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5 Best Places to Visit in Italy: Iconic Landmarks Every Traveler Should See

If you are traveling to Italy for the first time, you’ll realize that selecting the destinations that you want to visit seems much more confusing than planning the entire trip itself. There are world-famous landmarks and must-visit spots in almost every city that cannot be missed at all.

Each and every guide talks about the basilicas, churches, museums, and galleries that await first-time travelers.

The trick isn’t seeing everything, it’s choosing the right things. And by things, I mean actual attractions: a specific building you walk into, a site you stand inside, and that one city that steals your heart.

After countless visits to Italy, here is my curated list of five places where you arrive, you experience something concrete, and you leave changed. A few of them are famous because they deserve to be. While other attractions are the ones I found while walking through the old streets and accidentally stumbled into.

1. Vatican Museums

My first time in the Vatican Museums, I did everything wrong – arrived in the evening, no prior reservation, no plan – and was stuck in a room full of sweaty fellow travelers, shoulder to shoulder. Saw random artworks, got thirty seconds in the Sistine Chapel before the crowd was moved out.

The second time I went, I booked the very first time-slot and had most of the galleries to myself. This contrast taught me more about traveling to Italy than any other guide or article ever did. The Vatican Museum is the greatest collection of artwork you can ever visit. The time and how you plan your visit decide if your visit feels sacred or like rush hour in the subway.

There are multiple ways of exploring the Vatican Museums and my favorite is the secret itinerary tour. You can slip away from the groups that enter with you and get a head start on the best galleries first, like the Gallery of Maps, the Raphael Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel. Once you are in the Sistine Chapel, do not treat it like a random corridor. Find a bench along, sit and enjoy Michelangelo’s masterpiece unhurriedly instead of craning your neck in a rush.

There are numerous things about the museums that most travel guides do not talk about. If you wish to get more insights, then head to my detailed guide on visiting the Vatican Museum. This is your one-stop for all the details you will need to know and ensure your first experience doesn’t end up like mine.

Pro Tip: If you are touring the Vatican City, start with the Vatican Museums. The queues start at

7 AM. Book your 8 AM tickets online and arrive 30 minutes before. If you plan to start your dayat St Peter’s Basilica, the queues have already started at 6 and the cathedral is way too

crowded before you enter and later you will be squished in the museum too. By visiting the Vatican Museums first, you can enjoy the museums crowd-free and then head to St. Peter’s when the crowds thin out during lunch.

2. Borghese Gallery

Colosseum, Trevi, Spanish Stairs, and other headliners often overshadow the most perfect art experience in Rome. The Borghese gallery is a former cardinal’s pleasure villa packed with

Bernini sculptures so alive they seem mid-motion. Until you explore this icon, you would not understand how Marble can look fleeing, terrified in flesh and lively.

The best part here is the cap on visitor numbers and time entry. This ensures there is never a scrum but also means you can not just show up. I had booked ahead of time, arrived early and spent a crowd-free and calm time in the Bernini room before tour groups could catch up. Once you are done with the tour, also try to enjoy the Villa Borghese gardens for a post-stroll.

3. Duomo di Milano

Most people photograph the facade, step inside the cathedral for ten minutes and call it done. I was going to do the same until the idea of enjoying a sunset from the top of the cathedral took over. This was the best decision I could have made. The first time I visited the terrace, among 3,000 odd statues and the forest of marble spires, I was no longer in the cathedral, I was standing in its crown.

The best piece of advice for anyone visiting is to book your full-access Duomo di Milano tickets. This is your pass to the Cathedral, rooftop, underground archeological area, Duomo museum and San Gottardo Church. All these attractions are located around the Duomo square and offer a complete experience. The best time to go is at opening time or in the last hour of daylight when the golden hour lights up the marble facade.

While many people think Duomo is the only thing you can do in Milano, you can visit the Last Supper in the Santa Maria Delle Grazie and then take a quick walk to Sforza Castle for a calm evening. After a busy day touring the Duomo, I always head to Sforza to unwind and enjoy the local nightlife. Tour the castle for a historic experience, people-watch from the lawn, or catch a concert or show here.

4. Siena Cathedral

If there is one most underrated cathedral in Italy, it is the Seina Cathedral. From outside its dazzling in white and gold but the reason I wish you visit is what’s on the floor. The cathedral’s marble inlay floor has 56 panels work on between 14th and 19th century. Thisis the most beautiful, largest and magnificent floor you would ever see.The catch is that the floor is mostly covered with protective board for most of the year and fully uncovered only during the month of june to july and mid-august to mid-october. Get the timing right and it’s transcendent; get it wrong and you’ll see plywood.

Apart from the floor, don’t miss the Piccolomini Library and collection of sculptures by Michelangelo, Donatello, Bernini and more.

5. San Gimignano

This is the one on the list I’m selfish about – San Gimignano stole my heart in away the famous cities never did. Located 55 km from Florence, it is just an hour ride for you to escape the busy city and enter the heart of the Tuscany. Called the Manhattan of Middle Ages, this city comprises of 72-tower houses and the most impressive medieval skylines you will ever see.

Walking through the medieval streets, watching locals go about their day and staying until the day trippers have gone and stone turn amber was the best hours of my Italian trip. Enjoy the best gelato in the entire country, tour local wineries for tasting or just stumble through the plazas. Don’t forget to try the local Vernaccia wine and DOP saffron that are native to this city.

Take it from me, this is going to be one of the best things to do on your visit to Italy, where you slow down, enjoy your vacation and wish to come back over and over again.

Tip: It is a little difficult to visit San Gimignano through public transportation. If you do not want to drive, then join a tour group that leaves Florence early in the morning and stay here until 6 PM. However, the city turns into a completely different place after the sun goes down – which is why I prefer to stay overnight.

What I’ve Learned After All These Trips

A few rule I urge you to follow. Book the tickets online in advance so you dont waste half your vacation standing in queues. Drink coffee like a local; at the bar, standing, for just a euro or two.

Do not order Cappuccino after 11 AM as that shows you are the tourist they can ripp off. Carry cash, because the best places are small and don’t always take cards. The pattern you’ll notice across this list isn’t the famous-versus-hidden split. It’s that every single one rewards you for arriving early, booking ahead, and staying longer than you planned. Italy isn’t a checklist to conquer. It’s a series of rooms worth sitting in.