Top Travel Destinations in Italy: 22 Best Places for 2025

TL;DR:

Visit March to June or September to October for mild weather.
Start with Rome, Florence, and one coast or mountain base.
Book key tickets early, like the Colosseum and Uffizi.
The Venice day-trip fee trial ended on July 28, 2025.
Cinque Terre trails use a paid hiking card in peak season.

Italy packs art, food, ruins, and landscapes into short distances. This list favors first and second trips. Pick two hubs and add day trips. Italy has the largest number of UNESCO sites in the world, with 61 properties as of September 10, 2025. That density helps you see major history without long detours.

When to go

Spring and fall bring warm days and cooler nights across most regions. July and August are hot, crowded, and pricey on the coasts. Winter is quiet in cities and ideal for food trips in the north.

Best months by region

Region or hub	Best months	Good base	Highlights
Rome & Lazio	Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov	Centro Storico, Trastevere	Ancient Rome, Vatican Museums
Florence & Tuscany	Mar–Jun, Sep–Oct	Florence, Siena	Uffizi, hill towns, wine roads
Venice & Veneto	Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct	San Polo, Dorsoduro	Canals, islands, art
Amalfi Coast	May–Jun, Sep–Oct	Amalfi, Positano, Ravello	Coastal drives, terraces
Cinque Terre	Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct	Monterosso, Vernazza	Cliff paths, trains
Dolomites	Jun–Sep	Val Gardena, Alta Badia	Alpine trails, via ferrata
Lake District	May–Sep	Como, Bellagio	Villas, ferries, views
Sicily	Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct	Palermo, Catania	Temples, Etna, beaches
Puglia	Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct	Polignano, Lecce	Trulli, white towns
Emilia-Romagna	Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov	Bologna, Parma	Food halls, motors, mosaics

Sources used for picks and timing include the Italy tourism site and recent destination guides.

Top 22 destinations in Italy

1) Rome

Walk the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill. Cross the Tiber for sunset at St Peter’s Square. Book timed entries for the Vatican Museums.

2) Florence

See the Uffizi and the Accademia in the morning. Climb the Duomo or Giotto’s bell tower for city views. Pair days with Siena or San Gimignano.

3) Venice

Ride vaporetto line 1 for a cheap Grand Canal tour. Visit the quieter islands of Burano and Torcello. The city’s day-trip access fee trial ended on July 28, 2025, so no payment or exemption is needed now. Check for future updates before you go.

4) Milan

Book Santa Maria delle Grazie to view The Last Supper. Shop the Galleria, then visit the Duomo rooftop at golden hour.

5) Naples

Eat pizza where it was born. Visit the National Archaeological Museum for finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum.

6) Pompeii

Spend half a day walking a full Roman city plan. Current summer opening hours run from 9:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 17:30. Closed on Tuesdays. Check again near your date.

7) Amalfi Coast

Use buses or boats to hop Amalfi, Positano, and Ravello. Hike the Path of the Gods in cool weather. Travel light on the stairways.

8) Cinque Terre

Five cliff towns are linked by train and footpaths. To use the coastal Blue Trail between Monterosso and Corniglia in peak periods, buy the Cinque Terre Trekking Card. Adult day prices vary by season, often €7.50 on standard days and €15.00 on high days. The combined train card covers local trains too.

9) Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia

Cypress lanes and farmhouses fill gentle hills. Base in Pienza or Montepulciano for food and views.

10) Umbria

Assisi, Perugia, and Orvieto offer medieval streets and fewer crowds. Try truffles and hill town walks.

11) The Dolomites

These pale peaks form a vast UNESCO site. Expect vertical walls, green meadows, and high passes. Summer brings the most open trails and lifts.

12) Lake Como

Ferries connect villas, gardens, and towns. Based in Varenna or Bellagio for an easy triangle with Como.

13) Lake Garda and Verona

Ride a cable car to Monte Baldo. See Romeo and Juliet’s city, then a summer opera in the Roman arena.

14) Bologna and Emilia-Romagna

Eat your way through markets and porticoes. Day trip to Modena or Parma for balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano.

15) Turin and the Langhe

Elegant squares meet vineyard hills. Visit the Egyptian Museum and taste Barolo and Barbaresco near Alba.

16) Genoa and the Ligurian Coast

Genoa’s old port hides fine palazzi and pesto. Use it as a base for Camogli and Portofino.

17) Puglia

Swim clear coves near Polignano a Mare. See trulli in Alberobello and baroque Lecce.

18) Basilicata’s Matera

Sleep in stone cave hotels carved into the Sassi. Views at dawn are special.

19) Sardinia

Find white sand and granite coves on the Costa Smeralda. Inland, walk through Bronze Age nuraghe sites.

20) Sicily East

Catania sits beneath Mount Etna. Visit Taormina, Syracuse, and the Val di Noto towns. Eat granita for breakfast.

21) Sicily West

Palermo’s markets and Monreale mosaics shine. Add Trapani, Erice, and the Greek temples at Agrigento.

22) Trieste and Friuli Venezia Giulia

A border city with coffee houses and a Habsburg feel. Day trip to Miramare Castle or the Carso trails.

Routes to copy

Classic first trip, 9 days

Rome 3 nights, Florence 3 nights, Venice 3 nights. Use fast trains. Add a Tuscany day trip from Florence.

Art and coast, 10 days

Florence 3 nights, Naples 2 nights, Amalfi Coast 3 nights, Rome 2 nights. Book museum slots and coastal hotels early.

Mountains and lakes, 8 days

Dolomites 4 nights, Lake Garda 2 nights, Venice 2 nights. Rent a car for alpine valleys and pass roads.

Practical tips

Trains link most major cities, often faster than driving.
In the ZTL zones, cameras fine non-resident cars. Park outside and walk in.
Reserve sought tickets, like the Uffizi or The Last Supper.
Dress for churches, shoulders covered and shorts to the knee.
Carry a reusable bottle. Many cities have safe public fountains.
In summer, plan outdoor hikes at sunrise and after 4 pm.
Check official pages for any fee or entry rule changes, especially in Venice and Cinque Terre.

Quick planning checklist

Pick two hubs and add day trips.
Book timed tickets for headline museums.
For Cinque Terre coastal trails, buy the trekking card in peak season.
For Pompeii, confirm the latest hours before you go.
In Venice, the 2025 access fee trial ended on July 28. Monitor the official site for any new dates.

Why it matters

Italy rewards a simple plan. You can see art, ruins, and nature in a short loop. Recent rule changes, like the end of Venice’s 2025 access fee trial, reduce confusion. Knowing where cards, reservations, and UNESCO protections apply helps you save time and stress.

[Related: How to book Italian train tickets the smart way → https://example.com/italy-trains]
[Related: 10 museum reservations to secure before you fly → https://example.com/italy-museum-reservations]

Sources:

Italia.it, Official Tourism Website of Italy, https://www.italia.it/en, accessed 2025-09-10.
Lonely Planet, “Best places to visit in Italy,” https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/best-places-to-visit-in-italy, updated 2025-06-20.
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, “Italy — 61 properties inscribed,” https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/it, accessed 2025-09-10.
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, “The Dolomites,” https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1237/, accessed 2025-09-10.
City of Venice, “Access Fee,” https://cda.veneziaunica.it/en/access-fee and https://cda.ve.it/en/, last updated 2025-07-28.
Pompeii Archaeological Park, “Timetables and tickets,” https://pompeiisites.org/en/visiting-info/timetables-and-tickets/, accessed 2025-09-10.