place to tour due to it’s role in Sicilian warfare and the Allied invasion of Sicily in World War II.

If you’re looking for a vacation spot that doesn’t include the mainland, Palermo should be on your list of places to visit in Italy.

What Should I See in Palermo? The Norman Palace, the Cathedral of Palermo, Monreale Abbey, and Capuchin Catacombs.

When Should I Visit Palermo? Spring or fall. Avoid the summer heat and winter cold.

Traveling to Palermo with kids: The Norman Palace is a great place to visit with kids. They’ll love exploring this ancient palace and learning about Sicilian history.

How Much Time Should You Spend in Palermo? We recommend spending at least two days in Palermo. This will give you enough time to see all of the highlights and start your travels to other Sicilian cities, Syracuse, Catania, and Taramino.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no definitive answer to this question, as it depends on what type of beauty you are searching for.

Are you looking for natural beauty, or are you searching for architecturally beautiful places? If the former some places stand out for their natural beauty, including the beautiful beaches of the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre, Lake Como, and Venice.

7 days is a short time to visit Italy, but it is possible to see some of the country’s highlights in this time frame. If you are pressed for time, we recommend focusing your trip on one specific region, such as Tuscany, Umbria, or Veneto. This will allow you to experience the area and not feel rushed. Unfortunately, this means you likely won’t be able to see any of the charming villages spread throughout Italy.

Oh, man. This answer is going to be different for everyone.

If you’re interested in art, you’ll want to stop by Rome, Florence, and Venice.

If you’re interested in architecture, you really can’t go wrong anywhere. Italy is a very old nation, so you’re bound to see really interesting buildings in any city or town.

Looking for natural beauty? The Amalfi Coast has some of the most beautiful towns in all of Italy, while the Dolomites offer some of the most stunning mountain ranges in the world.

Regardless of where you decide to go, you won’t regret visiting Italy.

The best time to visit Italy depends on what you want to do while there.

If you’re interested in outdoor activities, the spring and fall are ideal as the weather is milder.

If you’re interested in beach holidays, you’ll want to visit during the summer.

And if you’re interested in skiing, winter is the best time to go.

That being said, any time of year is a great time to visit Italy, as there is always something to see and do.

With over 10 million people visiting each year, Rome is the most visited city in Italy, followed by Florence and Venice.

Rome is a must-see for any traveler as it is home to some of the world’s most famous historical sites, such as the Colosseum and the Vatican.

Florence is a beautiful city located in Tuscany and is known for its art and architecture.

Venice is a unique city built on canals and is one of the most romantic places in the world.

Italy is a relatively expensive country to visit, but there are ways to save money.

If you’re interested in saving money on accommodation, we recommend staying in hostels.

Eating out can also be expensive, but there are ways to save money here. Look for places that have a “menu del giorno” which is a set lunch menu that is usually a fraction of the cost of ordering à la carte.

And finally, try to avoid tourist traps. These are places that are aimed at tourists and tend to be overpriced. Do some research before you go and visit places that are off the beaten path.

This is a difficult question to answer as it depends on what you want to see and do while you’re in Italy.

If you’re interested in seeing the main tourist attractions, we recommend spending at least a week in the country.

If you’re interested in exploring Italy’s smaller towns and villages, we recommend spending at least two to three weeks in the country.

And if you’re interested in getting to know Italy and its culture, we recommend spending at least a month in the country.

Of course, the more time you spend in Italy, the more you’ll be able to see and do. But even a short trip to Italy will surely be an unforgettable experience.

Recommended Booking Resources

The companies I’ve listed here are my top picks when it comes to travel. Their offerings consistently outshine the competition in terms of value for money, quality of service, and exceptional customer service. These companies form the foundation of my search for travel deals, given their reliability and excellence that I have personally experienced numerous times.

Kayak for Flights, Hotels, and Cars

Kayak.com makes it simple to plan your stay in Italy. All on one website, you can book your flights, hotels, and cars. The platform provides detailed descriptions, reviews, and ratings to help you choose the right place for your next stay in Italy.

Varied Accommodation Options with Booking.com

Booking.com provides a wide variety of accommodation options in Venice. From budget hostels to luxury hotels, you can find something that suits your budget and preferences.

Cheap Flights with Going.com

Going.com searches for cheap and rare flights and will notify you when one matches your home airport and a destination of your choice. We scored a non-stop, roundtrip flight from Newark (EWR) to Milan-Malpensa (MXP) for $359 in 2021 and then again from Philadelphia (PHL) to Marco Polo Airport (VCE) for $475 in 2023.

Hostelpass for Budget-Friendly Stays

HostelPass can help you save money on your accommodation. With a single flat fee, you can stay in hostels in Venice and other European cities.

Plan Your Excursions with Get Your Guide

Get Your Guide offers a range of guided tours and activities in Venice. Whether you want a guided tour of St. Mark’s Basilica or a cooking class, you can find it here.

Efficient Train Travel in Italy with Trainline

Trainline can help you navigate Italy’s extensive train system and get you to Venice’s Santa Lucia train and bus station. It’s an efficient way to travel between cities if you’re planning to visit more of Italy during your trip.

Pocket-Sized Wisdom: Venice Travel Guide 2023 Book

For an in-depth guide to Venice, consider purchasing the Venice Travel Guide 2023 . It’s packed with useful information, tips, and maps to help you make the most of your visit.

Sustainable Tourism: LifeStraw for Reusable Water Bottles

Help keep Venice beautiful by practicing sustainable tourism. Consider investing in a reusable water bottle with a built-in filter like LifeStraw . It’s eco-friendly and ensures you have safe drinking water wherever you go.

Walks of Italy for Culturally Rich Walking Tours

For a deep dive into Venice’s rich history and culture, consider booking a walking tour with Walks of Italy . The guides are knowledgeable, and the tours offer a great way to explore the city on foot while visiting the main sites and top attractions.

There you have it, the best places to visit in Italy. As I’m sure you realize by now, Italy is a country with much to offer! No matter what kind of vacation you are looking for, there is sure to be a city in Italy that suits your needs. From the art paradise of Florence to the stunning beaches of Sardinia, you cannot go wrong when planning a trip to this beautiful country. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your dream Italian vacation today! Where are some of your must-see places in Italy? Let us know in the comments below.

About Todd O'Rourke

Todd is an award-winning writer and filmmaker who co-founded Compass and Pine with his dog Leg. Together, they have traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe, with their base of operations in Philadelphia.

He started Compass and Pine after living in Vicenza, Italy for three years and falling deeply in love with the country, the people, and, of course, the food.

His favorite city is Florence, Italy, and his favorite National Park is Olympic in Washington.

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November 25, 2022 at 11:42 pm

You and your dog are super cute! I’m excited to follow your next adventures (:

November 27, 2022 at 10:37 am

Hi Kathryn,

Thank you so much for the compliment. We look forward to sharing our adventures with you 🙂

Best, Todd & Leg

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25 Best Places to Visit in Italy (+ Map to Find Them!)

Brainstorming the best places to visit in Italy before planning a big trip?

We have you covered: despite our temptation to list a hundred places to go in Italy on this list, we’ve narrowed it down to the top Italy travel destinations… plus thrown in just a few curveballs for good measure.

Italy has long been one of our absolute favorite places to travel, and despite cumulatively spending months exploring, we’ll be returning to enjoy the most beautiful places in Italy again and again for the rest of our lives.

Here are the best places to visit in Italy, from iconic cities to charming small towns to colorful islands!

Table of Contents

How to Choose Where to Go in Italy

The best cities to visit in italy, incredible small towns to visit in italy, nature-focused beautiful places in italy, map of the best places to visit in italy.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more detail.

It’s downright impossible to visit all the best places to visit in Italy on one trip–so once you’ve compiled your personal bucket list, you’ll need to narrow it down!

We have almost 100 blog posts about Italy here on Our Escape Clause, covering everything from detailed breakdowns of what to do in certain cities, to the best day trips, to food guides for cities like Rome and Florence .

I’ll link many of our Italy blog posts throughout this guide to the most beautiful places in Italy, but to find additional posts on a specific place (some places, like Rome, have over a dozen), use the search bar in the top-right corner of the screen (or if you’re browsing on mobile, on the pop-out menu).

You can use these posts to help put the backbone of your Italy trip together, as well as plan the more detailed aspects of your vacation.

After reading this guide to where to go in Italy, we recommend reading our suggested 2-week Italy itinerary (with classic suggestions for first-time visitors), our guide to spending a week in Italy that provides several options for structuring your trip, and our step-by-step-guide to planning an Italy trip .

You may also want to check out our Italy road trip guide , our 101 top Italy travel tips , and our suggested Italy packing list .

Nicknamed the Eternal City, Rome is a sprawling, complex city dotted with 2,000+ years of ruins, relics, and memories–and in our opinion, it’s one of the most captivating places to visit in Italy… and also in the world overall.

No trip to Rome is complete without visiting the Colosseum and Roman Forum, strolling up the Spanish Steps, stopping by Vatican City , eating a plate (or several) of carbonara, and tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure you return to Rome.

We also highly recommend exploring a couple of Rome’s magnificent art museums, whether that’s the iconic Borghese Gallery or quieter options like Palazzo Spada .

Beautiful, walkable Florence is known primarily for two things: its art, and its food.

As both the Cradle of the Renaissance and the capital of Tuscany, neither of these is surprising!

Touring the famous Uffizi Gallery and visiting Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia is a must-do for art lovers in Florence. 

Be sure to also stop by the Duomo, stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, watch the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo, and eat plenty of delicious Tuscan food ! 

Of all the best places to go in Italy, Venice is arguably the most unique: there is simply nowhere else on the planet like the regal city of canals, with its iconic gondolas and architecture hinting at the history of the wealthy empire that once ruled from it.

The best things to do in Venice include visiting Piazza San Marco, marveling at St. Mark’s Basilica, taking a classic Venetian gondola ride, and wandering aimlessly through the less-crowded (but still stunning) corners of the city.

When looking for the best places to visit in Lombardy , you can’t start with anywhere except Milan.

The fashion and business capital of Italy is known for its luxury brands, beautiful architecture, and more modern vibe as compared to many Italian cities–but it still has plenty of history behind it, too, and belongs on any list detailing where to go in Italy.

Visiting Milan’s incredible Duomo (and especially its epic rooftop) belongs at the top of any list of things to do in Milan, followed by getting a peek at Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper.

Other sights include the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Castello Sforzesco, and of course Milan’s famous La Scala Opera House.

The capital of Emilia-Romagna is known, above all else, for its food, which just might be the best in Italy. 

Its charms don’t end there, though. Bologna boasts 3 nicknames: la dotta (the educated, for its history university), la rossa (the red, for its unique architecture), and la grassa (the fat, for the aforementioned epic food). It lives up to all of them.

While in Bologna, be sure to climb the Asinelli Tower for incredible views of the city, hunt down the city’s hidden canals, and visit the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca.

Plus, of course, enjoy plenty of food: tagliatelle al ragu, mortadella, and traditional balsamic vinegar are just a few of the delicacies that the region is known for.

The bustling port city of Naples isn’t everyone’s cup of tea–some would even argue that it doesn’t belong on a list of where to go in Italy. We disagree, though.

Naples has a very, very different vibe than Italian cities located further north, but its unique history, interesting things to do, and of course, pizza, make it well worth a visit.

In Naples, be sure to visit the Piazza del Plebiscito, get underground at the Bourbon Tunnel, San Gennaro Catacombs, or Naples Underground, and visit the magnificent archaeological museum, which is one of the best in Italy and where many of the most impressive artifacts from Pompeii ended up!

Plus, of course, visiting Naples means eating at least a couple of classic Napoli-style pizzas –they truly are better there than anywhere else.

Sicily’s stunning capital city is certainly a bit rougher around the edges than many of the best places to visit in Italy, but that’s no reason to stay away.

With a long and storied history impacted by half a dozen empires or so, plenty of palm trees, and even catacombs filled with mummies, Palermo is an unforgettable place, and utterly captivating if you give it the chance to be.

A trip to Palermo should definitely include a visit to the Palermo Cathedral, a food tour through the city ( Sicilian food is distinctly different from what many foreigners associate with Italian food–plus, you get to eat cannoli), and a stop to check out the Quattro Canti.

The city of Romeo and Juliet is located along the Adige River in Veneto and is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in Italy.

Packed with gorgeous views, colorful architecture, and interesting sights, Verona gets far fewer international visitors than, say, Venice or Florence–but it is easy to add onto a typical Italy vacation and well worth the effort!

While in Verona, be sure to enjoy the view from Castel San Pietro, visit Juliet’s House, and walk across the Ponte Pietra.

Tuscany’s second city was once the military rival of Florence–today, it is better known for its oval-shaped central piazza, its excellent food, and the Palio di Siena, a bi-annual horse race that takes place in the Piazza del Campo, and is a tradition that dates back around 800 years!

Visiting Siena’s Duomo (considered by some to be even more beautiful than Florence’s!) is a must-do when visiting the city, as is strolling around the oval-shaped Piazza del Campo and enjoying the view from the top of the Opera della Metropolitana.

Located on the eastern coast of Sicily, the beautiful city of Siracusa is home to beautiful views and history that dates back to the ancient Greeks (fun fact: the famous Greek mathematician Archimedes was from Siracusa!).

The best things to do in Siracusa include wandering the island of Ortigia (home to Siracusa’s old town), stopping by the many baroque churches (especially the Duomo), visiting the ancient Greek and Roman ruins scattered around, and seeing the Fort of San Giovannello.

Alberobello

With its distinct white-washed trulli (round buildings with cone-shaped roofs), Alberobello is one of the most unique places to visit in Italy and Puglia’s most famous inland sight.

The trulli are absolutely the biggest draw of Alberobello, so the most important thing to do in town is stroll through the Rione Monti, where you will find the biggest concentration of them! However, the quieter part of town, Aia Piccola, also has plenty of trulli and is well worth a visit.

Cinque Terre

Technically, I could list each of the five villages of Cinque Terre separately here (in order: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore), but even though they are technically separate places, Cinque Terre as a whole is one of the best travel destinations in Italy.

These five traditional fishing villages are known for their colorful buildings, their location right on the sea, and of course, their seafood.

When in Cinque Terre, hike from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza (if you have limited time for hiking, this is the one to do!), enjoy a meal featuring seafood and/or pesto, and watch the sunset over Manarola.

If you have time, consider making it a point to visit all five villages and choose your favorite–ours are Vernazza and Riomaggiore, but ask me again tomorrow. It’s nearly impossible to choose!

Located in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, Matera is known for its ancient “sassi” cave dwellings, which were forcibly emptied by Mussolini in 1952.

Today, the city has reopened and been given new life, and its remarkable beauty has made it one of the most unique places on this guide of where to go in Italy.

In Matera, be sure to visit the Church of Saint Peter and its incredible viewpoint, see the city’s rock churches, and take a walking tour through the maze-like city center in order to learn about complex history dating back 10,000 years while also seeking out incredible views along the way!

Polignano a Mare

As one of the most picturesque beach towns in Italy , Polignano a Mare is primarily known for its visually stunning Cala Porto beach–but like other places in Puglia, the whitewashed architecture, historical buildings, and seafood also shine.

Visiting Cala Porto is at the top of everyone’s Polignano al Mare bucket list–be sure to also enjoy the view of it from above at Balconata sul Mare!

Montepulciano

Truthfully, there are many hilltop towns in Tuscany that are worthy of being considered among the most beautiful places in Italy, but I chose Montepulciano to include here because it is such a delightful example of an idyllic Tuscan town.

With its winding cobblestone streets, beautiful churches, fantastic views of the countryside, and excellent local wine, Montepulciano is not to be missed!

When in Montepulciano, sample the delicious Vino di Montepulciano (ideally at the wine cellar in the center of town), seek out views of the beautiful Church of San Biagio and snap photos at Piazza Grande.

Val di Noto’s Baroque Towns

The Baroque towns of Sicily’s Val di Noto are known for their remarkable architecture, excellent food (especially Modica’s chocolate), and incredible natural setting. They’re also, collectively, a UNESCO World Heritage site!

Siracusa, also included in this guide to beautiful spots in Italy, is technically among these towns, as is the city of Catania. However, the grouping of Ragusa (home to stunning views), Scilici, and Modica (home to incredibly unique chocolate) are a popular and worthy collection of villages to visit in their own right!

Pompeii isn’t exactly a small town, of course, but this incredibly famous archaeological site doesn’t quite fit into any of our categories on this guide to the best places to see in Italy, so I’ll include it here.

In 79 AD, Pompeii (as well as other nearby cities like Herculaneum) was buried by an enormous volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius… and it wasn’t seen again until the 18th century.

For this reason, Pompeii offers a positively incredible look into daily life in the ancient Roman empire.

Tour the city on foot (we highly recommend a guided tour), see the haunting plaster casts of victims who were buried alive, and marvel at the small details of life 2,000 years ago that are on display in Pompeii.

Glamorous Lake Como has long been considered one of the most beautiful places in Italy, and the resort-style feel of the gorgeous villas and villages that dot the lake is a testament to its overwhelming beauty.

While visiting Lake Como, be sure to sample a few of the different villages on the lake ( Bellagio , Varenna, and Como are all popular), tour a villa or two, take a hike above the lake for stunning views, and hit the water in a boat!

The stunning island of Capri has been captivating visitors with its gorgeous vistas and otherworldly grottos since the time of Roman Emperors–and 2,000 or so years later, it’s still just as captivating.

When visiting Capri, be sure to take a boat tour around the island, admire the views from the Garden of Augustus (don’t miss the view of Via Krupp looking straight down), ride the chairlift up Monte Solaro, and if you have enough time, tour the magical Blue Grotto.

The magnificent Dolomites are arguably one of the most dramatically beautiful mountain ranges in all of Europe, and whether you’d like to visit for a summer hike or a winter ski session, they are absolutely among the best places to visit in Italy.

The best things to do in the Dolomites include visiting the charming small cities of Bolzano and Cortina d’Ampezzo, hiking to stunning mountain lakes, taking funicular rides to small mountainside towns, and road-tripping the Great Dolomites Road.

Lago di Braies

Instagram-famous Lago di Braies is known as one of the most beautiful places in Italy. 

Framed by the Dolomites and populated by picturesque wooden rowboats, it’s truly a sight to behold.

Renting a rowboat to admire the lake from the water and hiking the circumference of the lake (it takes about 1.5 hours) are among the best things to do at Lago di Braies.

Tuscan Countryside

Known for its rolling hills, golden light, beautiful vineyards, charming villages, and even its hot springs, Tuscany has long been one of the most popular places to visit in Italy–for a very good reason.

In addition to touring its cities and small towns (Florence, Siena, and Montepulciano are also included on this list and are in Tuscany), consider visiting a hot spring, taking a cooking class, going for a hike, and of course enjoying several wine tastings while in the Tuscan countryside.

The Amalfi Coast

Of course, no list of the most beautiful places in Italy would be complete without mentioning the utterly magical Amalfi Coast, which is home to quite possibly some of the best coastal views on the planet.

When visiting the Amalfi Coast, be sure to village-hop a bit–Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello are among the most popular–enjoy views of the coast from the water with a boat tour or rental, and for some of the best views of all, hike the aptly-named Path of the Gods.

The gorgeous island of Sardinia gets far fewer non-Italian–and especially non-European–visitors than coastal retreats like the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre, or even Sicily, but that’s too bad… because it is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in Italy.

Sardinia’s beaches are known for being some of the best in Italy (and in Europe overall) , so be sure to add several to your list of things to do on the island! 

Visiting ancient ruins, sailing around the island (either yourself or on a tour), visiting the charming city of Cagliari, and checking out the many unique castles and caves all also belong on your list of what to do in Sardinia.

Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius, primarily known for the 79 AD eruption that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum, is the most famous volcano in Italy and an incredible place to visit.

Visit the crater of Mount Vesuvius (it’s about a 25-minute walk up, you can drive most of the way) to marvel at the smoldering volcano crater and to soak in magnificent views of the Bay of Naples.

Take This Map With You! Click each highlight to pull up the name of the destination. To save this map to “Your Places” on Google Maps, click the star to the right of the title. You’ll then be able to find it under the Maps tab of your Google Maps account! To open the map in a new window, click the button on the top right of the map.

About Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

6 thoughts on “25 Best Places to Visit in Italy (+ Map to Find Them!)”

Kind of glad you didn’t mention my favorite place in Italy, Luca. Let’s keep it under the radar.?

Ah, if I included everywhere amazing in Tuscany, the post would never end! Lucca is my grandmother’s favorite too, we’ve spent some lovely trips there. 🙂

You’re welcome! 🙂

I will be visiting Italy in Sept 2023 for 8 days. Is it reasonable to spend time in Rome, Florence and Cinque Terre in that time period? If so, how would you recommend I break up the trip?

It’s a tight squeeze, but doable, especially if you visit Cinque Terre on an organized day trip from Florence.

Assuming the 2 days on either end of the trip are travel days, I’d recommend 3 full days in Rome, 1 day in Cinque Terre, and 2 days in Florence.

We talk a lot more about planning a week in Italy here: https://www.ourescapeclause.com/7-days-in-italy-in-a-week/

And we talk about visiting Cinque Terre from Florence here: https://www.ourescapeclause.com/florence-to-cinque-terre/

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The best places to visit in italy.

Visiting Italy for the first time and not sure where to go? These are the best places to visit in Italy! Be sure to read this before you go.

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Interesting Facts About Italy

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• Italy has three active Volcanos: Vesuvius, Etna, and Stromboli. They are the only active volcanos in Europe.
• In Italy, children legally had to attend school until they were only 14. This ended in 1999.
• Fourteen Billion espressos are consumed in Italy each year.
• Batteries were invented in Italy.
• Italy comes from the Greek word “Italos” meaning legendary king.
• The first thermometer was invented in Italy.
• Italy is a relatively new country at only 153 years old.
• Pinocchio, written by an Italian, was originally published in a newspaper.
• Many of Shakespeare’s plays are set in Italy.
• Pizza was invented in Naples.
• Pasta has been eaten in Italy since the 4th Century CE.
• Vatican City is the smallest country in the world.
• Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any country in the world (50).
• Italy is the 4th most visited country in the world.

In my opinion, the best way to get around Italy is by train. Train travel in Italy is super affordable, fast, efficient, and clean. There are even some overnight train options that are great.

So without further ado, here are the 70 best places to visit in Italy !

