This boot-shaped country in Southern Europe is a top tourist destination for many reasons, including its art treasures, attractive villages, passionate people, and world-class cuisine.
It’s a destination where you can view some of the most iconic sites in the world – the leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, to mention but a few.
Top 10 Places to Visit in Italy
You can go to museums housing Renaissance masterpieces and boutiques selling designer wear. Italy is home to breathtaking landscapes and a plethora of outdoor recreation options. Incredible landscapes and excellent hiking trails can be found in Cinque Terre, Sardinia, and the Dolomites.
Travelers to Italy have a wide variety of options for how to spend their time in the country, from exploring ancient Roman ruins and the ruins of Pompeii to lounging beside one of Italy’s many lakes and taking in the splendour of the Amalfi Coast.
Italy has so many attractions that discovering them all would take a lifetime. Use our guide to the best of Italy to help you organise your vacation to this Mediterranean paradise.
1. Milan
After being nearly wiped out by bombing during WWII, Milan has rebuilt to become one of Europe’s wealthiest cities.
Generally known as a giant fashion city abounding in designer shops, Milan also attracts people to its surviving world famous treasures including Leonardo da Vinci’s artwork, The Last Supper, the La Scala Opera House, the Castle Sforzesco and one of the world’s largest Gothic churches.
Milan is a bustling metropolis in the Italian province of Lombardy, close to the Alpine and Lake District tourist attractions. Milan, with its more glitzy, modern architecture and attractions, gives off a less Italian vibe than the country’s more historically significant cities.
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2. Naples
Naples, the capital of the Campania region in southern Italy, is one of the busiest metropolitan areas in the country. As it is adjacent notable locations like the Bay of Naples and Pompeii, Naples presents a perfect base to stay while exploring the area.
Naples is one of the largest historic city centres in the world, packed with historic monuments, Baroque churches, and Roman remains, providing an endless feast for history and art buffs.
In addition to Roman baths and volcanic craters, the area surrounding the city offers beautiful scenery, gorgeous homes, fashionable hotels, and castles. The National Archaeological Museum in Naples displays a magnificent collection of artistic works and antiquities discovered from the ruins of Pompeii, and the enormous Piazza del Plebiscito is another must-see.
Naples and its surrounding area are the birthplace of many well-known Italian dishes, including pizza, spaghetti, and parmigiana. Naples locals take great pride in these recipes, which typically incorporate seasonal, homegrown ingredients. Fresh seafood, mozzarella cheese, and sweets like baba, zeppole, and sfogliatella are other staples in the Neapolitan diet.
3. Pisa
Pisa, in the northwest of Tuscany, near the Arno River, has preserved several impressive structures from its mediaeval heyday as a trade empire. Although the Leaning Tower is an obvious must-see, skipping out on the rest of the city in favour of just its most famous sight would be a huge mistake. There is much more to Pisa than its famous tower.
The Campo dei Miracoli, also known as the Field of Miracles, is a stunning Italian square that surrounds the well-known landmark.
The Duomo Cathedral, the Baptistry, and the Camposanto Monument, all located in this stunning plaza, are beautiful specimens of the Italian Renaissance and showcase marble elements, sculptures, frescoes, and historical treasures.
The plaza is dotted with shops selling tourist trinkets and bakeries selling delicious biscotti. Visitors to Florence frequently remember the Arno River more than the Field of Miracles. Pisa is split in two by the river, and the two halves are connected by several picturesque bridges, including the Ponte di Mezzo.
Each bank of the river is framed with beautiful scenery, including homes, landmarks, and vegetation. With 60,000 students, the University of Pisa gives the city with a sense of youth and animation.
Cultural celebrations such as the Luminara Festival, the Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics boat race, and the Game of Bridge, a friendly, mediaeval contest between the city’s two portions, take place frequently in the streets and waterways of Pisa.
4. Italian Lake District
The Lake Region of Italy covers much of the country’s north. Most of the lakes are quite level on their southern ends, but their northern ends are mountainous since they extend far into the Alps. The Italian Lakes have been drawing visitors for more than a century because to the area’s pleasant climate and picturesque landscape.
Lake Maggiore, a long, skinny lake with lots of flora and beautiful islands, is where we’ll begin in the west. This 40-mile-long lake is located in southern Switzerland, in the Canton of Ticino, to the south of the Alps. The island of Isola Bella, with its beautiful palace and manicured gardens, is the city’s most visited landmark.
Lake Como is a popular destination for the rich and famous due to its spectacular landscape and beautiful Renaissance-style mansions. Bellagio, a picturesque village with brick sidewalks and pastel villas, sits right in the middle of the lake.
Italy’s largest lake, Lake Garda, is a great destination for anyone seeking both urban and rural experiences.
See the lemon fields of Limone, ride the waves of Riva del Garda, and delve into the history of Malcesine’s fortified citadel. Near the southern end of the lake stands Sirmione, a popular vacation town with Roman ruins, mediaeval castles, and thermal springs.
