The best places to visit in Italy in summer

Choosing the best places to visit in Italy in summer, or at any time of the year, can seem like a difficult task. You will be inundated with ideas and recommendations, as each destination seems as good as the next in its own unique way. With this guide, we can help you to narrow the choices down by giving you an insight into some of our favourites. Explore these luxury holiday destinations in the summer for an unforgettable adventure. 

Cool places to see in Italy this summer

• Florence
• Sicily
• Lake Como
• The Amalfi Coast

An Italian city like no other: Florence

Florence, the capital of Tuscany, is bursting with gastronomic delights, history, and art. It is a place so beautiful and so rich with culturally significant works and artifacts that some who visit it have experienced fainting and hallucinations - this is called Stendhal Syndrome, which has come to be nicknamed "Florence Syndrome" for how people have reacted to its great beauty. Florence is a place worth visiting throughout the year, but it's certainly one of the best places to visit in Italy in summer. 

Get lost in the streets of this historical city

With a gelato bulging from its cone clasped in one hand, your gaze cast aloft at the point where the stunning buildings meet the clear skies, amble through these mesmeric streets, oblivious to the summer crowds, without aim or purpose.

One of the greatest joys of exploring Florence on foot is the chance that you will get helplessly lost and emerge on something that feels entirely yours or that you might turn a corner and be greeted by one of the most spectacular sights. Passing the entrance to one alley, you might catch a glimpse of the fiery rooftop of Cathedral Santa Maria del Fíore, or you may realise that what you're gawping at is the Uffizi Gallery, which houses endless prominent works. Everything feels like a happy coincidence when you get lost in Florence. By following your nose, you might even find a trattoria serving the best of Tuscany's famed cuisine. 

Enjoy a day in the medieval town of San Gimignano

Just an hour's drive to the south of Florence, you will find a quaint medieval hill town wrapped in 13th-century ramparts. San Gimignano town, which is surrounded by the bucolic Tuscan countryside, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and certainly worth a visit on your trip to Florence. Lovers of history and photography will not be disappointed by the "Town of Fine Towers", which boasts an utterly unique skyline. Whilst you are here, it would be a shame to miss out on a tasting of the finest Tuscan wines. 

Sandy beaches and ancient history in Sicily

A landscape strewed with temples and ruins, a coastline of sheer natural beauty, and a city whose culinary exports have crossed the globe? Sounds like another piece of perfection and one of the best places to visit in Italy in the summer. Sicily is a serene slice of sandy bliss.

Explore the ancient Greek ruins at the Valley of the Temples

Some of the world's best examples of classic Greek civilisation remain paused in time, between life and decay, in the Sicilian province of Agrigento. Vast columns seem to have defied their designated stations in history by continuing to jut forth from the red soil, by outlasting their rulers and makers. This is a history buff's paradise, but will impress even those with an apathy for the past. 

Snorkel in the Mediterranean Sea

From one of the many plush beaches that fringe Sicily's southern shores, you will be able to launch off for an exploration of the Mediterranean. Don your mask and snorkel, step into your flippers, and glide along the cool surface of the sea and, with the sun falling on the seabed in wood-grain ripples, you will witness a wonderful world where fish dart and hover. Or take a boat trip to the Aeolian Islands, where the turquoise waters will always beckon you to plunge in from the side of your sailboat. Sicily is one of the best places to visit in Italy in summer if you are looking for seaside bliss.

A heavenly escape to Lake Como

Beneath the summery summits of the Alpine foothills, you will find the lavishing and lazy waters of Lake Como. Life moves at a gentle place on these shores, but there is no shortage of awe-inspiring vistas and activities to be undertaken. There are reasons aplenty that Lake Como draws in the most glamorous of the world's jet set, from the Clooneys to the Bransons. 

Discover the hilltop town of Brunate

Take the funicular up to Brunate, which is perched high in the hills above Como city and commands jaw-dropping views over the lake and surrounding mountains. It feels like a birds-eye view over the city itself. Its unique location has led it to be affectionately dubbed "the balcony of the Alps". 

Spend some time sauntering around Villa Balbianello

One of the most magical things to do in Lake Como is visit some of the sprawling estates that litter the lake's edge. Many famous villas, with their astounding architecture and views, boast blossoming gardens that are open for visitation by guests. One of our favourite estates to explore is Villa Balbianello, which showcases some of the wealth that has been present in the area since the 1700s. The building appears to be floating on the mirror-like surface of the lake, and the garden flourishes with Edenesque vigour. 

Discover the Amalfi Coast's treasures

The anfractuous roads of the Amalfi Coast thread between towns and restaurants and sights that have an ethereal, otherworldly feel to them. This is partly because the region doesn't appear to abide by the rules of gravity, and partly because of the brightness of everything that exists here, from houses to trees laden with citrus fruits.

Visit the beautiful town of Positano

Positano is a freeze-frame of a technicolour avalanche: houses of bright pink, orange, and yellow cascade and tumble down the mountainside until they frame the town's two beaches at their feet. From above, the beach, with its dark sand, is lined with rows of colourful umbrellas. In the evening, the town, which appears to drape itself over the coastal cliffs, comes alight with a warm glow of streetlights and lanterns, as the patter of people dining on their terraces resonates across this natural amphitheatre. 

A day trip to Capri

Venture across the Tyrrhenian Sea from the Sorrento Peninsula for a day of exploring Capri's natural wonders. The rugged landscape plays host to many a thrill, including the famed Blue Grotto, where sunlight seeps through a submerged entrance, giving an iridescent blue glow to the cavern. You'll want to have your snorkel and goggles at the ready for this unique experience. After a delectable Mediterranean lunch in a seaside restaurant, make sure to try the island's piquant Limoncello. 

With Le Collectionist, exploring the best places to visit for a luxury holiday in Italy during summer is a breeze. Explore our luxury villa rentals in Italy to begin your next adventure in this endlessly beautiful country.