Find places in Italy

Must-Haves

• Colosseum (Monti)
  The great amphitheatre of ancient Rome, with timed entry that also covers the Forum and Palatine.
• Pantheon (Centro Storico)
  The best preserved temple of ancient Rome, with light pouring through its open oculus.

Off the Beaten Path

• Aventine Keyhole (Aventino)
  A famous peek through a garden gate lining up St Peter’s dome perfectly.

Fun for Everyone

• Ostia Antica (Ostia)
  Rome’s ancient port city, quieter than Pompeii and an easy train ride away.

Must-Haves

• Vatican Museums (Vatican City)
  Raphael Rooms, the map gallery and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, best on an early slot.
• St Peter’s Basilica (Vatican City)
  The heart of the Catholic world, with Michelangelo’s Pietà and the dome climb.

Great for Date Night

• Galleria Borghese (Villa Borghese)
  Bernini sculptures and Caravaggio paintings in a villa visited by booked slot.

Off the Beaten Path

• Centrale Montemartini (Ostiense)
  Classical statues displayed among the machines of an old power station.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina (Campo de’ Fiori)
  A deli and restaurant famous for carbonara, cured meats and cheeses.
• Da Enzo al 29 (Trastevere)
  A small family trattoria for Roman classics and artichokes in season.
• Trapizzino (Testaccio)
  The original shop for pizza pockets filled with Roman stews.

Fun for Everyone

• Bonci Pizzarium (Prati)
  Pizza by the slice with inventive toppings near the Vatican.

Must-Haves

• Sant’Eustachio Il Caffè (Centro Storico)
  A historic coffee bar near the Pantheon known for its frothy espresso.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Pasticceria Regoli (Esquilino)
  A classic bakery for maritozzi cream buns at breakfast.

Fun for Everyone

• Giolitti (Centro Storico)
  A grand old gelato parlour a short walk from the Pantheon.

Great for Date Night

• Freni e Frizioni (Trastevere)
  A converted garage bar where the aperitivo crowd spills onto the piazza.

Off the Beaten Path

• Il Goccetto (Via dei Banchi Vecchi)
  An old wine shop and bar with a long list by the glass.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Testaccio Market (Testaccio)
  A covered neighbourhood market with street food stalls and real local shopping.

Off the Beaten Path

• Porta Portese Market (Trastevere)
  Rome’s sprawling Sunday morning flea market.

Fun for Everyone

• Villa Borghese Gardens (Pinciano)
  A huge central park with rowing boats, bikes and the Pincio terrace view.

Off the Beaten Path

• Appia Antica Regional Park (Appian Way)
  Cycle the ancient road past tombs, aqueducts and catacombs.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel Locarno (Piazza del Popolo)
  A characterful Art Deco hotel with a roof terrace.

Must-Haves

• Florence Cathedral and Dome (Duomo)
  Brunelleschi’s dome climb and the cathedral complex, booked by timed slot.
• Piazza del Campo (Siena)
  The shell shaped square of Siena, an easy bus ride from Florence.

Fun for Everyone

• Ponte Vecchio (Centro Storico)
  The medieval bridge lined with goldsmiths’ shops.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lucca City Walls (Lucca)
  Cycle the tree lined Renaissance walls of a nearby town.

Must-Haves

• Uffizi Gallery (Piazza della Signoria)
  Botticelli, Leonardo and Caravaggio in the great Renaissance collection.
• Galleria dell’Accademia (San Marco)
  Home of Michelangelo’s David.
• Basilica di Santa Croce (Santa Croce)
  Tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo and Giotto frescoes.

Off the Beaten Path

• San Miniato al Monte (Oltrarno)
  A Romanesque church above the city where monks sing vespers.

Great for Date Night

• Piazzale Michelangelo (Oltrarno)
  The classic sunset view over the domes and rooftops.

Fun for Everyone

• Boboli Gardens (Palazzo Pitti)
  Formal gardens, grottos and fountains behind the Medici palace.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Trattoria Mario (San Lorenzo)
  A lunchtime trattoria with shared tables and Tuscan classics.
• All’Antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri)
  Famous stuffed schiacciata sandwiches, worth the queue.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lampredotto stand at Mercato Centrale (San Lorenzo)
  Try Florence’s tripe sandwich with green sauce from a market counter.

Fun for Everyone

• Gelateria dei Neri (Santa Croce)
  A local favourite for gelato near Santa Croce.

Must-Haves

• Caffè Gilli (Piazza della Repubblica)
  An elegant historic café for coffee and pastries.