Although being one of Italy’s lesser-known lakes, Lake Iseo is actually home to central Europe’s largest lake island. Many beautiful churches from the 15th century can be seen in the small settlements that dot Monte Isola.
5. Sicily
The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily lies just across from the southern tip of Italy, on the narrow Strait of Messina. Owing to its location, it has long operated as a crossroads, hence is highly distinct from the rest of the country in terms of its history, culture, and food.
This is best demonstrated by Palermo, Sicily’s capital and greatest city, which was impressively founded more than 2,700 years ago. Since then, it has been ruled by a wide variety of cultures, each of which has left behind a unique cultural legacy in the form of art, architecture, cuisine, and more.
In addition, Sicily is home to numerous significant archaeological sites, which are now among the island’s most visited destinations. Some, like the hilltop castles of Erice, date back to the Middle Ages, while others, like the spectacular ruins of the Ancient Theatre of Taormina and the ancient edifices in the Valley of the Temples, date back to Ancient Greece.
Sicily’s interior is dotted with mountains and fertile agriculture, while its coastline is dotted with steep cliffs and quiet beaches that are surrounded by dazzling waters. Mount Etna, the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps, and one of the most active volcanoes in the world, dominates the landscape.
6. Siena
Located on three hills in the midst of Tuscany, Siena transports visitors back in time with its ancient architecture, cobblestone streets, and Il Palio horse race. Historic Siena, once a prosperous city, is now one of Italy’s most visited destinations because to the preservation of numerous masterpieces from the city’s golden age.
The Piazza del Campo in Siena is often considered to be among the best examples of a European mediaeval plaza. The Mangia Tower, Palazzio Pubblico, and Fountain of Joy are just a few of the iconic buildings that can be found in this fan-shaped plaza.
The Duomo of Siena is a beautiful cathedral with marble flooring, stained glass, sculptures, paintings, and carvings in the style of Italian Romanesque architecture. Wine, coffee, pizza, focaccia, and gelato are just some of the local specialties that can be enjoyed while people-watching in the piazza.
The Palio horse race, held twice yearly in the Piazza del Campo, is a major tourist attraction for Rome. Bareback races on the plaza are a 700-year-old custom in which officials from 17 different districts compete. The University of Siena is one of Italy’s oldest public universities and is renowned for its medical and legal programmes.
7. Cinque Terre
Five picturesque fishing villages, painted in pastel shades of blue, yellow, and pink, cling to the steep cliffs that drop off into the water below. The five towns of Cinque Terre and the verdant hills in their vicinity form the Cinque Terre National Park, a major tourist attraction in Italy.
The villages of Cinque Terre, in the Ligurian area of northwest Italy, boast some of the country’s most stunning scenery, including centuries-old wine terraces. The Cinque Terre are a group of five Italian villages located along the coast.
These are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso, and Corniglia. Manarola is known for its colourful boats, swimming holes, and caverns, while Riomaggiore is home to a mediaeval castle and a lively main street known as Via Colombo.
8. Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is one of Italy’s most popular travel destinations because to its stunning location in Campania, in the country’s southwestern corner. The Amalfi Coast is a 30 mile stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrento Peninsula that is renowned for its stunning natural beauty and affluent tourist industry.
Positano, a picturesque village on the Amalfi Coast, is known for its picturesque pebble beaches, pastel-colored homes, magnificent mountains, waterfalls, and a Black Madonna from the 13th century.
9. Venice
Venice, one of Italy’s most popular cities, is situated on an island in a lagoon in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. Venice is an archipelago of 118 islands in northeastern Italy, linked by hundreds of picturesque bridges and canals.
The Grand Canal is the most well-known and serves as the dividing line between the northern and southern halves of the city. Venice, with its picturesque canals and historic buildings, is widely regarded as one of the world’s most romantic cities.
Although Saint Mark’s Square and Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and the Rialto Bridge are among the most popular tourist attractions in Venice, the city’s crowds and high prices frequently make them seem worth it. Gondola rides along the Grand Canal are a staple of every visit to Venice. Yet, taking a vaporetti through the city’s tranquil side canals is a delightful alternative.
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10. Florence
Florence, the capital of Tuscany, is home to so many stunning works of art and architecture that it is often compared to a massive open-air museum.
Internationally renowned as the birthplace of Italian Renaissance, Florence is also credited with propagating many artists, inventors, writers, scientists and explorers as well as inventing opera and the florin currency, which lifted Europe from the Dark Ages.
Additionally, Florence is known as the home of the wealthy and powerful Medici dynasty that produced several kings and popes, impacting the entire world in a number of ways culturally, economically and politically.
The city of Florence is home to numerous museums, beautiful churches like the dome-topped Santa Maria del Fiore, and world-renowned art galleries like the Uffizi and Pitti Palace, among many other locations.
The Piazza della Signoria, the main square, is home to spectacular architecture and world famous sculptures including Cellini’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa, Ammannati’s Fountain of Neptune and Michelangelo’s Statue of David.
