Things to do in Italy

The 17 best things to do in Italy

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1. 1RomeBook ahead

   Stand inside the Colosseum, then walk the Forum

   The Colosseum, begun around 70 AD under the emperor Vespasian, is still the largest amphitheater ever built. Its nickname comes from a colossal bronze statue of Nero that stood nearby, and its arena hosted gladiator fights, wild animal hunts, naval battles and executions. Next door, the Roman Forum was the center of public life for over a thousand years, a valley of temples, arches and basilicas that includes the huge Basilica of Maxentius. Above it rises the Palatine Hill, where legend places the founding of Rome by Romulus and where emperors later built their palaces. All three belong to the Colosseum Archaeological Park, so they are easy to see together.

   Tip: In summer, check the park's official site for its evening tours of the first tier and the underground, which return on set nights each season.

   Entry: €18 (about $20) · Includes the Forum and Palatine; book a time slotFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Turismo Roma (City of Rome, official); Turismo Roma (City of Rome, official)
2. 2RomeBook ahead

   See the Sistine Chapel ceiling at the Vatican Museums

   The Vatican Museums hold a collection the popes built up over centuries, with around 20,000 works on display, from Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek and Roman pieces to Renaissance and contemporary art. The route passes rooms the popes commissioned in the apostolic palaces, including Raphael's Rooms and the Borgia Apartment, and leads to the Sistine Chapel. Pope Julius II gave Michelangelo the ceiling in 1508, and it was finished in October 1512. Michelangelo came back to paint the Last Judgement on the altar wall, completing it in 1541. The chapel is still where the conclave meets to elect a pope, so photos are banned and visitors are asked to keep silent.

   Tip: Book only on the official site, tickets.museivaticani.va, and avoid Sundays, when the museums are closed except on the last Sunday of the month.

   Booked online: €25 (about $28) · Book a time slotFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Vatican Museums (official); Vatican Museums (official); Vatican Museums (official)
3. 3Venice

   Ride vaporetto Line 1 down the Grand Canal

   Venice is built on 118 islands joined by more than 400 bridges, and its main street is water. ACTV's Line 1 is the slow boat along the whole Grand Canal: from Piazzale Roma and the railway station it calls at Ca' d'Oro, a Gothic palace that now houses the Franchetti Gallery, then Rialto, Accademia and Salute before San Marco and the Lido. The Rialto Bridge, built between 1588 and 1591 to a design by Antonio da Ponte, was the only way across the canal until 1854. From the railway station, the full ride to the Lido takes about 55 minutes, so it doubles as a tour of the city's palaces.

   Tip: Get off at the Rialto Mercato stop to walk through the Rialto Market and over the bridge, then pick up the line again to finish at San Marco.

   Vaporetto, 75 minutes: €9.50 (about $11) · Vaporetto ticketFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); ACTV Venice public transport (official timetable); ACTV Venice public transport (official); Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT)
4. 4FlorenceBook ahead

   Climb Brunelleschi's dome above Florence Cathedral

   Florence Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, and when it was completed in the 15th century it was the largest church in Europe. Its outside is clad in white, green and red marble. Filippo Brunelleschi began the dome in 1420 with a self-supporting double shell that needed no traditional centring, and it is still the largest masonry dome ever built. The climb, 463 steps with no elevator, runs between the two shells and close to the Last Judgement frescoes by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, then comes out at the base of the lantern with views over the city and the hills. Giotto's bell tower next door has 414 steps of its own.

   Tip: Dome visits must be booked for a set time when you buy the ticket, and the climb is not advised if you have heart trouble, vertigo or claustrophobia; entering the cathedral itself is free and needs no booking.

