Top 15 Things to Do in Italy

Italy's landscape is an open-air museum, where millennia-old ruins invite contemplation of empires risen and fallen. Beyond the Colosseum's grandeur lie lesser-known sites where history's echoes resonate. Wander through Pompeii's preserved streets or discover Ostia Antica's intricate mosaics. In these sacred spaces, weathered marble and crumbling frescoes become time machines, transforming every footstep into a conversation with antiquity.

• Exclusive After-Hours Access: At night, wander the Colosseum’s hypogeum, where gladiators once prepared for battle, with only the whisper of cicadas breaking the silence. Step inside Pompeii’s Villa of Mysteries on a private evening tour, after the crowds have gone, to admire the vivid frescoes that once witnessed secret rites, their ancient colors glowing softly under expert lighting.
• Tactile Histories: Run your fingers over Herculaneum’s carbonized wooden shelves, preserved by Vesuvius’ pyroclastic flow, and feel the texture of daily life frozen in 79 AD.
• Private Archaeologist Tours: Decipher faded frescoes in Pompeii’s Villa dei Misteri with experts who reveal how pigments were mixed from crushed lapis lazuli and saffron.

A Deeper Dive into History

From Etruscan necropolises to Hadrian’s Villa, each site charts humanity’s artistic ambition.

• Ostia Antica’s well-preserved mosaics illustrate daily Roman life, contrasting with Paestum’s Greek temples, their honeyed stones standing sentinel since 550 BCE.
• The Valley of the Temples in Sicily offers Doric columns bathed in golden light at dawn, their shadows stretching across wildflower-strewn fields where the scent of thyme lingers in the air.

Mix Luxury and Discovery

Elevate your historical journey with bespoke enhancements that intertwine luxury and discovery.

• Charter a helicopter to Paestum for a sunset aperitivo amidst temples, where the amber glow of twilight illuminates ancient columns.
• Arrange a private excavation experience with Rome’s archaeologists, sifting through stratified earth to uncover relics untouched for centuries, the grit of history clinging to your fingertips.

Unearth the past on your terms by connecting with our specialists to design a private archaeological odyssey blending VIP access with bespoke itineraries similar to our Historic Cities to Treasured Coastline of Italy Tour.

Italian cuisine defies homogenization, with each region guarding culinary secrets shaped by geography and history. As you journey through Italy’s diverse landscapes, you’ll encounter earthy truffles in Piedmont, sun-ripened tomatoes and fragrant basil in Liguria, and the smoky richness of Calabria’s chili-infused dishes. Every bite will take you on a voyage of textures and flavors that tell stories of centuries-old traditions, local terroirs, and artisanal craftsmanship, inviting you to taste the very soul of each region.

• Piedmont’s White Truffles: Hunt for Tuber magnatum in Alba’s fog-draped woods, then savor shavings over tajarin pasta in a 17th-century trattoria.
• Sicily’s Citrus Roots: Taste blood orange granita at Palermo’s Ballarò Market, where the tang of citrus cuts through the sweetness of ricotta-filled cannoli.
• Emilia-Romagna’s Aged Balsamic: Drip 25-year-old aceto tradizionale onto Parmigiano Reggiano in a Modena attic, inhaling notes of cherrywood and oxidation.

Our Daily Bread

• Tuscan Bread’s Saltless Legacy: Learn how medieval Pisan salt taxes birthed panzanella salad, transforming stale loaves into culinary gold.
• Neapolitan Pizza’s Humble Roots: Knead dough in a 300-year-old pizzeria where margherita toppings honor Queen Margherita’s 1889 visit.

Create Culinary Memories

Transform fleeting meals into enduring memories through tailored gastronomic adventures.

• Collaborate with a sommelier to pair 25-year-old balsamic vinegar from Modena with aged Parmigiano Reggiano in a candlelit attic.
• Savor a private truffle dinner in a converted Roman domus, each course accompanied by stories of medieval trade routes.

