A photograph of Italy

Country guide

1 to 2 hours in Italy — page 4

Italy holds 62 World Heritage Sites, more than any other country, spread across 301,340 km2 of land that runs from the Alps down into the middle of the Mediterr...

Photograph · Timothy A. Gonsalves · CC BY-SA 4.0

20,204 Places
4Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Italy holds 62 World Heritage Sites, more than any other country, spread across 301,340 km2 of land that runs from the Alps down into the middle of the Mediterranean. The distances between its cities are short and the differences between them are not: Venice has no roads, Naples sits under a volcano on a bay, Florence fits inside a walkable Renaissance grid, and Milan keeps its art indoors and works for a living. Rome is the capital and the obvious first trip; the argument is always about what comes second. Nearly 800 islands hang off the coast, and Sicily and Sardinia are each large enough to be a trip of their own.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Italian
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+39
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C, F and L · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor statement was recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Egyptian Museum of Milan Egyptian Museum of Milan
    76 1 hr 30 min

    Egyptian Museum of Milan

    Museo Egizio

    The Egyptian Museum of Milan, known locally as Museo Egizio, is a museum dedicated to Egyptian antiquities and archaeology. It adds an Egyptology-focused stop to Milan’s better-known art, design, and fashion itinerary.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan
  2. Museo Storico Navale Museo Storico Navale
    77 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Storico Navale

    Museo Storico Navale is Venice’s naval history museum in the Castello district, close to the Venetian Arsenal. The museum explores the maritime power that shaped Venice, from the era of the Venetian Republic to the modern Italian Navy.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Venice
  3. Applied Arts Collection of Milan Applied Arts Collection of Milan
    78 1 hr 30 min

    Applied Arts Collection of Milan

    Museo delle Arti Decorative

    The Applied Arts Collection of Milan, known locally as the Museo delle Arti Decorative, is a museum dedicated to decorative and applied arts within the city.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan
  4. Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo
    79 1 hr 30 min

    Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo

    Palazzo Mocenigo

    Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo is a museum in a historic Venetian palace beside the Grand Canal. It introduces visitors to the world of Venetian dress, textiles, fragrance and aristocratic domestic life.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Venice
  5. museo di Roma in Trastevere museo di Roma in Trastevere
    80 1 hr 30 min

    museo di Roma in Trastevere

    Museo di Roma in Trastevere

    Museo di Roma in Trastevere occupies a converted historic complex in one of Rome's most characterful quarters. The institution forms part of the broader network of civic museums documenting the capital's social and cultural evolution.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Rome
  6. Villa Carducci di Legnaia Villa Carducci di Legnaia
    81 1 hr 30 min

    Villa Carducci di Legnaia

    Villa Pandolfini Carducci

    Villa Carducci di Legnaia, also known as Villa Pandolfini Carducci, is a historic villa in Florence's Legnaia neighbourhood. It represents the country-house tradition of wealthy Florentine families and reflects the transition between the historic city and its former rural edges.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Florence
  7. Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco
    82 1 hr 30 min

    Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco

    Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco is the art gallery housed within Milan's historic Castello Sforzesco, a fifteenth-century fortress built by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan
  8. Casa-museo Boschi Di Stefano Casa-museo Boschi Di Stefano
    83 1 hr 30 min

    Casa-museo Boschi Di Stefano

    Casa-museo Boschi Di Stefano is a house museum in Milan preserving the former residence of collectors Antonio Boschi and Marieda Di Stefano. The couple amassed a significant collection of twentieth-century Italian art, which they donated to the city.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan
  9. Galleria Rinaldo Carnielo, Florence Galleria Rinaldo Carnielo, Florence
    84 1 hr 30 min

    Galleria Rinaldo Carnielo, Florence

    Galleria Rinaldo Carnielo

    The Galleria Rinaldo Carnielo is a museum in Florence dedicated to the works of Rinaldo Carnielo, an Italian sculptor active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Florence
  10. Museo delle Civiltà Museo delle Civiltà
    85 1 hr 30 min

    Museo delle Civiltà

    Museo delle Civiltà is a museum complex in Rome’s EUR district devoted to cultures and civilizations from around the world. Its collections bring together ethnographic, anthropological, archaeological and artistic material formerly held by different institutions.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Rome
  11. Museum Bandini Museum Bandini
    86 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Bandini

    Museo Bandini

    Museum Bandini, also known as Museo Bandini, is a Florence museum included within the city's wider cultural landscape. Its local name is useful when reading Italian directions or referring to the museum in the city.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Florence
  12. Sant'Alessandro Sant'Alessandro
    87 1 hr 30 min

    Sant'Alessandro

    Basilica di Sant'Alessandro

    Sant'Alessandro is a basilica in Florence, Tuscany, and forms part of the city's long religious and architectural tradition. Its setting makes it a useful stop for travellers who want to see a quieter sacred landmark alongside Florence's better-known Renaissance monuments.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Florence
  13. Villa Corsini in Castello Villa Corsini in Castello
    88 1 hr 30 min

