Imagine sitting at a tiny outdoor table in a crowded restaurant with a buzzy atmosphere set in a narrow cobbled street on a warm evening, eating authentic Neapolitan pizza and drinking a glass of delicious red wine. Welcome to Italy! There are few travel destinations in the world that excite and delight us as much as Italy – we just love its history, attractions, architecture and food.
Across trips in July 2018 and May 2022, we’ve spent a total of 5 weeks exploring the most popular tourist spots in the northern and central areas of the country. The first time we were broke backpackers doing it on the cheap, but the second time we had a much healthier budget so we lavishly splurged on the finer things in life – which was essentially more pizza and more wine.
Our personal favorite places to visit in Italy are Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast. Knowing what we know now, they are the three places we’d prioritize if we were short on time and planning our first Italy itinerary all over again. But with more time? Well, that’s what our guide to the most amazing Italian destinations is all about, so let’s get started! Read more about us.
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1. Rome
The sprawling and vibrant Eternal City is one of our favorite places to visit in Europe and maybe even the world. Why? Because we love that Rome’s top tourist experiences are centered around history and architecture. The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and countless Piazzas are fascinating to visit, and they’re also places we have trouble putting our cameras down.
Our top recommendations for Rome are to take a foodie walking tour like this one through the charming Trastevere neighborhood, and this special early bird entry tour of the Vatican Museum. We did the Vatican ourselves in 2018 and got stuck in line for hours, just to be packed in like sardines. So we took the early bird walking tour during our second trip to Rome in May 2022 and got us in before anyone else, which meant we ended up having whole rooms and corridors just to our small group.
We think a 4 day itinerary in Rome is perfect for a first visit. It’s enough time to walk around all areas of the city, tick off the top attractions and soak up the bustling atmosphere. So far we’ve stayed in the Centro Storico and Monti, but we’d happily stay in any of these 5 Roman neighborhoods. If it’s your first time, you really can’t go wrong with the historic center.
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2. Florence
Florence is the beating heart of Tuscany, Italy’s dreamiest tourist destination. It’s a gorgeous city with intricate cobbled streets, lovely piazzas and more museums than you can shake a stick at. We spent 3 days in the city and thought it was the perfect amount of time to slowly soak it all in, find plenty of great restaurants and discover a few hidden gem photo spots. In terms of lodging, we booked a hotel in the historic center of Florence and we would definitely do the same again next time.
For us, Florence wasn’t about ticking off famous attractions, but there was still plenty to do. We highly recommend going up the Torre di Arnolfo in Palazza Vecchio for an amazing view of Florence Duomo (see our photo above), visiting the Duomo itself, walking across the Ponte Vecchio and visiting the Uffizi Galleries. And we absolutely loved Piazzale Michaelangelo for sunset, it was crowded but it had a stunning view over the city.
What about discovering Tuscany’s famous rolling hills, sunsets, food tours and wineries? Well, the two ways to do it are either stay in Florence longer and take a day trip winery tour into Tuscany, or hire a car and drive around the region yourself which limits the amount of wine you can taste. Both ways work out about the same price once you factor in all costs, so it really comes down to your preferred travel style – DIY or have someone else do it for you.
3. Amalfi Coast
We’d heard mixed reviews about the Amalfi Coast so we arrived with some apprehension, but it turned out to be truly amazing and we couldn’t understand the negativity. Sure it’s busy, expensive and not so easy to get around (we used buses and ferries), but it’s also incredibly picturesque and there’s loads to do. In total, we spent 10 days traveling between Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Praiano, Amalfi and Salerno which was a bit chaotic but it was great to see each of the main places.
Capri turned out to be our favorite part of the Amalfi Coast, mostly because it had more going on (we’re not the sit around doing nothing types). We hiked miles of coastline, took a chairlift to Monte Solaro, visited beaches and gardens, went to the blue grotto and ate in fancy restaurants. Positano was also a lovely place to spend a few days, despite the steep hills! Praiano was tiny with not much going on, and Amalfi was like Positano but not quite as nice. Although, we did go to a great paper museum in Amalfi.
