Italy is one of the most beautiful places I have visited so far, and the food is so fresh and delicious that you’ll be wanting more after a few sips of a digestivo. Whether you are visiting North or South of Italy, there is always something to see. Here are my thoughts and recommendations on the places we visited:

North of Italy

Verona

1. Juliet’s House (Casa de Giulietta)

If you love Shakespeare, you can visit the famous Juliet’s House. You would have to pay to go inside and step onto the balcony, but the courtyard is free to go where you will be able to see the Statue of Juliet. It’s also said that if you rub her breasts, it will bring you good fortune in love (so of course we had to rub it!).

2. Central Square of Verona (Piazza delle Erbe)

The architectural structure is mesmerizing. During the day, you’ll see small markets selling souvenirs, masks, other products, and even fruits. There are different monuments to see, and in the center you will see a fountain of Madonna Verona

Venice

1. Grand Canal

Canal Grande is the most famous waterways in Venice. This is where you see couples taking a romantic strides in the gondolas (long narrow boat pictured above). There is also a ferry you can catch that crosses the Grand Canal in five points, which can be less chaotic on worrying about the waves, but you will still be able to see the views.

Lake Garda

1. Lazise

One of the most beautiful places I remember from the trip. Lazise is one of those relaxing locations where you get to enjoy the sights and food Italy has to offer. As you can see in the pictures, we tried almost a bit of everything.

Cinque Terre

1. Riomaggiore

You can’t do Italy right unless you visit the Cinque Terre. The pictures don’t do it justice, but the colorful buildings make the whole experience authentic. The Cinque Terre translates to the five villages or towns that have been isolated for quiet a while hidden between the sea and the mountains: Riomaggiore, Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, and Corniglia.

If you’re visiting Riomaggiore, there is a dock filled with boats that has a spectacular view, and if you walk up the stairs around and you should find a small beach!

2. Manarola

When we went to Manarola, its was one of the five villages that had a lot of foot traffic with crowds. There is a famous restaurant if you walk down the trail at the top, but just a heads up you will want to probably book in advance since there is long waiting line.

You can also find several other places to eat around! The food was that good that we didn’t get to take pictures of where we went to eat.

In Manarola, you can also take a dive in the water, no, literally a dive! We saw a lot of people jumping off a cliff, while others where just enjoying the water.

Unfortunately, we were on a limited timeframe so we weren’t able to visit the Corniglia and Vernazza, but we were so sad to be leaving Cinque Terre after visiting Riomaggiore and Manarola. Here everything was relaxing and let us move a bit slower to take in all of our surroundings and culture.

South of Italy

Amalfi Coast

1. Positano

I can’t find any other ways to say that Italy has so many beautiful places to visit in the North and South. The Amalfi Coast like the Cinque Terre has multiple villages. Three of the most popular villages I highly recommend visiting are: Positano, Amalfi, and Sorrento.

Amalfi Lemons: Wherever you walk, you will see everything lemon, that when you are there you want to know what the fuss is about. These Amalfi lemons are not your average lemons, they are larger than the normal size and was grown in the Amalfi Coast as the prime crop that was valuable to sailors, prevent scurvy.

Amalfi Coast Beaches: The beaches in the Amalfi Coast have some of the clear and turquoise water I have seen. But be careful of the big pebble rocks when stepping inside, once you are in you can enjoy the picturesque view of the houses and buildings!

Rome

1. Colosseum

The Colosseum is one of the seven wonders of the world, and I can assure you, you do not want to leave this out of the list of places to visit.

Theres an option of audio or tour guide with a selection of languages. The History about the Colosseum is very interesting and getting to see everything up close was surreal.

Roman Forum: Depending on the tickets you buy, you can also visit the Roman Forum which is only right around the corner from the Colosseum. There are stands where you can walk around at your own pace and read about the facts.

2. Fontana di Trevi

As a fellow Disney and Gen Z person I have to say I was living my Lizzie McGuire dream visiting the Trevi Fountain (and of course I had to make a wish… more like wishes).

I recommend visiting either early in the morning (7a or before if you can), it was prime time with little to no crowds and it gave us time to take pictures. Heads up every Monday and Friday at 8a they clean up all the coins in the fountain, and it takes a few hours. It might have been just me, but watching them clean the coins up was a bit soothing to see. However if you are fixed on time, I would try to plan accordingly.

Trevi Cafes: Right in front of the fountain are cafes that you can eat while taking in the view. We learned this the hard way, but if you can avoid sitting down to eat, please do so. This is for many reasons, one of them being is that it will take a while to find an empty table and you will most likely have to stand by around them to save the table. Secondly, if you’ve read my Italy: Lifestyle blog, you know that you will pay double for sitting down to eat.

3. Pasta Making Class

You can’t go to Italy without learning how to make pasta or a desert! We booked a pasta class in Rome and the chef made it so easy and fun to follow.

After you finish making pasta from scratch they will boil it for you with your choice of cheese and sauce. You will get to try what you made with a choice of drink, and of course free bruschetta.

Oh and the best part… you get a certificate after the class!

Write in the comments what are some of the places you will definitely visit in your trip to Italy.