    Villa Corsini in Castello

    Villa Corsini

    Villa Corsini in Castello is a historic villa in Florence’s Castello area.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Florence
  14. Galleria d'Arte Sacra dei Contemporanei
    89 1 hr 30 min

    Galleria d'Arte Sacra dei Contemporanei

    Galleria d'Arte Sacra dei Contemporanei is a Milanese gallery devoted to contemporary sacred art. It brings religious themes into conversation with modern artistic practice, offering a focused alternative to the city’s better-known Renaissance, Baroque and modern-art collections.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan
  15. Museo di Sant'Eustorgio Museo di Sant'Eustorgio
    90 1 hr 30 min

    Museo di Sant'Eustorgio

    Museo della basilica di Sant'Eustorgio

    Museo di Sant'Eustorgio is housed within the Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio, one of Milan's important historic religious complexes.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan
  16. Museo Mangini Bonomi Museo Mangini Bonomi
    91 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Mangini Bonomi

    Museo Mangini Bonomi is a museum in Milan and a suitable stop for travelers exploring the city’s heritage beyond its best-known landmarks. The museum belongs to Milan’s cultural landscape and offers a more focused setting than the city’s largest institutions.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan
  17. Casa di Goldoni Casa di Goldoni
    92 1 hr 30 min

    Casa di Goldoni

    Casa di Carlo Goldoni

    Casa di Carlo Goldoni is a museum dedicated to the life and work of Carlo Goldoni, the celebrated 18th-century Venetian playwright.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Venice
  18. Museum of Musical Instruments Museum of Musical Instruments
    93 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Musical Instruments

    Museo degli Strumenti Musicali

    The Museum of Musical Instruments, or Museo degli Strumenti Musicali, is a Milan cultural stop devoted to musical heritage and instrument design. The collection helps visitors follow how musical tools developed across historical periods and how craftsmanship shaped sound.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan
  19. ADI Design Museum ADI Design Museum
    94 1 hr 30 min

    ADI Design Museum

    The ADI Design Museum is a museum in Milan dedicated to Italian design excellence. It is operated by ADI, the Italian Association for Industrial Design, and showcases winners of the prestigious Compasso d'Oro award.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan
  20. Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni
    95 1 hr 30 min

    Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni

    The Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni is a historic confraternity building in Venice, Italy. Founded in the 15th century, it served as the headquarters for the Dalmatian Schiavoni community resident in Venice.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Venice
  21. Annigoni Museum Annigoni Museum
    96 1 hr 30 min

    Annigoni Museum

    Museo Annigoni

    The Annigoni Museum, or Museo Annigoni, is devoted to Pietro Annigoni, the Florence-based Italian painter known especially for highly detailed portraits. The museum presents his commitment to figurative art during a period when modernist approaches were gaining influence.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Florence
  22. Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Altino Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Altino
    97 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Altino

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Altino is an archaeological museum located in the Veneto region near Venice. The institution preserves and exhibits artifacts from the ancient Roman settlement of Altinum, a significant city that predates Venice itself.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Venice
  23. Museo del Calcio Museo del Calcio
    98 1 hr 30 min

    Museo del Calcio

    Museo del Calcio is a museum in Florence dedicated to the history of Italian football. The institution preserves and displays artifacts, documents, and memorabilia chronicling the development of calcio in Italy.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Florence
  24. Museum of Oriental Art Museum of Oriental Art
    99 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Oriental Art

    Museo d'Arte Orientale

    The Museum of Oriental Art, locally known as Museo d'Arte Orientale, is a museum in Venice dedicated to Asian artistic traditions.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Venice
  25. Palazzo Citterio Palazzo Citterio
    100 1 hr 30 min

    Palazzo Citterio

    Palazzo Citterio - Grande Brera

    Palazzo Citterio is a historic palace in Milan's Brera district, also associated with the name Palazzo Citterio - Grande Brera. Its importance lies in its place within one of the city's strongest concentrations of art, architecture, and cultural institutions.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Milan

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Italy be?

Ten to fourteen days can combine Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome by high-speed train. Give Venice more than a transfer night and Rome several separate sightseeing days; rural Tuscany needs different transport planning from the rail-linked cities.

What entry documents are needed for Italy?

Italy is in the Schengen Area, but visa and passport requirements vary by nationality and route. Use Italy's official visa portal to confirm the applicable rule before travel rather than relying on another Schengen trip.

What is the best way to travel around Italy?

High-speed trains connect Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome, with regional rail and coaches serving smaller places. Drivers must check ZTL restrictions before entering historic centres because access controls are local and can generate fines.

When is a practical time to visit Italy?

April to June and September to October broadly suit the north-to-Rome rail route. Lagoon conditions in Venice, summer heat in Rome, and seasonal rural services in Tuscany should be checked independently.

What money and payment basics apply in Italy?

Italy uses the euro (EUR). Carry a modest cash reserve for small purchases while using cards where accepted, and verify the euro amount at the terminal instead of accepting an unexamined conversion.

What practical safety details should I save for Italy?

Italy routes emergency calls through 112. Travellers encounter a 230 V supply and Type C, F, or L receptacles. No tap-water assessment is recorded for Italy; obtain current local advice at the destination.