Ever heard about Apulia ? Before you keep reading this paragraph, please bear in mind that I am not saying that it is the most beautiful spot to visit in Italy just because I was born and raised there, but because it really is! Among the most incredible places you should not miss in Puglia, there are Lecce, Bari, Alberobello, Ceglie Messapica, Ostuni, Otranto, and Gallipoli.

Need a piece of advice? Rent a car and drive away! From the Itria Valley and its unique Trulli hubs to the crystal clear waters of Porto Cesario. Once is Puglia every little detail will be just amazing. Do you want another piece of advice? Try to lose some weight before coming here: you will spend so much time eating! From The Lazy Trotter

From With Husband in Tow

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One of the most scenic mountains in the world is the Dolomites. It is an amazing place to visit. The hike in the area is very accessible. The trails are clearly marked. The Tre Cime hike is one of the most iconic views in the Dolomites. This day hike can be done in 3 to 5 hours depending on the route. It can be quite busy in the summertime. Another great hike is Lago Sorapis . This gorgeous turquoise lake is a full day hike, but worth the effort. The best part is that on many of the hikes small Rifugios are dotted through the mountains. These mountain huts provide dorm rooms and have restaurants. In the middle of the hike, you can stop for an ice cold draft beer and some delicious food. Another famous and picture-perfect place in the Dolomites with great hiking is Alpe di Siusi , also known as Seiser Alm. The Dolomites are one of the best places to travel in Italy and should not be missed if you love nature!  From Beard & Curly

• Visit the Botanical Gardens with 1300 plant species in the greenhouses and 700 species in the outdoor gardens. After the gardens stop by the nearby Pasticceria Naturale for a coffee and pastry.
• Tour of Castle Estense located in the center of old town. Also known as the Castle of Saint Michael, it was built in the 14th Century and is an impressive example of medieval architecture. This photogenic castle sits on an island surrounded by a moat.
• See Ferrara from the water. Take a boat trip on the longest river in Italy , the River Po. Canals link Ferrara to the River Po. The boats leave from the southern edge of the city.

From Travel Boldly

Fiesole is a little town in the hills above Florence. During the time of the Medicis, it was a retreat from the city, a place to get away from it all. Fiesole still feels like a bit of a getaway from the business of Florence, though it is just a short bus ride or drive away.

We took a 2.5 km loop walk on our trip to Fiesole. This  day hike near Florence  wanders through the butter-colored town, past the hill where Leonardo Da Vinci did his human-powered flying experiments, and alongside several stone quarries.

After walking the loop, there is still more to explore in Fiesole. Visit the chapel and museum at the Monastery of San Francesco and drool over the art at the Bandini Museum. Entrance to the Bandini also allows you access to the Civic Archeology Museum and the 2nd Century BC amphitheater. Finish the day with a leisurely late lunch and a glass of wine at Il Fiesolano. From  TravelingMel.com

Having traveled to Italy several times and falling in love with this country, we began a search to purchase a second home in Italy. We love the Italian lakes and our exploring led us to the 4 th largest lake in Italy, Lago d’Iseo. One and half hours from Milan and two and half hours from Venice, the location is perfect. Some may remember when the Floating Piers were located here.

Our experience of seeing Lago d’Iseo for the first time was love at first sight. Not as touristy as the other lakes, surrounded by the Franciacorta wine region and with views that are spectacular! In the middle of the lake sits an island called Mont Isola, Europe’s largest lake island. Mont Isola is only accessible by boat but filled with fun villages to explore. Lago d’Iseo has relaxing restaurants and shopping that surround the island in several different villages. The drive around the entire lake is fun with winding roads and tunnels through mountains. Hikers will love the challenge of hiking by using the old Roman pathway and seeing magnificent views. Lago d’ Iseo is often referred to as the pearl of Italy and we discovered and love its beauty. From Travel by a Sherrie Affair

Lake Garda definitely deserves to be on everyone’s Italy list. It’s the largest lake in the country, and (in my opinion) the most beautiful of all Italian lakes. There are so many things to do around Lake Garda , and the lake changes so much from North to South that it is worth visiting more than once. For example, the southern part of the lake is hilly and has a Mediterranean atmosphere, making it perfect for holidays dedicated to relax, food, and wine. Bardolino is an excellent choice for wine tasting, Sirmione and Peschiera have beautiful castles and scenery, while Lazise should be the destination of choice for all those that want to relax, thanks to its thermal waters. Yet, my favorite part of Lake Garda is the north, where the lake meets the Alps and you can enjoy great adventures like hiking, mountain biking, sailing, and windsurfing. Places like Riva del Garda and Torbole are ideal for adventure lovers, and provide the ideal base to explore more of the surrounding Alps. From The Crowded Planet

There is one thing that makes Levanto unique from the other villages of Cinque Terre and that’s the old rail line that’s been converted to a paved pathway for walking or biking. This fun biking path from Levanto to Framura passes through several tunnels and offers some stunning views. The path is flat and not that long, but with sea views and towns to explore along the way, you can make it a full day outing.

If you have extra time, hike the trail back from Levanto to Monterosso, which is also quieter than some of the more popular hiking trails in the area. It’s worth spending an extra day in the area to explore Levanto, if only for the lesser crowds! From Family Can Travel

If the weather isn’t up to par, a visit to the Acquario di Livorno is a great way to spend quality time with the family while experiencing a reconstructed Mediterranean Sea environment that showcases the creatures inhabiting the local sea. And no visit to Livorno is complete without a taste of the local seafood. If you have never experienced Italy’s seafood or Tuscan entrees, Livorno’s food selection will excite even the most critical foodie. From The Elusive Family

Make your trip to Italy stress-free with this complete Italy Itinerary that includes all of my favorite places in Italy!

Majella National Park is located in the heart of Italy and one of the popular things to do in Abruzzo region .

The Majella National park is a great destination for hiking, camping and just about anything to enjoy nature. It is one of the most visited attractions close to Rome for nature lovers. Due to its altitude, it is a famous ski destination in Italy and when summer comes, the flora and fauna of the national park are blooming. Making this area of Abruzzo worth visiting and a great day trip destination from Rome. From Everything Zany

Matera is one of Southern Italy ’s most sublime and primeval-looking places. It’s most celebrated for its ancient town of cave dwellings, known as the Sassi. In 1993, the Sassi districts were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being “the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region” Today, many of the ancient cave dwellings have been regenerated and are currently occupied by booming businesses, hotels, and restaurants. During your visit, you can dine, shop and sleep in caves.

You’ve probably seen Matera without knowing it, as it’s is a favorite destination among Hollywood filmmakers. Scenes from Wonder Woman (2017), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and The Nativity Story (2006) were filmed in this ancient city. I highly recommend staying at least 2 nights here. As you plan your Italy trip , consider exploring the coastal region of Puglia, before heading inland to Matera. From Moon & Honey Travel

Modica is one of a cluster of Baroque cities in the southeast of Sicily. Along with Ragusa and Scicli, it was rebuilt after an earthquake hit the region at the end of the 17th century. Modica is set in a gorge with narrow lanes winding their way up the steep slopes on either side of the valley floor. It’s worth the hike to the top to take in the views over the surviving medieval stone houses punctuated by majestic Baroque buildings.

If I was going to shoot a movie full of drama, I’d set the opening scenes on the steps of Duomo di San Giorgio. I first visited Modica during an evening rainstorm when the Duomo was lit up against the dark narrow streets surrounding it.

By day, of course, Modica is charming. When I visited the city several years later with my family we enjoyed lunch at the famous Osteria dei Sapori Perduti (meaning “lost flavors”) where the menu includes ancient recipes next to the list of dishes. We visited the city’s oldest chocolate shop, Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, for a kitchen tour and a history lesson on how Modica’s chocolate gained its unique (but delicious) grainy texture. From Smudged Postcard

The most important things to visit in Padua are the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua and the Scrovegni Chapel with fascinating frescoes from Giotto in its interior. Padua is also a city of beautiful squares: Prato del Valle, with its lovely canals and statues, is actually one of the largest squares in Europe. If you are in Padua, you can’t miss out on some of the old-school coffee places, and in Café Pedrocchi you can drink espresso in one of the most antique cafés in Italy. From Surfing the Planet

Situated in the North of Italy , somewhere between the Lombardy capital of Milan and the seaside city of Genoa, the beautiful university city of Pavia is characterized by its countless churches and many cobbled lanes. Easy to visit all year ’round thanks to its transport links with the rest of Italy , highlights of Pavia include a Duomo that Da Vinci had a hand in designing and the many buildings of the second oldest university in Italy . If you have a little extra time while visiting Pavia, be sure to take the train ride to the nearby Certosa di Pavia. This monastery dates back to the 14th-century and is one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in the entire country From Solo Sophie

As the main protagonist of southern Italy ‘s lemon-scented Amalfi Coast, Positano is the epitome of ‘la dolce vita’. This tangle of pastel-hued facades tumbles down a near-vertical cliffside, colliding with an aquamarine sea and soul-stirring scenes the good life. Families flutter from pizzerias to gelato stands, while couples sip Prosecco and twirl seafood pasta onto their forks on restaurant terraces draped in blushing canopies of wisteria.

Take a stroll and explore the little delis, cafes and gift stores or hop on a boat and bounce across the bay to the Isle of Capri. And whatever you do, don’t leave without tipping back a few glasses of limoncello, an uplifting liqueur made with the area’s emblematic lemons. This really is the good life. From Driftwood Journals

There is nowhere like Rome. It is without a doubt one of the  best places to go in Italy.  Home to absolutely iconic world treasures (the Colosseum, the Pantheon), beautiful, awe-inspiring neighborhoods (Trastevere and Centro Storico to start), some of the world’s best pasta (bring on the carbonara), and even an entirely separate country enclosed within its borders (hello Vatican City), Rome is a world unto itself. You will literally never run out of things to do in Rome: once you work your way through all the world-renowned attractions, there is still so much to discover beneath the surface (sometimes literally).

Stand among the ruins of public baths, wander through immaculately maintained gardens, take a break from pasta to devour artichokes in the Jewish Ghetto, step inside impressive catacombs, and admire world-class art, all within the truly Eternal City. The sheer breadth and depth to what Rome offers make it an unforgettable and unmissable destination not only in Italy  but across the globe. From Our Escape Clause

Discover Where to Stay in Rome

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Salerno Cathedral: If you only tour one historical monument in the city, make it this one. This Romanesque church features stunning, ornate architecture and plentiful religious artifacts. A bell tower sits at the rear of the cathedral, under a classic top dome. This is Medieval architectural and history at its finest.

Minerva’s Garden: Nestled into Salerno’s historic district, this oasis serves as both a public park and a botanical garden. With over 200 varieties of plants, herbs, and greenery, it’s a stunning place to walk through, marked by stone archways.

Salerno Harbor: Always bustling, the city’s main harbor is far from a tourist trap. It’s a fantastic spot to watch the port activity, where fishing boats are always coming and going. A scenic stretch of pier lets you view the cityscape in full, which makes for a breathtaking view.

Forte La Carnale: A castle with strong historical roots in Salerno, this fort is perched atop a hill, meaning you can see the entire city from its highest point, as well as learn about Salerno’s military history. When you’re finished exploring, enjoy a glass of wine and classic Italian cuisine at the on-site restaurant.

In Salerno, the rugged Mediterranean coastline, classic architecture and authentic Italian cuisine will have you wondering why you’ve never heard of this place before. It’s southern Italian culture at its best, but with all the perks of a hidden gem! From Coastlines to Skylines

Rome is a natural fan favorite for Italy . But, due to its positioning on the globe, Italy can get quite hot in the summer. On those days, escaping Rome for a beach, to cool off and sneak in some tranquility, is everything. Luckily, there is a prime beach an easy day-trip away!

We highly recommend Santa Marinella, as from Rome Central it’s only a short thirty-minute train ride. We found their beach to be clean, relaxing, and just the break we needed from the city. Once in Santa Marinella, it’s merely a five-minute walk from the train station to find ample amenities, food options, and a beach that is attended but not packed to the gills. From Travel for Days

Trentino is located in the north of Italy and has some of the most spectacular landscapes in the country, with imposing mountains, majestic lakes, and countless numbers of quaint valleys and cute villages.

It’s a destination that you can visit all year round and it will feel different every time. In autumn the colors come out setting fire to the region’s palette, in spring the apple orchards turn it into a blossom lover’s paradise, in summer the mountains are the perfect cool retreat from the heat, and in winter it offers some of the best skiing in Europe.

I particularly love the winter in Trentino , when the valleys and mountains turn in to a winter wonderland. Even if you are not a skier, there is plenty of awesome things to do. Hiking in the snow will bring up surprises like frozen waterfalls and suspension bridges, the cold crispy air will call for a day in a cozy farmhouse learning how to cook local traditional dishes, or spend a day in a spa with breathtaking views over the Dolomites Mountains. But no matter what time of the year you go, Trentino is guaranteed to make you fall in love with it. From Brogan Abroad

Turin , or Torino , is often overlooked as one of the best places to visit in Italy . But if you fail to stop by, then you’ll be missing out. Turin is a stunning place, thanks to the Italian Alps acting as a beautiful backdrop to the northwest of the city. A trip up the Mole Antonelliana will give you 360-degree panoramic views and it’s truly breathtaking.

There is also an awesome cinema museum there too. Turin is a city famous for its chocolate making, and you’ll find authentic Italian restaurants, delicious gelato, and jugs of sparkling wine for a lot less money than you’d find in other parts of Italy . Turin is also home to the biggest archaeological collection of Egyptian artifacts outside of Egypt and it’s a fascinating museum.

There are also lots of beautiful gardens and bridges, perfect for packing an Italian style picnic and simply relaxing in the sunshine. Turin is a small city with a unique and authentic Italian charm. It’s one of my favorite spots in Italy and definitely one of the best places to visit; which is probably why I spent my 24th birthday there! From Dream Big, Travel Far

As the smallest sovereign state in the world, Vatican City is probably one of the richest countries, monetarily-speaking, as well as in its significance and history. There are simply so many things to see inside the fortification boundaries of Vatican City!

Most visitors are more than happy to visit Vatican City by touring St. Peter’s Basilica or purchasing general admission to the Vatican Museum. Both of these popular attractions offer an overwhelming collection of priceless art, history, and architecture. They can easily occupy you for the whole day

Travelers who’ve done their research know that there are even more unusual Vatican City tours , like exploring the necropolis Scavi tour underneath the Basilica. Qualified researchers and scholars may visit the Vatican Library. These relatively unknown activities require planning, but are definitely worth doing! From The Round the World Guys

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No list of the best places to visit in Italy would be complete without mentioning fair Verona . This town made famous by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, has a rich cultural past and was founded in the 1st century BC. Verona is also known as “Little Rome.” Located in Northern Italy, it’s a perfect place for a day trip.  From Outside Suburbia 

Wanderlust Crew

16 thoughts on “ the best places to visit in italy ”.

Love this post! This is definitely my go-to if in ever go back to Italy!

Thanks Shel. So much goodness here! My bucket list keeps growing! I need to get back to Italy ASAP!

Thank you for a fantastic summary. More bucket list cities in Italy.

Thanks so much Jennie. Seriously sooo many incredible places in this beautiful country. It could take a lifetime!

Verona didn’t make the list?!

Ah you are so right! That definitely needs to be added!

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Thanks for sharing information about visiting places in Italy.

Definitely enjoy this post, keep up the good work!

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Thanks You for help. It’s really guide me a lot. Sad Poetry

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All the images attached here in this blog are mesmerizing and I am amazed by these beautiful pictures. I am a huge fan of photography and like to take unique and beautiful pictures, recently I have got an assignment for Italy and now I will be travelling to Italy for it. One of my colleagues has helped me with the process to apply for Italy visa and once I am stamped I will book the itinerary required for my stay and travel.

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Italy is really a beautiful country in the world. It has beautiful history, culture and gorgeous costlines. Love Cinque terre, Amalfi coast, Venice, Rome.

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The 9 Best Places to Visit in Italy—According to You, Our Readers

By Maresa Manara

The announcement of our annual Readers' Choice Awards is always a very exciting time of the year. It's a time when you, our readers, get to speak up and tell us about your favorite travel experiences, from hotels and airlines to cruises and islands , but also about your favorite cities and countries. Over 244,000 of you took part in our 2022 Reader’s Choice Awards survey, and you didn’t hold back, telling us everything—from where to eat to what to see, and when to go. It's been loud and clear this year that you love traveling to Italy . Whether you're on the lookout for beautiful beaches, eye-catching ancient monuments, or imaginative new restaurants in the city center, Italy’s one of your top spots.

Read on for the best places to visit in Italy as voted by you in this year's Readers' Choice Awards.

All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. View our full list of the 2022 Readers' Choice Award winners here .

Piedmonte’s capital city of Turin is known for being Italy’s most elegant city. A mixture of baroque buildings and grand old coffee shops make up the city center, with views of the Alps nearly every which way you look. While Turin was once a little down on its heel, the 2006 Winter Olympics helped kick start a city-wide regeneration and it now boasts first-rate museums, including the National Museum of Cinema and the National Automobile Museum (Fiat, famously, came from here.)

Most people tend to stick around the city center, with its cafés and eateries around Piazza San Carlo, but the coolest offerings lie a bit outside. Try Scannabue , located in the San Salvario district, for bowls of pasta tossed in rabbit ragu or head to Ristorante Consorzio in Quadrilatero Romano for offal-based plates and organic wines.

Insider Tip:  Some of the world’s best chocolate comes from Turin, so head to chocolatier Odilla for chocolates made from cocoa sourced from small-scale producers and hazelnuts from the nearby Langhe region.  

As one of the most visited spots in Italy, Siena sure has kept its style. Get your bearings at the central square, Piazza del Campo, where you can admire its gothic town hall and the Torre del Mangia, a 14-century tower where 400 steps will take you to the very top. Be sure to stop by the Duomo di Siena to marvel at its mosaic-covered floor. 

Other activities worth doing on a Siena day-trip include browsing the local market (weekly on a Wednesday) or whiling the day away in one of the many hole-in-the-wall wine bars ( Trefilari Wine Bar , a 2-minute walk from the Torre del Mangia, gets our pick).

Insider Tip:  Look out for the Piccolomini Altarpiece in Siena’s cathedral, which Michelangelo worked on in the 1500s.

Bologna may be a small Italian city , but it punches well above its weight. It's easy to spend a whole day wandering the covered sidewalks of its city center or discovering street art along the character-filled university quarter of Via Zamboni. Take a break with a coffee or cocktail at Le Stanze , an atmospheric chapel-turned cocktail bar, or stop by Sorbetteria Castiglione for a warm, gelato-filled brioche, made fresh that day. Visit the main square, Piazza Maggiore and ask a local to show you the whispering walls—rumor says this is where lepers confessed their sins in the Middle Ages. Then keep walking until you reach Via Clavature, home to a daily fruit and vegetable market alongside family-run delicatessens and cosy wine bars. Stop by Bologna’s own little Venice on Via Piella, where a tiny window opens onto a stream. Book a table for dinner at Osteria Broccaindosso —a simple trattoria where there’s no menu—just plates of local charcuterie, grilled meats, and bowls of tortellini pasta.

Insider Tip:  Walk through town from the city center to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, in the hills of Bologna. There are unforgettable views of the city from there. 

Palermo is southern Italy’s hottest destination right now. The city has worked hard to shed its reputation of corruption and crime, replacing it with smart public art campaigns like the new ‘Spazi Capaci’—a series of anti-mafia contemporary artworks installed in Palermo ’s most important buildings.

See Palermo through a different lens with a ‘Through my Eyes’ tour, run by recently-arrived migrants and organized by non-for-profit community hub, Moltivolti . Then have lunch at the upscale Osteria dei Vespri which does mostly fish-based dishes, with a separate menu for vegetarians and vegans. Later, check-in at Palazzo SantaMarina , an ancient aristocratic house in Palermo’s historic center that was a brothel, a bomb shelter, and a school before being restored into one of the city’s smartest new hotels (ask manager Gennaro if you can head to the downstairs spa for a tour of Palermo’s ancient ruins from 4 th century B.C.—plus some of the best spa treatments in town).

Insider Tip:  Palermo has mild weather almost all year round, so when the sun’s out make like the locals and drive 20 minutes to the white-sand, turquoise waters of Mondello beach , just outside the Capo Gallo Natural Park.

Jessica Puckett

Hannah Towey

Rome may be the capital but Milan is the Italy’s fashion and design epicentre. Stay at one of the city’s design hotels, including  Vmaison Brera Milano or Hotel Vico , and make a dinner reservation at 28 Posti in the hip Navigli district, where the seafood-based menu also includes rigatoni with miso sauce and desserts with bee pollen.

When it comes to sightseeing, the Duomo offers a fascinating look at religion and art across six centuries, and you can climb to the rooftop for all-encompassing views over Milan and the Alps. Nearby, the Santa Maria delle Grazie church houses Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, but it gets busy so you’ll need to buy tickets well in advance.

Spend an afternoon at Villa Necchi Campiglio, the art deco architectural icon that was featured in Luca Guadagnino’s I am Love . Or visit Fondazione Prada, the contemporary art museum run by the eponymous fashion house, to see an ever-rotating collection of art and architecture. Later, stop by N'Ombra de Vin in the Brera district for Milan’s famed aperitivo, a cocktail, and a (free) food buffet.

Insider Tip:  Milan is surprisingly close to Lake Como , making it the perfect place for a day trip. The train goes to Como from Milan Centrale and takes around 40 minutes.

Italy’s southern city is fast, chaotic, wild, and gritty—and that’s all part of its charm. Start with an espresso and a ricotta-filled pastry at Pasticceria Di Costanzo . Not far away is Naples’ Archeological Museum, through you’ll need to buy tickets in advance to see the Roman and Pompeii ruins.

Take time away from the museum to stop for lunch. You’ll have likely heard of L'antica Pizzeria da Michele Taverna and Cafe , where queues last more than two hours. But, if you want to skip a line, it’s worth checking out Gino e Toto Sorbillo or trying one of the city’s fried pizza pies at family-run Pizzeria De' Figliole .

Visit the Chiesa dei Girolamini, home to a library with 15 th and 16 th century books before heading to the San Gennaro Catacombs, where a complex network of tunnels takes you past ancient crypts.

