After living in Italy for 20 years, I’ve learned there are places you visit once… and places you keep going back to. If I had just one week to show my best friend the Italy I truly love, we’d skip the crowds of Rome and Venice — and head to three unforgettable spots instead.
We start in Sicily, where ancient ruins, street food, and coastal beauty hit you all at once. Then up to the Dolomites — quiet, majestic, and crowd-free. Finally, we slow down in Puglia, where whitewashed towns, olive groves, and lazy beach days give you that real Italian escape.
These are my top picks for anyone craving beauty, peace, and real moments — and yes, I’m heading back to Puglia next week with my sister’s family. There’s no better place to recharge and reconnect.
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43 Comments
What 90% of Tourists Never See in Italy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqLVUuSVASg
Italy is not a place to go just once. I have gone to Italy 8 times in 10 years. I will be going back soon. Every year, we pick a different city and enjoy it but we always visit Firenze for a few days then take the train and explore another city. Every city in Italy has a different personality. You will never get bored. Must visit Roma atleast once. Do the hop on.hop off so you can see it in a day. Then move on to the less crowded city.
Greatly appreciate your content
You can't rush it visiting Italy. Saluti dalla Toscana!
Don’t bother with Naples IMO. The city was filthy! Trash, homeless sleeping on the streets and smells really bad. People are rude and drive like maniacs. Even spotted a used needle on our walk from the train station to the AB&B.
If you ever get the chance, please come visit us! I would love for you to come to my country, Bangladesh, and explore beautiful places like Sylhet, Rajshahi, Bandarban, and Cox’s Bazar. Did you know that Cox’s Bazar is the longest natural sea beach in the world? We also have the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bangladesh is rich with natural beauty — waterfalls (jhorna), tea gardens, green villages, and warm-hearted people. And yes, Bangla is considered one of the sweetest languages in the world. I truly believe you should visit Bangladesh one day — it will be an unforgettable experience🥰🥰
Interesting video! Really want to go to Italy someday
My work took me to Augusta Bay Sicily numerous times since 1982, from there Catania, Taormina, Messina, also Catania Sardinia, La Maddallena, on the mainland San Remo, Imperia, Gaeta, Napoli.. Most by the ships. I worked on.
You really need to visit Sardinia. Under-rated and has something for everyone.
I thought you left!
Thank you 😊
I rented a car in Palermo and circumnavigated the entire island in 48 hours — never again. Italian drivers are crazy and consider street signs just suggestions. 😵
Basilicata
Everyone should see beautiful Venezia, Roma, e Firenze. Si, ci sono molti touristi… ma si deve vedere questi posti bellissimi…
Skip Rome? No way!
Turin the old capital is definitely elegant and picturesque. Bormio and the Stelvio national park are majestic. Tuscany is picture perfect. Scilily is a land of ancient wonders. But if I had to choose one place that got under my skin like no other…Naples.
Authentic, crazy, messy and noisy. Yet it offers so much, history, culture, great food, genuine people and the timeless look of the Bay of Naples.
Puglia, Sicily, and the Dolomites are special places indeed!
you didn't put Sardinia in the list??? whaaatt????
As a tourist, I can recommend to go to Italy in low or middle season. Less crowds – better impressions.
Autumn, spring – great time
Referring to himself in the 3rd person? Pretentious.
I commented months ago something along the lines that you only have +/- 10,000 subscribers didn't seem right. Look at you now, 122K subscribers! Congratulations. See you at 500K.
American ICE cream are not only sad,are scary like his people
By all means, skip Rome and Venice. Be the 90% of people that never see either beyond the ant trails of tourists.
Inviting more tourists to these special places will change them … when too many tourists take your advice…the same negative crowds will appear. Why advertise? 😮 makes you part of the overcrowding problem.
I just got back from Italy!!! I agreee!!!! Sicily is magnificent! ❤❤❤
Venicee is romantic, yes, but it has so many mosquitoes! Really ruins the experience. Why doesn’t anyone on Youtube ever talk about Italy’s issue with mosquitoes? I came back with 12 bites on my legs.
I prefer to go to Sardegna, it is beautiful if you go inside, abroad from tourist routes… used to travel alone there for at least 3 weeks. Time to rest, hike, swim, fishing. Friendly people if you don’t be an annoying tourist 😆😅. Had a chance to see ancient sites, you never see on tourist routes.
Sicily is magical, Palermo, Agrigento, Modica, Ragusa, Ortigia. Forever remembered.
Venice is magical! Go in winter
How about: forget Italy. Go to Slovenia where the people whine less and are more friendly; and then wander the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia.
We are planning to travel to Italy in May. We do not like visiting the heavily touristy areas. Every year we pick a country and a region and explore it. We do not try to get everything in on the one trip. This trip we will be focusing on the Alto Adige and Piedmont regions
La Campania è bellissima e non sento menzionare, napoli, Capri, Ischia,la costiera amalfitana, Sorrento,da visitare in autunno
Your point is taken. But for most foreigners, they have many countries to go to and they have limit budge and time. So Rome is Italy, Paris is France, London is UK, Prague is Czekia, Sagrada Familiar is Spain, Munich is Germany, Istanbul is Turkey…If they know the country name of the city, thanks to their effort.
🤣🤣🤣 "Cannoli that make you question your life choices" Love this!
Panicale, Trento and Capo Vaticano.
Southern Italy is very very dirty and chaotic 😢😢😢
Skip Venice – No. Need 2 days minimum- the most beautiful city on the sea. Just never go in the summer – go Mid October to Mid December- then you can enjoy Venezia
Skip Rome – No. The history of Italy 🇮🇹 is there although I never go now but definitely must be seen once – you don’t skip Rome if it’s your first time.
I liked every cities. Venice, Firenze, Naples, sorrento, capri, Pisa. But Rome? Traffic.
Don’t be ridiculous. Rome, Venice and Florence are 3 of the most beautiful and unique cities in the world. It’s not a zero sum game – you can visit those cities AND explore local areas at the same time. For example, we spent a week in Florence in Piazza De Rebubblica, gazing down on the merry go round you display in your opening from our rented flat above. During the week we ventured out to several surrounding areas and they were beautiful too. Don’t be silly! Spent a week in Sicily too – 3 days in Palermo, then rented a car and visited the island over the next 5 days. It can be done!
I love your enthusiasm for Italy.
What about the Italian lakes. Can you do a video on them please.
Milan is the only place that pulls me back to Italy.
how do you find a cheap place to stay in Rome? I am going there at the end of a cruise and I have never been. I want to see the sights, and then go elsewhere. Hotels are ridiculous. What part of Rome is the safest to stay in? That is close to the 'sights' to see. And then bounce out of there to the 'real' Italy?
If you want to visit some gorgeous Italian cities that aren't on everyone's selfie list, I'd suggest Mantova (Mantua) first of all, but also Padova and Lucca. If you want a Tuscan hill town try Volterra instead of San Gimignano. All these towns have all the biggies: Art, history, culture, architecture. You could settle into any one of them for 4-5 days, get to know the town well, and move to another. In 8-10 days you'd have much more joy and much less hassle in la bella Italia! 😊Buon viaggio!