Let your palate guide your journey by scheduling a bespoke Italy Food and Culture Tour for Seniors, during which Michelin-starred chefs and local nonnas reveal Italy’s edible soul.

The Vatican's artistry transcends faith. Michelangelo's Last Judgment swirls with humanity's triumphs and flaws, while Bramante's staircase spirals like DNA centuries before its discovery. Within these sacred walls, Renaissance masters competed to capture the divine through marble and fresco, creating a treasure trove where Raphael's School of Athens debates eternal questions alongside Bernini's colonnade that embraces pilgrims in stone arms.

• Sistine Chapel in Solitude: View Michelangelo’s frescoes in silence during private openings, hearing only the echo of your footsteps.
• Climb the Bramante Staircase: Climb the helical Renaissance masterpiece typically restricted to cardinals and heads of state.

Hidden Marvels

• Niccoline Chapel: Study Fra Angelico’s 1447 frescoes in a space smaller than a modern studio apartment.
• St. Peter’s Tomb: Descend into the necropolis beneath the basilica, where fourth-century graffiti proclaims, “Peter is here”.

On a VIP Tour of Rome and Vatican City, secure a twilight tour of the Vatican Museums to experience masterpieces in solitude, followed by a private recital in the Raphael Rooms.

Verona's Gothic architecture and Shakespearean lore create an atmosphere where every cobblestone whispers tales of passion. Medieval towers pierce the sky like exclamation points, while the amber glow of ancient walls transforms ordinary piazzas into stages where romance feels inevitable. In this city where fiction and history intertwine, even skeptics find themselves touched by the enduring power of love's greatest tragedy.

• Exclusive Balcony Access: Secure a private 10-minute slot on Juliet’s balcony, away from crowds, with a violinist serenading your proposal or anniversary celebration.
• Love Letters and Locks: Pen a heartfelt note and affix a personalized lock to Juliet’s Wall, its metallic clink echoing centuries of devotion.

A Journey Through Legend

The 14th-century Casa di Giulietta blends medieval history with literary myth. While the balcony itself is a 20th-century addition, the house’s courtyard, adorned with a bronze statue of Juliet, has drawn lovers since the 1930s.

The Fragrance of Romance

Elevate romance with tailored enhancements.

• Arrange a candlelit dinner at a restaurant with panoramic views of Verona’s skyline, accompanied by white truffle risotto.
• Commission a bespoke perfume blending Venetian rose and bergamot at a historic apothecary.

Write your love story when you embark on a Lover’s Escape to Venice, Verona, and Lake Garda.

Truffle hunting blends misty dawn forests, eager truffle dogs, and the thrill of unearthing "black gold". Follow your canine companion through ancient oak groves, where centuries-old traditions meet primal excitement as wet earth releases its secrets and the forest floor transforms into nature's most exclusive treasure map. This age-old dance between human, hound, and hidden fungi connects you to Italy's deepest culinary soul.

• Piedmont’s White Truffles: Traverse Alba’s hazelnut groves with a hunter and his dog, learning to identify the musky scent of Tuber magnatum.
• Tuscan Black Truffles: Join a family on its estate to unearth summer truffles beneath oak roots.

A Journey Through History

Romans prized truffles as aphrodisiacs, while Renaissance nobles served them at feasts. Today, Alba’s October to December truffle fair draws gourmands from around the world.

Culinary Delight

Transform your hunt into a culinary masterpiece.

• Enjoy a chef-led tasting in a converted 18th-century mill, pairing fresh truffles with handmade tajarin pasta and Barolo Riserva.

Unearth Italy’s hidden flavors with a private truffle hunt followed by a Michelin-starred truffle degustation on Zicasso’s Pleasures of Piedmont Tour: Wine, Truffles, and Celebration.

