Your independent guide to Italy
Plan Your Italy Trip: Where to Go, Where to Stay, What to Book
Short on days? Pick one or two places, find the right base, then book only what's worth it.
On now Alba White Truffle Fair 2026, Langhe · Oct 10 – Dec 6Start here
Plan Italy in four steps
Where to go
City and region guides, from Rome and Florence to the slower corners of Puglia and Umbria.
Choose a destination → 2Where to stay
The right base for each stop, with a map of all 20 regions and 14 base guides.
Find your base → 3What to book
Tours compared side by side: what's included, where you meet and who each one suits.
Compare experiences → 4When to go
Festivals, fairs and markets by date (22 coming up), plus the best months to visit.
See what's on →Written by Tony, who lives in Rome and works as a guide across Italy. Some links earn us a commission and are always labeled. Prices and ratings are read on the partner site and dated. About Tony · How we choose
Destinations
Where to go in Italy
Eight places most first and second trips are built around. Open the guide, then check where to stay before you book.
More places: Umbria · Lakes, islands and coasts · Hidden villages · All 20 regions · All destinations →
Where to stay
Pick the right base before you book
Most trips work best with one or two bases. Start with a region on the map, or open a city guide that compares neighborhoods and matches them to the tours you plan to book.
Rome
Deciding where to stay in Rome is mostly about your mornings. A Vatican tour at 8…
Where to stay inFlorence
Florence is small, so where to stay in Florence is less about distance and more about…
Where to stay inVenice
Choosing where to stay in Venice comes down to two things: how far you will drag…
Where to stay inNaples, Sorrento or the Amalfi Coast
Deciding where to stay in Naples and on the Amalfi Coast starts with one question: one…
Where to stay inLake Como
Choosing where to stay on Lake Como comes down to one question: how will you move…
Where to stay inThe Tuscan countryside
Where to stay in Tuscany countryside: Chianti, the Val d’Orcia, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, the Maremma and…
Also: Sicily · Puglia: masseria or trullo · Cinque Terre · Dolomites · Langhe · Milan
What to book
Top-rated experiences in Italy
Each page compares two tours side by side, with what's included, where you meet and who each one suits. Ratings are read on Viator.
Selected automatically from Italy2Love experience pages that match this page, ordered by Viator rating and number of reviews (checked September 2026). Prices and availability are shown live on Viator.
Featured destination
Rome in three days: what to see, what to book
Most first trips to Rome come down to three places: the Colosseum and the Forum, the Vatican Museums and an evening in Trastevere. Our guide plans the days; our booking plan tells you which tours are worth paying for, and which to skip.
- Best tours in Rome for first-timers
- Colosseum tickets explained
- Vatican Museums tickets
- Best food tours in Rome
Most reviewed in Rome: Rome Pasta and Tiramisu Cooking Class · 4.9 from 10,020 Viator reviews (checked September 2026)
Italy by interest
Start with what you love.
Three ways into Italy, each with its own guides, bookable experiences and the places that do it best.
Events
What's on in Italy
Alba White Truffle Fair 2026
On now · Oct 13–25 RomeRome Film Festival 2026
On now · Oct 14–18 Friuli-Venezia GiuliaEin Prosit Udine 2026
Oct 16–18 PisaTerre di Pisa Food and Wine Festival 2026
Oct 28 – Nov 1 LuccaLucca Comics & Games 2026
Oct 30 – Nov 1 Emilia-RomagnaFerrara Food Festival 2026
Nov 1–30 LangheEvents in Italy in November 2026
Nov 6–10 Trentino-Alto AdigeMerano Wine Festival 2026
Nov 13–22 PerugiaEurochocolate Perugia 2026
Nov 14 – Feb 1 Amalfi CoastLuci d’Artista Salerno 2026/27
Start planning
Choose a place first, then book what earns its spot
Every experience page compares two tours side by side, with Viator ratings and what is included.