We also loved hiking the Path of the Gods – we went up from Praiano and down into Positano before taking a bus back, but you can go up and back down from Positano. It’s a lovely walk with special views, so don’t miss it. Another place you can’t miss is Ravello, we took a bus up from Amalfi and spent a lovely few hours walking around stunning places like Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone.
4. Naples
When researching and planning our Italy itinerary we read so many polar opposite things about Naples. In the end we decided to stay for a few nights to give it a try, and we’re glad we did. It was better than we expected, but if we’re being totally honest we think there are more attractive and safer tourist spots to visit on a first trip to Italy than Naples. Let’s just say we wouldn’t hurry back.
So why visit? Well, for starters we think Pompeii, Herculaneum and Mt Vesuvius are unmissable (here’s a top rated tour that goes to all three). Plus, Naples has the best pizza in Italy (we can vouch for that), a great archaeological museum with loads of Pompeii artifacts, a unique Centro Storico with narrow cobbled streets, a lively and bustling atmosphere with lovely people, tons of history and a truly authentic feel. We also went to Negombo thermal baths in Ischia which was nice and relaxing.
The negativity mostly comes from the mafia, garbage not being collected and safety at night. And we’ll admit it was a bit intimidating walking out of Naples train station, even during broad daylight. Plus, the apartment we booked in the Centro Storico had 3 locks on the door, which speaks for itself. Our advice is go to Naples if you’re a seasoned traveler who feels comfortable with a gritty but authentic place, otherwise stay closer to Pompeii.
5. Venice
Venice is the most alluring city in Italy, right? It’s full of mystery, romance, history and intrigue. But while it might be seductive, it was the one place that made us both say “never again!” To be fair, the 3 nights we spent in Venice were at the beginning of July so it was hot, expensive and ridiculously busy. A few years have passed since then, so ask us in a few more years and we might go back, just not in summer.
But despite the obvious overcrowding issues (it now costs 10 euros to visit on a day trip), Venice is a super unique and cool place to explore. Walking the endless maze of alleys, bridges and canals is a lot of fun. But trust us when we say it’s also very easy to get lost, so use a map! There’s also tons of museums and basilicas, and there’s almost too many top rated restaurants to choose between – in a good way. If we went back, we’d book a hotel near Ponte di Rialto for a central location.
Venice’s main attraction St Mark’s Square felt a bit like Times Square to us, just without the flashing lights. But the Doge’s Palace is well worth going in. We also took a boat across to Lido to sit on the beach for a few hours, it wasn’t the best beach in the world but it was nice to briefly escape the crowds. Finally, the one thing that divides opinion is gondola rides – it’s cheesy and expensive, but it’s quintessential Venice. Here’s a top rated tour combining a gondola ride, St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace.
6. Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre or “five lands” is a stunning region near La Spezia with 5 coastal towns interconnected by a train line and a scenic hiking path. We remember arriving with no expectations and being pleasantly surprised by how photogenic the towns of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare were – colorful buildings perched on rugged cliffs with small sandy beaches and rocky coves.
We stayed at a hotel in La Spezia because it was easier to use as a base. The first day we took a train to each of the 5 towns to get a feel for them and determined that Corniglia was our least favorite. But we especially liked Vernazza’s colorful cliffside buildings and Monterosso al Mare’s beach, so on the second day we hiked between the two towns on the coastal path and it was fantastic.
One of the things we found surprisingly disappointing was the lack of highly rated restaurants in the coastal towns. So other than grabbing a slice of pizza for lunch, we ate breakfast and dinner in La Spezia instead. Overall, we wouldn’t say the Cinque Terre is absolutely essential to your first time in Italy, but it’s a lovely place to spend a few days if you have extra time or you’re looking for something a bit different.
