Coast to Countryside: The Ultimate Italy Bucket List
Explore the belissimo world of Italy, from manicured vineyards to classic culinary creations and world-famous art with our must-do, must-see and must-try guide.
Leaning towers, rich red vino and oodles of hand-rolled pasta – the boot-shaped peninsula is home to some of the most impressive archaeological, cultural and gastronomical feats to ever exist.
Whether you’re tempted by lush rolling hills or pristine coastlines, Italy offers an abundance of wonder and discovery at every twist and turn. Jump on the train, relax on a fully guided tour or embark on a road trip – how you get around is up to you. Read on to be inspired by our ultimate Italy bucket list.
Ready for your Italian adventure? Discover our handpicked collection of properties here.
Daniele was amazing from the beginning of the stay until we left. Very friendly and always caring about his guests. Made us feel very welcome and always had a great smile on his face. Enjoyed speaking with him and practicing my Sicilian dialect. Definitely what made NH stand out. Even give us a bag of beach towels to take with us to Isola Bella
10.0
Mark J.
Barbara and the entire front desk staff were phenomenal! Gracious and helpful 24/7. Checked in on October 1 and checked out October 4, 2026. Room (614) was immaculate and the view from my balcony, was spectacular. Taormina is a wonderful place to visit with all the history and ruins and it was phenomenal to come back to the peace and quiet of Hotel NH Collection Taormina. The spa is right off the pool and had an incredible deep tissue massage from Lucio. Would stay there again in a heartbeat.
10.0
Nikhil A.
The staff at this hotel are exceptional!
Monica who works at the restaurant & pool bar was so friendly & provided excellent service!
Lorenzo & Giovanni were so helpful at front desk & made our stay in Taormina so easy. As well as Emmanuela from Guest Services who booked a lot of places for us.
My girlfriend left her ring in the room & Lorenzo was kind enough to let me know when we had already reached Catania. He provided details of how we can get it back. Exceptional customer service!
Excellent hotel to stay in Taormina with the best staff!
10.0
Shelley L.
We loved our stay at nh collection hotel in Taormina. The staff are amazing and so lovely. The rooms are so clean and the service fantastic. We loved that they leave extra water at night. A shout out to Monica who impressed us immensely with her care and beautiful personality. Only criticism is the shower recess is extremely slippery but the water pressure in the shower is the best we have ever had.
Thank you
Shelley and Dominic
Ride a gondola in Venice
Skip the vaporetti and cancel the taxi. Instead, take your time exploring the famed city of canals onboard a relaxing gondola. Glide along the populated Grand Canal and venture through Venice’s intricate waterways as you spot some of the city’s most iconic attractions, including the Santa Maria della Salute and Teatro La Fenice. If you’re lucky, your skilled gondola driver may sing a traditional tune as you float along the gentle current in the luxurious, intimate flat-bottomed boat.
Hear tales of gladiators in combat at the magnificent Colosseum, climb up Palatine Hill and envision the city’s origin story, admire the well-preserved concrete dome and iconic pillars of the Pantheon and delve deep into layers of religious history within the breathtaking Basilica di San Clemente. Appreciate intricate designs, monolithic structures and crumbling ruins as you wander through one of Europe’s most visited cities.
Stay close to Rome’s iconic landmarks at the luxurious Six Senses Rome.
An amazing stay – staff (at the restaurant, reception and entrance) was friendly and helpful, facilities are amazing, and location is right in the city and where you want to be. Of course, being in the city centre also means you stay close to busy streets. Staff was very helpful that they swapped a more quiet room on the higher floor.
10.0
AnonymousBG
The best hotel in Rome
10.0
AnonymousPH
Rates are high but its worth it
10.0
Steven H.19 escapes · 2 reviews
This was a 10/10 stay, the new hotel is stunning, I loved the entensive use of travetine throughout.
9.2
AnonymousJP
We spent a wonderful time in a great hotel in Rome. Both the staff as well as the breakfast menu were outstanding. Unfortunately their spa staff are not well trained. My wife had asked for a soft massage, but while she fell asleep during her massage, this was disregarded. As a result she had severe muscle pain on the following day. Very unfortunate.
