Italy Travel Guide: Best Things To Do in Italy 2026 4K

In this travel guide we're going to explore the best places to visit in Italy, from the beautiful villages of the Amalfi Coast, to the charming canals of Venice, the ancient history of the Roman Empire, and the Italian Renaissance, coming to you from the southern part of Europe. We even have some hidden gems and travel tips that you may find interesting. Let's begin. First up, here we are in the Cinque Terre along the Italian Riviera. Cinque meaning five, and terre meaning lands. The five lands include Monterosso Almare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. I got my hotel in La Spezia, and then I went from village to village on a train. They also have boat tours that allow you to village hop, and some roads for those of you who want to take a car, although that's probably not recommended, mostly because parking in the Cinque Terre isn't as easy as you would think it is. That's why I recommend trains or boats. For me, the most interesting villages were Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Vernazza. If you wanted the beach, you're going to find that in Monterosso Almare, and if you wanted more peace and quiet, that's Corniglia. Although in my opinion, Corniglia is the hardest one to get to, because you have to hike up a mountain from the train station. You can easily do the Cinque Terre in one day. Get an early start around 9 and be done by 6pm. Now we're headed to the capital of the Roman Empire. This is Rome. This is Italy's capital and the largest city, with a history spanning 2700 years. The absolute best part of this city is going to be around the Roman Forum. The Colosseum can get crowded at times, so try to book your tickets ahead of time. The Trevi Fountain is worth a stop early in the morning to beat the crowds. Nearby there is going to be the Pantheon, which is a spectacular temple that was built in 125 AD, and it has the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. By the way, as we continue to show you around Italy, I want to let you know there are timestamps down below so you can move around the video, and this list is in no particular order. But here in Rome, you're also going to want to check out St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican City, which is its own country inside of Rome. We recently did a full travel guide about Rome. I'll put a link to that down below in the description. If you plan to visit Rome, expect to be here at least 2-3 days. Now we're up here in the northeastern part of the country. This here is Venice, which sits on more than 100 islands in the Venetian Lagoon, connected by over 400 bridges. Venice was once the capital of the powerful Republic of Venice, one of Europe's greatest maritime and trading powers for over 1,000 years. One of the most famous European explorers actually came from Venice. That's Marco Polo, who was born in the year 1254. He traveled with his father to the Silk Road in China. And the reason I mention that is that just gives you an idea of how rich the history is in Venice, because it was one of the original republics of the world to do long-distance seafaring. So, St. Mark's Basilica, the canals, it's just such a romantic place. 1-2 days in Venice is enough for me, mostly because when I go to Italy there's so much to see and I try to cram it all into 2 weeks. One of my absolute favorite places is the Amalfi Coast, just because it's so spectacular and beautiful along the mountains that meet the coastline here, just south of Naples. You can stay in one of the villages along the Amalfi Coast, in places like Positano or Amalfi, or you can stay outside in places like Sorrento. Some people go to Capri Island, which is also very luxurious and expensive. The best way to see the coast is in a rental car. If you can't do that, you can also take ferries and boats around the Amalfi Coast. They have a train that will connect you to one of the neighboring cities, and then you can come in on a bus. Last time I was here, I stayed in Naples and I took the ferries back and forth. They take about an hour and a half. Now we're in the Tuscany region in Florence. This is the birthplace of the Renaissance. I would say this is my second favorite city for history in Italy. You only need about 24 to 48 hours to see Florence. It's very small along the river. You can cross the bridge on the Ponte Vecchio, also walk around the Florence Cathedral known as the Duomo, get some viewpoints up above in the gardens, and then see Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Galileo Galilei's historical sites, museums that they have here. Also the statue of David is famous here, which you can find at the Galleria dell'Accademia. The Uffizi Galleria is one of the largest and most famous art museums in the world and it's located in the heart of Florence, with priceless Renaissance masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and many more. And because we're in Florence, let's talk about Tuscany as a whole. It's one of the most famous regions, known for its rolling hills, vineyards, medieval towns, the Renaissance heritage, also it's right here in central Italy. People who come to Tuscany, they usually get a rental car and they take it very slow exploring the historical cities and towns, but also enjoying the wines in the evening time with a very relaxing meal. This is more of a relaxing type region for you to explore outside of most of the chaotic tourist zones. Just a frame of reference for you, you can easily do Cinque Terre, Pisa, Tuscany, and Florence, all within a two to three day period on your Italy trip. And the reason I suggest visiting so many places in Italy in two weeks, is because it can be done, and it's worth it, and you'll go home feeling so much more enriched because of it. Now here we are in the northeast part of the country, in the mountains, this is the Dolomites. Very nearby, the European Alps, along Switzerland and Northern Italy, as well as Austria, but this is a different mountain range. It's a paradise for people who love to do hiking, take photographs, do outdoor activities like cycling, really amazing jagged cliffs, alpine meadows with these limestone cliffs as well. Great to be here in the sunrise or sunset times, just because these rock faces often have a glow of pink and orange. Many of you are probably wondering when the best time to visit Italy is, and I would say the month of May, or September, October, that's just my personal opinion. The