Best Places To Visit In Italy – This boot-shaped country in Southern Europe is one of the world’s most popular travel destinations for a variety of reasons, including art treasures, charming towns, passionate people, and world-class cuisine. It’s a place where you can see some of the world’s most famous landmarks, including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain, to name a few.
There’s also the opportunity to see well-known Renaissance masterpieces and shop for high-end fashion. Italy has a magnificently rich array of sumptuous natural scenery to offer, as well as numerous opportunities to get out into nature. Cinque Terre, Sardinia, and the Dolomites all have spectacular landscapes and hiking trails.
There are many reasons and best places to visit in Italy. Be it architecture, trendy fashion, stunning landscapes, passionate people and top-class cuisine, Italy has everything one asks for in a perfect travel destination.
This immensely popular country located in Southern Europe named Italy is one among the world’s topmost travel destinations for various reasons.
Italy has so much to offer like it’s architecture, history that it might take visitors a lifetime to explore.
Best Places To Visit In Italy
Table of Contents
20. Siena
Siena is technically a hill town in Tuscany. However, it is such a fantastic place to visit that it warrants its own mention. Siena is similar to Florence in many ways, but it is quieter and smaller. We actually preferred Siena to Florence. There’s just something about this town that drew us in. You might fall in love with it as well.
19. Sorrento
Sorrento, a popular tourist destination located on the Amalfi Coast is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy.
You can explore the historic ruins of Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri through Sorrento.
The natural heavenly views of Naples, Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri can be seen in this Sorrentine Peninsula.
The transportation system in Sorrento is served by ferries or boats from Naples or Capri.
Main Sights Of Sorrento
- 1. Amalfi Coast
- 2. Marina Grande, port of Sorrento
- 3. Marina Piccola, small port of Sorrento
- 4. Park of Villa
- 5. Piazza Tasso
- 6. Museo della tarsia lignea (intarsia)
- 7. Museum Correale (Museo Correale di Terranova)
- 8. Via San Cesareo, Sorrento’s main shopping street
- 9. Cathedral of Sorrento (Santi Filippo e Giacomo Cathedral)
- 10. Church of Santi Felice e Baccolo
Time Needed To Visit Sorrento
Since Sorrento has so much to offer I recommend you to spend at least three days here to get maximum amount of enjoyment. But if you are in hurry you can visit it in a day also.
18. Capri
The island of Capri, located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic.
This is a small mountainous island that you can visit by hiring a boat in Sorrento. I suggest you to take a boat ride around the entire island. And make sure you visit the Blue Grotto and take a chairlift to get a high peak view of Mount Solaro.
You can visit Capri in a day but it’s upto you if you want to stay on the island for a few days.
The main features of Capri are, the Belvedere of Tragara, the town of Anacapri, the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra), the ruins of the Imperial Roman villas, Marina Piccola.
The island of Capri is surrounded by the vistas of various towns including Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Sorrento, Nerano, and Naples.
17. Lake Como
Since ancient Romans escaped Milan’s summer heat to cool off in villas along its steep beaches, Como has been a popular summer hideaway of the affluent and famous. Later villas adorn its densely packed cities, particularly the lovely Bellagio, which is skillfully positioned on a spot where the lake’s three narrow arms meet.
Como’s western shore is mild even in winter due to a microclimate, thus the white peaks of the Alps to the north can be seen amongst palm trees and camellias. Don’t miss the town of Como on the lake’s southern shore, which is well worth a visit before boarding a steamer to explore the lake.
Lake Maggiore, to the west of Lake Como, has its own charms, and Lake Garda, to the east, is a summer playground with water sports and other activities.
16. Emilia-Romagna
Situated in the northeast section of Italy, Emilia-Romagna is one of the twenty adminstrative regions of the country. The capital city of Emilia-Romagna is Bologna.
Apart from being the most beautiful region, Emilia-Romagna is one of the wealthiest and developed regions of Europe with the third highest GDP per capita in Italy.
Emilia-Romagna is a home of automotive companies such a Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Pagani, De Tomaso, Ducati and Dallara.
You can also visit one of the most popular coastal resorts here such as Cervia, Riccione, Rimini and Cesenatico.
No wonder why in 2018, the Lonely Planet named Emilia-Romagna the best place to see in Europe.
15. Puglia
Puglia, also called Apulia is a region of Italy whose coastline is longer than that of any other mainland Italian region.
