In the beginning of 2023, I had never been to Italy before! Now as I’m writing this mid 2024, I have visited 10+ cities throughout Italy! While I think Italy will be a destination I want to visit for the rest of my life, there are some places that I don’t necessarily think I’ll need to return to and others that I think are the BEST places in Italy. In this post, I’ve ranked every city out of 10 based on the food, how beautiful I found it, the level of safety, and how many activities or things to do there are. These are some of the best places to visit in Italy! Some I went into excited to see and loved, others, not so much. From worst to best, here are the 10 cities I’ve visited in Italy.
Milan = 7.125/10
Milan was one of the cities I was most excited to see, yet was most disappointed. My best friend both studied abroad and lived in Milan, and I was thrilled to finally get to see her new home city. Also, in the Renaissance era, there was a family with my same last name who ruled over Milan, the Sforzas. I could not wait to see the castle that had my last name on it and explore a city my ancestors potentially lived in.
Food 8/10
I enjoyed the food in Milan! When I travel, I never go anywhere that has a rating below 4.5 stars on google. This tends to weed out the bad restaurants and never leaves me disappointed! This was when I realized that if you are a female solo traveler, Italians find it strange to see you eating dinner alone in a restaurant. I got a free shot limoncello at dinner here in Milan. I got spaghetti bolognese with a side of broccoli for dinner and it was delicious!
Beauty 6/10
Unfortunately I came on a dreary, cloudy day, which did not help me in forming my opinion. I found Milan to be very business-like and cold. I know many parts of New York are like this too – filled with just offices and not much else. But in NYC, it isn’t too hard for me to find the other more artistic and fun neighborhoods. I missed or couldn’t find those in Milan. The buildings didn’t seem that beautiful or different to me, especially compared to many other cities on this list.
Safety 8/10
I felt very safe in Milan. It was quite cold and rainy when I was there. Potentially with less people out and about and it being the off season for tourism, that added to how safe I felt. The people that I talked to were very kind. I ordered food to my hostel one night and the Glovo driver (like Uber Eats but just bikes) could not find the hostel. Or, he was purposely taking forever and getting lost so he could take the money and the food if I canceled. An Italian outside smoking when I was trying to talk to the driver, took my phone, gave the driver directions, and yelled at him for taking so long. I was super appreciative of the Italians here that I interacted with!
Activities 6.5/10
I visited a few castles, museums, and a AC Milan football game, all in one day. After that, I wasn’t sure what else I needed to do. I saw all the big attractions already after one full day of being there. If the weather was nice, I could’ve taken a nice day trip from Milan, but there wasn’t much else that I wanted to do. For that reason, I give Milan a low rating on activities.
Would I return?
I was only in Milan for a little over 24 hours. At first, I was worried that wouldn’t be enough time. As I was leaving, I felt as if I’d completed everything I wanted to do. If I had more time and better weather, I would go and visit Lake Como. I think I would return to Milan as a way to go explore the lake towns, but it wouldn’t be a focal part of my trip for sure. I personally don’t think this is one of the best places to visit in Italy. It’s worth a visit, but not the best.
Bari = 7.125/10
Bari was another trip that I was a tad disappointed with, but for a different reason. My family immigrated to the US from Bari, so I was excited to visit where I would’ve grown up had my family not left. My main goal was to go to the town hall and find the birth certificate of my great grandfather, so I could use it to apply for my Italian dual citizenship. The friends I made while solo traveling were a bit intense and I didn’t have enough time to complete my one goal. This is entirely my own fault and something I’m still annoyed with myself about.
Food 8.5/10
I had fantastic meals in Bari. They are known specifically for a type of pasta called orecchiette, or little ears, that lots of Italian Nonna’s make fresh in the streets. I had a delicious Bari styles orecchiette and a assassina pasta that was great. When I visited a town over, I had one of the best meals of my life, a pizza using dough that’s a mix of pizza and bread dough, with arugula, sun dried tomatoes, prosciutto, and these balsamic balls. I swear, it was the freshest tasting pizza I’ve ever graced my mouth with.