Insider Tip:   Catch a 45-minute ferry to Capri from Naples port and book a foraging tour with local nature enthusiast Luigi Esposito . He’ll take you to see the famed blue grotto sea cave up close, away from the crowds.

It may feel like the whole world descends on Venice daily, but there’s still a surprising amount of hidden magic to this water-logged city. To miss the crowds, start your day at St Mark’s Basilica in Piazza San Marco (an 8:30 am arrival will mean you get ahead of the crowds). If you’re short on time, pay the extra 2 euros to see the Pala d’Oro, a gold altarpiece decorated with more than 2000 emeralds, sapphires, and rubies.

While Venice’s male-dominated gondola scene is well-known, it’s worth asking your hotel to book you a gondola ride down the grand canal with the world’s first female gondolier, Giorgia Boscolo.

Venice’s food scene is robust. The most welcoming cicchetti (tapas) bars are in the district of Canareggio, off the tourist path. Head for Mezzopieno, where the buffet is always accompanied by a drink (their all-natural orange wine is particularly good).  \

Insider Tip:  Try the Venetian version of street food—fresh, hot, fried fish wrapped in paper, at Frito Inn, in Campo San Leonardo.

2. Florence 

Florence is undoubtedly Italy’s creative capital. Michaelangelo, Leonardo DaVinci, and Gucci’s founder, Guccio Gucci, came from here, and there are masterpieces everywhere you look. Cultural fiends should head to the Uffizi, which is positively brimming with art—300,000 pieces, to be exact—including paintings and sculptures by Botticelli, Raphael, Da Vinci and Caravaggio.

Take a break with lunch at Trattoria La Mescita , a two-minute walk from Michangelo’s David statue. It’s the kind of hole-in-the-wall spot that serves wild boar pasta, hearty stews, and minestrone soup on marble-topped tables, plus 2-euro glasses of wine to wash it all down. Later, cross the Ponte Vecchio and head towards the Oltrano neighbourhood, home to bars, boutiques and smaller, more intimate art galleries run by up-and-coming Florentine artists.

Insider Tip:  Visit the Santa Maria del Fiore church to experience the splendor of its pink and white frescoes and 14th century bell tower, then climb to the top for awe-inspiring views over Florence.

Think of Rome and the first image that comes to mind may be the Trevi Fountain or the Sistine Chapel . And while a visit to Rome without seeing the ancient city’s archaeological sites would be remiss, it’s worth checking out the lesser-known spots as well to get full-picture view of one of the best places to visit in Italy.

Stop by MAXXI, Rome’s museum of contemporary art, home to work by Europe’s coolest creators. A walk along the Tiber River at dusk is a must-do—in the summer months, stallholders set up shop along the water selling everything from clothes and shoes to locally-made pottery.

Rome’s vibrant food scene means there’s no shortage of dining options. Casual eatery SantoPalato in the San Giovanni neighborhood is our pick. It’s just a 25-minute walk from the Colosseum, and takes you past some of Rome’s most verdant parklands including Villa Celimontana and Parco del Celio.

Insider Tip:  Escape the city with a day trip to Ostia Antica where you can see near-perfectly preserved Roman ruins and chat to the friendly archaeologists who are always puttering around. Or head out onto Isola Tiburtina, the world’s tiniest island, accessible from Ponte Cestio bridge.

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The 10 most beautiful places in Italy

Italy's list of stunning destinations is seemingly endless. The most beautiful places in Italy? Look no further

Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful countries on earth, Italy is full of beautiful places to visit. With its rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes and long-standing traditions, there’s a lot to uncover on a trip to Il Bel Paese.

The enduring popularity of Italy means many areas of the country suffer from over-tourism. We’ve done our best to cover the most beautiful places in Italy while highlighting some of the unique destinations you can visit within them to avoid (some of) the crowds. Next time you visit Italy, don’t miss these unique attractions showcasing the best of its nature, culture and history.

RECOMMENDED: 🏝️ The best  Italian islands 🏖️ The best places to visit in Italy 🇮🇹 Italy's most beautiful villages and towns 🍝 The best restaurants in Italy

Livia Hengel  is a travel writer based in Rome. At Time Out, all of our  travel guides  are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our  editorial guidelines . This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our  affiliate guidelines . 

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Most beautiful places in Italy

1.  Val d’Orcia

Tuscany needs little introduction. A region beloved for its picturesque landscapes, vast vineyards and curving roads lined with cypress trees, it’s a destination everyone dreams of visiting once in a lifetime. The Val d’Orcia, located south of Siena, is one of our favourite parts of Tuscany to explore, with its charming hilltop towns and numerous wine estates. Don’t miss visiting the thermal village of Bagno Vignoni, with a large pool in its central piazza, wineries around Montalcino, which produce the area’s fabled Brunello red wine, and La Foce, a 15th-century estate with one of Italy’s most beautiful, manicured gardens.

2.  Burano

Venice is more than Saint Mark’s Square. This beautiful, floating city comprises 118 islands scattered throughout the Venetian Lagoon. Hop on a vaporetto and head north in the lagoon to Burano, a small fisherman’s island with candy-coloured houses, lace workshops and tiny alleyways. Don’t miss seeing the leaning tower in the central piazza and enjoying lunch at one of Burano’s trattorias, serving local specialties, including sardines, fish risotto and bussolai (traditional cookies). You can also cross over a footbridge to reach Mazzorbo, a sleepy agricultural island where artichokes and grapes grow in a small vineyard.

📍 Check out more of the best day trips from Venice

3.  Tuscia

The glory of Rome tends to overshadow the Lazio region, which is full of fascinating places that are well worth a day trip. Tuscia, an old Etruscan stronghold located a couple of hours’ drive north, is the perfect region to escape the crowds while enjoying cultural and natural sights. Villa Farnese a Caprarola, a pentagonal 16th-century villa, houses incredible Renaissance frescoes, while the nearby Villa Lante in Bagnaia has exquisite gardens known for their water features. From Viterbo’s thermal waters to Lago di Bolsena’s lakeside towns, there’s a lot to see in the area. Don’t miss the Civita di Bagnoregio, a fairytale village sitting atop a tufa rock foundation, seemingly suspended above a vast valley.

📍 Discover the best things to do in nearby Rome

4.  Costa degli Dei

If you’re looking for an alternative to the crowded streets of Positano, head further south to the Costa degli Dei – the Coast of the Gods – in Calabria. As its name suggests, this pristine coastline is an otherworldly marvel with crystal-clear turquoise water and soft, sandy beaches. The uncontested ‘pearl’ of the coastline is Tropea, a hilltop town overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, which offers mesmerizing views, Slim Aarons-style. Adventurous travellers will enjoy the Marina di Zambrone (which requires a hike to reach the beach), while Capo Vaticano has beach clubs with loungers for rent.

📍 Find more of the best beaches in Italy

5.  Alta Murgia

Once regarded as the ‘shame of Italy’ for its troglodyte caves and underdeveloped infrastructure, Matera’s lunar landscapes are quickly becoming one of southern Italy’s leading attractions. It’s worth spending a couple of nights in the city before venturing across the vast Murgia park to explore smaller towns like Altamura, famed for its local bread production, and Gravina in Puglia, with its verdant canyons. The park is ideal for nature enthusiasts who will enjoy hiking, cycling and birdwatching across its limestone plateaus, while culture hunters should pay a visit to Castel del Monte, a 13th-century octagonal castle with towering views over the surrounding landscape.

📍 Discover more of the best things to do in Italy

6.  Sorrentine Peninsula

One of the world’s most popular honeymoon destinations, the Sorrentine Peninsula is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful parts of Italy – if not the world. This scenic stretch of coastline, which includes the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Coast, is filled with dozens of famous seaside towns, cliffside villages, rocky bays and sandy coves that capture the essence of  la dolce vita . It’s hard to beat the crowds, but you’ll find more space – and locals – if you head to towns like Cetara, known for its anchovy production, and Vietri sul Mare, famed for its ceramics.

📍 Check out more of the most romantic places in the world

7.  Villa Romana del Casale

The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily is a true microcosm of Italy – one which has seen empires rise and fall over millennia. As such, it is filled with ancient Greek and Roman relics, from temples and theatres to ornamental estates. Villa Romana del Casale, located in Piazza Armerina (a small town in central Sicily), is one of these. This large, 4th-century villa is best known for its well-preserved mosaics, the ‘Bikini Girl’, featuring young women playing sports and exercising —an extremely rare depiction that challenges gender roles and stereotypes of the time.

8.  La Strada del Sagrantino

As one of the biggest global producers and consumers of wine, Italy is filled with vineyards up and down the boot. Instead of heading to more famous regions, why not explore Umbria’s rich wine heritage on your next trip? A full-bodied red wine made near Montefalco, Sagrantino pairs well with the region’s flavourful cuisine, which includes wild boar, black truffles and gingerbread with candied fruits. And with its rolling hills and fall foliage, the Sagrantino Wine Trail is every bit as beautiful as Chianti or Le Langhe. Nearby, you can visit charming medieval towns, including Todi, Spoleto and Assisi.

9.  Riviera del Conero

Situated on the eastern shore of Italy, Le Marche is blessed with a long and picturesque coastline along the Adriatic Sea – and fewer crowds. Its highlight is the Conero National Park, a nature reserve that covers 18km of nature trails and cliffs overlooking secluded beaches where you can swim in crystalline water. La Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle (‘Beach of the Two Sisters’) is the prettiest bay in the park and is named for two large rock formations that emerge from the sea. You can reach it by sea with ferries from the port of Numana.

📍 Find more of the best hikes in the world

10.  Residences of the Royal House of Savoy

A collection of 22 palaces and castles built by the House of Savoy in Piedmont, these castles in Turin are some of the most lavish residences ever built on Italian soil. The House of Savoy was a European royal dynasty that ruled from the 11th century until the monarchy was abolished in 1946. An enormously wealthy and influential family, the Savoy built several estates to house its members, enjoy recreational activities and host governmental functions. The 17th-century Venaria Reale, often referred to as the ‘Versailles of Italy’, is the most famous venue thanks to its grand hall with intricate stucco features and checkered floors.

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40+ best places to visit in Italy

Last updated on January 12th, 2024.

There are plenty of posts floating on the internet about the best places to visit in Italy.

And while there is no wrong answer, this post stands out from the rest for 2 main reasons.

For one, it’s written by a local (me), and the second is its format.

Presented in an A to Z style, I’m sharing 40+ of the best places in Italy and some of the top Italy destinations.

I’ll also be adding local tips on Italian culture and regional dishes to try at these must-see Italy spots.

Perfect material for your Italy bucket list , use this post to help plan your Italy trip .

Amalfi Coast

You’ve seen the photos, the movies and the travel shows, and you now want to experience the Amalfi Coast for yourself.

The stunning Amalfi Coast is popular for good reason. This 50km coastline along the Tyrrhenian Sea is home to picturesque towns such as Positano, Ravello and Sorrento .

Popular as a day trip from Naples or Sorrento , it’s easily one of the top places to visit in Italy.

The coast’s namesake town, Amalfi, was my favorite that we visited on our 4-day Amalfi Coast itinerary . A walkable, and breathable, town, at its heart is the glorious Amalfi Cathedral ( Duomo di Sant’Andrea ). A church embracing Norman, Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architectural styles, it’s unmissable when visiting Amalfi.

One of the best places to visit in Italy, get in the know with these Amalfi Coast travel tips before you visit.

Boutique hotel in Amalfi Coast — Villa Magia

I love everything about Villa Magia , beginning with its name. This magical hotel has a prime spot, overlooking the blues of the Mediterranean.

Fornilo Beach is just 700 yards from the property, and its Luna Terrace is perfect for enjoying outdoor Italian breakfasts.

Probably the best place to visit in Italy for epicureans is Bologna. The capital city of the Emilia-Romagna region in the north-west of Italy is a food lover’s paradise.

Its most famous dish, and export, is the Ragù alla Bolognese . It’s usually served with tagliatelle pasta — and a good-sized napkin to wipe away any excess sauce.

One of the city’s several nicknames is ‘la grassa’, meaning ‘the fat’. It’s a good indication to Bologna’s rich and calorific cuisine.

Plenty to see and eat

Piazza Maggiore is the city’s principal square. Get to know Bologna’s historic center better by booking a walking tour or a fun food tour .

From here, you can visit the 10th largest church in the world (by volume), San Petronio Basilica. The former city hall turned museum, Palazzo d’Accursio , is also within walking distance.

To catch a great view of Bologna, head to the Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca. The church sits atop a forested hill, and is about 300m above the city.

‘B’ is also for Bistecca alla Fiorentina

This succulent joint of meat comes from the Tuscany region and is a must try for greedy carnivores. The steak comes from the Chianina cow — an ancient Tuscan breed known for its high quality and superb flavor.

Boutique hotel in Bologna — Hotel Corona D’Oro

The historic Hotel Corona D’Oro has everything you need for a relaxing Bologna stay. Check into a double deluxe room with a terrace and enjoy an Italian breakfast while admiring the red rooftops.

The hotel’s located in a traffic-free zone of the center ( learn more about the ztl ) meaning no disturbance from oncoming traffic. Guests are given free bikes to explore the city during their stay.

Cinque Terre

When many visitors think about places to go in Italy, Cinque Terre usually sits in the top 5.

Colorful houses, steep terraces and centuries old fishing villages, Cinque Terre is an Instagrammer’s dream.

The province in the Liguria region of Italy literally translates as ‘5 lands’. Its coastline, 5 villages and the surrounding area form part of the Cinque Terre National Park.

The village of Manarola holds the title of being the second smallest in Cinque Terre, with a population of just 353. Via dell’Amore, or the ‘love trail’ is a popular walk that runs between Manarola and neighboring village Riomaggiore.

The smallest national park in Italy, Cinque Terre is also a UNESCO attraction , covering an impressive 4,300 acres.

‘C’ is also for Catania. With Cinque Terre attracting over 1 million visitors each year, it might be worth considering another Italian alternative.

The Sicilian city of Catania has plenty of historic sites to visit, as well as a mouthwatering Sicilian food scene . What’s more, Mount Etna is nearby, offering ample opportunities to book an unforgettable volcano day or sunset trip .

Cinque Terre hotel with the best views — Hotel Porto Roca

In the village of Monterosso is a 4-star hotel with terraces overlooking the Ligurian Sea. Hotel Porto Roca is just 5 minutes from the center, offering guests incredible views and fresh seafood.

The most popular path, the Blue Trail, also begins here. Check for any restrictions before visiting, as limits and restrictions sometimes occur.

Map: best places to visit in Italy

Dolomites .

This incredible mountain range, primarily in Italy, also shares one region, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, with neighboring Austria. Come winter, the snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites create a dramatic sight; even more so when the sun sets.

One of the best places to spend winter in Italy , the Dolomites are ideal for skiing or relaxing. For the jetsetters among you, Cortina D’Ampezzo is glamorous, with flashy sports cars and expensive boutiques in sight.

A full-day tour from Bolzano to the Dolomites offers a memorable experience in a short amount of time.

Alternative rustic and traditional towns to visit include Corvara and Ortisei.

Boutique hotel in the Dolomites — Berghotel Ladinia

Set in the picturesque town of Corvara in Badia is the 4-star Berghotel Ladinia . Bag a room with views overlooking the Dolomites and one that also embraces a South Tyrolian style.

Some rooms come with a terrace and all come with complimentary WiFi. The Col Alt ski slopes are just 30 yards away from the hotel’s front door.

Feast on local dishes in Berghotel Ladinia’s on-site restaurant. During winter, the hotel provides guests with a voucher to use in its restaurant.

D is also for Duomo

Duomo . It’s a word you’ll come across often when traveling throughout Italy. A Duomo is a city or town’s principal church or cathedral. Typically, they’re located in the city/town center and are usually surrounded by other buildings of importance.

If asked personally, my 5 top Duomo in Italy are:

• Siena Cathedral
• Florence ( Skip-the-line entrance ticket )
• Milan ( Fast-track entry ) 

Inside and out, the Duomo in Italy are a work of art and are a must see in Italy.

Get your best walking shoes on, as you’ll need them for visiting the Sicilian hilltop town of Erice . Situated 800m above sea level, most travelers come to visit Castello di Venere (Castle of Venus). Steep lanes from the Porta Trapani gateway will take you all the way to the top.

The 12th century castle is a prime location for catching the best views of the sea and coastline below. Erice is also a doable day trip from Palermo .

Gather your breath, and energy, on the way up at one of the cafes in Piazza Umberto. The castle park’s cafe is a good choice for getting some shade, panoramic views and a robust cup of coffee.

E is also for Etna

This active volcano hovers over the east coast of Sicily , and is the largest of the three in Italy. Join a Mount Etna sunset jeep tour to see some of the best views of Catania, Messina and beyond.

Florence (Firenze)

A city overflowing with locals and tourists alike, Florence is one of the best places to visit in Italy. A city I recommend to first-time travelers visiting Italy, two days in Florence is a good starting point.

The river Arno runs through this historic city, with medieval churches and sculptures filling its historic center. Add to this the impressive number of museums in Florence’s center .

Be sure to keep your wits about you when visiting Florence. There are several well-known scams that target tourists in Florence.

Along with visiting Michelangelo’s David and its jaw-dropping Duomo , Florence also has a tantalizing food scene. Buca Lapi isn’t just the oldest restaurant in Florence, it also serves up a mean Bistecca alla Fiorentina (see ‘B’ for Bistecca ).

For a delicious bite on the go, Osteria All’Antico Vinaio is where to go for a social media-loving filled panini.

Boutique hotel in Florence

Minutes from the Ponte Vecchio, Gallery Hotel Art is a fitting choice in Florence. With the central theme of elegant minimalism running throughout the hotel, it’s a sophisticated stay in the city of art.

F is also for Ferragosto

Avoid traveling on the days before, and on, 15 August. It’s a public holiday in Italy called Ferragosto . Essentially, the holiday marks the halfway point of the summer season.

Nothing in particular happens, but many Italians spend the day with family, friends or at the beach.

Roads are busier than usual in the days leading up to Ferragosto , and some services may be closed. Saying that, try to travel on 13 or 17 August to avoid getting caught with the crowds. 

Garda (Lago di garda)

One of the best Italy vacations, Lake Garda is another of Italy’s most popular destinations. Come here for boating, walking, picnics (summer) and for the awesome landscape.

The largest lake in Italy, Lago di Garda is shared by 3 regions: Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.

Towns to visit around Lake Garda

There are several towns and villages surrounding the lake, with Sirmione being one of the most popular. It’s home to many hotels, restaurants, as well as a market, and the impressive Scaliger Castle. A short boat cruise around Sirmione is an idyllic way to visit, and one that offers a different perspective.

The lake’s namesake town, Garda, along with Bardolino are equally popular with visitors. The town center has a harbor, as well as bars and restaurants with colorful façades.

If you prefer to visit a town on Lake Garda that’s not as touristy, consider seeing Salò. The town sits on the Lombardy side and has plenty of things to do to make up a day trip.

Boutique Hotel near Lake Garda — La Zarraba Boutique Hotel

Wake up to views of the mesmerizing Lake Garda at La Zarabba Relais de Charme . Rooms are elegant and decorated in an Italian Renaissance style. The hotel’s located in Ponti Sul Mincio, a commune in the province of Mantua in Lombardy.

If visiting in summer, save your spot on one of the sunbeds by the swimming pool. From here, you get the best of both worlds: a pool with a lake view. La Zarabba Boutique Hotel also has a garden and terrace for guests to enjoy. Take advantage of the free WiFi and on-site private parking.

G is also for gondola — Italy vacation ideas

In one of the same regions as Lake Garda is the legendary, and ultra romantic, boat transportation that’s the gondola.

While they can be expensive, and considered a novelty, gondolas are part of the Venice experience. Book a private gondola ride , or with a small group , and soak up the Venetian vibes.

Haunted (Italy)

Add some macabre to your Italy travels by visiting some of the country’s most haunted castles and haunted hotels .

Plagued by ghostly sightings and legendary fables, these historic buildings are some of the creepiest places to stay in Italy. Take the Castello di Montebello. This 14th century historic castle in Rimini, north-west Italy, may look beautiful, but there’s a chilling tale behind its walls.

Historic and haunted

Its most famous story is of the owner’s missing daughter, Azzurina — named after her piercing blue eyes. One day in June, the day of the summer solstice, she mysteriously vanished.

Her disappearance remains a mystery and is unsolved to this day. However, every five years during the summer solstice, people have reported sightings of a young girl fitting Azzurina’s description.

Boutique hotel in Rimini — Rimini Suite Hotel

From the scary to the sublime, Rimini Suite Hotel is a modern hotel in Rivabella. Just 100 yards from the coast and some of Rimini’s best beaches, the hotel has modern rooms and free WiFi. Some rooms come with a private hot tub.

Other amenities also include a swimming pool, and guests receive discounts for a nearby private beach. A continental-style breakfast is provided daily and features sweet and savory products.

Another place in the south of Sicily, Ispica is the classic image of a quaint Sicilian town. Along with examples of fine Sicilian baroque architecture , it’s also home to the Ispica caves ( Cava d’Ispica ).

When we visited during the height of summer the center was deserted. However, this gave us plenty of time to explore the city and take unlimited photographs.

Measuring 13km in length, the caves stretch from Ispica to the neighboring town of Modica. Its most interesting feature are the homes carved into the mountains.

They were inhabited until the end of the 19th century and are something unique to Ispica.

I is also for Infiorata di Noto

Every May, a spectacular floral festival descends upon the southern Sicilian town of Noto.

A blanket of flowers, embracing that year’s theme, covers one of its central streets. Taking place over 3 days, the Infiorata di Noto is a festival for travelers that enjoy flowers and art.

One of the coolest places to travel in May in Sicily, it’s worth booking that flight for.

I is also for Isola delle correnti

Plan a trip to Italy, more specifically, to the southernmost point of the country at Isola delle Correnti . Wade across waist-deep water to reach the island in Sicily with an abandoned lighthouse and far-reaching views.

With Caribbean-style beaches, climates and a laid-back energy, you’d be forgiven for thinking you weren’t in Italy.

Technically, Jesolo shouldn’t really be here, given that ‘J’ doesn’t exist in the Italian alphabet.

However, for non-Italians speakers for whom the letter ‘J’ does exist, you’ll see mentions of Jesolo — just not in Italy.

Instead, Italians know it as Iesolo with an ‘I’. This seaside town north of Venice is one of the largest resorts in Italy. Jesolo receives around 4 million people each year, and that also includes visitors from overseas.

