Plan your upcoming vacation with our list of the best places to visit in Italy. Few countries rank as high on travelers’ bucket lists as Italy. No matter what your taste in travel is, you’ll satisfy it in this country that is familiar and exotic at the same time. Art, history, music, food, culture, sacred sites, charming villages, stunning scenery, and architecture are all around.

Italy is a European country that has a long Mediterranean coastline, and arguably Europe’s most enticing country. It charms visitors with impressive architecture, irresistible food, diverse scenery, and unique art. Whether you’re visiting for the first or seventh time, the natural beauty of Italy is guaranteed to captivate you. Its capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as ancient ruins and landmark art. Other major cities in Italy are Florence, with Renaissance masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s “David” and Brunelleschi’s Duomo; Venice, popularly known as the city of canals; and Milan, Italy’s fashion capital.

Map of Italy

Here are the 12 best places to visit in Italy —do yourself a favor and visit them all.

Lake Como

• 

• 

Lake Como, popularly called Lario, is the third-largest Italian lakes and, with its depth of approximately 410 meters (448 yards), is also among the deepest lakes in Europe. Lake Como has been a well-known haven for wealthy people and aristocrats since Roman times and a top-rated tourist attraction with many cultural and artistic gems.

Lake Como is about one hour’s drive north of Milan; the region has an incredibly quaint setting that includes lush greenery and historic lakeside villages framed by the backdrop of the Italian and Swiss Alps.

A visit to Lake Como is a perfect stop on any Italian adventure. Towering hills surround the glassy lake water with perfect towns nestled in around it. The food, like everywhere in Italy, is to die for. The coffee is hot, and the gelato is lovely.

Pro Tip: Boat tours are something that I’d advise anyone who wants to feel Lake Como at its best.

Whether you are visiting Lake Como for a day or intend to stay longer, jump aboard a boat, relax and reach beautiful towns: Varenna, Bellagio, Como, or maybe one of the historical villas on the shores of the lake.

Tropea

• 

• 

Tropea is a seaside resort that is located in the province of Vibo Valentina in Italy. This town is famous for its many beaches, which are centers of attraction to several tourists during the summer months. Tropea can be found on a reef in the Gulf of St. Euphemia and is connected to the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Tropea has that lovely ageless, faded feel that is a feature of sleepy southern Italian seaside towns. There aren’t many specific tourist attractions, but the town is a maze of pretty palazzi and lanes and – some of which are crumbling away – and little hidden squares where you will usually find restaurant tables.

Riva del Garda

• 

• 

Riva del Garda is also known as the gem of Lake Garda. It is a place enclosed by an area characterized by sharp contrasts, with Mediterranean vegetation thriving at the foot of rocky cliffs that curl up a blue lake.

Strolling alongside Riva del Garda’s promenade, holding gelato, is a superb way to enjoy a sunny afternoon. You can keep strolling all along the lake from the city center to Forte San Niccolò that is at the foot of Monte Brione in about thirty minutes.

Sardinia

• 

• 

Sardinia is an island that strikes its visitors with natural contrasts, the colors and lights, and of a region that possesses old traditions with wild and pure nature. Getting to Sardinia requires a voyage over an emerald sea, past characteristic coves, and beaches of snow-white sand.

Sardinia, a mainly mountainous region, is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. It doesn’t have high peaks but has a large and charming, yet nostalgic, natural environment. Man’s interference does not seem to affect this territory; high surfaces still preserve their natural composition, small desert areas, luxuriant woods with even millenary trees, and marshes inhabited by rapacious birds, deer, and wild horses.

Sardinia is, without a doubt, best known for limpid turquoise sea and exquisite beaches on the Costa Smeralda. It will also interest you to know that Sardinia is one of the most mysterious places on earth.

Tip: If you are after beaches, Sardinia’s beaches are spectacular and affordable wherever you pitch up. Cannigione is also worth checking out. It is a fishing village, and it has a host of pretty beaches, local markets, and restaurants serving typical Galluran cuisine.

Assisi

• 

• 

Assisi is a small medieval town of roughly 25,000 people perched on a hill in Umbria, the heart of Italy. It is famous as the birthplace of St. Francis and holds historical, artistic, and religious significance. Periodical fairs and exhibits enhance the visitor’s experience.

Historical Assisi is tiny and can easily be explored on foot.

Attractions in Assisi are the basilica of Santa Chiara, the cathedral of San Rufino, the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, Chiesa Nuova, Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, and much more.