Puglia has always been a favourite of mine, and I like getting to know it better with each visit. My curiosity led me to the tiny village of Ostuni a few years ago, and what I discovered there has kept me coming back ever since.
A white-washed hilltop town, it could be Greece at first glance, but come around 8 or 9 p.m. in the summer, when local families spill out onto the street to enjoy a meal al fresco in the balmy evening sun, you’ll be left in no doubt that this is Italy at its most authentic.
Bari is the capital city of Puglia and also the largest by area. From here you can hire a taxi across the Adriatic Sea to the Balkan Peninsula.
Puglia is a home to two national parks, Gargano National Park and the Alta Murgia National Park.
There are a number of castles you can visit in Puglia which were built in the area by Roman Emperor Frederick II.
The famous castle, ” Castel del Monte “, sometimes called the “Crown of Apulia” is worth a visit.
The climate here in Puglia is hot and sunny in summer and mild and rainy in winter and snowfall is very rare here especially on the coast.
The main attraction of the region is the town of Alberobello, which attracts most of the visitors here with its whitewashed conical huts.
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14. Sardinia
The second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, called Sardinia is located South of Corsica and to the north of Tunisia.
Sardinia is home to one of the best beaches in the world with extraordinary views and at a short distance away from some of the best restaurants and bars.
Well, other than the beautiful sandy beaches that this heavenly island has, this famous island’s mountainous interior is something you can’t miss.
Top Places : Costa Smeralda, Cagliari and Su Nuraghe of Barumini.
Time Required To Visit Sardinia : Well a few days would be perfectly fine to visit the main highlights. But staying a bit longer would leave you some time for hiking and visiting some historical places.
13. San Marino
Located near the Adriatic Sea this independent nation called San Marino is fully surrounded by Italy.
The capital city of this beautiful location is same San Marino, and is a hilly region with medieval streets full of cafes and shops.
San Marino is obviously worth a visit in your life. The foods, locations, views everything is just perfect.
Top Places To Visit In San Marino : Piazza Della Liberta, Guita and Cesta Towers, Cava dei Balestrieri and a few museums if you like.
Time Required To Visit San Marino : As per the time required to visit San Marino, I think a day would be fine if you are in a hurry. Otherwise I think you should stay here for a few days to enjoy it fully.
12. Naples
Naples, one of the busiest metropolitan cities in Italy is the capital of the Campania region in Southern Italy. The beautiful town of Naples offers it’s visitors a treasure trove of art works and historic sites, vibrant atmosphere of outlets , restaurants and nightlife venues.
Many world famous favorite Italian foods are originated from here like pizza, spaghetti and parmigiana. These dishes are taken seriously in Naples and typically feature fresh, locally grown ingredients.
This beautiful region is nearby famous sites just like the Bay of Naples and Pompeii. Naples presents a perfect base to remain while exploring the world .
11. Italian Lake District
The Italian Lake District stretches across Northern Italy. The southern ends of most of the lakes here in Lake District are relatively flat but it’s northern ends are mountainous because the lakes reach deep into Alps .
The very famous tourist destination for over 100 years, the Italian Lakes combine weather with attractive scenery.
Garda is the largest lake in The Italian Lake District and offers stunning scenery, especially in its mountainous northern stretches. Como is also equally stunning, with forested slopes rising directly from the water’s edge.
Further west, Maggiore is not as popular as compared to the mentioned above yet it is even more beautiful, with several popular family resorts.
10. Sicily
Sicily, one of the most important island within the Mediterranean, is an autonomous region of Italy that also includes several smaller isles.
Sicily is separated from the mainland region of Calabria by the two mile Straits of Messina.
Apart from being home to each great Mediterranean civilization, this famous island called Sicily is rich in art and history; from Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples to Palermo’s Baroquechurches.
The island’s most striking geological feature is Etna , Europe’s tallest active volcano.
The largest island in Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is home to Mt. Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
Sicily is also home to one of the best and gorgeous beaches in the world, ancient Roman and Greek ruins and hundreds of castles.
Top Places : Greek Theatre of Taormina, Mt. Etna, Aeolian Island, Temple of Concordia at Valley of the Temples and Palermo the capital city of Sicily.
Time Required To Visit Sicily : If you are short of time, the three days trip would be fine. You could relax on the beaches and visit the main highlights in three days.
But I would suggest you to stay here for seven to ten days because this island has much to offer that can be seen in a week or two.
9. Cinque Terre
Well, the meaning of the word ” Cinque Terre ” is “Five Lands,” and the reason behind this is because Cinque Terre comprises the five villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso and Corniglia.
