8 Must-See Italian Travel Destinations

Italy is a truly captivating country – the food, the culture and the history make it the most enchanting place in the world. Back in April 2022, I visited eight beautiful landmarks in Italy, which should 100% make it to your to-do list.

1. The Leaning Tower of Pisa

First on the list is the Tower of Pisa. When flying to Italy, starting your journey in Pisa is most convenient if you want to travel to Florence afterward. According to Planetware, the tower ranks 4th when listing the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. Although the sound of busy, over-populated tourist destinations doesn’t appeal to everyone, the Tower of Pisa is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime visit. Though it was predicted to topple over by the year 2000, to this day, you can still climb its whopping 294 steps. It’s a must-see Italian destination.

2. The Vatican City

Only a 20-minute drive from Rome lies the Vatican City. Strictly its own independent country, it’s home to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. The museums contain paintings by masterminds Raphael and Michelangelo. These attraction tickets can all be booked online and are totally worth visiting throughout your Italian travels!

My favorite painting was Raphael’s School of Athens, which is displayed in the image above. To the left, you can spot Michelangelo, whom Raphael chose to include as a symbol of respect to the painter, as they were previously enemies.

3. Trevi Fountain

Next comes the stunning Trevi Fountain. Steven Casale states how the Trevi is one of Rome’s most famous landmarks due to its building material (travertine stone), being the same as the Colosseum. Legend has it that throwing a coin with your right hand over your left shoulder will grant you a safe return visit to Rome!

4. The Uffizi Art Gallery

Situated in Florence is The Uffizi – a must-see Italian art gallery. When planning a trip to Florence, it can’t really be complete until you visit the Uffizi. Emotions in Florence states there are more than 6,000 paintings in the gallery, ranging from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. The gallery contains an array of artistic masterpieces from Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo Di Vinci. Although this is mind-blowing, it can become overwhelming in there, so make sure to plan out the paintings you specifically want to see first!

5. The Colosseum

Easily the most popular tourist attraction in Italy, Rome’s Colosseum is an obligatory visit when traveling the country. According to National Geographic, the famous amphitheater was built between C.E. 70 and 72 as a gift to the Roman people. Various different tours are available online, with access to the Roman Forum and ruins located next to the Colosseum.

6. The Ruins of Pompeii

Pompeii is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating elements of history and is completely worth visiting. It is located towards the southeast of Naples, working well as a pitstop between traveling from the Amalfi Coast to Rome. I would recommend booking a personal tour guide if you want an in-depth description of Pompeii’s Ruins, as there is not much information available at the actual sights.

7. Duomo di Firenze

Brunelleschi’s Duomo is listed as one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world, according to Planetware. Once visiting Pisa, a direct 1-hour train can be taken to the mind-blowing and must-see city, Florence.

The cathedral is listed as the third largest in the world, after Rome’s St. Peter’s and London’s St Paul’s. You can take a guided tour inside the cathedral, where you can observe its beautiful art and climb its 463 steps. Warning: these steps are extremely steep and narrow, but worth it for the breathtaking views over Florence’s skyline!

8. The Amalfi Coast

Italy’s Amalfi Coastline was the highlight of the whole trip. Its resplendent scenery is bursting with color and life and should be top of your lifetime bucket list. You can take a range of different boat trips around the coastline. One example is from Sorrento to Positano, but you can also sail to the island of Capri. It’s impossible to get around the coast by car, so sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful Amalfi boat rides!

Of course, the order of these attractions is only my opinion, and you may have a completely different preference. The main thing is that you should make the time to schedule these destinations for your trip! These attractions are only a glimpse of what Italy has to offer. Pisa, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast are a taster of the amazing sights that are available to see. If you want to find out more about other regions of Italy, Visitacity’s website has a detailed guide to how you should visit other Italian cities such as Venice!