7. Milan
Milan is well known as being one of the “big four” fashion capitals of the world, but it also has two famous football teams (Inter and AC), tons of museums and basilicas, stunning architecture and one of the most famous opera houses on the planet – La Scala. After Rome, Milan is Italy’s second city, so you can expect plenty of classy hotels and amazing restaurants.
We passed through Milan quickly when we went to Lake Como. It was a real shame but we just didn’t have the time to explore, so we’ll start our next Italy itinerary with a good few days in Milan to make up for it. On our agenda will be seeing the last supper in the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie, visiting the Duomo di Milano, walking around Parco Sempione and maybe even watching an opera.
The other great thing about Milan is its location within Italy and its connectivity to many other popular parts of Europe. It’s close to the Alps and Dolomites for hiking or skiing, the French Riviera isn’t far away, other countries like Switzerland and Austria are nearby and finally the famous Italian lakes are just a stones throw away. So it’s a really fantastic hub city.
8. Lake Como
Is Lake Como on your Italy bucket list? It was on ours too, and for the most part it didn’t disappoint. The mountainous scenery was spectacular, the small lakeside towns were beautiful and the whole place had a ritzy glamorous appeal. We didn’t bother going to the city of Como, instead we stayed at a hotel in Varenna, and we took boats across to explore other towns like Bellagio and Menaggio.
But while it was idyllic, there were definitely some negative aspects too. First, it was much quieter than we expected and there wasn’t a huge amount to do. Second, the ferry timetables might as well not have existed and when we asked when the very late ferry would arrive, the guys operating them laughed at us and said whenever it arrives. Funny to look back on, but not at the time. Finally, the only time we got those postcard perfect lake-and-town views was from those public ferries on the water.
The good thing about Lake Como is that it’s really easy to reach from Milan by train, bus or day trip tour like this one. Plus, the lake’s major highlights are easy enough to reach without having to hire a car. And that’s really what makes it more popular than Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore. We think it’s a great spot for a day trip or a few nights at the most, but next time we’d definitely do Lake Garda instead because it looks lovely.
9. Siena
Heading back to Tuscany, we really liked Siena as a much smaller, quieter and cheaper version of Florence. And just like Florence, Siena has its own photogenic Duomo, narrow cobbled streets and huge piazza with a tower to go up for views over the city (see our photo above). One of our favorite things to do in Siena was sip on amaretto sours from bar balconies above Piazza del Campo and watch the world go by.
Now, Siena definitely doesn’t have the same energetic buzz and chaotic vibe as Florence, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re looking for something a bit more relaxing. We wouldn’t prioritize Siena over Florence, but we would combine them into the same Tuscany trip. Two nights was enough time for us to see everything in town and find a few great restaurants like Osteria Permalico and Osteria Cice.
Plus, we actually think Siena is a better base for taking excellent wine tours like this one or hiring a car and driving into rural Tuscany to visit places like Monteriggioni, San Gimignano and the Chianti region. Not only are they closer, but Siena is much smaller and easier to drive around when compared to Florence which is a much larger and busier city.
10. Sardinia
Let’s move away from mainland Italy and head out into the Mediterranean Sea to the surprisingly large island of Sardinia. In the northeast you’ve got celebrity spotting and white sand beaches in the Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast), or San Teodoro for a cheaper version with the same beauty. And to the south is the lively, historic port city of Cagliari with more superb sandy beaches or the stunning protected coastal area near Villasimius.
But it’s the quieter and quainter northwest Sardinian city of Alghero that we want to highlight here. Mark’s dad once had a small boat in Alghero’s marina for a few years, so he used to take short and cheap Ryanair flights from England to Alghero to take advantage of the free accommodation!
The charming old town of Alghero with its obvious Spanish influence, lovely cobblestone streets and encircling 16th century stone sea walls is a lovely place to walk around on a warm evening with a tasty gelato after dinner. Oh, and here’s an insider tip – Alghero’s best beach isn’t the once closest to the old town, it’s Spiaggia di Maria Pia which is a little further to the north. You’re welcome!
We hope our guide to the top Italian travel destinations helps with planning your trip!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.