Things to do in Italy

The famous chocolate festival returns to Perugia’s city centre from 14 to 23 November 2025, under the theme “The Festival Among the Clouds”. There’s no better way to enjoy this Umbrian city than by taking part in tastings, workshops, and shows, while also soaking up its historic charm and stunning views. Here’s what you need to know about Eurochocolate 2025.

November is the perfect month for travelling or attending Italy’s most exciting events. The autumn weather is still pleasant, and the major Italian cities are not yet crowded with festive tourists.

If you’re hunting for things to do in Lucca, picture a walled Tuscan city where the pace is gentle, the views are timeless, and surprises wait around each corner.

If you’re hunting for things to do this Halloween in Italy, 2025 is shaping up nicely with witchy festivals in medieval borghi, grand-villa masquerades and lantern-lit ghost walks.

If you’re craving a bit of balmy weather while the UK is grey, Italy’s south can be wonderfully sunbaked in winter. Find the best holiday destinations for winter sun in Italy, with the warmest picks by the sea, plus milder city breaks.

Planning a winter holiday in Italy sets you up for an intimate, atmospheric season: twinkling piazzas, wood‑panelled trattorie and mountains glittering under cold blue skies. With time‑honoured traditions and shorter hours, matching your dates to the mood you want keeps things smooth.

Autumn in Italy is a season of magic. As the leaves change into vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange, Italy’s forests transform into breathtaking landscapes that are perfect for hiking, photography, and reconnecting with nature.

Think rosy sunsets on pale rock, pine-scented paths, and mountain huts serving slow-cooked comfort when spending winter in the Dolomites.

Italy’s most relaxed culture weekend is around the corner, when Fondo Ambiente Italiano quietly unlocks over 700 places you’d normally walk past. Picture lakeside villas, tucked‑away palazzi and little borghi with volunteers bringing the stories to life.What are FAI Autumn Days 2025?

Autumn brings truffle season in Italy, meaning weekend markets with licensed hunters selling truffles, chef demos and tasting “labs,”. Undoubtedly a highlight on the foodie calendar in Italy, you can expect truffle‑dog displays and occasional auctions.

October in Italy brings open days that unlock hidden palazzi, vineyard harvest weekends, and chestnut and truffle sagre in hill towns. Across the country, you’ll find plenty of October events in 2025.

Each October, Barcolana turns northern Italy into a sea of sails across the Gulf of Trieste. It’s officially the world’s largest sailing race by fleet size, a Guinness‑recognised mass start that has drawn 2,689 boats.

Rome doesn’t end at the city walls. Within an hour, you’ve got imperial showpieces, quiet lakeside towns, medieval hilltops and a stretch of Tyrrhenian coast.

Italy is home to countless medieval towns and villages, each steeped in history and bursting with charm. From hilltop villages in Tuscany to coastal gems along the Amalfi Coast, these towns transport visitors back in time, offering a glimpse of life as it was centuries ago.

Latronico’s finally popping up on savvy travellers’ radars for two big reasons: wellness and wild nature. This small hill town in Basilicata’s Potenza province sits between the Monte Alpi massif and the edges of Pollino National Park.

A bid to bring swimmers back to Rome’s River Tiber has moved centre stage, stirring fresh optimism—and questions about what it would take to make it happen.Current status of the River Tiber in RomePublic bathing in the Tiber remains prohibited, a ban dating to the 1960s with fines for violators.

Where can you find the best cheese in Italy? From the mountains of the Aosta Valley to the sunny landscapes of Sicily, Italy is a paradise for cheese lovers.

Fittingly, the birthplace of the Renaissance rewards slow wanderers. Head out on non‑touristy neighbourhood walks in Florence through Santo Spirito, Sant’Ambrogio and the quieter river lanes.

Florence rewards anyone who slips into its daily rhythm, trading tick‑box sights for small rituals and hands‑on moments. Think an early coffee at the bar, a peek into working botteghe, and a low‑key evening wander along the Arno.

Rome gets under your skin the moment you slip down a cobbled alleyway or duck into a cool courtyard. If you’re after non-touristy things to do in Rome, think slow mornings at neighbourhood markets, sunset viewpoints with locals, and late‑night gelato far from the hubbub.

Slip beyond the blockbuster sights and you’ll find Rome’s unusual attractions tucked into cloisters, courtyards and catacombs. Think keyholes framing domes, layered churches and private palazzi with quietly dazzling art.

Venice casts a spell—bells over the water, light on stone—but the crush around San Marco and Rialto can drown out the everyday rhythm. A simple skip-and-swap mindset helps get a little closer to the non-touristy things you can do in Venice.

Verona is in northern Italy’s Veneto region, with the Adige River flowing right through its centre. While it's often linked to Shakespeare’s famous couple, the city's character is really shaped by its grand Roman amphitheatre and winding medieval lanes.

The Almalfi Coast is a dramatic meeting of mountains and sea along the Sorrentine Peninsula, where towns painted in terracotta and pink tumble down steep cliffsides to the water's edge.

Looking for unique things to do in Palermo? Tucked away beside the iconic Norman Palace, the Royal Gardens of Palermo offer a tranquil, leafy escape steeped in centuries of history and culture.