   Brunelleschi Pass, with the dome: €30 (about $34) · Giotto Pass, without the dome: €20 (about $22) · Cathedral free; book a slot for the domeFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Feel Florence (City of Florence, official); Feel Florence (City of Florence, official); Feel Florence (City of Florence, official)
5. 5VeniceBook ahead

   See the golden mosaics of St. Mark's Basilica

   St. Mark's Basilica, Venice's cathedral, is one of the best known examples of Italian-Byzantine architecture: a Greek cross crowned with domes and turrets, with whole walls inside covered in golden mosaics. It faces Piazza San Marco, the only square in Venice called a piazza, since every other one is a campo, beside the 98.6 m bell tower and the Doge's Palace. Tickets carry your name, and the visit follows a set route, with up to 20 minutes in the basilica and up to 10 more at the Pala d'Oro if your ticket includes it. During Sunday services the basilica is closed to sightseeing, though the museum stays open.

   Tip: Bring photo ID matching the name on your ticket, cover your shoulders, and leave big bags behind, since backpacks over 40 x 30 x 20 cm and wheeled cases are not allowed inside.

   Basilica: €10 (about $11) · With the Pala d'Oro, museum and loggia: €30 (about $34) · Book a time slotFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Procuratoria di San Marco (official access rules, Italian)
6. 6FlorenceBook ahead

   Meet Botticelli's Venus at the Uffizi

   The Uffizi is one of the world's great picture galleries, with thousands of works from the 13th to the 18th century on the first and second floors of the Vasari building, and the visit starts on the second floor. You walk from the big altarpieces of Cimabue and Giotto to Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo da Vinci's Adoration of the Magi, Titian's Venus of Urbino and Caravaggio's Bacchus, with Michelangelo, Raphael, Dürer and Rembrandt along the way. The Vasari Corridor, reopened in December 2024, runs from the gallery over the Ponte Vecchio to the Boboli Gardens and can be added as a booked tour.

   Tip: The gallery is closed on Mondays, so book a timed entry for another day through the official Uffizi channels rather than resellers.

   Booked ahead: €29 (about $33) · Bought on the day: €25 (about $28)Fee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Feel Florence (City of Florence, official); Feel Florence (City of Florence, official); Feel Florence (City of Florence, official)
7. 7Rome

   Climb St. Peter's dome for a view of Rome

   St. Peter's Basilica stands where the apostle Peter was buried, on the site of the basilica Constantine built. Rebuilding began in 1506 to a design by Bramante, and Michelangelo, put in charge at 72 in 1547, designed the dome, which Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana finished after his death. Inside, find Michelangelo's Pietà in the first chapel on the right, the only work he signed, and Bernini's bronze baldachin over the papal altar. The basilica is 136 m high from the ground to the cross on the dome. A dome ticket covers both the inner and outer rings, with the mosaics up close and a view over Rome's rooftops.

   Tip: Wear clothes that cover you, since short clothing, sleeveless tops and hats are not allowed, and leave time for the police security check on the right side of St. Peter's Square.

   Free; the dome climb costs extra
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); St. Peter's Basilica (official); St. Peter's Basilica (official); St. Peter's Basilica (official); St. Peter's Basilica (official)
8. 8Rome

   Stand under the oculus of the Pantheon

   The Pantheon is one of the best preserved monuments of ancient Rome. Agrippa built the first temple here in 27 BC, and the emperor Hadrian rebuilt and enlarged it in the 2nd century AD. Its dome, 43.44 m across inside, is still the widest hemispherical dome ever built in unreinforced concrete, and the building is as tall as the dome is wide. Light comes only through the oculus, an opening 8.95 m wide, and when it rains, the water falls in and drains away through 22 small holes in the floor. Consecrated as the church of Santa Maria ad Martyres in 609, it holds the tombs of Raphael and of Italian kings.

   Tip: Book your entry online through the basilica's official site before you go, or come on the first Sunday of the month, when entry is free and no ticket is needed.

