Italy Destination Guide | The best places to go & what to do there

Where to go in Italy: an A-Z guide from Italy Heaven

A-Z Italy destination guide

Destinations featured on Italy Heaven include the most popular holiday resorts and cities, as well as a number of smaller and more obscure choices. New destinations are being added all the time. Below, we’ve listed our featured destinations in two columns in alphabetical order.

Alternatively you could browse by other criteria:
> Regions of Italy
> UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy
> Seaside resorts

Abano Terme, Veneto
Renowned spa town in the Veneto

Aeolian Islands, Sicily
Volcanoes and dolphins

Agrigento, Sicily
Sicily’s Valley of the Temples

Alberobello, Puglia
Clusters of white pixie-like trullo houses

Alicudi, Sicily
Remotest of the Aeolian islands

Amalfi, Campania
Most popular destination on Amalfi Coast

Amalfi Coast, Campania
Picturesque holiday destination south of Naples

Amantea, Calabria
Small seaside town with hillside centro storico

Ancona, Le Marche
Budget Ryanair destination; gateway for Le Marche and Umbria

Anzio, Lazio
Scene of World War II landings

Aquileia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Archaeological UNESCO World Heritage Site

Arezzo, Tuscany
Prosperous Tuscan town

Assisi, Umbria
Pilgrimage destination

Bagnaia, Lazio
Home to the gardens of Villa Lante

Barga, Tuscany
Small town in the Garfagnana area of Tuscany

Bari, Puglia
Busy port city on the Adriatic

Barletta, Puglia
Southern coastal town with big bronze Roman statue

Bassano del Grappa, Veneto
Picturesque town close to mountains

Bellagio, Lombardy
Lovely resort on Lake Como

Bergamo, Lombardy
Attractive budget destination

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna
Historic university town

Bracciano, Lazio
Castle above a lake

Brescia, Lombardy
Historic city near lakes

Calcata, Lazio
Picturesque and bohemian village on a rock

Camogli, Liguria
Fishing port

Caorle, Veneto
Seaside resort and historic fishing town

Capraia, Tuscany
Unspoiled island for walkers

Capri, Campania
Beautiful island destination

Castelfranco Veneto, Veneto
Fortified town; Giorgione altarpiece

Castel Gandolfo, Lazio
The Pope’s summer retreat

Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily
Attractive little seaside town

Castelsardo, Sardinia
Picturesque coastal citadel

Catania, Sicily
Baroque city in the shadow of Etna

Cefalรน, Sicily
Historic Sicilian seaside town

Cerveteri, Lazio
Etruscan necropolis in the countryside

Chioggia, Veneto
Fishing town in the Venetian lagoon

Cinque Terre, Liguria
Breathtaking coastline

Cittadella, Veneto
Circular walled town

Como, Lombardy
The gateway to Lake Como

Conegliano, Veneto
Fine small town featuring a castle, art and Prosecco

Corciano, Umbria
Medieval hilltop town

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Veneto
Mountain resort in the Dolomites

Cortona, Tuscany
Under the Tuscan sun

Desenzano del Garda, Lombardy
Lively town on Lake Garda

Egadi Islands, Sicily
Three appealing islands near Trapani

Enna, Sicily
Inland town at Sicily’s heart

Erice, Sicily
Dramatic hill town above Trapani

Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna
Renaissance seat of the Este dukes

Florence, Tuscany
Renaissance Italy at its finest

Frascati, Lazio
Wine and villas

Furore, Campania
Small Amalfi Coast destination

Gardone Riviera, Lombardy
Pretty Lake Garda resort

Genoa, Liguria
Cultural port city

Grado, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Beach, lagoon and history