Italy's 2,000 grape varieties offer a vinous discovery, from volcanic Etna reds to alpine sparkling whites. Each region tells its story through the glass. Tuscan Sangiovese carries the warmth of rolling hills, while Piedmont's Nebbiolo whispers of fog-shrouded mornings and ancient winemaking traditions.Terroir isn't just a concept, but a living conversation between soil, sun, and centuries of passionate craftsmanship.

• Barolo’s “King of Wines”: Sip 1999 vintages in a candlelit Piedmont cellar, their tannins softened by decades, alongside hazelnut-infused tajarin.
• Super Tuscans: Taste Sassicaia’s bold blends at wineries where cabernet sauvignon defies tradition in Bolgheri’s sun-drenched vineyards.

A Journey Through Terroir

Ancient Greeks introduced vines to Sicily; today, Mount Etna's mineral-rich soils produce Nerello Mascalese, with notes of ash and wild strawberry. Each terroir creates distinct flavor profiles:

• Volcanic Soils: Etna's lava-enriched earth imparts mineral complexity and smoky undertones to indigenous varietals
• Maritime Influence: Coastal Cinque Terre's salt-kissed air creates crisp Sciacchetrà dessert wines from cliff-hanging vineyards
• Alpine Heights: Valle d'Aosta's extreme elevation produces delicate Petite Arvine with mountain herb aromatics
• Clay and Limestone: Chianti Classico's galestro soils deliver Sangiovese's signature cherry brightness balanced by earthy depth

Craft Your Legacy

• Blend your own wine at at an estate, bottling a personalized cuvée with guidance from the head enologist.

Raise a glass to la dolce vita by designing a private Italian Wine-Tasting Journey on which you can vineyard-hop across Tuscany, Piedmont, and Sicily.

Italy's more than 400 cheeses reflect diverse terroirs, from alpine meadows to Sardinian pastures and Sicilian salt pans that you can visit on our Gastronomic Traditions of Italy Tour. When aged Parmigiano-Reggiano meets a robust Barolo, or creamy Gorgonzola dances with sweet Sauternes, each pairing becomes a masterclass in how landscape shapes flavor. These marriages of milk and grape create moments where texture, acidity, and tradition converge in perfect harmony on the palate.

• Parmigiano Reggiano: Crack open a 36-month wheel at a cheese producer in Parma, its crystalline crunch yielding to umami richness.
• Burrata Masterclass: Shape fresh mozzarella in Puglia, then drizzle it with olive oil from century-old trees.

A Journey Through Tradition

Pecorino Romano sustained Roman legions; today, Sardinian shepherds age it in limestone caves for sharp, salty depth. This ancient cheese follows the same salt-rubbing techniques used 2,000 years ago, with each wheel hand-turned monthly as Mediterranean winds naturally regulate cave temperatures. The result is a cheese so integral to Italian identity that authentic Pecorino Romano can only be produced in specific regions of Sardinia, Lazio, and Tuscany.

Cheese and Honey

• Enjoy a private tasting in a Roman cantina, pairing aged Pecorino with honey from Lazio’s lavender fields and Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Before curating your cheese pilgrimage with a sommelier guide, take a look at our 9 Best Foods and Drinks to Try in Italy on Vacation.

Italy's olive oils range from peppery Tuscan blends to buttery Lake Garda pressings. In ancient frantoios where millstones have turned for centuries, master oil makers guide you through tastings that reveal how soil, sun, and harvest timing create liquid excellence. Each drop carries the essence of its grove, from the robust bite of Leccino olives to the delicate fruitiness of Taggiasca.

• Sensory Analysis: Swirl emerald oil in Puglia, detecting artichoke and almond notes beneath the Mediterranean sun.
• Mill Visit: Operate a 19th-century stone press in Chianti, the air thick with grassy aroma.

A Journey Through Time

Phoenicians first pressed olives in Sicily. Now, UNESCO protects the “dry stone wall” terraces of Puglia.

Craft Your Legacy

• Blend your own oil, combining Coratina and Ogliarola varietals for a personalized bottle.

Dive into Italy’s olive heritage on Zicasso’s Immersive Olive Oil Tour in Tuscany.