Its main attraction is the 15km (9 mi) beach called Lido di Jesolo. There are several ways to get there from Venice, the quickest route being by renting a car (about 45 minutes). You can also take the ferry to Punta Sabbaioni and then a bus onwards to Jesolo.

The K Boutique Hotel

Similar to ‘J’, the letter ‘K’ also doesn’t exist in the Italian alphabet.

However, I’ve a valuable contribution to add under ‘K’ and that’s the fabulous K Boutique Hotel in Rome.

Located in Rione Monti, luxury features in this 4-star hotel include a private terrace, hot tub and spa. Rooms are modern, bright and come with all the amenities for a comfortable stay. Staying here means an easy 10-minute walk from sights like the Colosseum and the shopping street of Via Nazionale.

Lake Como (Lago di Como)

Immerse yourself in the natural beauty and landscape of Lake Como. Explore much loved towns like Bellagio, Como and Varenna , along with lesser visited places like Lenno and Sorico.

One of the top things to do in Italy, Lake Como also has plenty of free attractions to fill up an itinerary.

Another incredible lake to visit in northern Italy is Lago Maggiore. An ideal weekend break, we had a blissful 2 days visiting Lago Maggiore and exploring its natural beauty.

L is also for Lecce

A city full of good vibes and good food, Lecce is one of my favorite cities to visit in Puglia . Over 2,000 years old, Lecce is also one of the most important cities in the region.

The city has a strong connection with its Greek founders. In fact, the griko language is still spoken in a group of towns not far from Lecce.

Wander around the city taking in the many baroque monuments and Lecce limestone sculptures. At night, enjoy the laid-back vibe, sampling the local olive oil, cured meats and wine.

L is also for Lipari

North of the mainland of Sicily is a cluster of islands that evoke memories of long summers by the sea. The Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie) consist of 7 in total, the largest of the group being Lipari .

A destination with the perfect blend of sandy beaches, blue waters and traditional cuisine, Lipari has it all.

The best viewpoint in Lipari is from the Chiesa Vecchia di Quattropani , a church atop a hill. You’ll need a car or motorbike to get there, but once you arrive, prepare to be treated to the best views.

Probably the most visited city in the Lombardy region, Milan is important for several reasons. The second-most populous city in Italy after Rome, Milan is known for being the capital of art, commerce and fashion.

One of the best places to visit in Italy, Italy tourist attractions are in abundance in Milan.

The city’s cathedral, the incredible Duomo di Milano , showcases a fine example of Italian Gothic architecture. Pinacoteca di Brera and Castello Sforzesco  (Sforza Castle) are other two notable sights to see in Italy.

In December, Milan becomes one of the best places to spend Christmas in Italy . Visit the Christmas markets in Piazza Duomo and see the larger-than-life Christmas tree.

Prepare for your Milan trip by familiarizing yourself with these top Milan travel tips . Wake up to a view of the Duomo at one of these centrally-located hotels or stay close by to Malpensa Airport .

Boutique hotel in Milan — Matilde Boutique Hotel

With a penchant for fashion and sophisticated living, you’re spoiled for choice in Milan. Matilde Boutique Hotel is in a central part of the city, and just 200 yards from Piazza Duomo square.

Other main attractions like La Scala Theater and San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore are also within walking distance.

M is also for Modena

Situated on the southern side of the Po Valley is the city of Modena. It’s renowned for its thriving sports car industry and the production of exceptional balsamic vinegar.

You can comfortably explore Modena’s city center in one day keeping a well-paced itinerary.

M is also for Modica, Marzamemi and Mazara del Vallo

I couldn’t write about ‘M’ places in Italy without mentioning these 3 Sicilian destinations. Chocolate lovers need to highlight, circle and underline Modica.

The southern Sicilian city’s famous for the sweet, brown stuff, which I can personally say, is sublimely delicious.

Mazara del Vallo on the north-west coast is well known for its former Arabic influences. From the buildings, the food, to even the wine, you’ll feel like you’re almost in a North African city like Essaouira in Morocco .

Third is the coastal town of Marzamemi . A picturesque spot filled with seafood restaurants and plenty of charm, it’s one of my favorite Italy trips.

N is for Naples 

Best places in Italy don’t get any better than Naples.

The city of pizza and historic landmarks beneath the watchful gaze of Mount Vesuvius, one day in Naples is not long enough.

Boasting the largest historic city center in Europe, Naples is home to some of the most impressive churches in Italy. Take the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption (Duomo di Napoli). Housing 4th century mosaics and relics, it’s a sight that few photos can do justice.

Naples in and around

Not far from Naples’ city center are other famous places in Italy to consider visiting.

The Roman ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum are around 25 minutes’ drive.

Pompeii met its tragic end when it was engulfed and preserved by volcanic ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

It’s highly advisable that you book your Pompeii ticket in advance . It won’t just save you time, but it’ll also spare you the hassle of having to wait in long lines.

Palace of Caserta

The former royal abode in Caserta was once the main residence of the kings of Naples. One of the largest royal palaces in the world covering an area of 47,000 m², it’s the Italian version of Versailles.

This skip-the-line ticket includes entrance to the royal palace and parks. Also included is the option to have an audioguide app and a train ticket to Caserta from Napoli Central Station (if selected).

Boutique hotel in Naples — Artemisia Domus

The gorgeous 4-star Artemisia Domus is 1,000 yards from Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino). Boasting elegant suites, it’s also in a prime location in Naples.

N is also for Noto

We’re frequent visitors to the Sicilian city of Noto . The historic center may be small but it’s filled with striking baroque architecture and cobbled streets.

A beautiful city for a vacation in Italy, consider spending a few nights nearby at IUTA Glamping & Farm . The best place in Italy to try glamping in Sicily the site is just a few minutes’ drive from the center.

Ortygia (Ortigia)

It’s not often that you come across a historic center that also happens to be an island. But this is the norm in the Sicilian city of Syracuse (Siracusa).

Separated by a narrow channel, there are 3 bridges that connect Ortygia to the mainland. One of the best places to visit in Italy, the island is one of the top Italy tourist attractions.

At the center of the old city, or ‘ città vecchia ‘, is Syracuse Cathedral (Duomo di Siracusa) . Awarded UNESCO status in 2005, the church’s structure was originally a Greek Doric temple.

O is also for Olbia and Orgosolo

In the north-east of the island of Sardinia is the city of Olbia. Close to the dazzling and glitterati Costa Smeralda, Olbia is also known for its sandy beaches and picture-perfect sea.

In the center of Sardinia is the commune of Orgosolo. This municipality’s most famous for its political murals that adorn the city’s walls. They represent the island’s political struggles as well as international issues.

Busy and buzzing, the Sicilian capital of Palermo is a great example of Sicilian life in action. Loud, passionate and exciting, there are plenty of things to do in Palermo .

Palermo has plenty of must-see sights, many of which are free to visit . The Norman Palace (Palazzo dei Normani), and its chapel, La Cappella Palatina , with its golden mosaic interior will blow you away.

Palermo Cathedral, Teatro Massimo and the city’s gritty, yet historic, neighborhoods are also worth adding to the list.

One of the best places to visit in Italy, I never miss the opportunity to revisit Palermo.

Quartu Sant’Elena

Located 6.4km (4mi) from the Sardinian capital of Cagliari is Quartu Sant’Elena. It’s the third largest city in Sardinia with plenty of historic churches, mesmerizing coastlines and sandy beaches.

Sardinia has some of the best beaches and cleanest waters in the world. Some examples in Quartu Sant’Elena include the sandy Is Canaleddus , and nearby Is Mortorius with its natural pools.

Q is also for Quattro Canti

One of the top tourist attractions in Italy, Quattro Canti typically tops visitors’ travel lists. Loosely meaning ‘four places’, the octagonal square has four baroque buildings with almost identical façades. 

Each has a fountain and statues representing the four seasons. You’ll also see sculptures of the Spanish kings of Sicily and the patronesses of Palermo.

One of the best places to visit in Italy the Italian capital should need no introduction.

Home to dozens of attractions like the Colosseum , the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, Rome tops the Italy beautiful places list.

Another good reason to visit Rome is to tour the Vatican City . It may be the smallest country in the world, but it’s home to the most magnificent buildings.

Skip the lines by booking in advance for the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel . Nearby is the magnificent St Peter’s Basilica, from which you can visit its jaw-dropping dome and explore the underground grottos .

Should you need advice on where to stay in Rome , maybe one of these Colosseum view hotels will meet your needs.

R is also for Ragusa

In the south of Sicily is the ancient city of Ragusa. An earthquake in 1693 split the city of Ibla in two, leading to some of the buildings being re-built in Baroque style.

The city’s home to several impressive Duomo, which ranks Ragusa as one of the best places in Sicily to visit. Both are fine examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture, and places in Italy to add to your Italy trip planner.

Boutique hotel in Ragusa — Locanda Don Serafino

Book into a 4-star hotel that was built into the side of a cave. Locanda Don Serafino has elegant rooms, striking suites and delicious food.

R is also for Ravenna

The Italian city of mosaics isn’t one that features on many Italy travel itineraries. Personally, I consider Ravenna to be one of the best places to visit in Italy.

A city with plenty to see in 1 day , Ravenna has some of the most spectacular sights to see in Italy.

My heart skips a beat every time I think of Siena. The historic city is one of the most beautiful places in Tuscany and a must see in Italy.

No cars are able to enter the center of Siena. Streets are narrow, historic and all lead to Piazza del Campo. The fan-shaped square is home to the Palazzo Pubblico, the town hall and the 14th century Torre del Mangia.

Piazza del Campo is also where the famous Palio horse race happens twice a year.

One of the most famous attractions in Italy is Siena’s grand cathedral (Duomo di Siena) . It’s not easy to take pictures that do justice to this Italian Romanesque-Gothic masterpiece. The only solution is to visit and see it for yourself.

S is also for Scicli

A lesser-known city in south-east Sicily, Scicli, for me, is one of the most beautiful places in Italy. With plenty of things to do in 1 day , Scicli has Sicilian baroque churches and a TV detective to its name.

Home of ‘Inspector Montalbano’, you can visit locations from the show by joining the enigmatic Inspector Montalbano tour .

S is also for Syracuse (Siracusa)

I’ve previously covered some of the best sights to see in Ortygia , which is located off the coast of Syracuse.

Back on the mainland, signs of the city’s Ancient Greek past are everywhere. Probably the number one landmark to visit is the Greek Theater of Syracuse. First built in the 5th century BC, the theater’s on a sloping hill, focusing on the stage below.

The Greek theater is part of the complex within the Neapolis Archaeological Park. You can buy tickets at the entrance or join a tour with an expert guide .

The cultural and business hub of Turin is an important city center in north-west Italy.

One of the best places to travel in Italy, Turin was the first capital of Italy.

Piazza Castello is Turin’s principal square. It’s here that’ll find the 16th century Royal Palace of Turin of the House of Savoy. They were the ruling dynasty of the period, eventually expanding their reign to Sicily.

Also, in the square is Palazzo Madama, the building of the first Senate of the Italian kingdom.

Boutique hotel in Turin — TownHouse 70

Stay at a hotel that’s within minutes from Turin’s best attractions.  TownHouse 70  has rooms and suites that are chic and modern, with soft colors and minimalist design.

T is also for Taormina

The hilltop town of Taormina in southern Sicily is a popular spot to vacation in Italy. It’s where you’ll find, among other things, the Greek amphitheater, along with stunning views overlooking the Ionian Sea. 

Taormina has garnered a reputation for being one of the most famous places in Italy.

With its charming town center and the enchanting island of Isola Bella, Taormina’s popularity has spread further afield. The Sicilian town was used as one of the filming locations of the American TV show, The White Lotus .

T is also for Treviso

Make a detour to the northern Italian city nicknamed ‘mini Venice’ and discover the best things to do in Treviso . With canals running through the city and a delightful historic center, Treviso makes an ideal Venice day trip .

When deciding on where to visit in Italy, the city of Udine is one of the lesser known Italy tourist spots. Situated between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps in Friuli Giulia Venezia, Udine has several attractions worth visiting.

The city’s castle that sits high atop a hill (Castello di Udine) was once a former military building. Today, it runs as a history and art museum.

In the Piazza della Libertà is the 15th century town hall ( Loggia del Lionello ) and the grand clock tower (Torre dell’Orologio).

Hotel choice in Udine — Astoria Hotel Italia

Close to the town’s tourist attractions and shopping streets, Astoria Hotel Italia is a sound choice for a stay in Udine.

Elegant, spacious and with a modern décor, you’re in for a comfy stay. The hotel can also organize visits for guests to wine, ham and grappa producers in the nearby area.

U is for Umbria

Take a trip to the heart of Italy with a visit to the green and historic region of Umbria.

One of the best places to visit in Italy is Orvieto. Spend 1 day in Orvieto visiting its spectacular Duomo and stopping by its former papal residences.

The city of canals, architecture and art, Venice is easily one of the best places to visit in Italy. It’s typically busy all year round, but summertime is when visitor numbers reach their peak.

It’s because of this, that I actually prefer visiting Venice in winter . The crowds are fewer, meaning less time lining up for attractions, and more time exploring.

Must-see sights in venice

Italy tourist attractions don’t get anymore famous than in Venice.

Take St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco). The grand plaza is home to the basilica, its towering Campanile, Renaissance clock tower and Doge’s Palace . From here, you can also take a morning walk through the Merceria . It’s a busy shopping street that leads directly to the famous Rialto Bridge.

While visiting Venice, make time to visit other parts, like taking a day tour of Murano, Burano and Torcello . The islands just outside Venice are some of the prettiest places to see in Italy.

Boutique hotel in Venice — Corte di Gabriela

With just 13 rooms, Corte di Gabriela  is my Venice boutique hotel pick. Providing luxury comfort, spacious showers and generous breakfasts, the hotel’s within walking distance to Venice’s main attractions. 

I detail more places in where to stay in Venice including the different neighborhoods and the closest to Venice’s attractions.

V is also for Verona and Vicenza

Within the same region of Veneto are 2 more ‘V’ cities that are places in Italy to consider visiting.

Verona is one of the most romantic cities in Italy . The setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the Casa di Giulietta is a tourist favorite. Located near Piazza delle Erbe — the city’s main square — the house is worth a quick look (depending on the crowds).

Other attractions in Verona like The Arena di Verona and Castel San Pietro make Verona one of the best Italy vacations.

Detour to Vicenza

Chances are you’ve never heard of Vicenza but my small home city has plenty of things to do . At its heart is the Basilica Palladiana in Piazza dei Signori .

Designed by renowned architect, Andrea Palladio, the Renaissance building is one of his most notable works. 

Also, in Vicenza’s historic center is the Olympic Theatre ( Teatro Olimpico ). It’s another of Palladio’s works and was also the first closed theater of its time. It was his last project before he died in 1580.

Within the province of Vicenza is where you can also find the REAL castles behind Romeo and Juliet . Montecchio Maggiore is home to the 2 castles behind the tale of the star-crossed lovers, and with dramatic views to match.

Zafferana Etnea

We’re skipping straight to Z as letters W, X and Y don’t exist in the Italian alphabet.

There’s a slight clue in the name as to this last town’s location.

Sitting among the hills that lead up to Mount Etna, Zafferana Etnea is a meeting point for volcanic tours. The town’s home to some of the best Sicily hotels with a remarkable view . From Zafferana Etnea, there are roads and trails leading to the national park.

More than a pit stop

About 500m above sea level, the town’s located between the mountain and the Ionian Sea. Many visitors don’t realize that Zafferana Etnea has seaside, as well as winter sports tourism.

The town takes its name from the pricey, yet fragrant, saffron ( zafferano ). It was once an important source of income for Zafferana Etnea, hence its homage to the costly spice.

What are your thoughts on this post listing the best places to visit in Italy? Has it helped you decide on where to visit in Italy? Let me know in the comments below.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I’ve recommended. Thank you for your support.

*Prices correct at time of travel

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Welcome to my site. I'm Lisa, an Italy-based travel and lifestyle blogger behind Following the Rivera. Find out more about me and my story.

36 thoughts on “ 40+ best places to visit in Italy ”

There are so many places to visit in Italy and this break down is really useful for planning! I hope to go there someday and explore some of these beautiful destinations.

Me too! I’m glad you enjoyed this list 🙂

I am going to bookmark this post. We are planning to visit Italy next year and this post has all important information.

That’s great! It’s a good post to help start the planning process

This is such an amazing list. However, I admire you for being able to choose mesmerizing places in Italy since everything is so beautiful and unique – starting with the language. As a matter of fact, you should add Italiano 😉 ! Is Jesolo really so pretty? I’ll be back to Venice for the Biennale in 2024 and will probably spend a couple of hours on the beach there. Last time I went to the Lido and liked it a lot 🙂

You’re right I should add it to the list! We love Lido, more than Iesolo. But it all comes down to preference 🙂

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11 VERY BEST Cities to Visit in Italy (+ Map & Travel Tips)

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: October 23, 2023

Planning a trip to Italy and wondering which cities are worth your time the most? In this guide, you can learn about the VERY BEST, most beautiful cities in Italy – what makes them worthwhile, what not to miss, how much time you need, and how to plan your visit. Find out!

Italian cities are among the most beautiful and most visited in Europe. And rightly so! With a fascinating history, centuries-old architecture, a unique mix of old and new, and a lively, chaotic atmosphere, Italian towns and cities are just like nowhere else in the world!

But with so many beautiful cities, towns, and landmarks to choose from, it might be overwhelming to decide which Italian cities are worth visiting the most. Especially if this is your first trip and you want to make the best use of your time.

So to help you plan your trip, we selected only the most beautiful, the very best cities to visit in Italy.

My first intention was to make a list of just the top 10 cities in Italy. Because – in all honesty – you probably won’t have the time to properly see even ten of them in one trip… So I wanted to feature the very best ones only.

However, it was really hard to decide which cities to include and which ones to leave out. There are just so many beautiful places to see in Italy and the competition is fierce! In the end, some major cities in Italy like Turin or Genoa didn’t make this list. Still, we ended up with 11. I just couldn’t leave any of these out or make the list any shorter anymore because each of these cities is truly worth a visit!

To help you plan your trip and get a better idea of where all these places are located, we also created this map of the best cities to visit in Italy .

Further below, you can find our list of the Italian cities that we think are worth visiting the most. For each city, we included a short intro, the very best things to do, and some useful tips for your visit. Find out!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 2 Weeks in Italy – Ultimate Itinerary

How to use this map:  Use your computer mouse (or fingers) to zoom in or out. Click on the icons to get more information about each place. Click the arrow on the top left corner for the index. Click the star next to the map’s title to add it to your Google Maps account. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open Google Maps, click the menu and go to ‘Your Places’/’Maps’. If you want to print the map or see it in a bigger window, click on ‘View larger map’ in the top right corner.

These are the best cities to see in Italy:

Rome ( Roma ) is without a doubt the most beautiful city in Italy! The Eternal City is like one huge living museum where you’ll find ancient history and fascinating places behind every corner. It’s also a very lively city with lots of restaurants, cafés, and local markets that are heaving with activity.

If you visit just one city in Italy, make it Rome! Not because it’s the largest city with the biggest population or because it’s the capital city, but because of its history and architecture that has no equals in the entire world!

No matter which street or town square you turn into, which church or museum you visit, you’ll be fascinated by the incredibly rich history of Rome and awed by its impressive landmarks.

What to See & Do

Must-see: Colosseum , the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Also the Vatican with St. Peter’s Basilica and Sistine Chapel, St. Angelo Bridge, and Castel Sant’Angelo.

Nice to see: Campo de’ Fiori market, Trastevere district, Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia, view from Belvedere del Gianicolo, Piazza del Popolo, Borghese Gallery, and many more. Try to also see at least a few of the best viewpoints in Rome .

How much time do you need: While you can see the musts of Rome in a day , we recommend planning at least a few days in the city. If you want to see all the main landmarks without having to rush, you’ll need at least 2-3 days in Rome (see Rome 2-day itinerary) . If you want to explore deeper and get off the beaten path in Rome, see some underground sites , and the best viewpoints , you can easily spend 5-7 days here.

Here you can find our suggestions on how to see all the top landmarks and lots of amazing hidden gems of Rome in 4 days , plus some additional suggestions for a longer trip. Be sure to also read our tips for visiting Rome .

Where to stay: Our personal favorite area to stay in Rome is around Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. Here you can find more information about this best area to stay in Rome . And here are some highly-rated hotels in this neighborhood:

• 5* The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel, Autograph Collection (amazing rooftop terrace).
• 4* 9Hotel Cesari (we recently stayed here – the location can’t be better and their rooftop terrace is amazing).
• 3* Albergo Abruzzi .
• 2* Boutique Hotel Atelier ‘800 .

LEARN MORE What to See & Do in Rome (all the must-see sights & top attractions)

2. Florence

Surrounded by the hilly Tuscan countryside and set on the banks of the Arno River, Florence ( Firenze ) is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy! Known as the cradle of the Renaissance, Florence is world-famous for the masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Florence is the city of art where you’re surrounded by stunning Renaissance artworks, monuments, and the most impressive architecture.

It’s also a very lively city with music, dance, cinemas, and theaters. But Florence is also the city of food and wine, with various festivals taking place throughout the year.

Must-see: Duomo (Florence Cathedral) and everything around it ( book in advance if you want to do the dome climb!), Uffizi Gallery , Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria town square. Michelangelo’s statue ‘David’ at the Galleria dell’Accademia ( book in advance !!!). Also, the view over the city from Piazzale Michelangelo is incredible, especially around sunset!

Nice to see: Basilica of Santa Croce, Palazzo Pitti, San Lorenzo Market, Piazza Santo Spirito, and the views from Florence rooftop bars .

How much time do you need: One day is enough to quickly see some of the main landmarks of Florence (see our guide on what to see in Florence in one day ). Plan two days if you want to visit the main museums and explore the city at a more relaxed pace. With three days in the city, you could also take a tour of the Tuscan countryside and visit some of the best towns in Tuscany .

Where to stay: The Florence city center isn’t that big. As long as you stay in the center, it’s easy to explore everything on foot. Here are some of the most popular hotels:

• 4* Grand Hotel Cavour (rooftop terrace with the best views).
• 3* Hotel Machiavelli Palace (great value, nice views too).
• Plus Florence (a fantastic lower-budget option).