The most beautiful villages of Cinque Terre, located in Italy’s northwestern coastal region of Liguria, feature a number of the Italy’s most beautiful landscapes that include steep cliff sides and wine terraces dating back to many years.
This gems filled area in terms of natural beauty called Cinque Terre boasts a centuries-old complex of hiking paths that provide a number of Italy’s most stunning coastal views.
All five villages of Cinque Terre are connected together with ” The Blue Trail ” and is suitable for all ages.
8. Milan
Although Milan serves as a key entrance point for tourists due to its airport, it is frequently neglected as a destination in its own right. That’s a shame, because Milan offers one of the highest concentrations of creative and architectural attractions in all of Italy, and it’s a must-see for anybody interested in design and fashion (not to mention shopping).
Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Verdi, Enrico Caruso, Toscanini, and designer Giorgio Armani have all called Milan home and workplace.
This nearly destroyed area from heavy bombing during WWII called Milan, has since reconstructed and now shines together of the wealthiest cities in Europe.
Milan is mainly considered to be a mega fashion center full of designer shops. What attracts many tourists to Milan is the treasures like Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Last Supper , the La Scala opera , the Castello Sforzesco and one among the world’s largest Gothic cathedral.
Milan is very different from other Italian cities in terms of it’s architecture and sometimes appears to be less Italian compared to the country’s predominantly other historic cities and more of a glamorous city with modern world architecture.
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7. Amalfi Coast
Just south of Naples, the high, precipitous Amalfi Peninsula juts sharply into the Mediterranean, forming the southern margin of Naples Bay. It’s difficult to imagine a more picturesque—or unlikely—setting for the cities that strew down its high slopes.
Most streets are stairways, and houses appear to be stuck to the cliffs behind them. Flowers blossom everywhere, and beaches are tucked away in emerald nooks beneath the villages.
The Amalfi Drive, which runs along the southern coast, is one of the world’s most beautiful drives. Capri, with its Blue Grotto marine grotto, magnificent mansions, and beautiful gardens, is located at the tip of the peninsula and is easily accessible by regular boats. Sorrento, on the northern coast of the Amalfi Peninsula, is a good base and an accessible day excursion from all of the region’s attractions.
The Amalfi Coast, situated in Italy’s southwestern region of Campania, is said to be among one of the best scenic areas for a drive.
Amalfi Coast, stretching 30 miles along the southern side of the Sorrento Peninsula is prized for its picturesque coastline that features shimmering bays, craggy cliffs, lemon gardens, multicolored villas and ritzy resorts.
One of the foremost romantic and posh towns along the Amalfi Coast is Positano with its beautiful pebbled beaches, pastel houses and scenic mountains.
Positano, Amalfi and Salerno, the towns on the Amalfi Coast are our top suggestions for you to visit there.
6. Pisa & Lucca
These two neighbouring towns are worth a visit while in Tuscany, the one for the outstanding Campo dei Miracoli complex and the second for its lovable characteristics.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is actually the campanile for the nearby cathedral, is a well-known Italian icon and the centrepiece of a UNESCO World Heritage site that also includes the cathedral, baptistery, and Campo Santo.
The finely carved free-standing pulpit by Nicola Pisano, a masterwork of Romanesque art, is the focal point of the spectacular baptistery. Lucca, a nearby town with large walls and a tree-lined park, is one of Italy’s most lovely places to explore and enjoy. Beautiful Romanesque and Tuscan Gothic churches, tower residences (one of which you may climb to the top), and a Roman arena that has been “fossilised” into an oval piazza can be found inside.
5. Pompeii
One among Italy’s most visited tourist destinations, Pompeii may be a famous Roman city which was buried under several feet of volcanic ash for nearly 1,700 years after the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Excavation of Pompeii began in 1748, and therefore the site is yet to be totally unearthed.
The location is found near the fashionable city of Naples. A tour of Pompeii offers a desirable insight into the lifestyle of the traditional Roman world.
Visitors can walk along the traditional streets to ascertain the remains of bakeries, brothels and baths.
Mt. Vesuvius erupted forcefully and suddenly in AD 79, destroying the bustling Roman city of Pompeii and encasing it in six metres of ash and pumice-stone for more than a millennium.
The city was trapped in time until excavations began in the 18th century, when more than half of its structures and public spaces were discovered.
The same explosion inundated Herculaneum, but this time in molten lava rather than ash. Instead of showering down and shattering structures, the lava flowed in and filled the city from the ground up, sustaining and preserving walls and ceilings as it rose.