While I didn’t buy this meal myself, my travel friends went to the dock and would buy seafood for lunch that was caught that morning. I haven’t ventured too far into trying lots of seafood, but what I tried off my friends’ plates were incredibly fresh and tasty. If you are a seafood fan, this is a great place to visit!
Beauty 6/10
The old town of Bari is similar to any Italian old town neighborhood. The rest of the city was super metropolitan and similar to Milan. Bari is surrounded by adorable little towns as you go down the boots heel to explore though, which are great to visit while in Bari.
Safety 8/10
Once I got to the city center I felt safe. Walking from the train station to my hostel I was more so in the outer rim of the town that was a bit more run down, but nothing that made me worried.
Activities 6/10
There’s fun chain shops to visit like Zara and the old town to explore, but not too much else to do. I enjoyed day trips to other puglian cities after my one main day of exploring Bari.
Would I return?
I would return to finally get my passport papers and to continue visiting the Puglian coast line. I think this is a great place to get a more local Italian experience. While I wouldn’t say it’s one of the best places in Italy to visit, it definitely provides a different and authentic experience.
Venice = 8/10
Venice was a trip I was pumped for! It’s always felt like a once in a lifetime trip that I had to do, as the island is slowly sinking. I have heard horror stories about visiting Venice in the summer, the heat, the pickpockets, but all of that is avoided going in the winter. Since I was living in Spain when I visited Venice, it was quite a cold transition! Being on the coast I’m sure made it cooler with water being all around. Venice was a great trip – one that I wish everyone could experience in their life!
Food 7/10
The food in Venice was fine. I got pizza one night with some solo travelers; that meal was ok. Venice is famous for their tiny pinchos / tapas-esque food, which I did try and thought was interesting but didn’t wow me. I did get a fantastic sandwich that I took to go, to eat by the water. The sandwich was very enjoyable but I wasn’t wearing gloves. I had to eat with one hand and warm the other one up in my pocket, then switch, but that’s my own fault for not bringing gloves. I’m sure there were more expensive restaurants in Venice with much better food, but I didn’t feel like spending the money then or looking for any hidden gems during my two days there.
Beauty 9/10
Venice is one of the most romantically beautiful places I’ve ever been. I thoroughly enjoyed wandering through Venice’s windy roads and canals. Getting lost here was so much fun! It was cloudy when I went, so I’m sure it’s even more beautiful in the sunlight.
Safety 9/10
Venice felt extremely safe in December when I visited, but of course there are way less tourists to pray on during this time. There is absolutely no nightlife, and it seemed like the island closed down at 8/9pm. It’s definitely safe here. Maybe a little too safe!
Activities 7/10
There was some fun stuff to do here. The touristy shops are fun here, there’s a cool jewelry shop called The M where you can design your own jewelry (mine broke after two weeks of wearing it), lots of churches and palaces to see. I spent one day exploring Venice and the next in Murano and Burano. I am thankful I went for two days and no longer!
Would I return?
Maybe I would return with my family if we end up planning an Italian vacation in the next few years. But of my own accord and will, I don’t think I need to come back. Not sure what else I would do! I do think that Venice is a super cool place, and one of the best places in Italy that everyone should see once.
Palermo = 8/10
Palermo was a city I didn’t know much about, yet was very drawn to come visit it! While I had the most rollercoaster adventure of a time there, I am incredibly thankful that I went!
Food 9/10
The food in Palermo was amazing. For the four days I was there, I had great meals day after day. I had one of the best carbonara’s I’ve ever had, great local food, and yummy breakfasts. I thoroughly enjoyed all the food in this town.
Beauty 8/10
While there are definitely some run down parts of Palermo, there are many beautiful ones as well! The dock and old town were both lovely to walk through. There are tons of palm trees and also stunning Italian architecture. This was one of the first times I saw both of these so integrated into a city.
