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Italy travel guide

What to see, what to eat, when to go and itineraries by real travelers.

  • 48 places to see
  • 118 local dishes
  • 2 itineraries

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern and Western Europe. It consists of a peninsula, which extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land border, as well as nearly 800 islands, notably Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares land borders with France to the west; Switzerland and Austria to the north; Slovenia to the east; and the two enclaves of Vatican City and San Marino. It is the tenth-largest country in Europe by area, covering 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi), and the third-most populous member state of the European Union, with nearly 59 million inhabitants. Rome is the capital of Italy; other major cities include Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Bari, and Venice.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA license · Read on Wikipedia

What to see in Italy

All 48 places →
  • Colosseum👣 3 visitors

    Colosseum

    Rome, Lazio

    The Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum.

  • 👣 3 visitors

    Pantheon

    Rome, Lazio

  • Roman Forum👣 3 visitors

    Roman Forum

    Rome, Lazio

    The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum, is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the centre of the city of Rome.

  • Trevi Fountain👣 3 visitors

    Trevi Fountain

    Rome, Lazio

    The Trevi Fountain is an 18th-century fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini in 1762.

  • Florence Cathedral (Duomo)👣 2 visitors

    Florence Cathedral (Duomo)

    Florence, Tuscany

    Florence Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Florence in Florence, Italy.

  • Leaning Tower of Pisa👣 2 visitors

    Leaning Tower of Pisa

    Pisa, Tuscany

    The Leaning Tower of Pisa, or simply the Tower of Pisa, is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation.

What to eat in Italy

All 118 dishes →
  • Pizza Napoletana😋 tried by 2

    Pizza Napoletana

    Campania

  • Amatriciana😋 tried by 2

    Amatriciana

    Amatrice

  • Carbonara😋 tried by 2

    Carbonara

    Lazio

  • Bistecca alla Fiorentina😋 tried by 2

    Bistecca alla Fiorentina

    Firenze

  • Cannoli Siciliani😋 tried by 2

    Cannoli Siciliani

    Sicilia

  • Cotoletta alla Milanese😋 tried by 2

    Cotoletta alla Milanese

    Milano

When to go

The months when this country is one of our destinations of the month.

  • January

    Cortina d'Ampezzo-1°C

    January brings reliable snow and blue skies to the Dolomites, with slopes quieter after the holidays.

    Novoli13°C

    On 16 January the Fòcara, a giant bonfire for Saint Anthony, lights up the night in this Salento town.

    Turin6°C

    Low season in January means empty museums, cosy historic cafés and snowy Alps framing the city.

    Abruzzo National Park3°C

    Fresh snow makes January ideal for snowshoeing through beech forests and spotting chamois and wolf tracks.

  • February

    Agrigento16°C

    In February the almond trees blossom white and pink among the Greek temples of the Valley of the Temples.

    Ivrea8°C

    Its Carnival, usually in February, ends with the Battle of the Oranges, three days of fruit-throwing in the streets.

    Sanremo13°C

    Every February the Sanremo Music Festival turns this Riviera town into the capital of Italian song.

    Cogne1°C

    February cold freezes the waterfalls of Gran Paradiso for ice climbers, while flat valleys are perfect for cross-country skiing.

    Venice - Carnival8°C

    World-famous Carnival with masks, canals and history.

  • March

    Livigno4°C

    March brings long sunny days and still-deep snow, ideal for spring skiing and duty-free shopping.

    Matera15°C

    Mild March weather makes it easy to wander the Sassi and rock churches before the spring crowds arrive.

    Syracuse18°C

    By March Ortigia already feels like spring, with warm sun on the sea walls and quiet baroque lanes.

    Pompeii16°C

    March is mild and still calm, perfect for exploring the ruins on foot before Easter and summer heat.

  • April

    Rome20°C

    On 21 April Rome celebrates its birthday with historical parades, while spring sun warms the piazzas.

    Cinque Terre18°C

    April is ideal for the coastal trails: mild, green and still far from the summer crowds.

    Val d'Orcia18°C

    In April the wheat fields turn bright green and the cypress-lined hills look their most beautiful.

    Alberobello19°C

    April paints the Itria Valley with wildflowers among the trulli, with mild days before the summer heat.

  • May

    Gubbio21°C

    On 15 May the Corsa dei Ceri sends three giant wooden towers racing through the medieval streets up to Mount Ingino.

