Italy
Culture, cuisine and coastlines
Most summer destinations either lean into big, flashy experiences or quiet moments and simple pleasures. Italy says, ‘Why choose?’ Long, sunny days are perfect for gazing at awe-inspiring ancient relics and architectural bombast, wandering through a rolling Chianti vineyard or sitting on a pastel balcony with an aperitivo or gelato in hand. And if you’re ready for a break from the Mediterranean sun, few places offer such achingly beautiful places indoors, between buildings and on the water. From romantic Venice to spectacular Sicily, with plenty of pasta in between, a summer trip to Italy will tick all your boxes.
〝This is the ideal time to eat and drink by the sea, beneath a mountain or in a piazza; to drive, hike or cycle through impossibly pretty hills; or take your passeggiata through city streets packed with art, history and people-watching. Italy in summer is simply enchanting. 〞Daniel Bolger, Italy Destination Editor
Peaks and valleys
With rugged alpine mountains and fuming southern volcanoes, Italy’s landscape is a magnificent outdoor playground. Twenty-five national parks span terrain from sky-high rock spires in the Dolomites to the silent slopes of Le Marche. If you’re lucky, you might catch sight of a chamois, ibex, golden eagle, peregrine falcon or even a Marsican brown bear. If a spot by the water is more your speed, Italy has four seas and a coastline that stretches for 7600km (4700 miles). Whether you’re after an idyllic cove framed by plunging cliffs or a sandy strip lapped by azure waters, you’ll find somewhere to suit your style.
Wonders of the Table
Italy is a country that lives to eat, where food is central to social life and culinary traditions are revered with heartfelt pride. Dishes are prepared with seasonal ingredients, and historic piazzas and seafront promenades provide a ready supply of memorable settings. In summer, Italian markets swell with mounds of fresh produce: plump eggplants, vivid red peppers, peaches, figs, watermelons and ripe lemons from the Amalfi Coast. For seafood lovers, this is a good time for cozze (mussels).
Essential events
- Estate Romana: Rome puts on a summer calendar of events that turn the city into an outdoor stage. Music, dance, literature and film events are staged at some of the city’s most evocative venues. June–October
- Palio: Siena’s Piazza del Campo sets the stage for this daredevil horse race. Centuries-old rituals surround the event, where costumed riders represent each of the city’s medieval contrade (districts). July–August
- Venice Film Festival: One of the world’s most prestigious cinematic events, this festival is held at the Lido and draws the international film glitterati with its red-carpet premieres and paparazzi glamor. August–September
Make it happen
You could spend a lifetime of summers in Italy and never see half the things it has to offer. But in a week to 10 days, you can...
- Hit the highlights (10 days): Glide through the haunting canals of Venice, eat your fill in Bologna, revel in the Renaissance masterpieces of Florence, wander through the greatest hits of Rome, and live it up in Naples.
- Focus on the North (10 days): Start in style in Milan, then cut over to the palazzi (and balconies) of Mantua and Verona. Marvel at architectural wonders in Vicenza and Padua before hiking natural ones in the Dolomites.
- See the South Coast (7 days): Explore Naples and the ruins of Pompeii, then soak up the sun in Sorrento and catch a boat for Capri. Cap it off with Instagrammable Positano and the busy Amalfi Coast.
- Get a slice of Sicily (7 days): From the black lava streets of Catania to the ancient Greek temples of Agrigento, honey-hued towns set amid citrus and olive groves showcase the island’s spectacular baroque beauty.
