How to experience Italy like a local this summer

BBC News

2 days ago

There are a million reasons to go to Italy, so why do visitors always go to the same few places? Here are our favourite ways to shake up your Italian itinerary.
Does it seem like everyone is in Italy right now? Italy has been ranked as the top destination for American travellers in 2024 and 2025, according to a study by Price Waterhouse Cooper and the United States Tour Operators Association, but the honour should come as no surprise. The nation welcomes 80 million international visitors annually, drawn by its pastel-coloured villages, Renaissance treasures and Roman ruins.
From the Etruscans to the Romans to the Byzantines, each civilisation that has passed through this boot-shaped nation has left their own unique architectural stamp on the land, transforming its cities into open-air museums. Italy also enjoys a reputation for a deliciously laid-back lifestyle – especially in summer, when everybody's in the piazza and beach umbrellas stud the coastlines.
"Italy doesn't ask you to be a tourist; it invites you to feel something," says Ruben Sanpietro, CEO and founder of Visit Italy. "It's a country where chaos meets elegance, where silence in a mountain village can be as powerful as an opera at [Milan's] La Scala [theatre]. You can visit 10 times, and the 11th time still surprises you, not with something new, but with something ancient you hadn't noticed before. Italy doesn't entertain you. It transforms you."
A 2024 study by TourismA found foreign visitors stick to the same few popular cities – equaling just 1% of Italy's territory. Here are our favourite ways to explore the other 99% this summer.
Why Italy?
There are a million reasons to visit. Here are some of our favourites.
The Palio of Siena attracts history buffs with its recreation of a medieval horse race (2 July and 16 August), while Milan Fashion Week and opera season in Shakespeare's fair city of Verona are musts for culture vultures. Sports fans can experience the Giro d'Italia (9 May to 1 Jun in 2025) or the Formula One Grand Prix held in Imola (spring) and Milan (late summer).
Hack: Upwards of 30 million pilgrims are expected to head to St Peter's Basilica in Italy's already-overtouristed capital city to celebrate the Jubilee year for Roman Catholics. Visitors dreaming of Rome in 2025 would do well to skip summer and come during the shoulder months of October to March, avoiding the religious holidays of Easter, the Immaculate Conception (8 December), Christmas and the Epiphany (6 January).
For a detour from the bucket list art cities, visit the Dolomites. This limestone mountain range – spanning the Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions – is beloved by Italians for its epic skiing and hiking, and lacks the tourist crowds of Rome, Florence and Venice.
"Limited time is an issue," admits Fiorenza Lipparini, DMO of Milan & Partners, which runs the website YesMilano. "There are no close international airports and a lack of accommodation – we're talking about very small villages."
The Dolomites, with their wild valleys, gorges and lakes offer thrilling hikes year-round. "They really are the most beautiful mountains in the world, from the Swiss Alps to [the valley of] Val Gardena," says Lipparini. "They're good in the summer almost as much as in the winter."
Meanwhile, Agrigento, Sicily is Italy's 2025 Capital of Culture. Explore its Unesco-listed Valley of Temples, and unwind on the stunning Scala dei Turchi beach.
Food & drink
Italian food is one of the most beloved cuisines in the world, but its superpower is its deep regionality. Tasting a familiar favourite like pizza in its homeland is a holy pilgrimage, but failing to try the deep culinary cuts is sacrilege.
When in Rome, enjoy pasta alla carbonara (pasta with egg yolk, pecorino Romano cheese and pork cheek) at Da Teo in romantic Trastevere or pasta cacio e pepe at Felice a Testaccio in Rome's ex-slaughterhouse district. Bistecca alla fiorentina – rare, ultra thick T-bone steak – in Florence is iconic (get a great one at Trattoria Mario on Via Rosina). Venice is famous for its cicchetti, baguette bites topped with a variety of seafood, meats and vegetables; they're delectable at Bar All'Arco in San Polo. Try traditional Milanese cuisine at Trattoria Masuelli San Marco, like osso buco (braised veal shanks) and risotto alla milanese (saffron-flavoured risotto).
Seaside Naples is the birthplace of pizza; get a perfect pie at the historic Antonio Starita. Bologna is the epicentre of stuffed pastas such as tortellini and lasagna bolognese; try them at generational pasta maker Sfoglia Rina on Via Castiglione. Be sure to sample artisanal products at the source; visit a caseificio (dairy) like the Caseificio di Biagio Staiano in Ravello to sample – and make! – fresh mozzarella, or one of Italy's 26 stunning national parks for the zero-kilometre culinary experience of a lifetime.
