Places that everyone has probably already heard about and no doubt made you plan a trip might have included fan favorites like the Vatican Museums, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Amalfi Coast, the Coliseum, Pompeii, Venice, Tuscany, the Cinque Terre, and the island of Capri. However, towns that are less popular with tourists such as Bologna, Siena, San Gimignano, Milan, Ravenna, Naples, Padua, and Lucca are all well worth a stop.
Intriguing sites like the Castel de Monte near Bari and the geothermal waterfalls near Saturnia are likewise great places to spend some time. Travelers to Rome should certainly check out less popular sites nearby, such as the Villa d’Este, Herculaneum, and Ponza Island along with obligatory stops like the Coliseum and the Vatican Museums. Other places that travelers might want to investigate further include the many islands in the Venetian lagoon, the Lake Como area, the Ligurian coast, the Italian Alps (the Dolomites), and Sicily.