Great for Date Night

• Le Volpi e l’Uva (Oltrarno)
  A small wine bar for Tuscan wines and cheese boards.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Piazza Santo Spirito (Santo Spirito)
  The Oltrarno square where locals gather for evening drinks.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio (Sant’Ambrogio)
  The real neighbourhood food market where Florentines shop.

Must-Haves

• Mercato Centrale (San Lorenzo)
  A food hall upstairs and produce stalls downstairs.

Off the Beaten Path

• Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (Santa Maria Novella)
  A centuries old pharmacy selling perfumes and soaps.
• Scuola del Cuoio (Santa Croce)
  A leather school behind the Santa Croce basilica.

Fun for Everyone

• Scoppio del Carro (Duomo)
  The Easter Sunday explosion of a cart of fireworks outside the cathedral.

Must-Haves

• St Mark’s Basilica (San Marco)
  Golden mosaics under Byzantine domes, by timed slot.
• Doge’s Palace (San Marco)
  The seat of the republic, the Bridge of Sighs and the prisons.
• Gallerie dell’Accademia (Dorsoduro)
  Bellini, Titian and Tintoretto in the main Venetian collection.

Great for Date Night

• Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Dorsoduro)
  Modern art in a canal side palazzo with a garden.

Off the Beaten Path

• Scuola Grande di San Rocco (San Polo)
  Tintoretto’s vast cycle of paintings under one roof.

Fun for Everyone

• Vaporetto Line 1 (Grand Canal)
  The slow water bus past the palaces of the Grand Canal.
• Murano (Murano)
  Glass furnaces and showrooms on the lagoon island.
• Burano (Burano)
  Brightly painted houses and lace making traditions.

Off the Beaten Path

• Libreria Acqua Alta (Castello)
  A bookshop with books stacked in gondolas and bathtubs.
• Jewish Ghetto (Cannaregio)
  The world’s first ghetto, with synagogues and a museum.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Rialto Market (San Polo)
  Fish and produce stalls in the morning by the Rialto Bridge.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Cantina Do Mori (San Polo)
  An ancient bacaro wine bar for cicchetti and an ombra.
• All’Arco (San Polo)
  A tiny bar serving some of the best cicchetti in the city.

Great for Date Night

• Fondamenta della Misericordia (Cannaregio)
  A canal side strip of bars and restaurants lively at night.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Trattoria Ca’ d’Oro alla Vedova (Cannaregio)
  A historic osteria known for its meatballs.

Must-Haves

• Caffè Florian (Piazza San Marco)
  Italy’s oldest café with music on the square.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Pasticceria Tonolo (Dorsoduro)
  A classic pastry shop loved for its fritelle in carnival season.

Off the Beaten Path

• Torcello (Torcello)
  A near deserted island with the lagoon’s oldest church.

Must-Haves

• Carnival of Venice (Citywide)
  Masks and costumes fill the city in the weeks before Lent.
• Venice Biennale (Castello)
  The great international art and architecture exhibition in the Giardini and Arsenale.

Fun for Everyone

• Festa del Redentore (Giudecca)
  A July night of fireworks over the lagoon.

Must-Haves

• Positano (Positano)
  The cascade of pastel houses down to the Spiaggia Grande.
• Pompeii Archaeological Park (Pompeii)
  The Roman city buried by Vesuvius.

Fun for Everyone

• Fiordo di Furore (Furore)
  A tiny beach under a road bridge in a narrow gorge.
• Ferry from Salerno to Positano (Salerno)
  The calmest way to see the coast from the water.

Off the Beaten Path

• Herculaneum (Ercolano)
  A smaller, better preserved Roman town than Pompeii.

Must-Haves

• Amalfi Cathedral (Amalfi)
  The striped cathedral and the Cloister of Paradise.

Off the Beaten Path

• Paper Museum (Amalfi)
  An old mill telling the story of Amalfi’s handmade paper.

Great for Date Night

• Villa Cimbrone (Ravello)
  Gardens and the Terrace of Infinity high above the sea.
• Villa Rufolo (Ravello)
  Gardens and terraces that inspired Wagner.

Must-Haves

• Path of the Gods (Agerola)
  A cliff top hike from Bomerano to Nocelle with huge views.
• Blue Grotto (Capri)
  A sea cave lit electric blue, entered by rowing boat.

Off the Beaten Path

• Valle delle Ferriere (Amalfi)
  A shady trail past waterfalls and old paper mills.

Great for Date Night

• Da Adolfo (Laurito)
  A beach restaurant reached by its own boat from Positano.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lo Scoglio (Nerano)
  The home of spaghetti alla nerano by the sea.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Acquapazza (Cetara)
  Seafood with Cetara’s famous anchovy sauce.