winter is too cold and the summer is too hot, plus I like to avoid the tourist season in the summer. Now we're actually here in the far north, almost in Switzerland, this is Lake Como. There's a few different lakes up here, they get that Alps snow melt that creates these rivers that lead to these lakes. Lake Como is just absolutely spectacular, it's like a paradise up here. If you can stay up here for two or three nights, you'll feel really recharged. This would be a place where you definitely want to relax, not have to feel like you're being rushed if you're going to look for one of these areas. Lake Como or some of these other lakes in the north, maybe even Lake Garda. If you're planning to visit the lakes of Lake Garda, Lake Como, you're also going to want to include Milano and Venice. The Dolomites Mountains, if you wanted to do all that, you're looking at four to five days to explore northern Italy, because after all, Italy is set up in two regions. One of those regions is the far south, south of Calabria, this is Sicily, the boot, kicking the football. Now here you're going to find volcanoes, historical cities, also it is considered the food capital of Italy, so if you're a foodie, this is where you want to be. It's also the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It's separated from the mainland of Italy by the narrow Strait of Messini. The island has a population of almost five million people, with the capital being Palermo. Many ancient civilizations were here, from the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arab Moors, the Normans, and the Spanish. Lots of history down here in Sicily. Mount Etna is Europe's tallest, most active volcano, standing at 10,800 feet above sea level. It gets snow, and at times it does erupt several times a year. And here we are at a hidden gem, this is Verona, it's Italy's most romantic city. It's nearby Milan and Florence, right there in the middle. It's famous for its Roman monuments, medieval architecture, and even a connection to Shakespeare. The city is best known as the setting for Romeo and Juliet. Also you may be surprised to learn that the word Romance actually comes from Rome. During the Roman Empire, people spoke Latin, and after the empire fell, Latin gradually evolved into several languages, which became known as the Romance languages, including Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian. That's why they're so romantic. It comes from the Roman roots of the Latin language. Now we're headed out to Sardinia. This is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily. It has a population of 1.6 million people, and it is known for its crystal clear blue water. Some people say it's got some of the bluest water in the entire world, but definitely here in the Mediterranean, it's hard to beat this color blue. The island itself is famous because it gets over 300 days of sunshine, but it's also one of the world's original five blue zones for having a high concentration of centenarians. That's people who live to be over 100 years old. Scientists are curious as to why, and the locals say it's the Mediterranean-style diet, the stress-free lifestyle that's on the island. Also people get a lot of outdoor activity and walking up and down the hills. But who really knows, it's just they live a long time on this island. Now we're actually headed up to Milano. So here you have the Duomo of Milan. Also, I would say this is the most modern city in Italy, and in some regards, it's one of the more modern tech cities in all of Europe. It's also the fashion capital of Italy. I don't want to get too carried away calling it a modern city because it's also got a lot of history and old buildings. But the bullet trains and the modern tall buildings that they have here, it kind of makes you think, okay, this is the modern city of Italy. The northern part of Italy is actually considered the wealthy, most industrialized region, whereas the central area is considered the historic and cultural heart, whereas southern is more warm, slower-paced lifestyles. Those are the three different regions of Italy. Now here we are in Naples. It's the third largest city. I consider this to be southern Italy. It's got a population of three million people. Like I said, I base camped out of here to get to Amalfi Coast. But also in between Amalfi and Naples is Pompeii because there's a big volcano there as well. That's Mount Vesuvius. You can hike to the top of there as well. But there's a lot of history, castles, palaces in Naples to explore around the old city. You've got the Spanish Old City, and then you've got the central historical area as well as the waterfront. Many cruise ships come into Naples, so if you're planning to do a cruise, the likelihood that you'll actually be in Naples is very high. Also known for its pizza, Nepali pizza. The city itself of Naples, I don't recommend any more than 24 hours, but if you plan to see Pompeii, you could stay longer. And then there's this hidden gem down in the far south in Calabria. This here is Tropea, which kind of sounds like tropical because it's kind of a tropical environment down here. There is also a volcano that people like to go out to out on the islands, but Tropea is known for its cliffs with its beach down below and then the village up top. This one here is really a hidden gem. I came here for two nights, and I just chilled out, went to the beach, and kind of soaked up the sun out here. It's kind of harder to get here because there's a slow-moving train that will take you here from Naples, but if you are looking for more of a slow-paced kind of atmosphere with beaches, then Tropea can work perfect. And then there's this one special monument that people always think about, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Now there's not much else going on in Pisa other than the Leaning Tower, but if you've never been to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, then you have to go here, and you can even go up to the top. It's definitely very unique to see a tower that just kind of slants to the side. You're almost wondering how it even still stands, but I guess the ground below it just settled and it was so well built that it still stays structurally intact. Really impressive, right? This is a perfect pit stop for half a day in between Cinque Terre and Florence when you're taking the train. Easy to get to. If you guys loved this one, watch our next video from Rome. Click right here. Best things to do.