    Cagliari22°C

    On 1 May the Sant'Efisio procession fills the city with traditional costumes, and the beaches are already warm enough.

    Val d'Orcia22°C

    In May the hills are still deep green, poppies dot the wheat fields and the cypress roads glow in the soft light.

    Lake Garda22°C

    May brings warm days, lemon gardens in bloom and lakeside towns that are lively but not yet packed with summer crowds.

    Florence20°C

    Renaissance art, mild spring weather and Tuscan countryside.

  • June

    Pisa27°C

    On 16 June the Luminara lights the Arno with thousands of candles, and the Gioco del Ponte follows at month's end.

    Alpe di Siusi18°C

    In June Europe's largest alpine meadow turns into a carpet of flowers under the Sciliar, and the mountain huts reopen.

    Salento28°C

    June has a warm sea, long days and beaches with plenty of room, weeks before the August crowds arrive.

    Spoleto27°C

    Late June opens the Festival dei Due Mondi, with opera, dance and theatre in the squares of this Umbrian hill town.

    Cinque Terre23°C

    Coastal hiking, colorful villages and sea views.

  • July

    Siena31°C

    On 2 July the Palio sends ten horses racing bareback around Piazza del Campo after days of contrada celebrations.

    Venice29°C

    On the third weekend of July the Redentore lights the lagoon with fireworks, watched from hundreds of boats.

    Aeolian Islands30°C

    July has the warmest, clearest sea and steady ferries between islands, plus night hikes to watch Stromboli erupt.

    Gran Paradiso20°C

    In July high pastures are full of flowers, ibex graze near the trails and the valleys stay cool while cities swelter.

    Amalfi Coast29°C

    Dramatic coastline, colorful villages, and Mediterranean cuisine.

  • August

    Gulf of Orosei31°C

    In August the sea is at its warmest and boats run daily to coves reachable only by water or long hikes.

    Favignana30°C

    August is perfect for cycling between coves and swimming in Cala Rossa, with fresh tuna and granita every day.

    Campo Imperatore19°C

    In August this high plateau stays cool, and its dark skies are ideal for the Perseids around 10-12 August.

    Ascoli Piceno29°C

    On the first Sunday of August the Quintana brings knights, a Renaissance parade and jousting to the travertine city.

  • September

    Valdobbiadene23°C

    The Prosecco grape harvest fills the UNESCO hills with pickers, open cellars and golden vineyard light.

    Venice24°C

    On the first Sunday of September the Regata Storica fills the Grand Canal with historic boats and rowing races.

    San Vito Lo Capo28°C

    Late September brings the Cous Cous Fest, with chefs from around the Mediterranean and a still-warm turquoise sea.

    Abruzzo National Park19°C

    From late September the red deer rut echoes through the beech forests, and the trails are quiet and cool.

    Naples24°C

    Authentic pizza birthplace with Vesuvius and Pompeii nearby.

  • October

    Alba17°C

    The International White Truffle Fair opens in October, as the Langhe vineyards turn red and gold.

    Val d'Orcia20°C

    Mild October days, misty dawns over the cypress hills and fewer tour buses make it the ideal time to go.

    Merano18°C

    The Merano Grape Festival fills the town in mid-October, while vineyards and chestnut trails turn golden.

    Casentino Forests16°C

    October turns the beech forests red and orange, and the villages hold festivals for the chestnut harvest.

  • November

    San Miniato14°C

    The last three weekends of November bring the National White Truffle Market to this Tuscan hilltop town.

    Cremona11°C

    In mid-November the Torrone Festival fills the squares with nougat stalls, tastings and historical parades.

    Itria Valley17°C

    November is olive harvest time: mills press the new oil and the trulli villages are calm and mild.

    Ortigia, Syracuse20°C

    With days still near 20°C and the tourist season over, Ortigia's baroque lanes and markets feel local again.

  • December

    Bolzano6°C

    Italy's best-known Christmas market fills Piazza Walther with wooden stalls, mulled wine and Alpine crafts.

    Gubbio9°C

    On 7 December the world's largest Christmas tree lights up across the slopes of Monte Ingino above town.

    Turin7°C

    The Luci d'Artista light installations illuminate the streets, and historic cafés serve bicerin against the cold.

    Lecce15°C

    In the run-up to Christmas the Santa Lucia fair fills the centre with papier-mâché and terracotta nativity figures.

Itineraries in Italy

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