Naples' pizza is UNESCO-listed and a perfect marriage of chewy crust, San Marzano tomatoes, and fior di latte. Watch master pizzaiolos transform simple ingredients into edible art within blazing wood-fired ovens that reach 900°F. In pizza's birthplace, you'll discover that authentic Neapolitan pizza is a craft passed down through generations, where the process of kneading dough and introducing it to flames creates Italy's most beloved culinary export.

• Wood-Fired Mastery: Shape dough with a third-generation pizzaiolo, learning the “slap-and-spin” technique.
• Market Tour: Select basil from Piazza Mercato’s stalls, its aroma mingling with fresh bufala mozzarella.

A Journey Through Flavor

The margherita’s red, white, and green honored Queen Margherita in 1889, with 3,000 pizzerias still upholding the tradition.

Craft Your Legacy

• Compete in a pizza-making duel judged by local chefs.

Master the art of pizza when you reserve a private class, followed by a pizza crawl through Naples’ hidden bassi, while on our Immersive Southern Italy and Sicily Tour: Food, Culture, and History.

From Sardinian malloreddus to Roman tonnarelli, pasta shapes tell stories of regional identity. Under the guidance of Italian nonnas whose hands have shaped countless thousands of orecchiette and pici, you'll learn that each twist and fold carries cultural DNA—how Ligurian trofie captures pesto or why Emilian tortellini must be folded with precision that would make origami masters envious.

• Silk Thread Pasta: Roll translucent su filindeu in Nuoro, a rare art mastered by very few nonnas.
• Black-Ink Tortelli: Fill squid-ink dough with lobster at a Venetian bacaro, paired with Prosecco Superiore.

A Journey Through Craft

Etruscan tombs depict early pasta-making, with Marco Polo’s alleged noodle import debunked by Sicilian texts from 1154.

Craft Your Legacy

• Create a family recipe at a restaurant in Bologna, pressing golden yolks into flour for silk-textured tagliatelle.

Knead your way through Italy on an Italian Culinary Tour.

Italy's art spans Michelangelo's David to Burano's lace to unveil human ingenuity. In Florence's ancient ateliers, master artisans teach you to work marble dust into frescoes or forge jewelry using techniques unchanged since the Renaissance. Whether sketching Roman ruins or learning gold-leaf application in centuries-old studios, you'll discover that creating art in Italy goes beyond technique to join an unbroken chain of craftspeople who've transformed raw materials into eternal beauty.

• Fresco Restoration: Touch up a 15th-century church mural in Florence, guided by experts.
• Murano Glassblowing: Sculpt a cobalt vase as a furnace’s heat kisses your cheeks.

A Journey Through Mastery

The Renaissance bottega system lives on, with a factory in Venice still crafting mosaics for the Vatican.

Craft Your Legacy

• Commission a portrait in Uffizi’s Tribuna room, your likeness rendered in tempura beside Medici dukes.

Channel your inner maestro when you design a private Art, Culture, and History immersion across Florence, Venice, and Rome.

Step into the sandals of Spartacus with a wooden gladius and leather manica arm guard. Feel the weight of history as you learn authentic combat moves where emperors once decided fates with thumbs up or down, while the ghost of 50,000 roaring spectators seems to echo from the weathered stone tiers above. This immersive experience transforms you from tourist to time traveler, connecting your heartbeat to the pulse of ancient Rome's most legendary warriors.

• Hypogeum Drill: Practice formations in the Colosseum’s underground tunnels, their damp chill contrasting with arena sunlight.
• Chariot Simulation: Navigate a replica quadriga at a film-production company, reins taut as you circle the mock Circus Maximus.

A Journey Through Spectacle

Gladiators were ancient celebrities and their diets of barley and ash, as well as their fates, quash Hollywood myths.

Craft Your Legacy

• Stage a mock battle at Ostia Antica’s theater, complete with period armor and a thumbs-up from your “emperor”.