Safety 7/10
My first night in Palermo, I was following the GPS to my hostel. The hostel ended up being down a road with no lights, and with tons of people standing in the pitch black. I felt unsafe being watched from the dark as I walked to my hostel which also was not lit. Once I finally found my way inside, I soon found out than none of the doors inside have locks, so people can walk into whatever bedroom they’d like at any time of day.
The next day I checked out early from my hostel (Double H Palermo) and found a new one (Hostello Palermo). My new hostel was in a really nice part of town. I could wander the streets at anytime of night and feel extremely safe. Some parts of the city are not great, but others are super nice, which is why Palermo is getting a 7 for safety.
Activities 8/10
Palermo has a few beaches at the outskirts of the town, tons of restaurants, and very lively nightlife. I frequented a street called La Vucciria that has tons of bars where people dance in the streets for hours. There are lots of fun local boutiques as well that I enjoyed. It was an added bonus that you could easily explore other beachy cities using the train.
Would I return?
I had a lot of fun but would maybe consider going back in 5 to 10 years after I visit more places on my list. Currently I’m dying to go to some other places, but would think about returning with a friend or family one day. I would say this is one of the best places in Italy to visit, since everything is so different in Sicily! There’s a mix of cultures that influence the city, since it was captured by so many civilizations. It’s truly a place like no other
Bologna = 8.25
Bologna and Florence need a disclaimer that I went here with a trip through my university! I had a great time at both because of the planning of my professors and the staff at the local universities. Besides these two, I planned everything else myself and traveled alone, so it definitely was a different experience. I was with my friends while here and was wearing shoes that kinda hurt my feet, but still had a great time.
Food 9/10
My university picked restaurants for us the entire trip and chose well every time. Bologna and Florence were the two first cities in Italy that I visited. While they both sit in the middle of the pack here in my ranking, there was nothing at all that made me dislike them! In fact, I think not having to choose the restaurant, not having to pay, made the experience even nicer. I’ll include a few pictures of the food I ate here!
Beauty 9/10
Bologna shocked me with how beautiful it was! As you walk around, you can see the time and care that went into making this city. All the sidewalks were murals with little tiles creating designs. The sidewalk covering was also made out of stone or cement, with mural designs. The whole city felt intricately decorated, in a way I’ve never seen any other city!
Safety 8/10
I was in Bologna for a day or two but didn’t stay in the city overnight, so I don’t think I can accurately say how safe it is. In the daylight I felt very safe!
Activities 7/10
When I was in Bologna, we met up with our university pen pals that we’ve been talking with. The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 which is insanely old! We talked with the medical students, all of which were from all different parts of the world! It was fun to make some international friends, but other than that and shop, there wasn’t too much else I remember doing.
Would I return?
Maybe I would return to stay in Bologna to go to the F1 race one day, but I’m not sure I need to return. I wouldn’t say personally that it’s one of the best places in Italy to visit, but it can be fun.
Florence = 8.5/10
Food 9/10
Like Bologna, the university leaders picked all the restaurants on my trip here. And thank goodness, because they did a great job picking. When we were in Florence, they encouraged us to order local dishes which were fantastic, like steak fiorentina and all kinds of local pasta dishes.
My Italian American family makes a soup dish often called Pasta Fagioli, which is pasta, beans, and some pancetta. I was excited to see that I could order it while in Italy. When we make this dish, the sauce is made from tomatoes, but in Florence it was more of a broth. I found out that the farms in the south specialize growing fruits and veggies, so southern Italians make the dish with tomatoes while northern Italians don’t. I thought that was super interesting as it was something I’ve never considered.
Beauty 8/10
I think Florence falls more in the middle of the pack when it comes to how aesthetically pleasing the city is, compared to all the cities I’ve seen. The thing that stood out to me most was the Duomo! It was stunning with the white and green bricks making stripes and all kinds of designs.
Safety 8/10
This was another trip that was a little over 24 hours. Since I didn’t spend that much time here, I can’t say how accurate my experience was! I felt very safe and enjoyed how diverse the city was. There were people from all over; I heard so many languages as I walked around. I didn’t spend much time out at night, and I wasn’t solo traveling so take that into account.
