Things to do in Italy
Cultured histories
The very fabric of Italy seems woven from a cloth of distinctive history, from ancient Phoenician to Palladio's 16th century villas scattered around the Veneto. Everywhere you strike treasure. In Sicily alone, the Valley of the Temples is a paean to classical Greece, Palermo oozes Arabic style, while Siracusa and Noto are Baroque gems. Island neighbour Sardinia boasts 7,000 sites linked to the mysterious Nuraghe dating back 6,000 years.
Rome draws the crowds with plentiful reminders of 2,000-year-old imperial grandeur. The medieval and Renaissance fabric of Florence is complemented by other Tuscan wonders: Gothic Siena, Renaissance Lucca and San Gimignano’s high medieval towers - rivalled by lovely Alba, Piedmont's 'town of 100 towers'. Add the famous tower in Pisa, from where Galileo dropped things to prove his ideas on gravity. Amid the jagged rose-tinted peaks of the Dolomites, enjoy a unique blend of Austrian and Italian culture and architecture in towns like Bolzano and Merrano.
Rome draws the crowds with plentiful reminders of 2,000-year-old imperial grandeur. The medieval and Renaissance fabric of Florence is complemented by other Tuscan wonders: Gothic Siena, Renaissance Lucca and San Gimignano’s high medieval towers - rivalled by lovely Alba, Piedmont's 'town of 100 towers'. Add the famous tower in Pisa, from where Galileo dropped things to prove his ideas on gravity. Amid the jagged rose-tinted peaks of the Dolomites, enjoy a unique blend of Austrian and Italian culture and architecture in towns like Bolzano and Merrano.
Italian gusto extends to getting active.![]()
Moving Targets
Sea and land offer adrenaline playgrounds here. On Sardinia, dive into – or kayak across – the dazzling Gulf of Oresei, or discover a new side to Tuscany orienteering and canyoning. Italy's tapestry of brilliant cycling routes takes in Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily, Liguria, Veneto, Tuscany and Piedmont – plus the gorgeous lakes. Or try a different kind of saddle for horseback jaunts through soft Tuscan hills or Chianti castle country.
Living to eat!
In Italy, people truly live to eat rather than eat to live. But don't think of chewy pizza and over-sauced pasta - proper Italian food is diverse, distinctive and rooted in regionality and seasonality. Just try fresh pesto sauce in its Ligurian birthplace or a pizza in Naples to see the difference. Explore the HQ of the Slow Food movement in Piedmont, sampling its specialities: arborio rice, white truffles, Castelmagno cheese, Barolo wine.
In Umbria, try norcineria (cured pork produce) or warming spelt and barley soups. In Sicily, tuck into Arab-infused delights or striking nose-to-tail street food. Discover new seafood flavours on Sardinia: sea urchin, salty botarga (dried roe) and tart scabecciu fish dishes. Toast it all in atmospheric bars serving tempting nibbles (aperitivi), while sipping superb artisan grappa or a glass of Franciacorta – Italy's fine riposte to champagne.
In Umbria, try norcineria (cured pork produce) or warming spelt and barley soups. In Sicily, tuck into Arab-infused delights or striking nose-to-tail street food. Discover new seafood flavours on Sardinia: sea urchin, salty botarga (dried roe) and tart scabecciu fish dishes. Toast it all in atmospheric bars serving tempting nibbles (aperitivi), while sipping superb artisan grappa or a glass of Franciacorta – Italy's fine riposte to champagne.
Our Italy Holidays
Amalfi Coast walking holiday, Italy
Walk in lemon groves and hillside villages
From
£1429 to £1899
8 days
inc UK flights
Puglia small group tour, Italy
Puglia, whitewashed towns, traditional farmland and fine cuisine
From
£1699 to £1949
8 days
inc UK flights
Matera to Puglia cycle in Italy
Nestled between the Adriatic and Ionian seas
From
£1849 to £2249
8 days
inc UK flights
Amalfi Coast and Bay of Naples holidays
One of Europe's most dramatic stretches of coastline
From
£1499 to £1899
8 days
inc UK flights
Umbria cooking holiday, Italy
Italian cooking in a farmhouse between Umbria and Tuscany
From
€1530 to €1750
6 days
ex flights
Tuscany tours, walking and wine tasting in Italy
Walking and wine tasting in Tuscany
From
£1449 to £1749
8 days
inc UK flights
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Italy or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Consume Italy's delicious calories - then walk them off!![]()
The roamin' empire
Italy's famous trails include the aptly-named Path of the Gods on the Amalfi Coast, plus idyllic routes linking Liguria's Cinque Terre villages. Add stunning mountain hikes in the Dolomites or roam the wolf territory of the secluded Apennine mountains. Explore Sardinia's wild inland peaks and valleys, unspoilt island hikes on Elba and Capri, plus little-explored national parks like Umbria's Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini and Le Marche's coastal Parco del Conero.
More about Italy
The best time to visit Italy is either the early summer months of June and July or September and October in the autumn.
Explore our Italy travel guide like a wild boar snuffling for truffles in a sun dappled oak orchard deep within the eternally undulating Etruscan countryside.
If you’re searching for where to go in Italy and how to make the most of your time, then check out our map that will take you all the way from the Dolomites to Sicily.
The Amalfi Coast is a crowd-pleaser, but the lemon grove footpaths, island vineyards and backstreet museums are a balm.
The sheer mountains of the Dolomites aren’t just for winter. Read our Dolomites travel guide to find out more.
Travel to Puglia to dive into Italy’s deep south. You can stay in a trulli and spend days cycling from farm to vineyard.
Sicily is a Russian doll of an island. The closer you look at the cities and coast, the more intriguing the puzzle.
Most feel that they know Tuscany before they’ve seen it, but that's a misstep. Our Tuscany travel guide explains why.
Here's what we recommend if you’re travelling in Italy with kids, from active volcanoes to pizzas every day of the week.
Is this your first time in Italy? Here’s what you need to know, from the culture that you might not expect to how long you need for your adventure.
Our Italy travel advice page is for those who love to learn from local experts who have imparted their pearls of wisdom. Read our health and safety advice, too.
From slow food and sea life to preserving rural communities and ancient traditions: read our responsible tourism in Italy page.
Find all our Italy guides in one place: Italy holidays in places such as Tuscany or Sicily, or different types of Italy holidays such as walking or cycling.