Oenophiles, you'd do well to venture past Tuscany. Sip volcanic island wines like the Biancolella in Ischia, or travel to the Russo family's Cantina del Vesuvio, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, to try Lacryma Cristi ("Tears of Christ"), an ancient wine produced from Vesuvius' indigenous grapes, said to have been drank in Roman times.
How to fit in
Italy's monuments have attracted a lot of misbehaving tourists in recent years – don't be one of them. Keep your shoulders covered when visiting religious sites, and keep your hands off historical treasures.
Tipping is not expected or enforced in Italy (regardless of what the cheeky waiter might suggest).
Stick to traditional Italian mealtimes and food customs: a light breakfast of a pastry and espresso or cappuccino, lunch at 13:00, aperitivo (happy hour with snacks) from 17:00-19:00 and dinner after 20:00. Ask for a cappuccino after 11:00 and risk a wince from your barista.
Cultural attractions
Few are truly prepared for the magnificence of doomed Pompeii, and few visitors know that nearby Herculaneum was also destroyed – and preserved – by the eruption. Further south, the ruins of Paestum display exquisite temples and rare painted Greek tombs.
Art lovers usually head straight to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, but Renaissance masterpieces abound throughout Italy, like Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper at the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. "The Last Supper, like the Mona Lisa, is universal," says Lipparini. "[It's] an unparalleled theatrical scene where love and anticipation, suspense and betrayal emerge from the collective interaction of the masterful portraits of Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles."
In Naples, find the Baroque Cappella Sansevero and Giuseppe Sanmartino's reality-defying masterpiece, il Cristo Velato, depicting the slain, shrouded Christ. The incredible realism of what appears to be a thin veil sculpted in marble has confounded admirers for centuries.
Outdoor adventure
Soaring mountain passes and centuries-old forests mean incredible hiking and cycling. "Cycling is an ideal way to discover the city and experience a day out on two wheels," says Lipparini. Try tackling a tract of the Via Francigena, an ancient 6th-Century, 1,700km pilgrimage trail snaking from Canterbury, England to Puglia in Italy's deep south, or check out YesMilano's Lombardy-based bike routes. Trekkers hit the rainbow-hued expanse of the Cinque Terre National Park and skyscraping Path of the Gods on the lemon-perfumed Amalfi Coast.Italy's seaside culture has inspired countless films – and holidays. Today, its beaches range from family-friendly clubs like the sprawling white-sand San Vito lo Capo in Sicily to party beaches like Bazzano in Sperlonga on the Tyrrhenian Sea. You can explore Italy below the surface, too: take a guided snorkelling tour to discover underwater kingdoms like the sunken Roman villas of Baia or Ischia's underwater Roman city of Aenaria.
Shopping and markets
"Shopping in Milan is a unique experience," says Lipparini of the nation's fashion capital. "You'll find emerging brands – both in fashion and design." Apart from the ultra-luxe (and ultra-frequented) Quadrilatero della Moda, Lipparini suggests visiting the Isola and Nolo neighbourhoods, both blooming with vintage and secondhand shops, as well as the Tortona Design District. "Without neglecting the Sarpi [Chinatown] or [quirky] Navigli neighbourhoods," she adds.
At the other end of the shopping spectrum, the market – mercato – is an integral part of everyday Italian life. Most cities host a weekly street market, where shoppers can score anything from vintage clothing to fresh fish. La Pignasecca in Naples is renowned as a hotspot for Neapolitan street food.
Support Italy's artisans by shopping for handmade traditional goods, like Vietri pottery in Vietri sul Mare on the Amalfi Coast, intarsio (inlaid woodwork) in Sorrento, mosaics in Spilimbergo or Murano glass in Venice.
Day trips to experience the real Italy
Find wonders far from the main tourist crowds.
Top day trips from Rome
Classic: Trains (~35m) run regularly to the Castelli Romani; a group of cobblestoned towns beloved for their rustic eateries (fraschette). Ariccia is famous for its porchetta; get some at Osteria da Angelo.Detour: (2h) Head to Sperlonga, a seaside town halfway between Rome and Naples. Its white-and-blue Saracen ancient quarter has Santorini vibes, and its azure seas hide ancient Roman grottos.
