The absolute best places to visit in Italy

I’m getting ready to head back to Italy in a couple months after an amazing vacation to the country back in February.

This time, my wife and I are heading to Sicily.  She’s been champing at the bit to go there since learning that her great grandfather was born in Cefalu.

Our first trip to Italy together took us to Florence and Rome.  I had previously visited Italy as part of a Mediterranean cruise that hit a few of the top destinations as well.

With this in mind, I thought I’d put together my list of must visit destinations in Italy.

Rome

Pantheon

You can’t go to Italy and never visit Rome.

Along with Athens in Greece, Rome is where western civilization began.  If you are any sort of history buff, Rome is clearly one of those bucket list destinations.

If you want to hit the major sites in Rome, it is surprisingly walkable.

I recommend staying near the Pantheon.  This puts just about a mile north of the Colosseum, a half mile west of Trevi Fountain, and a couple miles from The Vatican.

There are also excellent restaurants and shopping nearby as well.

We stayed at the Albergo Abruzzi just across the piazza from The Pantheon during our stay.  I highly recommend!

Florence and Tuscany region

View of Florence from the Duomo

I probably have some recency bias here, but I believe Florence is another of those places that should be on your bucket list.

Home of the Renaissance, the city is absolutely stunning, with its amazing architecture and magnificent gardens.

The beauty of Florence is that it is even more walkable than Rome.

While there are certainly significant places you should visit, such as the Duomo di Firenze, Ponte Vecchio bridge, and the Accademia Gallery, you should also just allow yourself at least one day to walk and browse the city with no plans.

However, since you want to do lots of walking and exploring, similar to Rome, it is best to visit in the Spring or Fall to avoid the heat of the summer.

I recommend staying within about 1/2 mile of the Duomo to keep all the major attractions, shopping and restaurants within walking distance.

You can check out some of the hotel options below.

The area surrounding Florence is known as the Tuscany region.  It is well known for its beautiful hilltop villages, vineyards and beautiful countryside dotted with spectacular villas.

Wine tours are a popular choice among travelers, and Pisa is located at the western edge of the region, easily accessible by train.

Cinque Terre

Vernazza

The Cinque Terre is located on the west coast of Italy, within about a 2 to 2 1/2 hour train ride from Florence.

Cinque Terre means “Five Lands” and is used to describe the five, small seaside villages perched on cliffs that make up the region.

These include Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare.  

The best words to describe these five towns are  “old world charm,” with the possible exception of Monterosso, which is a bit more touristy.  However, it makes up for that by having the best beach.

Tourists flock to the area from Spring through Fall to take in the magnificent views and wander through the narrow streets, checking out the small restaurants and shops.

Another cool aspect of these villages is that there are few cars.  The villages are accessed by train or boat from La Spezia, and then they are connected by trails that provide spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

Venice

The beauty of Venice can’t be overstated.

Venice is located in northeast Italy, and accessible via train from Florence in a little over two hours.

The city is built on a group of 118 islands primarily separated by canals, with some larger open water spaces.  Much of the city is then connected by hundreds of bridges.

Venice was a major power and financial center during the Renaissance, and as a result, much of that wealth is on display through major works of architecture, such as Doge’s Palace.

Over 20 million tourists visit Venice annually to experience the art and architecture seen at Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Basilica, Piazza San Marco and viewing the city from a gondola on the canals.

Milan and the Lake Region

Milan is what connects old Italy with new and hip Europe.

Located in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, Milan is the second most populated city in Italy after Rome, but its wide metropolitan area, which reaches into Switzerland, has upwards of 10 million inhabitants.

Milan is the financial center of Italy, and one of the most important financial centers in Europe.

As one of the wealthiest cities in Europe, Milan is also known as a major fashion center.

With that said, Milan’s significance dates back to Antiquity, as it was the capital of the Western Roman Empire.  As a result, the city also offers plenty of historical landmarks as well.

Residents living in the hustle and bustle of Milan often flock to the Italian lake region that stretches from Lake Maggiore to the northwest of Milan to Lake Garda to the northeast.

Among these, Lake Como is the most famous, due primarily to the number of celebrities who own vacation villas there.

Como and Lake Garda boast lakeside villages known for spectacular scenery and charm.

Sicily

Taormina

Sicily sits at the crossroads between Africa and Europe, as well as between the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Mediterranean.

As a result, Sicily just may be the most conquered place on the planet.  At one time or another, it has been occupied by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans,  Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and even Nazi Germany.

