Here are the best Italy landmarks and the most famous landmarks in Italy that you need to visit. While there are so many incredible historic sites and natural wonders in Italy, it was a difficult task to narrow it down to only 25 Italian attractions. This provides you with a great starting point if you’re visiting Italy for the first time or you want to visit the most popular tourist attractions.
Did you know that Italy has a whopping 58 UNESCO World Heritage Sites? There are so many world famous historically and culturally significant attractions in Italy that there are entire books devoted to the subject.
When you travel to Italy for the first time, you might want to go to the spots you’ve dreamed about seeing with your own eyes. I’m sure you can think of at least one of these incredible locations off the top of your head, even if you’ve never visited the country. Here are the best places to visit in Rome, Florence, Venice and beyond.
Rome is the capital city of Italy and its history spans a whopping 28 centuries. You are truly spoiled for historical marvels when traveling to Rome. It’s said that one of the best ways to explore Rome is to discover and understand its layers. This literal buried treasure lies beneath modern Rome in its subterranean structures of which many are still waiting to be uncovered.
If you’re staying for several days in Rome, I suggest checking Rome’s underground catacombs and crypts. In addition, for all the cat lovers in the crowd (allow me to raise my hand!), check out the Roman cat sanctuary where the cats roam among the ancient ruins. However, if you’re seeking the most popular things to do in Rome, here are a few suggestions to check off your bucket list.
Out of all the places to visit in Italy, I am sure that the Colosseum is the first one that comes to mind. It’s only one of the most iconic, famous places in the world. The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater in the world and it could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators.
Marveling at this astonishing ancient wonder, you can’t help but try to imagine how it looked back in its heyday. From savage gladiator battles and grueling competitions that often resulted in death, I can only begin to imagine these thrilling and ghastly clashes.
On a trip to the Colosseum, you can visit the arena floor, the dungeon, and the third floor. Ultimately, the Colosseum is one of the top things to do in Rome that you cannot miss. Book your tour here.
Unfortunately, when we visited Rome, we didn’t end up checking out Vatican City. While we had booked a tour of Vatican City, I came down with a really bad case of food poisoning in Rome. Sadly, I had to miss seeing the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, but it’s somewhere I plan to see on my return to Rome. After all, there are so many places to visit in Rome that you can travel there on multiple occasions throughout your lifetime.
It’s easy to spend an entire day at Vatican City, the smallest independent state that’s under full ownership of the Holy See. You need to see the Sistine Chapel, 11 Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Gardens and the list goes on. As Vatican City is immensely popular and gets quite crowded, I highly recommend that you purchase a skip the queue ticket for your tour of the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums.
The Pantheon is one of the best preserved ancient Roman structures and probably my favourite building in Rome. It’s a former Roman temple and now a church with the most fascinating architecture. While a portico with grandiose Corinthian columns beckons you to enter, it’s the massive circular domed cella that is truly amazing.
Florence is another equally captivating city and filled with top places to visit in Italy. Here are my suggestions for the best things to do in Florence if you’re seeking the well known and most discussed attractions.
Pisa has one of the most famous landmarks in the world, and I’m sure you can guess what it is. In this travel blog post, I recommend travelling to Pisa for half a day from Florence, whether you make a day trip or you’re continuing onward to Cinque Terre.
Venice is one of those destinations that you can visit again and again. There’s nowhere else quite like it in the entire world. Justin and I have traveled to Venice twice now, and I’ve put together the ultimate 3 day Venice itinerary for you. Not surprisingly, it includes all of these famous landmarks in Italy.
Venice is the City of Canals or the Floating City. It’s unlike anywhere else in the world. Wander from district to district across small bridges over the canals, and around its narrow city streets. The architecture is incredible, and you have to take an iconic gondola ride, especially if you’re visiting Venice for the first time.