LEARN MORE: Best Things to Do in Florence

No trip to Italy would be complete without visiting Venice ( Venezia ).

This ‘floating’ town is not just the most unique among the Italian cities, but it’s also one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

The city of Venice and its lagoon consists of 118 islands. Most of these islands are tiny and are connected by small bridges – you can explore them on foot. While some others are a bit further away and require a boat to get to.

Must-see and do: St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace (and its famous Bridge of Sighs), Rialto Bridge, and the waterfront promenade Riva degli Schiavoni. And, of course, Venice canals including the impressive Grand Canal. Don’t miss the bucket-list experience – a gondola ride in Venice !

Nice to see: Teatro La Fenice , Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, Libreria Acqua Alta, Jewish Ghetto, Campo San Polo, San Giorgio Maggiore Island, and many churches of Venice. Also an excursion to the nearby islands of Burano and Murano and the beaches of Lido di Venezia.

How much time do you need: One day is enough to quickly see the main landmarks, but it will be rushed (see here: one day in Venice – things to do & itinerary ). I recommend staying at least one night so that you can also experience Venice in the evening when most day-trippers have left. Plan at least two days if you also want to visit the nearby islands, and at least three days if you want to see all the top sights and attractions in Venice. See here some suggestions for a 3-day Venice itinerary with local’s tips.

Where to stay: If you are visiting Venice by car or arriving by train, you may want to stay close to Piazzale Roma. Otherwise, stay in the area between St. Mark’s Square and Rialto Bridge. Here are some hotel suggestions for this area:

• 5* Hotel Danieli – one of the most iconic hotels in Venice.
• 4* Hotel Casanova .
• 3* Hotel Montecarlo .
• 2* Hotel Rio .

READ ALSO: What to See & Do in Venice (all the best sights & attractions)

Bologna , nicknamed as ‘la dotta, la grassa, la rossa’ (the learned, the fat/rich, and the red) is a city that has it all! Bologna University is one of the oldest in Europe.

Bologna is also rich in agriculture and gastronomy and is often considered the culinary capital of Italy. And the red was originally referring to its architecture – the color of the buildings and the rooftops.

However, because it’s situated between such fine cities as Milan, Venice, and Florence, Bologna often gets overlooked by first-time visitors. Often, there’s simply not enough time to see it all… But if you do have a day to spare, definitely include Bologna in your itinerary!

Must-see: Piazza Maggiore, the Fountain of Neptune, and the two leaning Towers of Bologna (climb the Asinelli Tower and see Garisenda (cannot be climbed)). Also Basilica di San Petronio as well as Seven Churches at the Santo Stefano Complex. Bologna University with Teatro Anatomico is a must too.

Nice to see: Clock Tower (Torre dell’Orologio) and the Municipal Art Collections, Quadrilatero Neighborhood, former Jewish ghetto, Finestrella, National Gallery, and Archaeological Museum. The Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca is also nice to see. It’s situated a bit outside the city and can be reached by tourist train .

How much time do you need: One full day is enough for the main landmarks (many people visit Bologna from Florence , often for just a day). But if you have more time, you can easily fill 2-3 days in this lively bustling student city.

Where to stay: Bologna city center isn’t that big, but it’s probably most convenient if you stay in the area between the railway station and the old town. Here are some popular options:

• 4* I Portici Hotel Bologna .
• 3* Hotel Cavour .
• 2* Hotel Centrale .

LEARN MORE: Best Things to Do in Bologna

Milan ( Milano ) is one of the biggest and richest cities in Italy! It’s also very different from any other town on this list. Its unique blend of old history and modern-day life makes Milan one of the most fascinating cities I have ever visited.

It took many trips to Italy before I finally went to Milan. Somehow I had the impression that it’s a grey industrial city with not much more to offer to tourists than its impressive Duomo Cathedral. But I was so wrong! Milan has so, so much more to offer to any type of traveler!

Whether you are looking for art and history, shopping and dining, world-class museums, or modern architecture, you’ll find it all here! It’s a city of many facets and you’ll discover something new every time. But even if you just come here for a day and only see the main tourist sights, it’s still worth a visit!

Must-see: Duomo and Duomo Terraces , Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and ‘The Last Supper’ painting by Leonardo da Vinci (book tickets months in advance or take a tour !).

Nice to see: La Scala, Milan canals, Sforzesco Castle, Brera district, Braidense National Library, the modern architecture of the Porta Nuova district.

How much time do you need: One day is enough for the main landmarks of Milan (check out this guide for more info on how to see the best of Milan in one day) . If you have an extra day, we recommend a day tour to Lake Como . Be sure to visit Bellagio , Varenna , and a few other towns in Lake Como !

Where to stay: Milan is quite a big city, but if you stay not too dar from the Duomo, you can see most places on foot. For some other areas, use public transport, which is excellent and not too expensive. Here are some of the best centrally-located hotels in Milan:

• 5* NH Collection Milano President .
• 4+* Room Mate Giulia .
• 3* Hotel Milano Castello .
• 2* London Hotel .

LEARN MORE: Best Things to Do in Milan

Ravenna is one of the smaller cities in this selection, but nevertheless absolutely worth a visit! Ravenna was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until the empire collapsed in 476. It remained a very influential city in the region for a long period after that.

The main reason to visit Ravenna is to see its world-famous mosaics, some dating to the 5th and the 6th centuries. They are worth a trip even if you are coming from the other side of the world!

But there is more to Ravenna than that! You’ll also find centuries-old architecture, impressive museums, and a very cozy historic town center with colorful buildings and lively streets, but also really nice beaches nearby. And while the main attractions can get busy, the moment you leave the main streets, you find a really cozy city with a great vibe.

Must see: The famous Ravenna mosaics at Basilica di San Vitale, Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, and Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo. Also Piazza del Popolo and Ravenna old town.

Nice to see: Basilica di Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Battistero Neoniano, Battistero degli Ariani, Dante’s Tomb & Museum. The submerged crypt of Basilica San Francis. Also National Museum of Ravenna and Teodorico Mausoleum.

How much time do you need: Half a day is enough for just the main highlights of Ravenna, but staying a full day will make your visit more pleasant and more relaxing (if you can, plan at least one night in Ravenna). If you have some extra time in this area, we highly recommend visiting Rimini and San Marino as well!

Where to stay: Ravenna has many really nice boutique hotels and B&Bs, but also big hotels. The town center isn’t big and you can walk everywhere; still, it’s nice to stay in the heart of the city. Here are some nice hotels in Ravenna:

• Boutique hotel Palazzo Galletti Abbiosi .
• 4* Palazzo Bezzi Hotel .
• 3* Hotel Minerva .

LEARN MORE: Best Things to Do in Ravenna

Siena is another really nice art city in Tuscany. It’s not as big as nearby Florence, but extremely popular with locals and tourists alike! Situated on three hills and surrounded by the beautiful Tuscan countryside, Siena has a cozy feel of a smaller town.

The entire historic center is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site and it’s just a very nice, pleasant city to visit. Also because it’s quite compact you can make a nice relaxing day trip without having to rush from one thing to another like in the bigger cities.

Must-see: Piazza del Campo and Palazzo Publico where you can also climb the tower for amazing views. Cathedral – Duomo di Siena with its Crypt, Baptistery, Piccolomini Library, and stunning views from the New Cathedral Façade. Also the Gate of Heaven (Cathedral tower and terraces).

Nice to see: Via di Citta, Via Banchi di Sopra, Piazza Salimbeni, Basilica di San Domenico, Pinacoteca Nazionale. Also, take a tour of the Tuscan countryside if you have an extra day!

How much time do you need: Plan at least one full day for Siena: half a day is enough for the main landmarks, plus you can also take a half-day tour to the nearby Chianti region or a dinner tour in the vineyards . If you can, spend two days here – one for a relaxing day exploring the city and one for the countryside and visit places like San Gimignano or Montepulciano . But you can easily spend at least a week in the region as well. See our Tuscany itinerary for some ideas.

Where to stay: If you can, stay in the historic city center in Siena! Here are some of the nicest hotels in the city center:

• 5* Grand Hotel Continental Siena.
• 3+* Palazzetto Rosso .
• 3* Hotel Duomo .
• 2* Albergo Cannon d’Oro .

LEARN MORE: Best Things to Do in Siena

Naples ( Napoli ), located in the southern part of the country, is a very different city from the ones situated in northern Italy.

It’s a chaotic and busy town, but one that also has a rich history, arts, and culture. Dominated by the nearby Vesuvius volcano and surrounded by hills on one side and the sea on the other, Naples is also quite picturesque.

The historic town center is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site and there are so many landmarks in and near the city that you can easily spend 3 days in Naples alone.

Furthermore, just nearby, are the famous ancient Roman cities Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as Mount Vesuvius volcano . The stunning coastline of the Amalfi Coast is worth a trip in itself, just as the islands of Capri and Ischia!

LEARN MORE: Best Things to Do in Naples

Must-see: Spaccanapoli (the famous street that ‘splits’ historic Naples old town in two), Piazza del Plebiscito, National Archaeological Museum, views from Castel Sant’Elmo, Certosa di San Martino (former monastery, now a museum), Cappella Sansevero, and Naples Catacombs.

Nice to see: the Royal Palace of Naples, the Royal Palace of Caserta, Castel Nuovo, Castel Ovo, and the neighborhoods of Vomero, Mergellina, and Borgo Santa Lucia.

How much time do you need: You can see some of the musts in Naples in 1 day , but you can easily spend 2-3 days in the city. Add a day extra for the villages of the Amalfi Coast ( day tours available ), a day for Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius ( tours available ), and also for Capri Island (boat tours available ). If you can, try to plan at least 4-5 days in this area!

READ ALSO: Best Day Trips from Naples & How to Get to Amalfi Coast from Naples

Where to stay: One of the most convenient locations to stay in Naples is the historic town center, west of Central Station and north of the Ferry Terminal. Here are some nicest hotels in that area:

• 4* Decumani Hotel De Charme .
• 3* Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments .

If you want to stay close to the sea (but still very central), the waterfront in the Santa Lucia area has several really nice hotels, such as Eurostars Hotel Excelsior . For more details, please see our guide to the best neighborhoods to stay in Naples .

READ ALSO: Amalfi Coast Itinerary & Naples, Amalfi Coast, Capri Itinerary for 10 Days

World-famous as the setting of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Verona is probably Italy’s most romantic city. Set on the Adige River, this medieval town in Northern Italy is a bit like a mini version of Rome.

Just like the Colosseum in Rome , the Roman amphitheater Arena di Verona was built in the 1st century. In a way, it’s even more impressive because it’s better preserved and it’s not as crowded as the Colosseum.

Furthermore, they organize incredible concerts here – don’t miss it if you get the chance (see the calendar of performances here )!

Must-see: Verona Arena and Piazza delle Erbe. Also Juliet’s Statue and a 13th-century house with the famous Juliet’s Balcony that’s believed to have inspired Shakespeare. The views from Torre dei Lamberti.

Nice to see: Castelvecchio, Ponte Scaligero, Piazza delle Erbe, Arche Scaligere.

How much time do you need: Half a day to a day is enough for the main highlights of Verona, but to see all the top places, plan two days. We recommend staying at least one night and attending a concert at the Arena as well. Ideally, you combine a visit to Verona with that of Lake Garda , just nearby.

Where to stay: Verona isn’t big, but for the best experience, stay in the old town! Here are some of the nicest hotels in the historic center of Verona:

• 4* Hotel Accademia .
• 3* Hotel Milano & SPA***S .
• 2* Hotel Siena .

LEARN MORE: Best Things to Do in Verona

Lucca is one of our own personal favorite towns in Italy. It’s hard to give one reason and say what makes it special. I guess it’s a unique mix of old and new and a really cozy atmosphere that we haven’t found anywhere else. The city feels very ‘local’, has a lot to offer, and it’s also beautifully located in northern Tuscany.

One of the smaller cities in this selection, Lucca’s old town is best explored on foot or by bike. The historic town is surrounded by impressive city walls, the origins of which date to 180 BC! The walls are easily accessible and you can walk or even bike on them.

Make sure to also climb at least one of the two towers in Lucca. The Guinigi Tower is famous for having trees on top, but it’s actually from Torre Delle Ore that you have a better view of the Torre Guinigi. If you can, do both – the views of the city and its surroundings are spectacular!

Things to Do & Tips

Must-see: Duomo, San Michele in Foro church, Torre Guinigi (the one with the trees) and Torre Delle Ore (the one with a clock), and the city walls. Also the medieval town square Piazza dell’Anfiteatro.

Nice to see: Walk around the city exploring its many streets and town squares and San Frediano church. Nearby, you can visit several impressive Villas and their gardens – Villa Torrigiani, Villa Reale di Marlia, Villa Grabau, and Villa Mansi.

How much time do you need: Half a day is enough for the main landmarks of the city of Lucca. If you have a car and extra time to spare, also visit (one or several of) the nearby villas.

Where to stay: If you are traveling without a car, stay in the historic city center, within the city walls. If you have a car, try Hotel San Marco or others nearby. Here are some of the best hotels in the old town:

• 4* Hotel Alla Corte degli Angeli .
• 3* Albergo San Martino .
• 2* Hotel Diana .

Pisa town is often overlooked by visitors – everyone flocks to the famous Pisa Tower, completely forgetting about the city itself. The old town isn’t overrun by tourists and has a nice local feel that many other popular cities in Italy often lack.

Of course, the main reason to come here is the famous leaning tower and the incredibly impressive Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) where it stands.

But if you have a few hours to spare, head to the town center as well! It’s just 15-20 minutes walk away but feels like an oasis in the desert after the hustle and the bustle of Miracles Square.

What to See & Tips

Must-see: Piazza dei Miracoli: Duomo, Baptistery the leaning tower of Pisa, and the graveyard.

Nice to see and do: Piazza dei Cavalieri with several impressive buildings including Palazzo della Carovana. Arno Promenade, Ponte di Mezzo, Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina, and a stroll around the city center.

How much time do you need: Half a day is enough for the main highlights of Pisa including a visit to the city center. You can easily combine Pisa with a visit to Lucca town or the nearby Cinque Terre for a day . Here you can find more practical information for visiting Cinque Terre .

Where to stay: Most tourists don’t stay in Pisa and travel either to Cinque Terre (see our guide on where to stay in Cinque Terre ) or Lucca, or Florence. But Pisa also has some nice hotels (and more affordable) and it might be magical to stay here the night and see the Miracles Square in the late afternoon when most day tourists have left. Here are some of the best-rated hotels in Pisa:

• 4* Hotel Bologna .
• Palazzo Feroci .

So, this is our guide to the best, most beautiful cities in Italy. But there’s so much more to Italy than just its cities!

If you are looking for more ideas for where to go and what to see in Italy , make sure to take a look at our guide to the best places to visit in Italy . In addition to the most beautiful towns, this guide also features the best destinations of the Italian lakes, stunning coastal areas like Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast, and so much more!

Check it out!

If you only have time to visit a few cities in Italy and have to pick the very best ones, don’t miss Rome, Venice, and Florence (in that order). These three cities are the most beautiful ones and worth the trip the most.

Without any doubt, Rome is the most beautiful city in Italy. It’s a real city-museum with stunning landmarks, centuries-old monuments, fascinating history, and countless hidden gems behind every corner. If you visit just one city in Italy, make it Rome.

The best months to visit Italian cities are from March to May and from mid-September to early November. That’s when the weather is pleasant for sightseeing but is not too hot. It’s also less busy than in the peak summer season. Italian cities are therefore great for a spring break in Europe ! If you don’t mind somewhat more unpredictable weather, visit Italy in November . Also Rome is great in November – cooler weather and fewer crowds mean that you can see a lot more than in the warmer months.

Rome and Venice are very different cities, but both extremely beautiful, unique, and both worth visiting. If you only have the time for one of them and have at least 2-3 days, visit Rome. If you only have 1 day, visit Venice. But if you can, definitely try to visit both!

Both, Venice and Florence, are very beautiful cities with so many nice places to see and interesting things to do. However, if you only have a day and have to choose just one of the two, I’d go for Venice. With its canals, it’s one of the most unique cities in the world. But if you can make it happen, definitely visit both!

READ ALSO: Italy Itinerary – how to see the best cities and other amazing places in 2 weeks

For more practical information and tips for a big variety of Italian destinations, take a look at our Italy travel guide . It contains links to all our articles from all over Italy.

TIP: If you are in the planning stage of your trip, you may want to also check the first-timers’ guide to traveling to Europe . It’s a step-by-step guide with useful tips to help you plan an unforgettable vacation in Europe.

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin these images!

More travel inspiration for the nicest cities all over Europe:

If you are visiting other European cities and are looking for in-depth information for your trip, take a look at some of our city guides:

• Barcelona, Spain
• Paris, France
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Brussels, Belgium
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Salzburg, Austria
• Edinburgh, UK
• Madrid, Spain
• Reykjavik, Iceland
• Lucerne, Switzerland
• Bruges, Belgium
• Bern, Switzerland
• Krakow, Poland
• Bucharest, Romania
• Manchester, UK
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Antwerp, Belgium
• Colmar, France
• Liverpool, UK
• For more destinations, please see our destinations page.

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Saturday 2nd of December 2023

HI, Can you recommend best Italian cities for handicapped (wheelchairs). Ones close to train stations and ones that offer bikes or electric scooters. Short walking tours under 1 hour would be best.

Thanks, Quin

Monday 4th of December 2023

Hi Quin, it's really hard for me to recommend much - some places in every city can be doable in a wheelchair and others might be impossible. There are bike tours in most bigger cities, but don't underestimate biking in a busy unfamiliar city with cobbled stones and crazy traffic. It can be fun but is definitely not for everyone. That being said, in Florence you could probably do quite a lot within a short walking distance from the station. Rome - the historic center is rather flat too, but is a bit further from the station (but you can easily take a taxi). In any case, there are cobbled stones everywhere. In Venice, it's a bit more difficult because most of the bridges have stairs. But you could take a boat from the station to St Mark's Square and then explore that area without having to walk much or far, and a big part is rather flat that could be done in a wheelchair. Gondola tours can also be nice if you are able to get in and out of the gondola. If you rather not walk too much, there are some nice tours that you could consider: Rome golf cart tours. Florence golf car tours. Venice wheelchair-accessible tour. I'm sure there are many more options in other cities too, but these are the main ones. Hope this helps.

John Signorelli

Sunday 15th of October 2023

My wife and I recently completed a 22 day trip across Italy. We chose to not use the services of a travel agent nor any big tour groups; we'd been "working" on doing this trip for many years. In actuality, we only put it together in 2 months!

I wanted to share a heart-felt thank you for your work in your blog. The articles and advice Jurga provided in her articles were consistently spot on and extremely helpful! There are so many things we may have missed or time we may have wasted without her advice. The various articles you see referenced describing options in cities were the most helpful (Rome in 4 days, Best things to do in Bologna, for example). You provided enough detailed information where we could easily review an article and decide what things we wanted to go do and which we didn't, as well as good efficient flow paths to follow for an enjoyable day (without killing ourselves since we are 59-60).

We didn't go to a single restaurant recommended in an article that we didn't love. Every tour we booked with a link in an article (we used about 7-8) were great values with spot on descriptions.

I know that I won't plan a trip of any significance without starting with Full Suitcase.

Monday 16th of October 2023

Thank you so much for your kind feedback, John. I really appreciate it! It's great to hear that you and your wife had such an enjoyable trip to Italy. Happy travels!

Wednesday 20th of September 2023

Hi Jurga, Thank you for all the amazing information! My husband and I are planning to visit Italy and were also thinking of spending time in Greece after Italy. Have you ever been to Greece? I didn't see any posts for Greece, but I LOVE your style of presenting information-- it's very helpful and effective. Would love your input if you've ever been.

Thanks! Michele

Thursday 21st of September 2023

Hi Michele, thank you for your kind feedback. We have been to Greece, but a long time ago - before I had this blog. So we have no articles about it, unfortunately. Hope you find some other useful guides. Enjoy your trip!

Mattia Russo

Thursday 10th of August 2023

Napoli (Naples) is in top 3 in my opinion

Friday 11th of August 2023

Napoli is a wonderful city for sure. So diverse; we love it too. It's practically impossible to rank Italian cities as they are all worth a visit :).

Wednesday 26th of July 2023

Nice write-up.

I've lived in Italy for a few years. Now there's no wrong answer, everyone has a different opinion. I personally wouldn't say Rome is the most beautiful city. Without a doubt full of some of the best mix of historical sites and amazing churches. If the Vatican, At Peter's, trevi fountain, colosseum, etc are must do bucket lists, then I'd also say for sure hit up Rome with your time.

Personally, I find Venice and Florence to be much "prettier" cities themselves and my family and I go back to visit those places. I just didn't find the city itself to be as charming. Felt very busy and dirty. But I'm also not as big a fan of the archeological sites. My 2 cents.

Friday 28th of July 2023

As you say, everyone has different opinion and it's also quite impossible to compare different places. Let's just say that Italian cities are among the most pleasant cities to visit in the world and you can't really go wrong with any of them ;). Happy travels!

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The best places in Italy according to the expert

By Emily Fitzroy

Founder of Italian specialist Bellini Travel Emily FitzRoy tells us about her all-time favourite hotels from Lake Como to Porto Ercole, how to escape the crowds in Venice and where to find the best spaghetti al limone on the Amalfi Coast.

Your favourite classic hotel?

'Italy is weighed down by grande dames and this makes it almost impossible for me to choose from. However, if I really had to pick one it would be the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como . Firstly, if Wes Anderson had chosen Italy rather than Hungary for The Grand Hotel Budapest , this is where he would have made the film. I’ve twisted the arms of numerous clients over the years who’ve asked for small, cosy boutique hotels to base themselves on Lake Como and stay at the Tremezzo instead. And I cannot tell you a) how happy this makes them, b) how relieved they are that they listened to us and, c) how often they call on arrival and ask if they cancel the rest of their trip around Italy and just stay put.'

'For unadulterated Slim Aarons classic Italian chic, then it’s a toss-up between the Le Sirenuse in Positano and Hotel Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole. Both on the sea, both run by the most glamorous people I know who somehow, through osmosis, have spread their own unique sense of style into every detail of their hotels. From the rosemary hedge at the Pellicano, which if I close my eyes I can smell as if I were walking up from the sea, to the bread that Antonio Sersale has flown in daily from Paris to make breakfast at the Sirenuse so delicious.'