   Entry: €7 (about $8)Fee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Pantheon, Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres (official)
9. 9FlorenceBook ahead

   Meet Michelangelo's David at the Accademia

   The Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence holds more of Michelangelo's sculptures than any other museum in the world, and the David is why most people come. The cathedral works gave Michelangelo the commission on 16 August 1501. In January 1504 a panel of leading artists, among them Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli, chose to set the statue at the entrance of Palazzo Vecchio as a symbol of Florentine strength and independence, and it was unveiled on 8 September 1504. With its carved base, the marble stands 517 cm tall and weighs 5,560 kg. A copy now stands outside Palazzo Vecchio, but the original is here.

   Tip: Reserve an entry time, since the gallery warns that the wait without one can be long, and remember it is closed every Monday.

   Booked online: €24 (about $27) · Book a time slotFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze (official); Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze (official); Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze (official)
10. 10Florence

    Cross Ponte Vecchio, then climb to Piazzale Michelangelo

    Ponte Vecchio stands where the Roman bridge of ancient Florentia crossed the Arno. The present bridge, built in 1345 and probably designed by Taddeo Gaddi, is lined with goldsmiths' workshops that replaced the old butchers and fishmongers in 1593, and the Vasari Corridor runs above them. In August 1944 it was the only bridge in Florence left standing during the Nazi retreat. Across the river and up the hill, Piazzale Michelangelo, finished in 1875 to a design by Giuseppe Poggi, is the city's best-known viewpoint, with the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce and the Arno bridges laid out below and bronze copies of Michelangelo's statues in the middle.

    Tip: Buses 12 and 13 run up to Piazzale Michelangelo if you would rather not walk, and San Miniato al Monte is a short climb further up the hill.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Feel Florence (City of Florence, official); Feel Florence (City of Florence, official); Feel Florence (City of Florence, official)
11. 11Venice

    Tour the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs

    For centuries the Doge's Palace was the seat of Venice's government and the home of the doge, the Republic's highest magistrate and the only official elected for life. The building mixes Gothic, Renaissance and Mannerist parts: the wing on St. Mark's Basin was rebuilt from 1340, the wing on the square from 1424, and the canal wing between 1483 and 1565. In the 17th century the New Prisons went up across the canal, linked by the enclosed Bridge of Sighs in white Istrian stone. The Republic ended in 1797, when the last doge, Ludovico Manin, abdicated as Napoleon's soldiers entered Venice. Visitors go in through the Porta del Frumento.

    Tip: Book the Secret Itinerary ahead if you want to see the hidden offices and chambers of the Republic's government, since it runs as a guided tour for small groups by reservation only.

    St. Mark's Square Museums ticket: €35 (about $39) · Booked online 30 days or more ahead: €30 (about $34) · The ticket also covers the Museo CorrerFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 3, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Doge's Palace, Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (official); Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Doge's Palace, Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (official)
12. 12Rome

    Toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain

    The Trevi Fountain marks the end of the Aqua Virgo, the only ancient aqueduct still in continuous use. Pope Clement XII held a competition for its design in 1732 and chose the architect Nicola Salvi, and Giuseppe Pannini completed it. Set against Palazzo Poli, it shows Oceanus driving a shell-shaped chariot pulled by one calm and one restless horse, each led by a triton, with reliefs telling the legend of the aqueduct. Fellini filmed the famous scene of La Dolce Vita here. Tradition says a coin thrown with your back to the fountain brings you back to Rome, and on the right is the small lovers' fountain, where couples drink to stay together.

    Tip: Since February 2026, a ticket is needed to enter the area right by the basin between 9 AM and 10 PM, and hours can change for maintenance, so check the fountain's official site on the day.

    Free to view from the square
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Turismo Roma (City of Rome, official); Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT)
13. 13Rome

    Spend an evening in Trastevere

    Trastevere is one of Rome's most characterful districts, a tangle of cobbled lanes hiding churches, squares and museums, and the inspiration for the Roman poets Belli and Trilussa, who each have a square named after them. Start at Piazza Trilussa and follow the sampietrini paving stones to Santa Maria in Trastevere, where the big fountain in front of the basilica is a meeting place for young Romans, visitors and street performers. In the evening, the streets around Piazza San Callisto fill with breweries and restaurants serving traditional Roman dishes. For its history, architecture and nightlife, Italy's tourism board calls it the most interesting district to experience in Rome.