Admire art in Florence
It seems only fitting that the city regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance would be the continued home of some of the most famous masterpieces. Find your way to Florence’s artistic pièce de résistance; the Uffizi Gallery’s collection of world-renowned works from creative geniuses, including Raffael, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto and Michelangelo. Reserve some time to wander just down the road to the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s magnificent David statue in the flesh.
We stayed in the only Junior Suite with a terrace at the prestigious five-star Palazzo Firenze by Baglioni Hotels & Resorts, whose luxury rooms and suites are housed within a splendid 18th-century noble residence.
From our wonderful terrace, we enjoyed a truly enviable view, with a splendid view of the nearby Basilica of Santa Croce.
The spacious and remarkably quiet room had a large bathroom finished in elegant Tuscan marble, a comfortable sofa, and every comfort needed for a relaxing stay.
From the hotel, you can easily walk to Piazza del Duomo, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, and all the city's main artistic attractions. The building, a splendid historic palazzo, is striking for its elegant, impeccably clean spaces, meticulously maintained down to the smallest detail, and brimming with charm. A delicate fragrance wafting through the common areas contributes to a particularly pleasant and refined atmosphere.
The reception, dining room, and housekeeping staff have always been extremely courteous, attentive to guests' every need, and highly professional.
One evening we dined at the on-site Guelfi e Ghibellini restaurant. The gourmet dishes, inspired by the great classics of Tuscan cuisine, were excellent and served with great skill and attention by the staff.
Breakfast also fully lived up to expectations, thanks to a rich buffet featuring typical local sweets, savory options, fresh fruit, yogurt, and many other specialties. The apple cake deserves special mention, as it was the perfect end to this delightful moment of pampering every morning.
Overall, an extremely positive experience in every way: a hotel that undoubtedly deserves all its five stars.
10.0
Tin C.
Excellent overall!
6.0
ines a.
Ideally located for exploring Florence and the surrounding area. Close to trams, buses, and the train station, yet conveniently situated in the city center. The common areas, while decorated in a modern style, remain very austere. The rooms are quite large but dreary and seem to have been decorated hastily: poorly placed pictures, TV in the wrong spot in the room. The bathroom is absolutely not up to 4-star standards: no mixer tap, poor lighting, worn-out furniture, a wheezy hairdryer, and no tissues or shoehorn. The staff is pleasant but seems completely disillusioned by the hordes of extremely noisy tourists at breakfast. If you're looking for peace and quiet, this isn't the hotel for you. The breakfast room is worth a visit, with a magnificent view of the Duomo. There's also a lovely terrace with plenty of greenery, but it's sorely lacking in maintenance: stained sofas, broken armchairs, and dirty floors. The breakfast is varied and plentiful. We won't be returning.
2.0
Kostas R.
We booked this hotel well in advance, only to be informed that our reservation could not be honored because the renovation had been delayed and the hotel would remain closed. This was extremely disappointing and disrupted our travel plans. Although an alternative hotel was offered, we had booked this specific property for a reason. What made the experience even worse was that it took almost a month to receive our refund after the cancellation. Overall, this was a very frustrating experience and not what I would expect from a luxury hotel brand.
See the trulli of Puglia
Travel to the glorious countryside of Puglia and uncover the ancient beauty of the Itria Valley, boasting a curious collection of traditional dry-stone huts. As you travel through the region, these clusters of cone-topped structures mimic the appearance of a natural mountain range. However, up close, it becomes clear that these trulli – the traditional name of the designs – are individually man-made dens with unique conically-shaped tiled roofs. This trick of the eye is well worth venturing out of the city for.
Go shopping in Milan
One of the big four fashion capitals of the world, Milan is known not only for hosting bi-yearly fashion weeks but also for its incredible shopping precincts. The city centre is a fashion Mecca, from The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – one of the world’s oldest shopping malls and where Prada opened its first store in 1913 – to Quadrilatero d’Oro della moda, also known as the Golden Rectangle of fashion, where big spenders come to play.