One thing you’ve never told anyone about your travels?

'I often commit the cardinal sin of visiting a city in mid-August. There is something perversely intoxicating about spending a night in Florence , which transforms into a supremely efficient restaurant-quality oven in the summer. It gives me double the excuse to have an extra-long siesta. Then you wake and open your bedroom window at the AdAstra (the father of the owner, Betty, makes the best fireworks in Italy) and – wham – the hot dry heat smacks you right in the face. Wandering through the empty streets of the Oltrarno in search of an ice-cold beer, a bowl of olives and a gelato for my daughters, we find most, but not all, of our favourite places closed ' per Ferragosto ' My own family holidays are complete and utter chaos. I book flights for the wrong days, head to Italian cities in the searing heat of August, forget to renew passports and basically do the opposite of everything I tell my clients to do.'

Your favourite small and secret hotel?

'The Grand Hotel La Sirena on the island of Filicudi . First off, I can hardly believe I’m writing about it, however to get there requires a considerable effort which I hope will put some readers off immediately. Filicudi is the penultimate island of the Aeolian archipelago and requires a day of planes, buses, ferries and finally a scooter (to bring your suitcase) to the tiny fishing village of Pecorini a Mare. The Grand Hotel is the beating heart of the village during the summer and where everything happens. Owner Sergio was a bit of a groover in Sixties Rome. I think he still lives in Lucio Fontana’s old studio during the winter and commissions young artists to come to the island each summer to paint a large mural on the exterior of the hotel. There are only a handful of bedrooms, modest to say the least, but in my eyes perfect, with their tiled floors and wooden shutters. This also appeals to my friends, especially the radical-chic bunch from Rome who have been coming here for years for a dose of La Vita Dura (the Hard Life). There is no fresh water on the island and the main diet consists of tomatoes, capers and, as far as I can make, vast quantities of cigarettes which arrive on the morning ferry to a round of applause from the villagers. On the ground floor of La Sirena is the restaurant; it’s where I go in the morning with my girls to feed them a freshly baked ciambelle (mini doughnut) and orange juice (the fruit picked from the trees that morning) and where I return to in the evening to meet friends for a cocktail and watch the children set up their stalls in the piazza below to flog sea shells and foraged aloe and seaweed to unsuspecting visitors. And if I don’t feel like swimming, La Sirena is where I could easily sit and watch the world go by really very slowly.'

A great little find away from the crowds?

I guarantee if you give me a day I can show you a Venice without seeing another visitor. My great little place away from the crowds is the island of Pellestrina in the lagoon; a strip of land on the far side of the Lido known to locals as fisherman’s island. Da Celeste has one of the prettiest terraces in Italy and, apart from yacht owners in the know and a certain French president who brought his mistresses here, you really won’t see another tourist. The fishing boats moor on either side of the restaurant and bring crates of fresh mussels, langoustine and weird little fish from the lagoon which moments later appear on your table as a fritto misto , a superlative spaghetti alle vongole or a huge John dory baked in salt. If your pockets aren’t deep enough to arrive by water taxi, then enjoy the few hours it takes to get here from Venice, which involves a vaporetto to the island of the Lido, then hopping on a kitsch little bus which drives onto a ferry that connects with Pellestrina. An altogether pretty perfect day.'

If you could have one feast right now?

'I would arrive on my friend Pippo’s wooden gozzo boat to the floating pier at Lo Scoglio on the Amalfi Coast , having spent the morning swimming around the islands of Li Galli. The owners of Lo Scoglio , the De Santis’, are my Italian family and I have been coming here for years, both winter and summer, staying in the cheap little bedrooms upstairs (don’t tell a soul) and thanking my lucky stars that the late, great Franco Sersale introduced me to them so many moons ago. Having hugged and kissed every member of staff including the yellow labrador, I’ll settle into my table in the far corner on the right which looks out onto the pebbly public beach. The scene taking place down below is straight out of an Alberto Morrocco painting – large Neapolitan mammas in impressively sturdy bikinis sitting three to a sun lounger, more often than not with a nut-brown baby on a lap, a panino of tomato and mozzarella in one hand and a cigarette in the other. If I’m lucky, I’ll catch part of their conversation – it's nearly always about food. Now to lunch itself... as I enjoy a glass of crisp, white Falanghina and munch on a crisp "pillow of heaven" (as my daughters call them) – little parcels of deep-fried mozzarella with a salty anchovy sneakily tucked away – my mind will have turned to the very serious business of what pasta to have. Will it be the spaghetti con zucchini which has made this village famous? Will it be the ravioli with yellow tomatoes? For me it has to be the spaghetti al limone – simple yet completely unforgettable and never, ever to be replicated with the same success. The lemons picked that morning by Peppino and driven down the mountain in his little Ape, along with all the other vegetables which are currently being prepped in copper pans in the fabulous blue-and-white-tiled kitchen by Margherita and Tommaso, and with some luck a basket or two of cherries. Really when I think of pure undiluted happiness, I close my eyes and imagine this lunch.'

The book that inspired you to travel?

'Jan Morris' Venice – the way she described every tiny nuance of the Venetians; the way they wave with their fingers curled like a claw, rather than outstretched; the way they talk with a soft Z at the end of each syllable; the way they fled from the Huns across the marshy, mosquito-ridden lagoon to found the city in the eighth century. And some wonderfully amusing facts such as that the 15th-century playboy doge Michel Steno kept 400 horses whose coats were all dyed yellow. Many moons ago when Bellini was in its infancy, I had dinner with Jan Morris in Venice . She knew my great uncle Johnny and they had lived together as friends in Venice after World War II when Jan was still James and writing the first edition of this wonderful book. Her love of Venice was undiminished and, despite being well into her eighties, she had risen at dawn that very morning and walked all the way from St Mark's down to the Arsenale to catch the city in its first light. I very much want to be like her in my dotage and this served as a stern lesson never to be complacent of my good fortune to have been able to spend so much time in Venice.'

The film whose location blew you away?

' The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa which bucks the trend at being almost as good, if not better, than the novel. The director Visconti captured the dark heart of Sicily ; the dust, the heat and those ghostly villages you still find in the centre of the island when driving from Palermo to Catania. Plus I could have sworn I’ve been offered a granita by Claudia Cardinale’s daughter on at least one occasion.'

A place you fell in love?

'I know I should say the island of Ponza on my honeymoon but for a pure, unadulterated holiday romance it was on Elba aged 15. I was on an Italian exchange and I fell off my scooter. He stopped to help me and find a tissue for my grazed knees. His name was Guido and he had a tattoo of a butterfly on his shoulder. Oh the sheer happiness when two months later the phone rang in my parents’ house and I heard him say he was in South Kensington. Alas, we all know holiday romances do not travel and sadly the Barbour-clad fellow in ironed jeans (with the crease down the front) who greeted me at the Tube was nothing like the Adonis I’d fallen head over heels with on that beautiful green and hilly island.'

Sophie Heawood

Charlotte Davey

CNT Editors

Olivia Morelli

Which form of transport gives you a spring in your step?

There is nothing quite like climbing up the steps to board the Orient Express from Paris to Venice – hopefully a little tipsy from a Martini or two at the Hemingway Bar at The Ritz. It’s the smell more than anything that I remember. The charcoal burners at the end of each carriage are still used to heat the cabins and that in turn warms the cherry-wood panels in my cabin to create a scent that is completely intoxicating. It’s impossible to describe and that – combined with a bar that never closes and the fact you can wind the window right down in the morning when you wake up and just lie in bed under an old-fashioned woollen blanket and watch the Swiss Alps, listening to the cow bells and drinking tea – is enough to give me a spring in my step for the year.'

The best shop you discovered on your travels?

'Gianni Basso in Venice – 20 years on and he still hasn’t got a phone, let alone a website, and if he doesn’t like the look of you he flicks the open sign to 'chiuso' and takes me out to lunch. The best hand-printed stationery on the planet: bookplates for our clients; writing paper for me.'

A song that reminds you of holidays?

'Andrea Bocelli 'Con Te Partirò' – yelling it at the top of our voices at the feast of Santa Maria della Costa in Levanto on the Cinque Terre – easily the most unglamorous town of the Cinque Terre but, in my eyes, the most charming.'

The destination you want to visit next?

'These quirky little art foundations you find throughout Italy , such as the Fondazione Cirulli in San Lazzaro di Savena, focusing on 20th-century works.'

Your holiday look?

'Emporio from Carla Sersale – my dresses are almost threadbare.'

Like this? Now read:

A foodie's guide to Sardinia

11 romantic hotels in Italy

The most beautiful places in Rome

7 Places in Italy You Should Visit in 2023

The latest on the cultural capitals and emerging destinations of the bel paese..

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A great evening in Milan starts with aperitivo snacks at Bar Basso.

Photo by Federico Ciamei

If you’re itching to take a trip to the boot, you’re not alone. Italy is gearing up to have a banner year for tourism. According to ENIT , the national tourism board, an estimated 141,000 visitors arrived in the country for Easter week in spring 2023, representing a 29 percent increase over the same period last year. The number of Americans increased by 50 percent. And that’s only the beginning of the season. Luxury tour operator Imago Artis Travel is estimating that it will get twice as many clients visiting Italy this year as it did last year.

Between the cultural capitals of Rome, Florence, and Milan, picturesque villages, countryside destinations like Tuscany and Umbria, more than 4,700 miles of coast, and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, there’s more than one could feasibly see and do in a lifetime. There are the classic sights, of course, but also plenty of new hotels, restaurants, art exhibitions, and cultural events. So how do you choose where to go and what to do in Italy? Here’s our guide to some of the biggest news and emerging destinations to consider this season, whatever kind of trip you’re looking for.

Where should I start my journey through Italy?

See the sights of Rome—including the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere—from a Vespa.

Photo by Laura Itzkowitz

While many first-time travelers to Italy go the classic route of combining Rome, Florence, and Venice, visiting all three in the same trip might have you suffering from sensory overload. It’s better to start with one. Rome is one of the most exciting cities in Italy right now, thanks to a postpandemic spark of energy that has it riding high on a wave of new openings. More than a dozen new and soon-to-open hotels are changing the city’s hospitality scene, bringing with them new restaurants and bars, innovative design, and more chances to connect with locals. The buzziest openings include the Bulgari Hotel Rome , Six Senses Rome , the Rome Edition , and the InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace , all of which have opened over the last three months.

Exciting exhibitions and cultural happenings are taking place in the Eternal City this summer, too. A retrospective of work by Michelangelo Pistoletto, one of the leading artists in Italy’s arte povera movement from the late 1960s, is on at Chiostro del Bramante until October 15. Following the huge success of the exhibition Casa Balla: From the House to the Universe and Back , MAXXI (the museum of 21st-century art) has opened Casa Balla —the apartment of futurist artist Giacomo Balla—to visits again. A new walking tour by ArcheoRunning ’s founder Isabella Calidonna, an art historian and personal trainer, leads participants to dig deeper into Michelangelo’s contributions to Rome beyond the Sistine Chapel. And a new Vespa tour developed by leading tour company Scooteroma exclusively for Hotel de la Ville celebrates the 70th anniversary of the release of Roman Holiday by bringing guests to some of the iconic spots featured in the film.

Where to stay

Book now: Hotel de la Ville

Check into Hotel de la Ville atop the Spanish Steps, which has one of the city’s best rooftop bars, or book a room at the new wellness-focused Six Senses Rome , which opened in March 2023, so you can retreat to the spa for a soak in the Roman baths after exploring the city.

I’m interested in art, architecture, and design. Where should I go?

Portrait Milano, one of the Leading Hotels of the World collection, offers 73 suites and a few very coveted seats in its restaurant.

Italy’s design capital, Milan, is a must-visit destination for architecture and design lovers with plenty to do and see, from perpetual favorites to exciting new exhibitions.

Architecture fans should visit Villa Necchi Campiglio , an icon of 1930s design by Piero Portaluppi that appeared in Luca Guadagnino’s 2009 film I Am Love . At Triennale Milano, the city’s design museum, Ettore Sottsass: La Parola focuses on the written word in the work of the artist and designer known as one of the founders of the Memphis movement. Next to the Duomo, itself worth visiting to admire the Gothic architecture and sculptures, the Palazzo Reale di Milano is hosting Argentine contemporary artist Leandro Erlich’s first large-scale solo European exhibition , which will be on view until October 4. And the Museo del Novecento has an exhibit called Futurliberty: Avant-garde and Style , which focuses on the work of futurist artists like Giacomo Balla, Gino Severini, and Umberto Boccioni.

Book now: Portrait Milano

The talk of the town is the new Portrait Milano by the Ferragamo family, which restored a 16th-century seminary, opening it up to the public for the first time in its history. The residential-inspired design by lauded architect Michele Bönan is the epitome of Italian style, with lots of polished wood, art tomes, archival Ferragamo sketches, and marble bathrooms. Be sure to book a table for lunch or dinner at the hotel’s 10_11 restaurant so you can try rising star chef Alberto Quadrio’s elevated take on pasta in bianco .

I’ve sipped my way around Tuscany’s wineries. Where next?

Casa Di Langa offers cooking classes, truffle hunting, and Vespa tours.

Courtesy of Casa di Langa

Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) is more under the radar than Tuscany, except perhaps when it comes to wine tourism. The region is known for producing the pricey barolos and barbarescos that have wine collectors clamoring to stock their cellars. A top winery is Gaja —Angelo Gaja was one of the trailblazing winemakers who put Piedmont on the map in the 1970s—which will organize a tour and tasting for people who donate at least €300 to a local charity. There are also plenty of more accessible wineries, like the historic Cantine Damilano , which has a couple of wine shops where you can taste and purchase its barolo, barbera, and dolcetto.

Book now: Casa di Langa

Casa di Langa , in the Beyond Green portfolio of sustainable hotels and resorts operated by Preferred Travel Group, is conveniently located in the heart of the Langhe Hills near the top wineries. The 39-room hotel operates on 100 percent renewable energy, is plastic free, and recycles all of the water used to irrigate its vineyards. After exploring the nearby wineries, relax with a massage incorporating local honey and hazelnut oil at the spa.

I want the beautiful scenery of the Amalfi Coast, but without the crowds.

Ischia and ponza.

La dolce vita is all about mussels, clams, and a glass of crisp white Italian wine.

Try one of the islands, like Ischia in the Bay of Naples or Ponza, an island off the coast of Lazio. Ischia has become an increasingly popular destination, but it’s still scrappier than Capri, its glamorous sister island. Plus, it’s much larger than Capri, so there’s more room to spread out and more chances to explore the many beaches, charming towns like Forio, full of lively restaurants, bars, and boutiques, and wineries, and attractions like La Mortella and the Giardini Ravino botanical gardens. Ischia has been drawing travelers to soak in its natural thermal hot springs since the ancient Greeks arrived on its shores; you can enjoy the benefits of the island’s mineral-rich waters at thermal parks like Negombo and the Fonte delle Ninfe Nitrodi .

Ponza is popular among domestic tourists (especially Romans, given its proximity to Rome and its affordability) but lacks the international travelers that flock to Italy’s larger islands.

The landscape looks much like the Amalfi Coast, with Mediterranean plants, winding roads leading up vertiginous cliffs, and aquamarine waters, but it’s more down to earth and affordable. The action is mainly near the port, lined with pastel buildings housing holiday homes, restaurants, bars, and shops. Most of the beaches are rocky, but if you prefer sand, head to Cala Feola, a sweet little beach where you can spread your towel.

Book now: Albergo della Regina Isabella

In Ischia, the Albergo della Regina Isabella was created by publisher and filmmaker Angelo Rizzoli in the 1950s; staying there feels like stepping back into that era, thanks to the hand-painted tile floors and original furnishings. The place to stay in Ponza is Hotel Chiaia di Luna , which exemplifies the island’s breezy retro style.

OK, but where are the beaches that Italians actually go to?

Bed down in a country house like the Trullo del Melograno in Puglia.

Italy has more than 4,700 miles of coastline, so if you were to ask 100 Italians what their favorite beach is, you’d probably get 100 different answers. That said, Italians tend to flock south to Puglia, Sicily, and Sardinia in the summer.

Over the past 10 years, American travelers have started to become aware of Puglia, but the region has long been a favorite summer destination for Italians. The heel of the boot, Puglia has gorgeous beaches on both the Adriatic and Ionian coasts as well as at its southern tip, where the two seas meet. The Valle d’Itria, a particularly picturesque part of central Puglia, is home to whitewashed villages like Alberobello, Polignano a Mare, Cisternino, and Ostuni as well as gently rolling hills dotted with olive trees and trulli , ancient dwellings with conical roofs.

For the best beaches in Puglia, many Italians swear by those in Salento, the southernmost part of the region. There’s even a beach called Pescoluse that’s sometimes referred to as “the Maldives of Salento.” The beaches on the Ionian side are especially nice, with large stretches of sand and clear water that tends to be calmer than on the Adriatic side.

Book now: Borgo Egnazia

This member of the Leading Hotels of the World in the lush Valle d’Itria was a trailblazing resort in the region. It’s still one of the best places to stay because of its many amenities, including a Michelin-starred restaurant, beach club, luxurious spa, two pools, and events like the annual cherry festival that let guests experience a bit of Pugliese culture. Or you could rent a villa by the Thinking Traveller and stay in a trullo or a converted masseria (farmhouse).

I want to combine a bustling city with relaxation in the countryside. What’s a good combo?

Devote at least 48 hours to explore Florence.

Florence and the Val d’Orcia

These two make for a classic combination. You can have all the excitement of visiting one of Italy’s most important cities and then retreat to the Tuscan countryside for some R&R.

First-time visitors to Florence will want to see the city’s main sights, including the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, and Ponte Vecchio, gaze upon artistic treasures at the Uffizi and Galleria dell’Accademia , and indulge in local cuisine, like pici (a sort of long, thick spaghetti) and a hearty bistecca fiorentina , a steak of local Chianina beef. You’ll need a minimum of two or three days to see Florence’s major sights, like the Baptistery, whose 12th-century mosaics visitors can see up close while they’re being restored. Stay longer, or if you’re planning a return trip, dig a bit deeper by exploring the artsy Oltrarno neighborhood across the river from the centro storico and make time for smaller museums and galleries like Palazzo Strozzi , where you can see contemporary art exhibitions in a Renaissance palazzo.

After a few days in Florence, rent a car and venture about 70 miles south to Val d’Orcia in southern Tuscany. You can bike through the rolling hills, visit vineyards in Montalcino and Montepulciano, and take a cooking class at Podere il Casale , a working farm that produces cheese, charcuterie, olive oil, and wine. Spend an afternoon exploring the appealing Renaissance town of Pienza, where you can admire the hanging gardens of Palazzo Piccolomini and meet local artists and designers like Paolo Porcu Rodriguez, who makes leather bags, scarab jewelry, and colorful scarves with geometric prints inspired by the floors of the nearby Monte Oliveto Abbey at Officine 904 .

Book now: Borgo San Vincenzo

In Florence, consider staying in Oltrarno to escape the crowds. Betty Soldi and her partner Matteo Perduca—a modern-day Renaissance man and woman (he’s a lawyer and she’s a calligrapher)—run a handful of eclectically decorated B&Bs in historic buildings, including OltrarnoSplendid , AdAstra , and SoprArno Suites . In the Val d’Orcia, check into Borgo San Vincenzo , an intimate new resort occupying a handful of buildings from the 1700s with a lovely pool, bikes you can borrow, and a concierge team ready to customize an itinerary of the best things to do in the area.

I travel for the food. What’s the next emerging foodie destination?

You’ve likely had some great pizza in cities like Rome and Naples, but for Italy’s best pizza, head to Caserta. This small city about 25 miles north of Naples has two claims to fame: the Reggia di Caserta , an 18th-century royal palace built to rival Versailles, and pizza. The best mozzarella di bufala comes from this region, and where you have excellent mozzarella, you’re bound to have incredible pizza.

Explore royal palaces and eat the world’s best pizza in the same day—only in Italy.

It’s not just the superior ingredients that make the pizza special though. It’s the pizzaioli like Franco Pepe and Francesco Martucci, who are transforming those ingredients in innovative ways, using the techniques and equipment—dehydrators, flash freezers, fermenters, and sous-vide machines, for example—more often found in Michelin-starred restaurants than humble pizzerias.

An innovator when it comes to pizza, Franco Pepe and his pizzeria Pepe in Grani , in the hilltop village of Caiazzo, 25 minutes north of Caserta, were featured on the Netflix show Chef’s Table: Pizza .

Meanwhile, Pizzeria I Masanielli run by Francesco Martucci a few minutes from the Reggia di Caserta, was crowned the world’s best pizzeria by the judges at 50 Top Pizza. Both offer pizza tasting menus as well as à la carte options. But be warned: You’ll need to book a table a month or two in advance.

Book now: A Corte

There aren’t a lot of great hotels in Caserta, but there are plenty of modest B&Bs, like A Corte , which has four rooms near the medieval part of the city and a friendly owner who will drive you there.

Our new series The Next List reveals under-the-radar spots in well-trod places and the next great (less-crowded) places to visit this year. Check out our picks for where to go next in France , Europe , and Greece too.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

The Best Places to Visit in Italy

By Nicole Kliest

We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.

Making an argument for traveling to Italy is like convincing a pasta lover to eat a bowl of bucatini—it isn’t necessary. But choosing where to visit is another matter. After all, the country’s diversity is one of its strongest selling points. From high-altitude regions sharing borders with the likes of France and Switzerland in the north, to sun-drenched sea villages dotted along the wild coastlines of the south, one could spend an entire lifetime exploring Italy and still have only just gotten started.

A country informed by its impassioned people, arresting landscapes, ancient history, and about a million other things. Italy is an intensely rich tapestry of culture. Ernest Hemingway put it best when he wrote: “We only half live over here. The Italians live all the way.” Indeed, la dolce vita imbues just about everything in Italy, with tourists flocking to all corners of the country to bask in the afterglow of their immersive slow living.

So, why not adopt the Italian mindset and embrace a leisurely approach to traveling here this year? Pick a destination, savor it, and savor it some more. Continue below for your guide to some of the best places to visit in Italy this year, with a mix of both iconic and lesser-known locales (including beautiful hotels to book as your home base).