The result is a rich cultural heritage identified through its architecture, music and cuisine.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and the most populous, with about 5 million inhabitants.

The largest city and capital is Palermo, located on the northwest coast.

Other important cities on the island include Syracuse, Catania, and Messina on the east coast.

However, the island is home to numerous smaller towns and cities popular among tourists, including Taormina, Cefalu, Agrigento, Noto and Trapani.

Another major attraction is the active volcano, Mt. Etna, located at the east side of the island.

The best way to get around the island is by car, but the rail system also connects many of these towns, and that is a favorite way to see the island among travelers.

To avoid the oppressive heat of summer, and the summer crowds, the best time to visit Sicily is in the Spring or Fall.

Naples and Amalfi Coast

Naples with Mt. Vesuvius

Naples is notable for being the rough and tumble city of Italy.  After Rome and Milan, Naples is the third most populous city in Italy.

Located a couple hours by train to the south of Rome, along the west coast, the area is also known for its major historic landmarks, namely Pompeii.

This is due to the fact that Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban areas in the world, since it was first settled by the Greeks some time between 700 and 800 BC.

Due to this history, Naples is known for its wealth of historic buildings and architecture.  The city boasts numerous examples of classical, medieval, Renaissance and Baroque styles of architecture.

The Amalfi Coast, located to the south of Naples, is a popular destination for tourists due to its natural beauty and hillside towns overlooking the Mediterranean.

The area is named after the town of Amalfi, its political center.  Other towns that make up the area include Ravello, Atrani and Positano, among others.

Unfortunately, most of the Amalfi Coast is not accessible by train.  Travelers typically get to the area via a train to Salerno from Naples, and then via bus or car to the small towns that make up the area.

You can also get there by ferry from Naples as well.

Another destination in the Naples area is the island of Capri.  The island has been a resort destination since Roman times.  It is accessed primarily by ferry from Naples and some of the towns along the Amalfi coast.

Italian Riviera

Levanto

The Italian Riviera is located in the Liguria region along the Mediterranean coastline in the northwest of Italy.

It is located along the coastline that extends from Genoa to the southwest toward the French Riviera, and to the southeast just to the south of La Spezia.  The aforementioned Cinque Terre is located within this area.

There are two distinct flavors to the Italian Riviera.

The area west of Genoa is popular among Italians who live in Milan and Turin.  These are larger coastal towns that are more similar in feel to the French Riviera.

The area to the east of Genoa is more noted for the smaller, sleepier, and more colorful hillside towns that overlook the Mediterranean.  The Cinque Terre and towns such as Portofino and Levanto fit this bill.

All of these areas are quite popular and can get quite crowded during the summer months.  However, the water temperatures do stay warm enough for swimming into late September.

Sardinia

Sardinia may just have the largest collection of beautiful beaches in the world.

Similar to Sicily, Sardinia is a large island in the Mediterranean that is one of the 20 autonomous regions of Italy.  Smaller than Sicily, the island is also far less populated, with a population of under 2 million people.

The capital of the region is Cagliari, located on the south coast, which is also the most populated city.

Similar to Sicily, Cagliari has been ruled by a number of different civilizations.  As a result, it boasts architecture influenced by the Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines and even the Habsburgs.

All four coastlines boast magnificent beaches characterized by crystal clear, turquoise waters and white sand beaches.

Because of the easy access to Rome and the rest of Europe, the north end of the island is most popular with tourists during the summer months.

The popular towns in the north include Olbia and Palau.

The south coast also has the resort towns of Villasimius, Costa Rei and Santa Margherita di Pula.  The most popular cities on the west coast are Alghero and Bosa.

Most of the travelers from Europe typically stay at the resorts.  More inspired travelers enjoy renting a car and driving from town to town to see all that the island has to offer.

Sardinia is also known as one of a handful of Blue Zones on the planet.  Blue Zones are areas that have a higher preponderance of centenarians than all other areas in the world.

Getting to Italy

So there you have it… my unsolicited opinion of the best places to visit in Italy!

And now, how to get there.

You can fly non-stop to Rome from New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles and some other major airports.

I recommend flying into Rome if your focus will be anywhere from Florence on down to Naples.  Then, I highly recommend taking the trains between cities.

When heading to other regions, look into what works best for you.

While I like to save money on flights, I also look into the best times for leaving and arriving back to my hub here in the Washington, DC area.

You can check out flight options below.

Now, start planning your trip!