Organic elements such as wood, textiles, and food were also preserved in this airtight seal, providing a more complete picture of life in the first century.
4. Florence
Florence, the epicentre of the Italian Renaissance, might appear to be one gigantic art gallery at times. The Duomo, or Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, is a world architectural icon crowned by a gigantic dome that defies gravity. This is one of the world’s best Renaissance art ensembles, with its marble-inlaid bell tower by Giotto and its octagonal Baptistery with outstanding bronze doors by Ghiberti.
A half-dozen art museums are brimming with paintings and sculpture, and its churches are adorned with even more gems. Before you overdo it on art at the Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace, take a stroll through the Boboli Gardens and explore the Oltrarno’s craftsmen’ studios and workshops, or go leather shopping in Santa Croce.
3. Venice
Who couldn’t fall in love with a city whose streets are made of water, whose buses are boats, and where gondoliers’ songs float in the air? It is a magical city, and the city itself is the main draw for travellers.
The city’s focal point is the vast Piazza San Marco, often known as St. Mark’s Square, which is bordered by several of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. The massive Basilica of St. Mark is next to the Doge’s Palace, and the tall Campanile towers over both.
One of the foremost beautiful destinations in Europe, Venice may be a unique city therein is made upon a lagoon surrounded by the Adriatic .
Venice, one of the most visited destinations in the world is an archipelago of 118 islands all connected by many beautiful bridges and scenic canals. Of the canals, the Grand Canal is most famous and divides the town into two sections.
Picturesque waterways and historic architecture make Venice one among the foremost romantic cities within the world.
Venice is usually crowded but well worth visiting to ascertain its magnificent landmarks like Saint Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doge’s Palace and Rialto Bridge.
One among the foremost popular things to try to to is to require a gondola ride along one among its many canals.
2. Tuscany
Tuscany is the most famous region of Italy having images of lovely rolling hills, olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees.
The many pleasures of Tuscany include tasting wine in Chianti, simply relaxing in hill towns like San Gimignano or exploring Renaissance art in Florence.
The medieval city of Siena also holds excellent works of art while its historic center is one among the foremost popular places to go to in Italy.
Elba, the most important of several Tuscan islands, offers great beaches while Pisa is world-famous for its Leaning Tower .
Tuscany’s undulating scenery is capped by stone villages whose foundations date back to the Etruscans. Each is perched on a hill, and several still have the castles and turrets that formerly protected their dominating positions.
It’s tough to pick one over the others because each has its own architecture, art, personality, and tale to tell. San Gimignano, which is brimming with towers and surrounded by mostly intact walls, seems much as it was in the Middle Ages, when it was an important halt on the pilgrims’ road to Rome.
Volterra was an important Etruscan hub before the Romans arrived, and remnants of both cultures can still be found today.
Arezzo’s tourism attractions are the heritage of the city’s great artists, architects, and poets.
Walled Cortona, like Volterra, was an Etruscan settlement and afterwards a Roman one, but it also has traces of its Florentine past. Cortona is one of the oldest towns in Italy. The proximity of these hill towns to the cities of Florence, Siena, Pisa, and Luca fills Tuscany with several of Italy’s top locations to visit.
1. Rome
Formerly the capital of the Roman Empire , Rome today is that the government seat and capital city of Italy.
Located within the country’s central region of Lazio, Rome may be a vast and sophisticated city that’s both historic and modern at an equivalent time.
Best known for housing ancient Roman structures and therefore the Vatican City , Rome has endured for quite 2,500 years as a crucial center for culture, power and religion.
From ancient romantic plazas to stunning cathedrals and Renaissance architecture, there’s such a lot to ascertain and neutralize Rome, that it could take months or maybe years to ascertain it all.
For most tourists visiting to Italy, Rome ranks first on their list of locations to see, both for its past as the capital of much of Europe and for its current role as one of Europe’s most active cities. The Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, the Appian Way, and the Palatine Hill are among the greatest attractions, competing with the Vatican’s vast riches.
But, in between the major attractions, such as the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s Pieta, spend some time to experience the city itself. Relax in the Borghese gardens, enjoy gelato on the Spanish Steps, stroll through Trastevere’s small lanes, window-shop on the Via Veneto, and toss a coin in Trevi Fountain to return again and again. It will take numerous visits to see everything.
So this was our list of the ” Best Places To Visit In Italy ” hope you enjoyed reading.
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