Road Tripping Through Puglia

Sun-soaked afternoons in pursuit of hidden swimming holes and spritz-fueled aperitivi are standard fare in Puglia . Six distinct provinces puzzle together Italy’s “heel of the boot,” which warrants renting a car and languidly exploring the region at your own pace. Keen to check out those iconic whitewashed cities? Ostuni is famous for that (though lesser-known Martina Franca and Locorotondo are both just as striking). In search of fresh cheese and wine? Burrata originates from Puglia, as does the flavorful indigenous grape variety, Primitivo. The region’s architecture spans from 17th- and 18th-century examples of Baroque architecture to traditional styles such as the masseria (fortified farmhouses, often converted into hotels) as well as those charming trulli in the Itria Valley. And for days by the sea, head further south to beaches like Torre Sant’Andrea and Baia Dei Turchi for turquoise-hued dips (the former is reached via a short hike through the woods).

Stay Here : Masseria Calderisi is a boutique hotel situated on a 17th-century farm that sprawls across 24 acres of ancient olive groves and citrus trees. While here, try to spot the two adopted rescue donkeys , Rosie and Momo.

Culinary Conquests in Modena

By Leah Faye Cooper

By Erik Morse

By Hannah Coates

While Bologna is arguably Emilia-Romagna’s most well-known city, the region is also home to another destination that’s of particular interest to foodies. “I spent a good deal of time over the winter in the small city of Modena, which has such an exciting and thriving food scene,” Bellini Travel Founder and CEO Emily FitzRoy says. Her top picks for a memorable meal? A couple of standouts come to mind. “Dinner at Franceschetta 58 cooked by young chef Francesco Vincenzi, or a modest bowl of tortellini in brodo at Aldina, a tiny osteria on the first floor of a building overlooking the buzzing Mercato Albinelli, which also has to be my favorite food market in all of Italy.”

Stay Here : Less than an hour away from Modena’s city center is Casa Conoscenti in Bologna. Set in a former 14th-century mansion and replete with historic finishes like original frescoes, this boutique property is understated yet striking.

Outdoor Adventure in the Dolomites

Whether during the wildflower-bloomed days of summer or in the powdery ski season, the Dolomites in northeastern Italy are an underrated Alpine paradise. “This mountainous area is a natural wonder, with amazing food and a mix of culture and history,” Alison Duray of luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent says. Outdoor experiences are the cornerstone of a visit to any of the villages, with common activities including via ferrata , hiking, and skiing in dramatic landscapes. “German is spoken in some towns right alongside Italian, and the food scene incorporates the same cultural mix, with hearty dumpling pasta and fresh mountain food products,” Duray says. Wine lovers should also take note of Trentodoc sparkling wines, which are made in the picturesque vineyards of Trentino-Alto Adige.

Stay Here : Forestis is a luxury eco-friendly wellness resort enveloped by nature, offering staggering views of the sawtoothed mountain peaks and forested valleys.

Wine Tasting in Montalcino

A quaint hilltop town in Tuscany’s countryside, Montalcino appears frozen in time with its rolling pastures, cobblestone streets, and medieval architecture. The region is famed for its prestigious wine—Brunello di Montalcino—which is made from the Sangiovese grape and draws in oenophiles from around the world to experience its complex, elegant flavors. “Experience this picturesque town with tastings at a family-run wine estate,” Duray suggests. Montalcino is arguably best experienced by bicycle, with views of hilly vineyards and meandering farm animals serving as your peripheral scenery while en route to a visit to Fortezza di Montalcino. This fortress was constructed in 1361 by the Sienese and its many nearby side streets are worth taking the time to get lost in. (Tip: While in town, swing by Bottega d’arte on Via Boldrini for a hand-painted ceramic to take home.)

Stay Here : Castello Banfi Il Borgo is a boutique property that’s owned and operated by one of the region’s most iconic wineries, Banfi. The sprawling property dates back several centuries and is surrounded by ancient olive groves and hilly vineyards.

Pastoral Leisure in Umbria

Escape the droves of tourists in Florence with a trip a couple of hours south to Umbria. This underrated region in central Italy is peppered with countless small villages oozing with charm, which makes both a road trip or train journey appealing modes of transit. (You can train here directly from Milan, Florence, and Rome.) Similar to other picturesque Italian countrysides, your days can be spent popping into old churches, roaming around puzzle-like cobblestone streets, and sampling local fare such as crostini with black truffles, porchetta, or fichi girotti (dried figs filled with flavors like toasted almonds or cocoa).

Stay Here : Borgo dei Conti Resort opens this summer under the direction of the hoteliers behind The Place in Florence and Londra Palace in Venice. This 13th-century property will now serve as a 50-room boutique hotel with an outdoor swimming pool overlooking the undulating Umbrian hillside.

Coastal Charm in Abruzzo

Just two hours east of Rome lies Abruzzo— a rustic region with rich culinary traditions and natural splendor. With the staggering Apennine Mountains serving as a gateway on one end and the gleaming Trabocchi Coast on the other, it’s no wonder Abruzzo is considered an underrated gem by locals and in-the-know travelers alike. While in the countryside, discover the local cuisine at Reale , an innovative restaurant at the helm of three-starred chef Niko Romito that honors terroir and tradition. Interested in sampling the region’s famous wines? Head for a tasting at Masciarelli’s striking estate situated in a 17th-century fortified palace. Then, you’ll need to make your way to the Adriatic to see a trabucco; a large wooden fishing machine. Some of these also function as restaurants, like Trabocco San Giacomo, which makes for an immersive, magical meal suspended above the sea.

Stay Here : Sextantio Santo Stefano di Sessanio is located in a restored fortified medieval village. An albergo diffuso (or ‘scattered hotel’), its rooms are spread across the village surrounded by local artisans in an effort to recreate what life was like here hundreds of years ago.

Pristine Swims in Sardinia

“Sardinia is another world, with a whole other language even, on the second largest island of the Mediterranean,” Duray says of the idyllic ‘ blue zone ’ (regions of the world where life expectancy is claimed to be longer than average). The island is beloved for its mountain villages as much as it is for the rocky coastline, with archeological sites and natural wonders at every turn. “The interior has an ancient history, visible through the nuraghi (stone constructions) going back millennia,” Duray says, adding that the famed beaches in the north are becoming more accessible “while not detracting from its gorgeous Emerald Coast .”

Stay Here : Gallicantu Stazzo Retreat is a lovely farmhouse retreat in the countryside with five rooms and two suites that overlook an almond grove. Take a dip in the pool beneath the shade of leafy trees and enjoy a wine tasting in the cavern with meats and cheeses from nearby farms.

Running Through Ruins in Rome

To say Rome is having a moment may feel trite—the nearly 3,000-year-old city doesn’t need much publicity these days. But a boom of notable hotel openings in the last couple of years has sharpened travelers’ attention toward the Eternal City, with Six Senses Rome, The Rome Edition, and Bulgari Hotel Roma as leading examples. While here, go off-the-beaten path with activities like an architecture stroll through the eccentric Quartiere Coppedè, a bespoke food tour with a local, or lacing up your sneakers for a colosseum tour with ArcheoRunning on a path not typically open to the public (bookable through Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese ).

Stay Here : Bulgari Hotel Roma is a visual feast, with note-perfect interiors by the Milanese studio Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel. Particularly special is the spa’s 20-meter indoor pool punctuated by eight arabesque marble columns.

Thermal Springs in Pantelleria

Sandwiched between two continents and off the coast of both Sicily and Tunisia, Pantelleria is one of Italy’s most enigmatic islands, requiring several flights to reach its craggy shores. Rent a small car or Vespa to zip around the narrow roads, discovering vineyards with volcanic soil, prehistoric villages, and underwater caves along the way. Pantelleria is also home to several hot springs where you can slather volcanic mud across your skin for a detoxifying holiday under the sun.

Stay Here : Luca Guadagnino’s 2015, A Bigger Splash was filmed on the island and visitors can rent the stunning villa it was filmed at, enjoying the 12 hectares of surrounding trees and vineyards and views overlooking the azure sea. (If you’re traveling with a smaller group, the individual, smaller dammusi are also available for rent.)

Art Hunting in Venice

With a ban on cruise ships entering its historic center, a proposal to limit day-trippers, and a goal of becoming a global sustainability leader, Venice is working toward a brighter future. If you’re planning a visit, support these efforts by not engaging with the ‘eat-and-go’ tourist flow and, instead, settling in for several days to more deeply appreciate the culture. “The art biennale in Venice looks to be the biggest one ever,” FitzRoy says, who points to the Zeng Fanzhi exhibition as a noteworthy highlight. “It includes a structure by Tadao Aando at the magnificent Misericordia which was one of the eight Scuole Grandi in the city and is one of my favorite buildings in Venice.”

Stay Here : The Venice Venice Hotel is within a restored palazzo in the historic city center and takes design cues from contemporary Venetian style with art peppered throughout the property (which required a five-year restoration).

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The 20 best things to do in Venice

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written by Ties Lagraauw

updated 11.04.2024

It’s not possible to see everything that Venice has to offer in one visit – and we don’t suggest you try. What follows, in no particular order, is a selective taste of the best things to do in Venice, from outstanding galleries and museums to busy markets and pristine churches.

This article is based on our Pocket Guide to Venice and verified by Martina, our Italy travel expert .

Admire the Basilica di San Marco

Visit the scuola di san giorgio degli schiavoni, go shopping at the rialto market, gaze at the 450-year-old san giorgio maggiore.

• Don't miss the Regata Storica

Discover the Punta della Dogana

Taste the best venetian wines, explore art works at treviso, the scuola grande di san rocco, visit former refugee islands torcello, experience the buzz at padua, the church of santi giovanni e paolo, make a day trip to verona.

• Visit "the central building of the world": Palazzo Ducale

Walk around at San Sebastiano

Visit the art collection at accademia, santa maria dei miracoli, gypsotheca e museo antonio canova, santa maria gloriosa dei frari, villa barbaro.

Piazza San Marco • Open to tourists Mon-Sat 9.30am–4.45pm, Sun 2–5pm; Loggia dei Cavalli is also open on Sun morning • Main part of the church is free, but fees are charged for certain sections

San Marco is the most exotic of Europe’s cathedrals and has always provoked strong reactions. To Herman Melville, it was beautiful and insubstantial – as though “ the Grand Turk had pitched his pavilion here for a summer’s day” . Mark Twain adored it for its “ entrancing, tranquillizing, soul-satisfying ugliness ”. Herbert Spencer found it “ a fi ne sample of barbaric architecture ” and to John Ruskin, it was the most gorgeous of holy places, a “treasure-heap…a confusion of delight”. 

The Basilica di San Marco is certainly confusing, increasingly so as you come nearer and the details emerge. Still, some knowledge of the building’s background helps bring a little order out of the chaos.

Editor's tip: When travelling to Venice, be sure to check out our guide on how to get around Venice to make it easier to explore this stunning city.

St. Mark's Basilica and St.Mark's Campanile above the San Marco square in Venice © Shutterstock

Tips from Martina

Italy Travel Expert

"Discover the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a hidden gem where art and history converge in stunning displays of Tintoretto's work. It's a quiet sanctuary from the bustling streets, offering a unique glimpse into Venice's soul."

Calle dei Furlani 3259a • Mon & Wed-Sun 10am–5.30pm • scuoladalmatavenezia.com – you can pre-book all visits, via the website

Venice has two brilliant cycles of pictures by Vittore Carpaccio – one is in the Accademia, and the other is in the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni , which sits beside a canal to the south of San Francesco. Venice’s relations with the Slavs (schiavoni) were not always untroubled – the city’s slave markets were originally stocked with captured Slavs, and in later centuries the settlements of the Dalmatian coast were a harassment to Venetian shipping. 

By the mid-fifteenth century, though, Venice’s Slavic inhabitants – many of them sailors and merchants – were sufficiently established for a scuola to be set up to protect their interests. After several years of meeting in the church of San Giovanni di Malta, the scuola built itself a new headquarters on the church’s doorstep at the start of the sixteenth century and summoned Carpaccio to brighten up the first-storey hall. 

Painted from 1502 to 1508, after the Accademia’s St Ursula cycle, Carpaccio’s pictures were moved downstairs when the building was rearranged in 1551, and the interior has scarcely changed since.

The Canals of Venice, Italy © Shutterstock

It was through the markets of the Rialto that Venice earned its reputation as the bazaar of Europe. Trading had been going on here for over four hundred years when, in the winter of 1514, a fire destroyed everything in the area except the church. 

The possibility of relocating the business centre was discussed but found little favour, so reconstruction began almost straight away: the Fabbriche Vecchie was finished eight years after the fire, with Sansovino’s Fabbriche Nuove following about thirty years later. 

Today’s Rialto market is much more modest than that of Venice at its peak, but it’s still one of the liveliest spots in the city and one of the few places where it’s possible to stand in a crowd and hear nothing but Italian-spoken.

Daily: April–Oct 9am–7pm; Nov–March 8.30am–6pm • Free, but there’s a charge for the campanile

Palladio’s church of San Giorgio Maggiore , facing the Palazzo Ducale across the Bacino di San Marco, is one of the most prominent and familiar of all Venetian landmarks. It is a startling building, with an impact that’s enhanced by its isolation on an island of its own. 

Designed in 1565 and completed 45 years later, San Giorgio Maggiore was a greatly influential solution to the chief problem of Renaissance church design: how to use classical forms in a structure that, with its high central nave and lower aisles, had no precedent in classical culture. 

Palladio’s answer was to superimpose two temple fronts: the nave being defined by an upper pediment supported by gigantic Composite columns, and the aisles by lower half-pediments resting on Corinthian pilasters. Inside, the relationship between the major Composite order and the minor Corinthian is maintained, so unifying the facade of the church and its interior. The scale of the building and the use of shadow-casting surfaces ensure that the design retains its clarity when viewed from across the water.

Venice carnival © Calin Stan/Shutterstock

Don't miss the Regata Storica

Held on the first Sunday in September , the Regata Storica is the annual trial of strength and skill for the city’s gondoliers and other expert rowers. It starts with a procession of historic craft along the Canal Grande course, their crews all decked out in period dress, followed by a series of races right up the canal. 

Re-enacting the return of Caterina Cornaro to her native city in 1489, the opening parade is a spectacular affair, and is followed by a race for young rowers in two-oared pupparini; the women come next (in boats called mascarete), followed by a race for canoe-like caorline; and then it’s the men’s race, in specialized two-man racing gondolas called gondolini. 

The Regata Storica has been increasingly marketed as a touristic spectacle, but there’s nothing artificial about the smaller regate that are held throughout the year: 

• the Regata di San Zanipolo (late June ); 
• the Regata di Murano (early July );
• the Regata di Malamocco (mid- July ); 
• the Regata del Redentore (during the Festa del Redentore); 
• the Regata di Pellestrina (early August ); 
• the Regata di Burano (late September ).

Epiphany Regatta in Venice © Shutterstock

Fondamenta della Dogana alla Salute • Mon & Wed–Sun 10am–7pm • Charge – combined ticket with Palazzo Grassi • palazzograssi.it

On the point where the Canal Grande and the Giudecca Canal merge stands the huge Dogana di Mare (Customs House), another late seventeenth-century building, which was serving as a customs office as recently as the mid-1990s but in 2009 became the Centro d’Arte Contemporanea Punta della Dogana.

Financed by François Pinault, the co-owner of Palazzo Grassi, the Dogana arts centre – like the Grassi – has been renovated to designs drawn up by the ever-subtle Tadao Ando. The exterior has been restored in a way that gives no indication of the building’s new function, and the shell of the interior has similarly been left unaltered, with massive wooden roof beams spanning walls of beautiful raw red brick.

Some three hundred works are usually on show at any one time, and Pinault has invested in many of the really big names of the current art scene, so you can expect to see pieces by the likes of Cindy Sherman , Luc Tuymans , Thomas Schütte and Marlene Dumas , to name but a few. Usually, exhibitions at the Dogana are twinned with equally vast shows at the Grassi.

The Veneto has been very successful at developing wines with French and German grape varieties (notably Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer) and now produces more DOC (Denominazione di origine controllata) wine than any other region. 

The three famed Veronese wines:  

• Valpolicella (red)
• Bardolino (red)
• Soave (white)

are sold all over the world, as is prosecco , from the area around Conegliano. Don’t miss a chance to sample the delicious Cartizze , the finest type of prosecco – and don’t turn your nose up at prosecco spento (without the fizz). 

Wines from neighbouring Friuli are well worth exploring too: the most common reds are Pinot Nero , Refosco , Raboso , Merlot and Cabernet , with Tocai, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon the most common whites.

Enjoying Venetian wine is one of the best things to do in Venice

Treviso is a smart and self-sufficient commercial centre and the capital of a province that extends to the north almost as far as Belluno, but to most tourists, it’s known merely as the place that the cheap flights go to. It deserves far more visitors than it gets – it’s a lively place and has some fine works of art, and the townscape within the sixteenth-century walls is often appealing too. 

A lack of local dressing stone led in the thirteenth century to the use of frescoes to decorate the houses, and these painted facades, along with the lengthy porticoes that shelter the pavements and the fast-running canals that cut through the centre, give many of the streets an appearance quite distinct from that of other towns in the region. 

Venice is rich in charming neighbourhoods, but where to stay during your visit? You can find the answer in our guide to the best places to stay in Venice .

Campo San Rocco • Daily 9.30am–5.30pm • Charge • scuolagrandesanrocco.it

Venice may not tell you much about Titian’s work that you didn’t already know, but in the case of Tintoretto the situation is reversed – until you’ve been to Venice, and in particular the Scuola Grande di San Rocco , you haven’t really got to grips with him. 

“As regards the pictures which it contains, it is one of the three most precious buildings in Italy, ” wrote Ruskin, and although the claim’s open to argument, it’s not difficult to understand why he resorted to such hyperbole. (His other votes were for the Sistine Chapel and the Campo Santo at Pisa – the latter was virtually ruined in World War II.) 

The unremitting concentration and restlessness of Tintoretto’s paintings won’t inspire unqualified enthusiasm in everyone: Henry James, though an admirer, found the atmosphere of San Rocco “difficult to breathe”. But even those who prefer their art at a lower voltage will find this an overwhelming experience.

Treviso, Italy @ Shutterstock

“Mother and daughter, you behold them both in their widowhood – Torcello and Venice. ” So wrote John Ruskin, and it’s almost impossible to visit Torcello without similarly sensing an atmosphere of bereavement. This outlying island has now come almost full circle. 

Settled by the very first refugees from the mainland in the fifth century, it became the seat of the bishop of Altinum in 638 and in the following year its cathedral – the oldest building in the lagoon – was founded. 

By the fourteenth century, its population had peaked at around twenty thousand, but Torcello’s canals were now silting up and malaria was rife. By the end of the fifteenth century, Torcello was largely deserted – even the bishop lived in Murano – and today fewer than a dozen people remain in residence.

Extensively reconstructed after the damage caused by World War II bombing, and hemmed in by the sprawl which has accompanied its development into the most important economic centre of the Veneto, Padua (Padova) is not at first sight as alluring as many of the region’s towns. It was, however, one of the most important cultural centres of northern Italy , and retains plentiful evidence of its impressive lineage in its churches, museums and frescoed interiors. 

It’s also the home of one of Italy’s major universities, which gives the city a buzz that’s unlike any other in the Veneto. Padua also was an artistic and intellectual centre: Donatello and Mantegna both worked here and in the seventeenth century Galileo conducted research at the university, where the medical faculty was one of the most advanced in Europe.

Padua, Italy @ Shutterstock

Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo • Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, Sun noon–6pm • Charge • basilicasantigiovanniepaolo.it

Like the Frari, the massive Gothic brick edifice of Santi Giovanni e Paolo – slurred by the Venetian dialect into San Zanipolo – was built for one of the mendicant orders which burgeoned in the fourteenth century. Supported largely by charitable donations from the public, the mendicants were less inward-looking than the older orders, basing themselves in large urban settlements and working to relieve the sick and the poor. 

Reflecting this social mission, their churches contain a vast area for the public congregation, and this requirement for space meant that they were usually built on the edges of city centres. In Venice, the various mendicant orders are scattered outside the San Marco sestiere. (The dedicatees of this church, by the way, are not the apostles John and Paul, but a pair of probably fictitious saints whose story seems to be derived from that of saints Juventinus and Maximinius, who were martyred during the reign of Julian, in the fourth century.)

With its Roman sites and streets of pink-hued medieval buildings, the irresistible city of Verona has more in the way of historic attractions than any other place in the Veneto except Venice itself. Unlike Venice, though, it’s not a city overwhelmed by the tourist industry, important though that is to the local economy. 

Verona is the largest city of mainland Veneto, and its success is largely due to its position at the crossing of the major routes from Germany and Austria to central Italy and from the west to Venice and Trieste. Set within the low amphitheatre that the wide River Adige has carved out of the hills, Verona conveys a sense of ease that you don’t find in the region’s other cities. 

As you walk past the great Roman arena along the embankments or over the bridges that span the broad curves of the Adige, you’ll be struck by the spaciousness of the city. With cars and buses barred from many of the squares and narrow medieval lanes of the historic centre, this is a city that invites dawdling.

Don't want to limit yourself to one city? Find out about the best day trips from Venice .

Verona during summer sunset © Rudy Balasko/Shutterstock

Visit "the central building of the world": Palazzo Ducale

Piazza San Marco • Daily: April–Oct 9am–7pm (Fri & Sat open till 11pm); Nov–March 9am–5.30pm • Entrance with Museum Pass or I Musei di Piazza San Marco card • palazzoducale.visitmuve.it

Architecturally, the Palazzo Ducale is a unique mixture. The style of its exterior, with its geometrically patterned stonework and continuous tracery walls, can only be called Islamicized Gothic, whereas the courtyards and much of the interior are based on Classical forms – a blending of influences that led Ruskin to declare it “the central building of the world”. 

Unquestionably, it is the finest secular building of its era in Europe, and the central building of Venice. The Palazzo Ducale was far more than the residence of the doge – it was the home of all of Venice’s governing councils, its law courts, a sizeable number of its civil servants and even its prisons. All power in the Venetian Republic and its domains was controlled within this one building.

Campo San Sebastiano • Mon–Sat 10.30am–1.30pm & 2.30–5pm • Charge / Chorus Pass • chorusvenezia.org

At the end of the Záttere the barred gates of the Stazione Maríttima deflect you away from the waterfront and towards the church of San Sebastiano . The parish church of Paolo Veronese, it contains a group of resplendent paintings by him that gives it a place in his career comparable to that of San Rocco in the career of Tintoretto, but the church attracts nothing like the number of visitors that San Rocco gets. 

