Things to do in Italy

Italy in summer has its own rhythm. Cities empty out, beaches fill up, dinners stretch late into the evening and daily life shifts around the heat. Many of the common mistakes tourists make in Italy during peak season aren’t about rudeness.

Planning a trip to Tropea in 2026? This clifftop town on Calabria’s Costa degli Dei blends a characterful old town with some of the clearest water in southern Italy.

Northern Italy in summer is all glistening lakes, pastel fishing villages, Alpine backdrops and long aperitivo evenings by the water.

July sits at the heart of the Italian summer and is traditionally the month packed with open-air events: fireworks over the lagoon, opera under the stars, jazz concerts in medieval alleyways, and a horse race that lasts less than ninety seconds but carries a year’s worth of passion. The journey stretches across the country, taking in Venice, Rome, Naples, Siena, Perugia and Genoa. Here’s what to do in Italy in July 2026.

Just outside Venice, hidden behind a grand villa and formal gardens, lies one of the most intricate historic mazes in Europe. At first glance, it looks orderly and symmetrical.

The world-famous Palio di Siena 2026 will take place on Thursday, 2 July 2026 (Palio della Madonna di Provenzano) and Sunday, 16 August 2026 (Palio dell’Assunta). As always, both races are held in the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo in the heart of Siena, Tuscany.

Imagine a whole week without notifications, without out-of-hours work messages and without that automatic reflex of reaching for your phone whenever there’s a spare second.

From the Piedmont hills to the shores of Lake Garda, to the Emilian Apennines, the heritage of medieval villages is rich and surprising. Northern Italy's medieval villages are among the most fascinating destinations for those seeking a weekend getaway immersed in history, art, and evocative landscapes.

Just a few minutes beyond the Aurelian Walls in Rome, you’ll find an enormous green corridor where you can literally walk on paving stones laid more than two thousand years ago. Mausoleums rise out of the grass, catacombs run underground, and aqueducts cut across the skyline.

There’s a stretch of central Italy where rust-red rock towers rise sharply above green woodland, with a deep blue lake sitting just below.

Italy has a knack for hiding its best cards. Beyond Rome, Florence and Venice, there are incredible places in Italy that feel lifted straight out of a historical novel: alpine lakes that once turned red, Moorish revival castles, lava-carved gorges and abandoned hilltop towns.

June 2026 in Italy is looking wonderfully full on, in the best possible way.

Italy is one of those countries that genuinely rewards slow travel.

An Italian railway line, often called the Railway of Wonders, runs for just over 100 kilometres.

Carved deep into the Brasa River gorge, between sheer rock faces and tunnels cut straight through the mountain, a dramatic stretch of road links Lake Garda to the Tremosine plateau. Over the years, it has drawn motorcyclists, drivers, cyclists and photographers, all keen to experience its cinematic curves and vertiginous views. Its reputation has grown to the point that many now refer to it simply as “the most beautiful road in the world.”

The Nemi Strawberry Festival is one of the most eagerly awaited events in the Castelli Romani area near Rome. Nemi’s strawberries are renowned throughout Italy for their vibrant colour and rich flavour. But what should you know about the 93rd edition of the Nemi Strawberry Festival?

Can a region be rebuilt with a handful of seedlings? In one Italian village, this is exactly what happened.

Is it really possible to walk along iron stairways suspended above the water and pause on natural terraces that open out across the whole of Lake Garda? It is, and these aren’t fantasy routes dreamt up for Instagram.

When people think of Northern Italy, they picture Lake Como, Venice canals and Milanese fashion week.

Toledo is considered a masterpiece of contemporary design and public art. Located on Line 1, in the heart of the city, it represents one of the most successful examples of the integration of urban infrastructure and cultural projects. It is not just a transportation hub, but a true tourist attraction.

On the eastern edge of Rome, a little-known route links a medieval village, a castle connected to the notorious Barberini family, and the ancient Latin city that once rivalled early Rome. Part of the Unexpected Itineraries project, it brings together history, nature and architecture within just a few kilometres, all of which are reachable by metro and bus.

Italy has more than 30,000 documented caves, but only a relatively small number are open to the public as organised “show caves”. These are some of the best caves in Italy that you can genuinely visit without specialist training.

Vernazza is one of the five villages that make up the Cinque Terre, perched along the Ligurian coast.

Every spring, Italy turns pink. From Rome’s elegant lakeside parks to the cherry orchards of Emilia‑Romagna, delicate blossoms briefly transform the landscape into something almost dreamlike. And in 2026, cherry blossom season in Italy is expected to be especially spectacular.

What makes Italy stand out around Valentine's Day is the variety of ways that romance plays out in the country. Cities feel cinematic and lived‑in, coastal areas lean into simplicity and movement, and places shaped by time rather than tourism tend to leave the deepest impression.