Embrace your inner gladiator on Zicasso’s Italy Family Vacation for First-Timers.

From Milan to Florence, Italy's ateliers redefine luxury. Wander through the Quadrilatero della Moda, where Prada and Versace windows showcase tomorrow's trends, or discover hidden workshops in Florence's Oltrarno district, where master leather craftsmen still hand-stitch bags using techniques perfected during the Renaissance. Fashion isn't just about clothing in Italy, it's about understanding how Italian artisans transform raw silk, supple leather, and gossamer cashmere to make every sidewalk a catwalk. Learn how to strut these “catwalks” by taking a look at Zicasso’s What to Wear in Italy: How to Dress Like a Local or see our Italy in Vogue itinerary.

• Bespoke Suiting: Select cashmere and have your measurements archived for lifetime adjustments.
• Shoemaking Workshop: Stitch oxfords at a Florence studio, the scent of cedar lasts intoxicating.

A Journey Through Craftsmanship

Silk from Lake Como’s 17th-century mills dresses royal weddings.

Craft Your Legacy

• Commission a one-of-a-kind piece from a Rome atelier, your design rendered in silk.
• Curate your Italian wardrobe by scheduling visits to private showrooms and factories.

Rome's underground labyrinths reveal early Christian symbols, Etruscan tombs, and Capuchin bone art. Descend into the cool darkness, where centuries of believers carved their final resting places into volcanic tufa, creating subterranean cities where flickering torchlight illuminates frescoes that predate the Sistine Chapel by centuries. In these sacred corridors beneath bustling Rome, death becomes art and faith transforms stone into eternal testament, where every carved dove and fish symbol whispers stories of hope in humanity's darkest hours.

• Capuchin Crypt: Confront 3,700 skeletons arranged in macabre mosaics at Santa Maria della Concezione in Rome.
• Domitilla Catacombs: Decipher fish and anchor symbols by flashlight, their meanings lost to persecution-era secrecy.

A Journey Through Faith

Early Christians buried martyrs beneath Appian Way, their graffiti prayers still resonating today.

Craft Your Legacy

• Enjoy a private concert in San Callisto’s crypts, Gregorian chants echoing off second-century frescoes.
• Descend into history on an after-hours catacomb tour with expert historians.

Venice's gondolas epitomize timeless elegance with their black lacquer, brass seahorses, and velvet cushions. Glide through narrow canals where palace reflections shimmer like watercolor paintings, while your gondolier's song echoes off ancient brick walls that have witnessed a thousand love stories. As sunset turns the Grand Canal into liquid gold and church bells chime across the lagoon, you'll understand why Venice remains the world's most romantic stage, a floating theater where every moment feels choreographed by centuries of passion.

• Secret Canals: Glide down Rio dei Sartori, where Casanova once courted lovers, guided by a gondoliere in striped shirt.
• Moonlight Serenade: Sip Amarone under a wool blanket as an opera tenor’s O Sole Mio echoes off Palazzo Barbaro.

A Journey Through Craft

Gondolas take 500 hours to build, using eight woods, asymmetrical hulls, and iron ferro prows symbolizing Venice’s districts.

Craft Your Legacy

• Propose aboard a flower-strewn gondola, the Rialto Bridge illuminated by fireworks as your gondoliere sings Volare.
• Float into Venetian romance by booking bespoke gondola experience with champagne, music, and hidden canal access.

For further information on celebrating your love in Italy, delve into our 9 Best Romantic Trips to Italy.

Italy resists singular definitions, offering instead myriad experiences waiting to be personalized. The true luxury lies in moments tailored to your passions, whether they be hot-air ballooning over Tuscan vineyards or private palazzo concerts featuring Baroque masterpieces.

Our concierge team transforms these possibilities into your singular Italian journey, where history’s whispers and la dolce vita’s embrace converge exclusively for you. For more information, taking a look at our Italy travel guide or Italy tours and trip packages.