Veronese was still in his twenties when, thanks largely to his contacts with the Verona-born prior of San Samuele, he was asked to paint the ceiling of the sacristy with a Coronation of the Virgin and the Four Evangelists. In the following decade he executed the last of the pictures, those on the organ shutters and around the high altar. 

Other riches include a late Titian of St Nicholas, and the early sixteenthcentury majolica pavement in the Cappello Lando, to the left of the chancel – in front of which is Veronese’s tomb slab.

Christmas tree in front of Palazzo Ducale, San Marco square, Venice, Italy © Shutterstock

Campo della Carità • Mon 8.15am–2pm, Tues–Sun 8.15am–7.15pm • Charge • gallerieaccademia.it

The Gallerie dell’Accademia – one of Europe’s finest specialized art collections – began its existence as an annexe to Venice’s school of art, the Accademia di Belle Arti. A Napoleonic decree of 1807 moved the Accademia to this site and instituted its galleries of Venetian paintings, a stock drawn largely from the city’s suppressed churches and convents. 

In 2013 the Accademia opened new ground-floor galleries for some three hundred paintings and sculptures that were previously in storage, a development that entailed moving the art college to the nearby Casa degli Incurabili. The upper floor now focuses on art up to the seventeenth century, with the lower galleries being devoted mainly to later artists, though there is still some chronological overlap. 

One-off exhibitions are also held in the new rooms. With San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale, the Accademia completes the triad of obligatory tourist sights in Venice, but admission is restricted to batches of three hundred people at a time, so if you’re visiting in high summer and don’t want to wait, get there before the doors open.

Campiello dei Miracoli • Mon–Sat 10.30am–1.30pm & 2.30–5pm • Charge / Chorus Pass • chorusvenezia.org

On the very edge of Cannaregio stands the church which Ruskin paired with the Scuola di San Marco as “the two most refined buildings in Venice” – the jewel-box-like Santa Maria dei Miracoli , usually known simply by the last word of its name.

Financed by gifts left at the painting’s nearby shrine, the church was most likely designed by Pietro Lombardo; certainly he and his two sons Tullio and Antonio oversaw the construction, and the three of them executed much of the carving. Richness of effect takes precedence over classical correctness on the exterior; pilasters are positioned close together along the sides to create the illusion of longer walls. 

Venetian folklore has it that the materials for the multicoloured marble cladding and inlays, typical of the Lombardi, were the surplus from the decoration of the Basilica di San Marco.

Magnificent view of the entrance towers to the arsenal of Venice - Castello, Italy © Shutterstock

Via Canova 74 • Tues–Sat 9.30am–6pm, Sun 9.30–7pm • Charge • museocanova.it

As you approach Possagno , a small town lodged at the base of Monte Grappa, one of the strangest sights in the Veneto hits you: a huge temple that rises above the houses like a displaced chunk of ancient Rome. It was built by Antonio Canova, one of the dominant figures of Neoclassicism, who was born here in 1757. 

The family home now houses a magnificent museum of his work, and just as you can’t come to grips with Tintoretto until you’ve been to Venice, an excursion to Possagno is essential to understanding Canova.

Campo dei Frari • Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 1–6pm • Charge • basilicadeifrari.it

San Zanipolo and Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari – customarily abbreviated to the Frari – are the twin Gothic giants of Venice. From the campanile of San Marco, they can be seen jutting above the rooftops on opposite sides of the Canal Grande, like a pair of destroyers amid a flotilla of yachts.

The campanile, the city’s tallest after San Marco’s, was finished in 1396; in recent years it has been substantially reinforced, having shown worrying signs of instability. The exterior, a mountain of bare brick, is relieved by just a few pieces of sculpture. On the west front, there’s a figure of The Risen Christ by Vittoria and a Virgin and St Francis from the workshop of Bartolomeo Bon. An impressive early fifteenth-century Tuscan relief of The Madonna and Child with Angels is set into the side of the left transept. As is so often the case in Venice, though, the outside of the church is a misleadingly dull prelude to a remarkable interior.

San Marco square from the water © Shutterstock

Via Cornuda 7, Masèr • April–Oct Tues–Sun 10am–6pm; Nov–mid-Dec & mid-Feb–March Sat & Sun 11am–5pm • Charge • villadimaser.it • Bus from Bassano or Treviso

The Villa Barbaro at Maser, 7km east of Ásolo, has a claim to be the most beautiful house in Italy, because the careers of two of the central figures of Italian civilization in the sixteenth century – Palladio and Paolo Veronese – crossed here and nowhere else. The villa was built in 1557–58 for Daniele and Marcantonio Barbaro, men whose diverse cultural interests set them apart from most of the other wealthy Venetians who were then beginning to farm the Veneto. Both were prominent figures in Venice. 

The association between Palladio and the brothers was very close by the time the villa was begun – in 1554 Daniele and Palladio had visited Rome, and they’d worked together on Barbaro’s edition of Vitruvius – and the process of designing the house was far more of a collaborative venture than were most of Palladio’s projects.

Looking to visit Venice? Talk to our local Italy experts to start creating the trip of your dreams. And to make sure you're well prepared for your trip, explore our list of Italy travel tips .

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9 of the best holiday destinations in Italy for 2024

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With a rich cultural heritage, fine cuisine and a Mediterranean climate, southern Europe ’s global tourist hotspot, Italy , gives dull summer holidays the boot – literally.

Famed for its romantic allure, dynamic mountain regions in the north meet idyllic islands in the south, plus there are mainland cities brimming with echoes of the past. Charming Positano fuses days spent sunbathing with sightseeing, fashion capital Milan boasts a wealth of delights for every season, and the olive groves and vineyards of the Tuscan countryside offer visitors a chance to live in the hills as the Romans did.

Whether a food lover, artist or history buff, feast your eyes (and stomach) on iconic landmarks and ancient architecture while enjoying a slice of authentic pizza on glamorous seaside shores.

From when to travel and where to stay, here are  The Independent’s  top Italian holiday destinations for city breaks, beach stays and countryside getaways where you can exprience la dolce vita .

Read more on Italy travel :

• Milan city guide: Best things to do and where to stay in Italy’s northern powerhouse
• Best hotels in Rome: See the Italian capital in style
• Italy travel guide: Everything you need to know before you go

Best for: History buffs

Rome  is home to art masterpieces, ancient mythology and the  Vatican City , the smallest country in the world. The passionate Italian capital is littered with ancient ruins, Roman villas, haunting temples and 13 heritage landmarks, including the  Colosseum  and the Pantheon. Within the walls of the historic centre, a Unesco World Heritage Site, indulging on streetside carbonara, tiramisu and fried artichokes to refuel from long days of sightseeing comes highly advised, after all, when in Rome ...

When to visit Rome

A good time to visit Rome is the spring shoulder season from March to May, as temperatures are warm but mild, and crowds are far more sparse than in the height of summer. Accommodation and flight prices tend to see better rates and average daily temperatures reach highs of 24C in May – perfect for sightseeing.

Where to stay

The exuberant  Mama Shelter Roma  in Prati offers quirky decor, three restaurants and a spa in the basement. A short walk from the Vatican, loud fabrics, lush greenery and comfortable bedrooms greet guests who can enjoy a Roman pizza and homemade gelato in the colourful lobby.

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Hotel Amenities

Health & wellbeing, amalfi coast, best for: seaside towns.

Italy’s rugged southern shore on the Sorrentine peninsula is 50km of world-famous pastel houses, fishing villages and magical grottos. From A-list hotspot Positano to Ravello, Amalfi and Vietri sul Mare, chic boutiques, cliffside lemon groves and grand villas dot the popular holiday destination, a taste of azure paradise at the foot of Monte Cerreto mountain. Keen hikers can trek the “Path of Gods”, old-mule trails through the picturesque villages, for the most breathtaking views of the awe-inspiring Amalfi Coast .

When to visit Amalfi Coast

It’s off-peak tourism season in May, September and October, which is an ideal time to enjoy the coastline with fewer tourists. Comfortable temperatures in the low to mid-20s are still pleasant for days on the beach as well as afternoon walks in the famous lemon groves that bloom in spring.

Palazzo Avino,  a 12th-century palazzo, boasts panoramic Amalfi views, stylish rooms and romantic garden terraces in Ravello. Antique accents, infinity pools and free shuttles to a private beach club on the coast give holidaymakers a taste of luxury before even dining in Rossellinis, the hotel’s Michelin-star restaurant.

Best for: Idyllic beaches

Off the west coast of mainland Italy, Sardinia ’s serene beaches and Emerald Coast ooze glamour. The opportunity to soak up the sun on quality sands attracts VIPs to decadent villas and superyachts on the Costa Smeralda every summer. The second largest Italian island has allure in abundance, with luxury spas and beaches on the coastline of Cagliari , the capital, and speciality regional dishes such as porcheddu (suckling pig) for tourists to try in between days spent living like a rockstar in Olbia.

When to visit Sardinia

The height of the summer holidays from June to August brings scorching temperatures, warm seas and luxury boats great for a beach holiday. With daily average temperatures of 32C in the hottest month (August), the renowned Mediterranean climate is a paradise for tourists. To swerve the sun seeking crowds, visit Sardinia in March for reduced room rates, calmer beaches and highs of 17C.

A few metres from Poetto Beach  Hotel Nautilus  in Cagliari exudes nautical style and authentic Italian vibes. Buffet breakfasts are complimentary and spacious sea-view rooms feature terraces and en suite bathrooms, some with outdoor whirlpool tubs. 

Best for: Retail therapy

Northern city Milan , Italy’s fashion and design capital, is home to heritage brands such as Prada, Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, renaissance art such Leonardo da Vinci’s mural The Last Supper , and the Gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral. For those who like the finer things in life, the undeniable style of the flashy metropolis in high-end stores, decadent architecture and bustling business districts, once part of Italy’s industrial Golden Triangle, has a unique lure.

When to visit Milan

September to December may see mild highs of around 18C and rainy days but are optimum conditions for those who wish to spend days in museums and shops on a budget. Ski holidays at nearby mountain resorts are also easily accessible from Milan.

The four-star  Avani Palazzo Moscova Milan Hotel  offers a small spa, outdoor terrace and contemporary Italian cuisine from inside Milan’s historic old railway building. It’s just five minutes to the cosmopolitan fashion hubs of Corso Como and Porta Nuova business district.

Best for: Italian charm

Glistening waters, romantic gardens and glamourous villages epitomise Italy’s third-largest lake. Lake Como’s Y-shaped body at the foot of the pine-fringed Alps is best enjoyed on picturesque private boat tours, secluded beaches and enchanting walks through the villages of Bellagio, Varenna and Tremezzo. The regal shores are dotted with ochre villas, fine dining and fashionable boutiques.

When to visit Lake Como

Head to Lake Como from April to June for mild weather, quiet shores and lower humidity. Highs of 25C bless the lake in June, but sporadic rain showers are not uncommon as Como’s gardens start to bloom.

Casa Sull’Albero , on the shores of Lake Como, features a minimalist design, airy natural furnishings and monochromatic bedrooms. Exploring leafy gardens, a small pool and activities, from wine tasting to water skiing, are on the itinerary for guests. There’s even an “honesty kitchen” stocked with local farm produce.

Best for: Walking holidays

The Dolomites ’ 18 peaks are a Unesco World Heritage mountain range in northeastern Italy. Sheer cliffs, dramatic valleys and glacial lakes populate the dynamic landscape and alpine adventures (skiing, hiking) and wellness holidays are abundant. Bordered by chocolate-box villages with winter markets and mountain museums, this Italian corner including South Tyrol, Trentino , and Belluno are great for chic stays in front of a breathtaking backdrop.

When to visit the Dolomites

June to September is an ideal time to visit the Dolomites on a hiking holiday. The region rarely tops 25C, a comfortable temperature for outdoor activities, and mountain huts are open on paths free from heavy snow and regulars on the skiing scene.

If quaint wooden rooms, cosy saunas and mountain views in the centre of Vipiteno are what you desire from a Dolomites holiday, then  Steindl’s Boutique Hotel  should fit the bill. Less than 100m from cycle trails, local restaurants and cable cars to the Monte Cavallo ski area.

Best for: Foodie delights

Medieval Bologna is a haven of culinary delights in the north of Italy. Swap afternoon teas for Aperol aperitifs and idle past Renassaince fountains to fairytale piazzas and al fresco gelato spots in the historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. The 11th-century university town houses collection of libraries, fine art and ancient squares – go on a food pilgrimage around the terracotta-tiled streets to best savour the taste of rich culture and cuisine in the home of bolognese.

When to visit Bologna

The best time to visit Bologna is in September and October, when the weather is still in the pleasant 20Cs but humidity levels are down. With autumn usually comes food festivals of local produce and dwindling crowds so better hotel rates.

I Portici Hotel , in the heart of Bologna, boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant, a bar and spacious rooms with intricately frescoed ceilings. A five-minute walk from Bologna Central Station, a lively atmosphere and park view terrace welcome guests to the historic town. 

Siena, Tuscany

Best for: country landscapes.

The scenic Tuscan countryside is made up of rolling hills, leafy olive groves and world-famous vineyards. Siena , a raised medieval city with ancient piazzas and an old-world soul, sits amid distant green and brown fields, vines and lines of Cypress trees. Be charmed by the terracotta districts, unique museums and a wealth of tradition – including hosting the thrilling Palio horse race in the cobbled central streets – all an easy bus ride from the rest of Tuscany’s mesmerising sights.

When to visit Siena

Visitors should plan a trip from May to June. Crowds are more manageable, the Tuscan landscape is at its most vibrant and weather conditions reach highs of around 25C. However, for cheaper flights and quieter piazzas, visit off-peak in autumn to watch the leaves change colour.

Hotel Palazzo di Valli  is an 18th-century villa built in traditional Tuscan style just 400m from the historic heart of Siena, with rooms featuring valley views, ornate Italian decor and authentic ceiling frescoes. 

Palermo, Sicily

Best for: cultural classics.

Sicily, a volcanic paradise island of seafront resorts and cultural treasures is best absorbed in the musical capital, Palermo . The third largest opera house in Europe, theatrical architecture and echoes of Norman royalty make Palermo’s diverse landscape a hot spot for creative travellers in a fusion of occupier's past. Awash with beaches, chapels and authentic street food markets, a week in Sicily would not be complete without days in Palermo’s ancient world.

When to visit Palermo

The shoulder seasons of autumn and spring are the best time to visit Sicily, as the sweltering temperatures of summer begin to rise and fall to 20C but balmy evenings can still be spent tasting wine with only a light jacket required. Money-saving travellers should visit in winter – between December and Feburary – for the best deals and fewer crowds.

Villa Igiea  offers world-class service on the Bay of Palermo. The pricey luxury villa has elegant suites, an outdoor swimming pool and a restaurant serving Sicilian specialities – all just a stone’s throw from pristine beaches, museums and ancient catacombs.

Headed for a holiday in the Italy this year? Here’s everything you need to know before you go

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19 Places to Visit in Italy and Why

Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It has so much to explore when it comes to history and beaches, making it one of the prime vacation spots. Here are 19 places to visit in Italy and why. 

Rome is a city mixed with history while still having all of the latest amenities. It’s common to walk across ancient buildings on your travels through the city. For example, Creative Travel Guide writes, “The city’s history is so integrated into its soul that it has become interwoven with the modernization and technology you’ll also come across.”

Known as the city on water, Venice has some spectacular views. You can take a famous gondola ride along the canals or visit St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace. There’s so much unique architecture to explore in Venice, as well as lots of museums and galleries. 

If you’re a fan of art, then Florence is the perfect place to visit in Italy. You can admire Renaissance paintings at the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery. There’s also the Florence Cathedral to visit, with the dome by Brunelleschi. Why not spend an afternoon strolling Ponte Vecchio and exploring the historic city center? 

If you decide to head to Milan, you’ll want to visit Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, The Last Supper, and the famous Gothic Duomo di Milano. There’s lots of high-end shopping available in Milan, as it’s a city heavily focused on fashion. You’ll find all your favorite Italian designers in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. 

Visit Naples writes, “A trip to Naples is a kind of experience that will give you surprises in every corner of the streets and, mostly, the desire to come back here again.” There’s so much to discover regarding the city’s history, which you’ll find in the historic center and the Naples National Archaeological Center. 

Cinque Terre

You can enjoy the coastal landscapes that Cinque Terre has to offer by hiking between picturesque villages such as Vernazza and Corniglia. Cinque Terre also has delicious local cuisine to sink your teeth into, which you can eat with some spectacular views of the Mediterranean. 

Amalfi Coast

There are so many beautiful coastal towns to explore on the Amalfi coast, such as Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. It’s a scenic part of the country with cliffs and small beaches, and it’s famous for its lemon groves. For a day out, you can take a boat to Capri, a small island just off the coast. 

Sicily is an island in the south of Italy and it has so much to offer. You can visit the ancient Greek ruins in the Valley of the Temples and the Roman mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale. If you prefer a more adventurous vacation, then there’s Mount Etna to climb, which is Europe’s largest active volcano.  

If you enjoy relaxing, then you’ll love the stunning beaches along Costa Smeralda in Sardinia. Otherwise, you can explore the Nuragic ruins and learn about the ancient history of the island. There are plenty of outdoor activities to keep you entertained, such as hiking, scuba diving, and sailing.

You’ll find Bologna in the north of Italy. As the name suggests, it’s famous for its bolognese sauce, which you’ll want to try if you visit the city. Bologna is rich in history and has many medieval towers and the University of Bologna, which is the oldest in Europe. 

Turin is the country’s fourth-largest city, and is especially exciting if you enjoy history. This is supported by Lonely Planet , which writes, “It has a fascinating historic center and a long list of monuments, galleries, and world-class museums.” You can also visit the Royal Palace of Turin or enjoy the view from Mole Antonelliana.

If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, then you’ll want to visit Verona for Juliet’s house in Romeo and Juliet. There are also plenty of other things for you to do, such as heading to the Roman Arena or strolling through the historic city center. There are also many delicious wines to try, such as the local Valpolicella.

If you decide to head to Lake Como, you’ll want to visit Bellagio, Varenna, and Como. These towns are all unique and have stunning views of the lake. You can enjoy activities such as boating on the lake or visiting the grand villas and gardens. Lake Como is a great place to relax thanks to its Alpine views. 

Pisa is famous for its leaning tower. You can walk up and explore the tower and you can even visit the adjacent cathedral. The city center is full of history, with bustling squares to stop off for a coffee and watch the world go by.

Genoa has plenty of places to visit, such as the historic port, the aquarium, and the maritime museum. You can also take a stroll through the old town and see the famous palaces along Via Garibaldi. You may also want to take a day trip to the beautiful coastal village of Portofino.

If you head to Lucca, you can visit the well-preserved Renaissance walls and enjoy walking or cycling to the top of them. Lucca also has many historic churches and palaces for you to discover in the city center. If you vacation in Lucca at the right time, you’ll be able to attend one of their cultural festivals. 

Città di Perugia tells us, “Perugia is a city full of ‘secrets’ to disclose: the suggestion is to explore it with curiosity to fully appreciate the excitement and fascination of discovery.” You can visit its medieval center and explore its historic buildings and Etruscan walls. 

Aosta Valley

Aosta Valley has some incredible scenic views of the Alps, including Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. While on your trip, you can visit ancient Roman ruins and medieval castles. If you head to Aosta Valley in the winter, then there’ll be plenty of winter sports to try out, and in the summer, you’ll have lots of hiking opportunities.

The ancient caves in Sassi di Matera became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and are well worth a visit if you head to Matera. You’ll also be able to learn about the city’s history and culture at the Casa Grotta, or Cave House, museum. Matera is full of unique landscapes and architecture with breathtaking viewpoints.

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The Best Places To Visit In Italy And Why

t aly is a treasure trove of captivating destinations, each offering unique experiences and attractions. Here are some of the best places to visit in Italy and the reasons why they are so special:

• Rome: As the capital city and a cradle of Western civilization, Rome is a must-visit destination. The city is home to iconic historical sites such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Pantheon, which offer glimpses into the grandeur of the ancient Roman Empire. St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, located within the independent Vatican City, house some of the world's most significant art and religious treasures.
• Florence: Known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is an art lover's dream. Visitors can admire masterpieces by Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci at the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery. The city's beautiful architecture, including the Florence Cathedral and the Ponte Vecchio, adds to its timeless charm.
• Venice: Famous for its picturesque canals and romantic ambiance, Venice is a unique and enchanting city. Visitors can explore the labyrinthine streets, take a gondola ride through the canals, and visit world-renowned landmarks like St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace.
• Amalfi Coast: The Amalfi Coast is a stunning stretch of coastline in southern Italy, dotted with charming towns like Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. The dramatic cliffs, crystal-clear waters, and colorful buildings make it a popular destination for travelers seeking relaxation and natural beauty.
• Cinque Terre: Translated as “Five Lands,” Cinque Terre is a collection of five fishing villages perched on the rugged cliffs of the Italian Riviera. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and offers stunning coastal hiking trails, delicious seafood, and picturesque panoramas.
• Tuscany: Tuscany's rolling hills, vineyards, and medieval towns have captured the hearts of travelers for centuries. Cities like Siena and Lucca boast historic charm, while the city of Pisa is famous for its iconic Leaning Tower.
• Milan: A global fashion and design capital, Milan is known for its chic style and modern architecture. The city's artistic and cultural scene, exemplified by the magnificent La Scala Opera House and Leonardo da Vinci's “The Last Supper,” adds to its allure.
• Naples and Pompeii: Naples is a vibrant and chaotic city known for its delicious Neapolitan pizza and rich history. Nearby, the ancient city of Pompeii, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, provides a fascinating glimpse into Roman life.
• Sicily: The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily offers a captivating mix of history, culture, and stunning landscapes. From the ancient Greek ruins of Agrigento to the charming town of Taormina with its views of Mount Etna, Sicily's diversity is a treat for travelers.
• Sardinia: Known for its pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters, Sardinia is a paradise for beach lovers and nature enthusiasts. The island's unique culture and traditional festivals add to its allure.

Each of these destinations in Italy has its own distinct charm, history, and attractions, making the country a top choice for travelers seeking an unforgettable and enriching experience. Whether you're interested in art, history, gastronomy, or simply savoring the beauty of nature, Italy has something to offer everyone

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