Activities 9/10
As a museum lover, I enjoyed seeing all of the famous art that lives in Florence! Florence has great nightlife as well which I wish I got to experience more. There’s great thrifting and leather markets which I got to visit very shortly. I know tons of study abroad kids live here and absolutely love it! I wish I had more time to explore more.
Would I return?
Yes! Whenever I’m in Italy next I would add Florence to the itinerary. This is one of the best places to go in Italy because it can be fun yet affordable for all!
Cortina d’Ampezzo = 8.6/10
I visited Cortina for the day to go skiing while on my December Italy trip. It was a budget day trip since I am a recent college grad! While it’s definitely an expensive trip. It’s not a place I’ve heard about often though, so I wanted to include it!
Beauty 10/10
Cortina is a town surrounded by a massive mountain in the Dolomites. When I was visiting Italy, I knew I wanted to go skiing while there. I rented a car from the Venice airport and drove myself to Cortina. The drive was stunning – I could see snow capped mountains almost the entirety of the time. The town itself is filled with luxury and designer stores. Every building was colorful yet chic as you walked through downtown. It was a super scenic place that I thought deserved a 10 out of 10.
Safety 9/10
As I was only here for a day, it felt challenging to pick a number that encapsulates the safety feeling here. It’s a very ritzy area. You can tell that people with a lot of money come here. I saw just as many designer bags here in a day as I saw in Monaco, so that’s saying something. If I could afford to stay in town, I think I would give it an even hirer rating!
Activities 7/10
All activities are expensive here. Although skiing in the US is much more expensive than in Europe overall, it still adds up if you rent your gear, pay for a day pass, food while on the mountain, etc. If you visit, you will spend lots of money to do any activity, other than walking around and exploring. Most of the shopping was out of my budget, and it was a bit difficult to find “normal” priced food and souvenirs. While there were some things to do, the price of them made it difficult for my financial position!
Would I return?
One day when I am rich I’ll return and get the full experience – that’s for sure! If you are looking to go skiing, definitely look in the Dolomites! While I think there are more affordable ski towns, this is definitely up there on the list of the best places in Italy.
Capri = 8.75
Capri, if you’ve never heard of it, is an island off the coast from Naples, across from the Amalfi Coast. It’s known for being another luxurious and expensive vacation spot, not unlike Cortina D’Ampezzo. I went here first on my southern Italy tour and had a great 24+ hours here. This can easily be one of the best places in Italy to see!
Food 9/10
I was on Capri the day before Easter, and Easter day, but the island was still running full force. On Easter Day, I got lunch at a local place, where it finally clicked in my mind that anything caprese comes from the name Capri! I got one of the freshest pasta dishes I’ve ever had here, a ravioli caprese. I say a few times that I’ve gotten the freshest pasta during this post, but it’s true every time! There’s no place better in the world for pasta than in Italy.
Beauty 9/10
While I’ve never visited the Amalfi Coast, I imagine Capri has about the same views but on all sides! When I was there, it was on the cloudy side, yet there were still great views! Everything is so picturesque – it’s like there’s not a single ugly part of the island!
Safety 9/10
Since Capri is an extremely expensive place, it is not affordable to visit for most people. There is also not much nightlife, so the combination of the two allowed me to feel quite safe while in Capri.
Activities 8/10
Capri is a small island, but has lots to do. There are colored grottos to visit in caves along the coast and on little islands, water view hikes, a chairlift to take you from Capri town to Anacapri, and tons and tons of shopping. Like lots of expensive places, the more money you have to spend, the more fun you can have. I spent almost two days in Capri and had seen and done lots! I could have spent another, and if I had more money I could’ve stayed longer.
Would I return?
When I have lots of money one day, I’d love to! Capri is for sure one of the best places in Italy to travel to.
