After living in Italy for 20 years, I’ve learned there are places you visit once… and places you keep going back to. If I had just one week to show my best friend the Italy I truly love, we’d skip the crowds of Rome and Venice — and head to three unforgettable spots instead.
We start in Sicily, where ancient ruins, street food, and coastal beauty hit you all at once. Then up to the Dolomites — quiet, majestic, and crowd-free. Finally, we slow down in Puglia, where whitewashed towns, olive groves, and lazy beach days give you that real Italian escape.
These are my top picks for anyone craving beauty, peace, and real moments — and yes, I’m heading back to Puglia next week with my sister’s family. There’s no better place to recharge and reconnect.
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38 Comments
What 90% of Tourists Never See in Italy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqLVUuSVASg
Before you visit Italy, write down what your ideal vacation looks like… see history, see architecture, eat good food, experience culture, visit museums, walk nature, go out to bars, relax at a resort, etc.
Once you determine that, you can zero in on the cities and areas you want to target. Italy has a lot to offer!
Sub'd. Love this time saver!
Can you do same with this in Germany by chance? Would love the input.
Most times when I've been in Italy, I've spent 2 weeks in one location, from the furthest southern part of the heel to Bozen and the Adriatic, as well as skiing with my daughter in Innichen while her school was on break, but not in Italy.
After living in Wien for 27 years, I moved to the southern part of the country 6 years ago to an area very similar to where I grew up in Montana at the foot of the Rockies. When I walk out the door, I'm 200m from the forest, and immediately see the Mangart mountain in Slovenia. Along the mountains here, there's also a point where I can view both Italy and Slovenia simultaneously while standing in Austria. When possible, visiting my southern neighbors is a treat. I haven't seen all of Italy yet, but Toscana is next, and always in the off season.
Greetings from the Carinthian Alps.
Very Top cool Places
Dolomites for 4 days… or head the other way to Crans Montana or Zermatt? Then to Turin and on to Finale Ligure?
What if I’ve never been to Italy, what city is a must see?? We have 2 weeks – Flying in to Rome from Canada ( this seems to be the most economical)
Gregor the only reason you wouldn’t go to Rome is because you need to convert. Everything your heart truly longs for and fulfills your desires is in the tabernacle you’ve some how missed all these years. Get out of pagan tawainn and go to Medjugorje and find the adventure of a lifetime. Go Gregor ❤❤❤
I had a great time in Rome, but I hear you. Sardinia’s nice. I will be in Portofino this year, back to Florence too. Venice and Bari in 2027, along with Milan and Como, I think, but I’m an older, single woman, and I mostly am on a small cruise ship when I visit. I don’t drive a clutch. It’s just easier this way. However, I might do an AirBNB for an extended stay at some point, as I did in France a few years ago…2 mos in Normandy near the train to Paris. You have a great life! Thanks for the great content!
Am moving to Italy without a car since am a composer opera lyric scene is important for me I want the simple life with locals only and fresh summers still looking anyway watching your video lol take care thanks
WoW puglia have beautiful vines
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Oh my God, Florence was incredible. I got to go twice. I just couldn't get enough of all the art at the Uffizi.all the masters I got to see, including David. All the wonderful sculptures. And the duomo. Was a mind blower. We found this adorable. Little Gelato store. So many flavors, and it was so cute. I disagree with you on that one.
Rome was the only place I’ve ever been to that I hated, couldn’t wait to get down to Anzio. Chalk and cheese.
Rome is a must. Forget Florence and Venice by all means, but Rome is life changing
Torino is my hidden gem
Many are commenting on Puglia, but is it really? Or is it Apulia. This is close to Basilicata, Bari and Matera.
We are doing the Rome-Florence-Venice typical tourist itinerary (with day trips) for our first trip to Italy this year. Next time I would like to spend a week or two in Puglia, but I don't mind seeing the classics for my first time.
BTW…you will never ever be able to experience anywhere “like a local”. Realize that and enjoy what you can. Respect the culture, learn some of the language out of respect and sap it all up.
any recommendations for the best past in Rome? I am staying near the vatican
For food I like Napoli
I've been to Rome, Barga, Lucca, Pisa, Milan, and small villages along the way. We're going to southern Italy soon. No stop was disappointing. The people are wonderful. The food is amazing and the history is jaw dropping. There's no place like Italy.
My wife and I toured Southern Italy and Sicily in 2022. In 2018 we did Rome, Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Florence, Venice, Assisi, Orvieto (loved Orvieto), etc. On the 2022 trip we visited Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Bari, Alberabello, Lecce and Matera on the mainland before crossing over to Sicily by ferry from Reggio Calabria. In Reggio Calabria the National Archeologic Museum is not to be missed! The bronze warriors are awesome. I have to say we loved Puglia, especially Polignano al Mare. Then we went to Sicily. Spent a couple of days in Taormina which was enjoyable, and spent a day touring Syracusa which was impressive. But my favorite in Sicily was Palermo. Something about that city. The food is great, the vibe is great, the people are great. Can't wait to go back someday. Gregor is spot on with his recommendations. We have not yet gone to the Dolemites but hopefully, someday. But I think back to Sicily first!
You can get around Sicily by train super fine. Its cheap, very scenic rides and fast
Skipping Rome, Florence & Venice is insane. There are no places like it in the world. Explore AFTER you’ve seen these gems.
We plan on visiting somewhere in Europe and we were thinking of Milan. What do you all think of Milan? Is it worth it?
No crowds in the Dolomites is surley Not true
Dolomites 🎉 Yes! Yes! Yes!
Verona for wife and me
Magical
And the music and opera
Bellisimo ❤
I love Italy, I have been there many times, always something new to see, fabulous ohh did I mention the high speed trains and infrastructure 🎉
Yes, just skip the home of Caravaggio, real sensible..
I ❤ Puglia!
Refreshing with a real human presenter for once.
Però Sicilia è troppo caldo durante l’estate.
I would recommend Otranto in PUglia. It is stunning
i'm first seeing this in may, 2026. if i remember correctly, i think you moved out of italy…possibly to Thailand? If so, how do you like it – and are you missing Italy at all?
Go to Verona and Stresa, beautiful places
Lol. We're taking a 9 day tour in September to Italy.
And yes, it's Milan, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Bologna, Florence, Verona and Venice and Rome.
So every "tourist trap" I guess but
we've never been there before and lots of the biggest tourist sites are things we want to see.
We're not driving, the tour company takes care of that.
But we do have quite a bit of free time to look around for ourselves.
The tour company also books our stops at places like the Coliseum or the Vatican Museum.
Here's what you don't understand. There are different types of travelers, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Someone visiting Italy from Asia or North/South America is probably gonna go there only once or twice in a lifetime. So they absolutely need to experience Rome or Florence. Someone living in Europe can visit anytime for a weekend. So after they have explored Rome or Florence once, they can keep taking shorter trips to discover the hidden gems.
Also, someone flying long-distance (without a hop) is almost certainly landing in Milan or Rome. It makes no sense to not explore Rome when you have to go there anyway.