My first experience with Bzar Hotels, left a smile on my face. New renovated rooms had a little balcony for drinking coffee in the morning, afternoon in between work meetings and work events due to its central location I was able to come back refresh and go back out.
2.0
Camille _.
Honestly, this hotel was a huge disappointment and nowhere near the 4-star standard it claims to be. From the moment we arrived, it was obvious that the room we were given was designed for one person, even though we had booked a double room. There was only one towel, one pair of slippers, and one bedside table. When we mentioned it at reception, the staff were not helpful or understanding at all. They simply brought us an extra towel and another pair of slippers, as if that magically fixed the issue.
The next morning, exactly the same thing happened again : only one towel had been left in the room. We had to go back downstairs to ask for another one, and the receptionist brought it up looking clearly annoyed. With all of this, please don’t try to tell us this room was actually meant for two people.
The bed was tiny and very uncomfortable, so we barely slept properly during our stay. On top of that, the soundproofing is terrible, you can hear literally everything : people in the hallway, doors slamming, neighboring rooms, all night long. To make things even worse, our room was right next to the elevator shaft, so there was constant noise day and night. Resting peacefully was impossible.
Cleanliness was also below expectations. One morning, we were even woken up by the room bell because housekeeping wanted to clean the room while we were still sleeping, during breakfast time slot. Completely unacceptable for a hotel that calls itself 4 stars.
Breakfast was another big disappointment. Very little choice, poor-quality food, and barely any service or restocking. It was so underwhelming that we only went the first morning and skipped it entirely on the following two days.
We had been really excited for our trip to Milan, and sadly this hotel ruined a big part of the experience for us. We are leaving extremely disappointed and would absolutely not recommend this place to anyone. It’s absolutely not value for money and a rip-off considering the service we got. Avoid this hotel at all costs.
2.0
V S.
This hotel had good reviews which was very promising. Upon arrival we had to carry our luggage up a full flight of steps as there is no accessibility ramps or lift available for guests.
The check in process was smooth, once we arrived into the room there was a broken lamp as pictured. A power point exposed, a cigarette lighter on the window from the previous guest. When we raised these issues to the front desk they said thankyou and didn’t Take any further action.
The room felt much older and smaller than what the pictures and previous reviews suggested.
The bathroom had a broken toilet seat and the doors for the shower were off the hinges, and the bathroom did not seem visibly cleaned but only the towels replaced, noting there was no hair conditioner but only shampoo.
The bed had 2 pillows which was not satisfactory for 2 guests, and the safe was locked and unable to be opened.
The room featured a nespresso machine but did not have any pods available to make coffee with.
The breakfast which was included in the room was made up of various frozen items but was palatable.
Overall, this hotel has a good location is priced competitively but in our experience, was very disappointing and will not book in the future.
2.0
Uday B.
We got into the room only to fine out the room had a broken window which was taped from inside. When asked the hotel staff to look into it, one of the guys said I will just look into it. Waited 20 mins and no one came. When spoke again, he said we cannot do anything about it. You can talk to the boss tomorrow.
It is not just the cold wind blowing in but also street noise of moving traffic sirens, bikes and mor. Very disappointing. Paid about 500 CAD for this stay.
Mount Etna in Sicily
Towering above Sicily’s ancient port city of Catania, a marvellous feat of nature stands tall, spectacularly erupting and spitting lava from time to time. Currently the highest and most active volcano in all of Europe, the breathtaking shape of Mount Etna can be spotted from around the Mediterranean island. Discover the magic of a site that’s been growing for 500,000 years.
Juliet’s house in Verona
Lovers worldwide flock to Juliet’s house in Verona to pay tribute to Shakespeare’s original tragedy of star-crossed lovers and wish for a sweetheart of their own. This stunning 13th-century mansion once belonged to the Dal Cappello family, long thought to be the probable model for Juliet’s family, the Capulets, in the fictional tale. The former owners erected a balcony outside ‘Juliet’s’ room, overlooking the beautiful courtyard, and opened the space up for tourists to explore.