The Milan Cathedral, or Duomo di Milano, is the largest church in the Italian Republic. It’s also possibly the second largest church in Europe and third largest in the world, though these details are up for debate. The construction of the church took nearly six centuries to complete, beginning in 1386 and ending in 1965. The first cathedral on this site was built in the year 355, though fire damaged the original structures.
The five villages of Cinque Terre are among the most photographed and Instagrammed places in Italy, making them more than worthy of a place on this list of famous Italy landmarks. I recommend visiting all five hillside towns: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
The five villages are connected by hiking trails and by train stations, so you can walk between them or take public transportation. It’s also possible to travel by ferry between the towns. I suggest taking the ferry at least once so you can view the beautiful scenery from the water.
Without a doubt, the Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world. There are a number of villages to visit along the Amalfi Coast, which are among the most famous Italian landmarks: Amalfi, Positano and Ravello. I’m sure you’ve seen many photos of those stunning Positano beaches before.
Out of all of the places in Amalfi, I adored Ravello the most. The views overlooking the rolling hills and the deep blue waters of the sea are the most spectacular from Villa Rufolo, a castle and gardens within the historic city centre.
Pompeii is one of those places that I learned about in school and was absolutely fascinating to see before my eyes. The Pompeii ruins were discovered in 1748 and was left perfectly in tact beneath the ashes from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. While you can walk around the Pompeii ruins on your own all day long, I suggest booking a tour to gain a better understanding of the history.
The Dolomites are an incredible mountain range in northern Italy and one of the most famous landmarks in Italy. There are 18 peaks in total with vertical walls, steep cliffs and narrow valleys. The Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and many other regional parks are located within the Dolomites, which was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.
Lake Como is one of the most memorable and photogenic lakes in Italy, so I had to include it on this list of famous Italian landmarks. It is the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. It is the fifth deepest lake in Europe at 400 metres deep. Lake Como has remained a popular tourist attraction for wealthy people since Roman times, and many famous people have homes on the edge of the lake.
Siena is home to the Piazza del Campo, an interesting shell-shaped piazza that is home to the semi-annual Palio races. The jockeys in the race must ride around Piazza del Campo three times, which is covered in a thick layer of dirt. The event usually lasts about 90 seconds in total. Many jockeys are thrown off the horses during the race, and it is common for a horse to finish a race without its jockey.
First horse across the finish line is declared the winner, and that contrada gains all of the glory. Piazza del Campo also contains the Torre del Mangia, one of the tallest secular towers in medieval Italy. The tower was built to be exactly the same height as the Siena Cathedral to demonstrate that the church and state were equal in power.
San Gimignano is most known for its preserved towers that line the hillside, numbering a dozen or so, creating a medieval skyline. The historic centre of San Gimignano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visited later in the day when there were fewer tourists roaming the streets.
The high walls, tall buildings, and narrow streets kept most of the Tuscan town shrouded in shadows, with rays of sunlight gleaming through at every turn. Though we were surrounded by cobblestone roads and rocky walls, vines had reclaimed portions of the buildings and potted plants were carefully placed in doorways and alleyways.
We strolled around town, visiting small shops and piazzas, with our necks craned up to admire the tall towers and majestic churches. It’s a very beautiful and memorable Tuscan town.
Capri’s Blue Grotto (Grotto Azzura) is an amazing experience to visit. Take a boat ride out to the Blue Grotto. Then, you may need to wait a while for your turn to hop in one of the smaller wooden rowboats. Sit back and let the masterful skipper navigate the boat beneath the meter-high cave mouth. Before long, you’ll witness the magical, twinkling blue waters surrounded by a dark cavern. It’s one of the most famous landmarks in Italy that you should check out if you’re travelling to Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast.
Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption that buried the city of Pompeii in AD 79. Vesuvius remains an active volcano and it is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years. The area around Vesuvius is a national park and its summit remains open to visitors. While you can hike around Vesuvius, the volcano is actively monitored for any seismic activity.