Top day trips from Florence
Classic: Wander the russet-coloured streets of medieval Siena (1hr); head to the twin towers of San Gimignano.Detour: The Val d'Orcia (1.5hr) valley is home to excellent wellness centres and spas. Head to Palazzo del Capitano in San Quirico d'Orcia after a day of cycling.
Top day trips from Naples
Classic: (1hr) Wander Sorrento's historic centre and visit the Cataldi Lemon Orchard to sip flights of 100% organic limoncello.Detour: (33 minutes) Take the Cumana railway to Lucrino in the Campi Flegrei to snorkel the underwater ruins of a submerged Roman villa at the Parco Sommerso di Baia.
Top day trips from Milan
Classic: Italy's great Alpine lakes – Como, Maggiore and Garda – draw both tourists and locals for a Sunday stroll. "Take the train from Cadorna to Lake Como," advises Lipparini. "It takes an hour and you're on the famous lake where everybody wants to get married."Detour: Speed demons will appreciate visiting majestic Monza (15m); the site of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza racetrack.
Where to stay in Italy
Hospitality is in Italy's DNA.
Farm staysIdeal for families and groups. Enjoy farm-to-table meals prepared at hilltop La Fontaccia, a rustic property on 14 hectares of olive groves half an hour's drive outside of Florence.
Luxury accommodationsThe Grand Hotel Quisisana in Capri, built in 1845, overlooks the iconic Faraglioni rock formation and the Gardens of Augustus. It's filled with vintage tiled suites with opulent decor.
B&Bs, hotels and pensioniThe Cima Rosa in Venice offers five charming, modern suites in a 15th-Century palazzo.
HostelsBudget-minded travellers can find accommodations in Italy, especially in the larger cities. The Beehive in Rome near Termini Station is a friendly space with a shared kitchen and pleasant outdoor seating area.
Boutique hotelsBlink and you'll miss the entrance to Le Petit Palais on the steep Via Pedamentina in Naples' Vomero neighbourhood. It's a charming boutique guesthouse with sublimely decorated rooms and a breathtaking tiled rooftop terrace.
Unique traditional staysTravel back in time when you stay in Alberobello's ancient cone-shaped trulli and the sassi rock dwellings of Matera.
Getting Around
Italian cities are supremely walkable, but in ancient towns – particularly Amalfi Coast cities like Positano – be prepared to climb seemingly endless stone steps. Choose footwear that won't get tripped up by the cobblestones.
Public transportNavigate between cities with TrenItalia, the national train company, and regional bus companies (see their respective apps to check timetables and purchase tickets). Rome, Milan, Naples and most recently Turin also have metro systems.
DrivingNorth American drivers will need an International Driver's License. On the Amalfi Coast, scooters are the most convenient option, but with the area's torturous curves, intense summer traffic and devil-may-care attitude towards traffic laws, only attempt if you're already an experienced driver.Taxis are available on request but tend to be expensive.
When to visit
Summertime is beautiful in Italy, but time your trip for early to mid-summer to avoid inflated high-season costs, massive tourist hordes and suffocating heat waves. Avoid August, the month when Italians traditionally go on summer holiday, adding to crowds and the shutdown of many businesses and attractions.
Wonderful hikes are to be had in spring and autumn while some of the best swimming happens in October, after the tourists have cleared out and the heat has mellowed. In autumn, join the vendemmia (grape harvest); in winter, enjoy Christmas celebrations and partake in Italy's ski culture.
Off season means less crowds and lower costs, but also fewer services. Reserve accommodations and research ferry and bus times well in advance.
As overtourism continues to surge in many Italian destinations, travellers should explore what the other 99% of this spectacularly beautiful country has to offer.
"We're moving beyond the clichés," says Sanpietro. "The Italy of 2025 is bold, conscious, and deeply connected to its roots. You'll find ancient festivals reborn with new energy, culinary traditions elevated by the next generation of chefs, and small villages transformed into cultural hubs thanks to creative tourism and sustainable innovation. It's the year to come not just to admire Italy, but to understand it. To walk slower, ask questions, taste everything, and let the unexpected happen."
Want to explore even further? Check out BBC Travel's 25 Best Places to Travel in 2025 to find all the best destinations punctuating the globe right now.
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