    Tip: Come for dinner rather than lunch, since the lanes are at their liveliest in the evening, when the bars and trattorias around Piazza San Callisto fill up.

    Free to visit
    Sources: Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT)
14. 14Venice

    Take the boat to Murano and Burano

    Two lagoon islands make an easy outing from Venice. Murano, really seven small islands joined by bridges, has been the home of Venetian glass since 1291, when the Republic moved the city's glassworks there to contain the risk of furnace fires, and its Glass Museum holds the world's largest historical collection of Murano glass. Burano is a fishing island famous for its brightly painted houses and handmade lace; its Lace Museum on Piazza Galuppi shows Venetian lace from the 16th to the 20th century. ACTV Line 12 leaves Fondamente Nove about every half hour during the day, calls at Murano Faro, and reaches Burano in about 40 minutes.

    Tip: For the classic view of Burano's colors, stand on the Tre Ponti bridge, and on the way back stop at a Murano workshop to watch glass being blown.

    Vaporetto, 75 minutes: €9.50 (about $11) · Vaporetto ticketFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 3, 2026

    Sources: Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Murano Glass Museum, Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (official); Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (official); ACTV Venice public transport (official timetable)
15. 15Florence

    Take a day trip to Siena's Piazza del Campo

    Siena's historic center still looks much as it did in the 14th century, which is why UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1995. Its heart is the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, faced by the Palazzo Pubblico and the soaring Torre del Mangia, and every year on 2 July and 16 August it becomes the track for the Palio, a horse race between the city's districts. The cathedral holds sculpture by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Michelangelo and Bernini, the Piccolomini Library and a unique inlaid marble floor. Beside it stand the columns of a much bigger new nave, abandoned when the Black Death struck in 1348.

    Tip: Check the cathedral's official site for the dates each year when its marble floor is unveiled in full before you plan the day.

    Free to visit
    Sources: Visit Tuscany (Tuscany Region, official); Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Opera della Metropolitana di Siena (official)
16. 16RomeBook ahead

    See Bernini's sculptures at the Borghese Gallery

    The Borghese Gallery sits in the park of Villa Borghese, in a villa with 20 frescoed rooms, a portico and a grand entrance hall. Its paintings, sculptures, mosaics and reliefs include work by Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian, Correggio, Bernini and Canova, and it also keeps a store room set up as a picture gallery with about 260 more paintings. Entry is by timed slot, so plan the rest of your day around your booking.

    Tip: Booking is compulsory, so reserve your entry slot on the gallery's official site before you travel and check its current visit length there.

    Entry: €18 (about $20) · Timed tickets only; the price includes the booking feeFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 3, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Italia.it (Italian Ministry of Tourism and ENIT); Turismo Roma (City of Rome, official); Turismo Roma (City of Rome, official)
17. 17Rome

    Ride the Frecciarossa between Venice, Florence and Rome

    Italy's three classic first-trip cities sit on one high-speed line. Trenitalia's Frecciarossa trains run Venice, Padua, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples and Salerno, so you can move between them without changing trains, and Florence is just over an hour and a half from Rome. In Venice, the station is also the Ferrovia stop for vaporetto Line 1 down the Grand Canal. For side trips around Tuscany, Regionale trains reach Pisa, Lucca and other towns from Florence. Paper regional tickets have to be validated in the station machines before departure, while digital regional tickets are validated automatically or need no stamping.

    Tip: If you travel on a paper regional ticket, stamp it at a validating machine before you board and finish the journey within four hours.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Trenitalia (official); Trenitalia (official); ACTV Venice public transport (official); Trenitalia (official); Trenitalia (official)

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