Must-Haves

• Pasticceria Pansa (Amalfi)
  A historic café on the cathedral square for lemon pastries.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sal De Riso (Minori)
  A pastry shop famous for its lemon cake.

Great for Date Night

• Franco’s Bar (Positano)
  Sunset spritzes on a terrace above Positano.

Off the Beaten Path

• Vietri sul Mare ceramics (Vietri sul Mare)
  Hand painted tiles and pottery from the coast’s ceramic town.

Must-Haves

• Ravello Festival (Ravello)
  Summer concerts on a stage hanging over the sea.

Off the Beaten Path

• Praiano (Praiano)
  A quieter village between Positano and Amalfi.

Must-Haves

• Palatine Chapel (Palermo)
  Golden mosaics inside the Norman Palace.
• Monreale Cathedral (Monreale)
  Vast gold mosaics in the hills above Palermo.
• Teatro Massimo (Palermo)
  Italy’s largest opera house, with tours and performances.

Great for Date Night

• Ancient Theatre of Taormina (Taormina)
  A Greek theatre framing the sea and Etna.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ballarò Market (Palermo)
  Palermo’s loud and lively street market.

Off the Beaten Path

• Capo Market (Palermo)
  A narrow market of fish, produce and street food.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Antica Focacceria San Francesco (Palermo)
  A historic spot for pane con la milza and street food.
• Caseificio Borderi (Ortigia)
  A cheese shop famous for huge sandwiches at the market.
• Catania Fish Market (Catania)
  A loud morning market behind the cathedral.

Fun for Everyone

• Quattro Canti (Palermo)
  The Baroque crossroads at the heart of Palermo.

Off the Beaten Path

• Capuchin Catacombs (Palermo)
  Mummified bodies in robes in an eerie crypt.

Must-Haves

• Valley of the Temples (Agrigento)
  Greek temples on a ridge above the sea.
• Ortigia (Syracuse)
  The island old town with its cathedral built on a Greek temple.
• Neapolis Archaeological Park (Syracuse)
  The Greek theatre and the Ear of Dionysius quarry.

Fun for Everyone

• Mondello Beach (Mondello)
  Palermo’s white sand beach with clear water.
• Scala dei Turchi (Realmonte)
  A white marl cliff that looks like giant steps.

Off the Beaten Path

• Zingaro Nature Reserve (Scopello)
  Coastal trails and coves without roads.

Must-Haves

• Mount Etna (Etna)
  Europe’s highest active volcano, with guided summit trips.

Off the Beaten Path

• Antica Dolceria Bonajuto (Modica)
  The old chocolate maker of Modica.

Great for Date Night

• Caffè Sicilia (Noto)
  A historic pastry café known for its almond granita.

Must-Haves

• Feast of Saint Agatha (Catania)
  One of the world’s largest religious festivals each February.

Must-Haves

• The Last Supper (Santa Maria delle Grazie)
  Leonardo’s fresco, seen by short timed slot booked well ahead.
• Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera)
  Raphael, Mantegna and Caravaggio in a historic academy.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fondazione Prada (Largo Isarco)
  Contemporary art in a converted distillery with a gold tower.
• Cimitero Monumentale (Porta Garibaldi)
  Sculpted family tombs in a vast open air museum.

Great for Date Night

• Teatro alla Scala (Centro)
  The world famous opera house.

Must-Haves

• Milan Cathedral Rooftops (Duomo)
  Walk among the spires on the roof of the Duomo.

Fun for Everyone

• Castello Sforzesco (Centro)
  A castle with museums and Michelangelo’s last sculpture.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bergamo Città Alta (Bergamo)
  A walled hill town reached by funicular.

Must-Haves

• Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (Duomo)
  A grand glass roofed shopping arcade.

Great for Date Night

• Navigli Canals (Navigli)
  Canal side bars for aperitivo at sunset.

Fun for Everyone

• Bar Basso (Città Studi)
  Home of the Negroni sbagliato.

Must-Haves

• Pasticceria Marchesi (Via Santa Maria alla Porta)
  A historic pastry shop and café.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Luini (Duomo)
  Fried panzerotti from a historic counter near the cathedral.
• Trattoria Milanese (Centro Storico)
  Risotto alla milanese and cotoletta in an old trattoria.

Fun for Everyone

• Lake Como (Varenna)
  Lakeside villages and ferries an hour from Milan by train.

Fun for Everyone

• Salone del Mobile (Rho)
  Milan Design Week fills the city with installations each April.