Cefalu = 8.75/10
Cefalu was a day trip that I took from Palermo, Sicily, and it’s probably the best day trip I’ve ever taken. If you hop on a train for about an hour going east from Palermo, you end up in the most adorable beach town I’ve ever laid eyes on. If I asked Chat GPT to create an image of the most picturesque Italian waterfront town, it would create Cefalu. This is one of my most favorite places that I’ve visited and one of the BEST places in Italy to travel to.
Food 9/10
To be frank, I only was in Cefalu for one day. But the meal I had here was one of the most fresh and delicious seafood pastas I’ve ever had in my life! I’m not the biggest fan of seafood, so this was a big deal to me
Beauty 10/10
As I mentioned before, Cefalu is BEAUTIFUL. It has a large rock in the middle of town that swirls up like a cinnamon roll. When you go out on the little jetty at the end of the beach, you can take a fantastic picture of the sea, the beachy buildings, and the gigantic rock. This
Safety 9/10
Since I was only here a day, I don’t know if I can accurately gauge the safety of Cefalu. From the looks of it, it’s a touristy beach town, mainly inhabited by locals who run the shops here. It’s very quiet with not much nightlife. While I was in town, I felt extremely safe and secure. As a woman solo traveling, I don’t think I can ever rate a place a 10 out of 10 on safety, but Cefalu definitely would come close.
Activities 7/10
The main activities here are exploring the town, shopping, and relaxing on the beach. If you are looking to spend multiple days in Cefalu, it might be a bit repetitive with lots of beach days, but definitely super relaxing. While I could have spent another day here, I don’t think I would have had more to do after that.
Would I return?
Yes! When I work remotely from anywhere in the world one day, I would love to stay in a hostel or apartment here for a month in the summer. I felt at peace here and can’t wait for the day I can return. This is definitely one of the best places in Italy to visit!
Rome = 9.5/10
Rome was a trip I was probably the most excited for. I have always loved history, so to be able to visit such an old city with the Colosseum and ancient ruins on every block was amazing. I understood immediately why it’s called the eternal city. It truly feels like walking through history when you wander through Rome. I knew immediately, even before going, that Rome would be one of the best places in Italy to go to.
Food 10/10
I thoroughly enjoyed the food here. I challenged myself to try all four pasta dishes that Rome is famous for while I was here. If you want to do this challenge yourself, check out this blog post! The pasta was otherworldly here. I have had multiple of the top ten meals of my life while in Rome. If you are a fan of great pasta, you have to go to Rome! I’m a bigger pasta fan than pizza, but in general, you can taste the difference between pizza here and elsewhere in the world.
Beauty 9/10
I thought Rome was one of the most beautiful cities I’ve visited. If you like or appreciate Italian architecture, this is the place to visit. It’s for the most part clean with lovely historic buildings and cobblestone streets you can wander through forever. This city felt so enticing
Safety 9/10
I felt super safe while in Rome. Funny enough, I had a challenge when I was living abroad to try to go on a date in every country that I visited. I went on a date with a complete stranger off a dating app and had a great time. Walking around at night, everywhere I went was decently lit and lively. I solo traveled here and felt safe throughout my time here.
Activities 10/10
If you like history, you will love Rome. Lots of the activities to do while here are related to Ancient Rome. Visiting the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Forum, and the billion museums left me having something to do every second of the day while in Rome. I love exploring the shops around the touristy areas to find hidden gems. I got an authentic Italian leather wallet from a store called La Sella near the Trevi fountain, and it’s one of my prized possessions. There are also many day trips you can do to surround towns and areas. I was in Rome for four days and could have stayed for longer!
Would I return?
Yes! I would return solo, with friends, or with family whenever I get the chance. Unfortunately I didn’t get to explore the nightlife, which I regret! I can’t wait to bring my Italian-American family and show them around this amazing city. For me this is absolutely one of the best places in Italy to visit!
Final Thoughts
In every country, there are some great, some not as good places to visit. Thankfully, Italy is filled with amazing cities! Hopefully this list can help you determine the best places in Italy for you to visit to build your itinerary