Daniele was amazing from the beginning of the stay until we left. Very friendly and always caring about his guests. Made us feel very welcome and always had a great smile on his face. Enjoyed speaking with him and practicing my Sicilian dialect. Definitely what made NH stand out. Even give us a bag of beach towels to take with us to Isola Bella
10.0
Mark J.
Barbara and the entire front desk staff were phenomenal! Gracious and helpful 24/7. Checked in on October 1 and checked out October 4, 2026. Room (614) was immaculate and the view from my balcony, was spectacular. Taormina is a wonderful place to visit with all the history and ruins and it was phenomenal to come back to the peace and quiet of Hotel NH Collection Taormina. The spa is right off the pool and had an incredible deep tissue massage from Lucio. Would stay there again in a heartbeat.
10.0
Nikhil A.
The staff at this hotel are exceptional!
Monica who works at the restaurant & pool bar was so friendly & provided excellent service!
Lorenzo & Giovanni were so helpful at front desk & made our stay in Taormina so easy. As well as Emmanuela from Guest Services who booked a lot of places for us.
My girlfriend left her ring in the room & Lorenzo was kind enough to let me know when we had already reached Catania. He provided details of how we can get it back. Exceptional customer service!
Excellent hotel to stay in Taormina with the best staff!
10.0
Shelley L.
We loved our stay at nh collection hotel in Taormina. The staff are amazing and so lovely. The rooms are so clean and the service fantastic. We loved that they leave extra water at night. A shout out to Monica who impressed us immensely with her care and beautiful personality. Only criticism is the shower recess is extremely slippery but the water pressure in the shower is the best we have ever had.
Thank you
Shelley and Dominic
Dine cliffside on the Amalfi Coast
The most magical way to truly enjoy the picturesque Amalfi Coast is dining on delectable local fare and sipping regional vino at a glorious cliffside restaurant. With restaurants set within and on top of the expansive cliff line, there’s plenty of opportunity for a meal overlooking the crashing waves. The world-famous cave dwelling Grotta Palazzese is a rite of passage, but there are other incredible venues, from the much-loved seafood destination, La Tonnarella, to the incredibly romantic Ristorante Franchino.
Gastronomic delights of Bologna
Considered the food capital of Italy, Bologna is found within the highly sought-after culinary region of Emilia-Romagna and is traditionally credited as the birthplace of some of Italy’s most renowned comestible creations, such as tagliatelle al ragu (the original Bolognese), green lasagne and mortadella bologna. Though just about everything in this city is tasty, if you want to eat like a local, we suggest ordering the tortellini in broth with a glass of pignoletto.
Often at the top of travellers’ lists is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the incredibly unique monument that gained its notoriety after experiencing a significant tilt to one side. Poor engineering and inappropriate soil quality mean this isn’t the only building in Pisa that’s on a lean, but it’s by far the most recognisable. Now considered technically stable due to recent reinforcements, visitors can climb the tower and experience its beauty and quirks from the inside out.
Taste Chianti wine in Tuscany
Adored by wine connoisseurs and casual sippers worldwide, the Chianti wine region within Tuscany not only produces some of the most delicious drops but is a visual sight to behold. Extending over the provinces of Florence and Siena, the Chianti region is known for producing typically medium to full-bodied red wine, primarily made from the sangiovese grape, as well as intensely tasty extra-virgin olive oil. Aside from the immensely delicious produce, Chianti’s green, rolling hills, expansive vineyards and quaint stone villages are also a feast for the senses.
Just out from the centre of Naples, the historic site of Pompeii is a mesmerising and highly emotional archaeological destination. Formerly located at the base of the monstrous Mount Vesuvius, the ancient city was completely covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash and rock in 79AD. Today, the bodies of villagers remain on the site, perfectly preserved during their final moments, with the toxic sludge cementing their life-like poses for 2,000 years. Walk the cobbled streets and revel in the once thriving city’s now eerily preserved villas, temples, homes and shops.
Don’t know where to start? Find the perfect Italian city escape for you here.