Cinque Terre

• 

• 

The Cinque Terre comprises of five towns along the Italian Riviera; Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Riomaggiore, Corniglia, and Manarola, each one of these towns is intriguing. There are millions of reasons to be enchanted by this fantastic part of the Italian coastline. These five towns were initially fishing villages, and this has a significant influence on the cuisine of the Cinque Terre.

The Cinque Terre is well-known for its splendor. For more than hundreds of years, dwellers of the Cinque Terre have cautiously built terraces to cultivate olives and grapes on the steep, rugged landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the Mediterranean Sea. The awe-inspiring views of wharves far and hospitable coastline along with the fruitful vines and medieval fortresses and vibrant colors will make this a memorable holiday for you.

Dolomites

• 

• 

The Dolomites are a mountain range located in the north-eastern part of Italy. The diversity and exquisiteness of the landscape of the Italian Dolomites alone will enthrall you – in every season. This holiday region always has its own irresistible and unique appeal, so the only question left is what not to miss all through an Italian Dolomites holiday. The land of the Dolomites is diverse, as it has a small area of the earth where you will find all you need to make your holiday a flawless experience.

Lake Garda

• 

• 

Lake Garda is not just one of the most beautiful lakes in Italy, boasting picturesque towns, a rich history, and remarkable splendor; it is also the largest lake in Italy.

Torri del Benaco, one of the lake’s smaller towns, is attractive and medieval. It has a lovely wharf filled with colorful fishing boats, the imposing Castello Scaligero, and a lakeside promenade lined with restaurants.

Even in summer, this town remains relatively calm and makes for a tranquil place to unwind.

Alberobello

• 

• 

Alberobello, is located in southern Italy, precisely in the region of Puglia. It is a remote and picturesque destination, which is becoming an essential fixture on the travel itineraries of independent travelers as well as tour operators. The small town is now a UNESCO World Heritage site for its unique districts of trulli, the typical white-washed conical-roofed houses of the area. Staying in a trullo (plural, trulli) of your own makes day-trip destination exciting and worthwhile.

The primary tourist activity in Alberobello is strolling around, looking at trulli. There are also some small museums and a lot of opportunities for tasting local products and buying kitsch souvenirs.

Rather than snatching a look around a trullo shop, the best way to experience a trullo is to stay in one that way; you will understand that a trullo is like a home (and, of course, better than day-trippers with dull and boring hotels). 

Positano

• 

• 

Positano is a sophisticated resort on the central Amalfi Coast. The atmosphere in Positano is international and cosmopolitan, while still feeling restful and safe. A kind of very élite village. Shops and restaurants (even general stores) are expensive; it’s quite difficult to forget this is a haven aimed at the top end of the market. Although for many, this adds to the appeal, and people-watching can be entertaining.

If you’re bored of eating relaxing and shopping, Positano has several churches of interest, most notably the Duomo by the beach, with its gold and green dome. The white-and-gold interior is attractive and airy and merits a visit, and the little piazza outside, where boys kick footballs around, is pure Italian.

Venice

• 

• 

Venice, popularly known as a romantic city, is located in the Veneto region of Italy — one of the northernmost states. This historically significant and ancient city was initially built on one hundred small islands in the Adriatic Sea. Instead of roads, Venice relies on a series of waterways and canals.

Venice is one of our favorite spots in Italy because of its small and compact size, perfect to be explored within a few days. The list of sites to visit in Venice is long. So long, that it would take days to see all of them. Most people have just a few days in this magical city.

Venice is always at its most vibrant and busiest and in the summer, between the beginning of June and the end of July. A phenomenon known as the acqua alta floods areas of Venice during the winter between November and March, and this can affect access to Piazza San Marco.

But if you are looking to party during the Venice Carnival, make sure you are around close to the end of February and beginning of March. This is the time of year when music, costumes, and a celebration of the arts takes over.

Rome

• 

• 

Rome is indisputably one of the most picturesque cities in the world; annually, millions of tourists come from around the world to appreciate the masterpieces and treasures of Roman art and architecture.

Rome is a fascinating city where you’ll discover a romantic blend of history and culture spiced up with a spirited street and nightlife. The beauties of Rome stretch across its landscape and are a convincing blend of the ancient with the Renaissance. Classically imposing are the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, while the austere exterior of the Pantheon belies its stunning interior. Basilica and St Peter’s Square are Renaissance masterpieces while gloriously ornate statues and fountains greet you at all the twists and turns of the city’s streets.

These are our 12 best places to visit in Italy. Feel free to add yours in the comment section.