Ischia, Campania
Island with famous hot springs

Iseo, Lombardy
Pleasant little town on Lake Iseo

Italian Lakes
Guide to Italy’s various lakes

The Italian Riviera, Liguria
Beautiful stretch of coastline

Lake Como, Lombardy
Lake, islands, mountains

Lake Garda
Scenic lake in the north of Italy

Lake Iseo, Lombardy
Lovely lake off the beaten track

Lake Maggiore
Another of Italy’s lovely lake destinations

La Maddalena, Sardinia
Islands with beautiful unspoilt beaches

La Spezia, Liguria
A base for the navy and for tourists

Lecce, Puglia
City of Baroque architecture

Lido di Jesolo, Veneto
Popular modern beach resort

Limone, Lombardy
Scenic Lake Garda resort

Lipari, Sicily
Largest and most genial of the Aeolian islands

Livorno, Tuscany
Tuscan port town

Locorotondo, Puglia
Pretty white hilltop town

Lucca, Tuscany
Peaceful town with grassy ramparts

Malcesine, Veneto
Picturesque Lake Garda resort

Maratea, Basilicata
Classy village resort between the mountains and the sea

Marostica, Veneto
Hilltop castle and a living chess game

Marsala, Sicily
Historical port town

Martina Franca, Puglia
Lovely baroque town in the south

Matera, Basilicata
Cave-town; UNESCO site

Menaggio, Lombardy
On the shores of Lake Como

Milan, Lombardy
The home of fashion and style

Modica

Modica, Sicily
Chocolate-producing Baroque town

Mondello, Sicily
Lovely beach just outside Palermo

Monreale, Sicily
Norman cathedral hill-town above Palermo

Monselice, Veneto
Small historic town with a castle

Monte Argentario, Tuscany
Nature reserve and beaches

Montegrotto Terme, Veneto
Spa town in the Veneto

Mozia, Sicily
Island archaeological site

Naples, Campania
Volcano, traffic chaos and history

Noto, Sicily
Baroque town-planning

Olbia, Sardinia
Port and gateway to Sardinia

Orvieto, Umbria
Picturesque town with striped cathedral

Otranto, Puglia
Historic seaside town

Padua, Veneto
Giotto-frescoes; university town

Paestum, Campania
Greek temples in the countryside

Palermo, Sicily
Sicily’s hectic capital

Palestrina, Lazio
Hilltown built over giant temple

Palinuro, Campania
Small seaside resort on attractive coastline

Panarea, Sicily
Chic and pretty, one of the Aeolian islands

Parma, Emilia-Romagna
Art and gastronomy destination

Perugia, Umbria
Historic capital of the Umbria region

Pesaro, Le Marche
Beach resort with annual Rossini Festival

Piazza Armerina, Sicily
Famous for Roman ‘bikini’ mosaics

Pisa, Tuscany
More than just the famous leaning tower

Pistoia, Tuscany
Medieval Tuscan town

Pizzo, Calabria
Seaside town renowned for its ice cream

Portofino, Liguria
Charming and classy fishing village

Porto Venere, Liguria
Pretty fishing village on a headland

Positano, Campania
Classy resort built on cliffs, Amalfi Coast

Praiano, Campania
Quiet Amalfi Coast destination

Procida, Campania
Small and picturesque island in the Bay of Naples

ragusa

Ragusa, Sicily
Lovely Baroque hilltown

Rapallo, Liguria
Pleasant seaside town

Ravello, Campania
Sea and sky on Amalfi Coast

Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna
Famous early-Christian mosaics

Reggio Calabria, Calabria
Pleasant port town; great museum

Rimini, Emilia-Romagna
Legendary beach resort

Riva del Garda, Trentino-Alto Adige
Northern Lake Garda resort town

Rome, Lazio

Italy’s capital: all roads lead to Rome

San Fruttuoso, Liguria
Seashore monastery

San Gimignano, Tuscany
City of medieval towers

San Marino
Independent republic enclosed within Italian territory

Sanremo, Liguria
Seaside resort with casino

Santa Margherita Ligure, Liguria
Peaceful Riviera resort

Santa Teresa Gallura, Sardinia
Nice little seaside resort

Savoca, Sicily
Hill village with mummies and Godfather connections

Sciacca, Sicily
Historic Sicilian fishing port

Scicli, Sicily
Lovely Baroque town with caves and ruins

Scilla, Calabria
Mythical fishing village

Scopello, Sicily
Seaside hamlet; amazing scenery

Segesta, Sicily
Greek temple in the countryside

Selinunte, Sicily
Extensive archaeological site by the sea

Siena, Tuscany
Unspoilt home to the historic palio horserace

Siracusa, Sicily
Greek ruins and an island town centre

Sirmione, Lombardy
Lake Garda resort with a medieval castle

Sorrento, Campania
Torna a Sorrento …

Sottomarina, Veneto
Modern seaside extension of historic Chioggia

Sperlonga, Lazio
Seaside town with beach and ruins

Spoleto, Umbria
Summer festival hilltown.

Stromboli, Sicily
Watch the eruptions on this island-vulcano

Taormina, Sicily
Fantastic views and a Greek theatre

Terracina, Lazio
Seaside resort and Roman ruins

Tivoli, Lazio
Renaissance Villa d’Este, and Hadrian’s Villa

Trani, Puglia
Cathedral overlooking the harbour

Trapani, Sicily
Historic port with ferries to the islands

Treviso, Veneto
Pleasant canal town close to Venice

Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Stately port with an un-Italian vibe

Tropea, Calabria
Lovely historic town and seaside resort

Turin, Piemonte
Stately city close to the Alps

Urbino, Le Marche
Ducal Palace & picturesque hilltown

Varenna, Lombardy
Former fishing village on Lake Como

Venice, Veneto
The most beautiful city in the world

Verona, Veneto
Romeo and Juliet, opera and more

Vicenza, Veneto
Palladian splendours

Viterbo, Lazio
Quiet medieval centre

Italy themes

Romantic Italy – The ideal destinations for Italian honeymoons, Valentine’s Day breaks, or romantic getaways.

Winter breaks – Ideas for winter trips to Italy and Christmas breaks.