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Things to do in Italy

Our top activities in Italy tend to revolve around the cultural history, the cycling routes, the walking trails and the fabulous hillsides that surround some of Europe’s most iconic cities however, if you’re after things to do in Italy, look no further than the food as the locals truly live to eat and do so extremely well.

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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.

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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.

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Calling us from outside the UK?

rosy@responsibletravel.com

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.

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Best time to visit Italy

The best time to visit Italy will no doubt depend on whether you’re a lover of snow-capped mountains and winter sports or sun-drenched beaches and alfresco dining however, for those in the know, our month by month guide unveils a whole host of alternatives as to when to visit Italy & when not to.

Italy travel guide

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.

Where to go in Italy

If you’re searching for where to go in Italy and how to make the most of your time then why not check out our interactive highlights map that will take you all the way from the Dolomites and the Italian Alps in the north down to the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, further south.

Sicily

Sicily is a Russian doll of an island. The closer you look, the more you’ll realise that everything from the food to the architecture is a puzzle of Greek, Roman, North African and Anglo influences. Sky-high Mount Etna is just the smoking cherry on top. Read our Sicily travel guide to find out more.

The Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast jags along the underside of the Sorrentine Peninsula, dealing out cliffside villages and tiny polished pebble beaches along the way.

Puglia

Travel to Puglia, and you’re diving into Italy’s deep south. Here, rural ways rule the roost. You can stay in masseria agriturismo and conical trulli farmhouses, and spend your days driving (or walking or cycling) from farm to vineyard to whitewashed city in search of some the best food and wine Italy has to offer.

The Dolomites

The sheer mountains of the Dolomites aren’t just for winter. Cross country skiing and snow shoeing are the themes when the snow falls, but come spring you’ve got a region creased with impossibly scenic alpine walking routes and WWI-era cycle paths – plus a good serving of vineyards. Read our Dolomites travel guide to find out more.

Tuscany

Most feel feel like they’ve got the measure of Tuscany before they’ve seen it. Florence, Chianti, medieval citadels and poppy fields, right? Well…yes. But there’s also everything in between, from the mountainous Apennines to hiking paths between vines that haven’t made it out of Italy yet. Read our Tuscany travel guide to find out more.

Travelling in Italy with kids

Find out what Responsible Travel recommends if you’re hell bent on travelling in Italy with kids.

Italy travel advice

Our Italy travel advice page is just perfect for those who love to learn from the local experts with Marta Marinelli, Marina Caldera and Andrea Monti all imparting their pearls of wisdom in addition to our thoroughly worthwhile health & safety in Italy section.

Responsible tourism in Italy

From slow food and sealife centres to preserving rural communities and ancient traditions read our responsible tourism in Italy page if you’ve got plans to find out what you can do to travel right in Italy.

All our Italy guides

Find all of our Italy guides in one place, for Italy holidays in particular places such as the Tuscany or Sicily, or perhaps you would like to know more about the different types of Italy holidays such as walking or cycling.

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Written by Norman Miller

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Photo credits: [Page banner: Rostislav Glinsky] [Cultured histories: Berthold Werner] [Moving Targets: Austin Adventures] [Living to eat!: Artur Rutkowski] [The roamin' empire : Christopher Czermak]

Things to do in Italy