10 Can’t Miss Romantic Things to Do In Italy

This post is going to sound like a love letter. While it is somewhat a love letter, it’s not necessarily to Italy. Don’t get us wrong – we loved everything about our trip! We can’t wait to share all of the amazing food and days we had so that you can experience your own romantic things to do in Italy! What’s really more important though: That we impart how essential it is to romanticize your life while in Italy.

You’ll find a ton of blog posts about the cities you should visit and the specific cafes to try. In reality though, when you’re in any new place, you’ll find ‘the best cafes’ right around the corner when you’re walking. It may not be that Instagram perfect cafe some influencers showed you – but it will be beautiful just the same! It’s wonderful because it’s your spot. Or you and your partners’ spot!

Just remember that romanticizing your life can be while you’re single, with a romantic partner or with friends! It’s totally up to you! So here are the 10 romantic ‘must-dos’ in Italy.

#1 Walk Rome At Night

In one of Europe’s oldest cities, talking a walk on the cobblestone streets as the sun fades is like nothing you’ve experienced.

Those low-quality photos from above? From one of the most romantic things we did in Italy: walking the city at after dinner. The first on our bucket list of romantic things to do in an Italian city is a pure release of oxytocin the entire time you walk. (Oxytocin is the brain chemical that makes you feel calm and in love!)

Sure, during the day you have cabs and scooters riding by, street vendors, and tourists. It seems loud, bright, and just a little of everything. Not to mention the incredible art and sculptures. They’re part of the Italians everyday life and just sitting on random street corners?

You’ll probably be tempted after a full day of exploring the city to go home and settle in for the night. What you can’t miss and what most tourists don’t know – Rome is even more vibrant at night!

If you’re trying to figure out how you could ever make it through a full day and be out at night – the secret is to take a little rest.

Head back to your hotel around mid-afternoon to prepare for the rest of the evening. It might sound strange {especially if you’re American} to stop mid-day and not eat dinner before heading home? You’ll have to realize that Italians don’t eat dinner early. They eat around 9 PM and then socialize. It’s a full experience leisurely evening. Almost all days of the week you’ll find this happening!

For you to feel your best and enjoy the city the most – we highly recommend spending a few days in Rome doing just that. Getting up, exploring, nap/rest, and then enjoying your evening. You’ll see kids, families, and friends hanging out around 12th-century fountains and pouring in and out of restaurants.

Things are, and feel, more simple as you get a lazy bite to eat over a few glasses of wine. Watching the stars kiss hundred-year-old buildings as you walk The Spanish Steps, and getting roses from a street vendor at 11 PM at night.

The Secret To Rome

Something no one can tell you, and you just have to really experience? Walking this 2,773-year-old city after it rains.

If it’s rained a little in the evening – we can tell you there is nothing more stunning.

Rome, after it rained, was one of the most unforgettable experiences of our life. The streets glittered as the lights from antique street lanterns bounced off the cobblestones. The city smells cleaner after it rains, and the gentle hum of people starts to rise. Everyone is excited to get out and see their friends and eat something delicious from their favorite cafe around the corner.

Romance is quite literally palpable in the air after it rains in Rome!

P.S. If you’re not traveling alone, you should definitely grab some little bottles of Limoncello to keep you company as you walk. That little bit of warmth on the slightly chilly evening was just enough to make those memories last a lifetime.

#2 Take A Romantic Gondola Ride In Venice

Really any boat ride (except a cruise) would be amazing in Italy, but there is something special about a gondolier maneuvering through the canals.

• We’re not huge fans of cruises. They tend to take away from the authenticity of destinations and keep people from really traveling in a way that helps them truly immerse themselves in the culture of the peoples and places they’re visiting. The only cruises we think we’d like are Antarctic cruises to see the polar ice caps, polar bears and penguins? – Cruises are also often-times bad for the environment and have since been banned from the ports of Venice!

In our post, Your Full Guide to Transportation In Italy, we discuss how amazing the gondola ride was. We’re repeating some of those sentiments here because it truly was such a romantic experience. P.S. One of the best times to travel to Venice is in February.

You can sit 6 to a gondola which makes it easy if you’re traveling with larger groups. You can also charter a ride with just two if you’d prefer to be alone, just expect to pay a little more for a private ride.

The actual ride

Taking a gondola ride was one of the most romantic and peaceful experiences we had in Italy. The peacefulness of it was not the most surprising part though? What really shocked us was the sheer skill that the gondoliers have while navigating through the channels. They deftly weave these eleven-meter long, one-and-a-half-meter-wide boats through the buildings with tons of other gondola chartered rides – all the while giving you a history lesson!

• The gondola ride was so peacful, we took a snooze for about 15 minutes of the ride. We’re not going to encourage you to take a nap – but we can’t think of a better way to take a little snooze than while you’re floating on the calmest channels of Italy!!

We highly encourage you to take a gondola ride in Venice if you’re heading there in the next few years. The waterways have cleared up so much because of the lack of traffic during the pandemic. There are dolphins in the ports and swans in the canals again that haven’t been seen in years!!

#3 A Cappuccino By The Ports In Venice

Have a cappuccino at sunset in Venice.

There are many places you could grab a cup, we know. Our absolute favorite area was around the Caffe Gelateria Al Todaro Dal 1948.

• If it seems oddly specific that we chose this area– just keep in mind that these tourist hotspots have been around for ages. The Caffe Todaro, specifically, since 1948 and we think it’ll probably be there for a very long time! With that being said – to have your romantic Italian moment, there are a ton of caffes all along the Grand Canal here. And there is a reason this side of Venice is amazing after exploring the city all day!

The View

Look in the top left corner left of our cappuccino photo above – you’ll see something very special: The tower of the church of San Giorgio Maggiore. Drinking a cappuccino, looking out at the magnificent architecture of the church across the Grand Canal as the tourists pass you by? Truly one of the most romantic Italian moments you can have, and totally movie-worthy!

A little synopsis of your evening: A cappuccino by the sea and then proceed to walk to the entire city for hours. Get lost (becuase it’s easy to find your way again) and then canoodle with your partner! There are plenty of people doing it and 10/10 we recommend. We’re not usually huge fans of PDA – but a little wine, romantic lighting, and the stunning city background is prime canoodling time!

#4 Ride a Vespa Through the country side

This romantic experience should be fairly obvious. Riding a Vespa through the countryside with your partner or even just by yourself is an incredible way to spend an afternoon!

You’ll see people whipping in and out of city streets the entire time you’re in Italy. We didn’t ride one in the cities too much and definitely not in Rome. That most likely would’ve been an overwhelming experience!

Riding in the countryside in early fall when we went, however… Bellissima! **Kisses fingers the way the Italians do***

#5 Tour A Vineyard In Italy

On our trip – we did two different vineyards and we’re so glad we got to experience both.

The first vineyard we rode our Vespas to was the Castello Di Verrazzano. Interestingly enough, this castle in the midst of the rolling hills of Chianti is the ancestral home to the man who discovered New York, USA!

We certainly didn’t pick it for that reason, but it was an amazing experience to hear the history of this vineyard. Almost every vineyard you go to will have a mesmerizing history. This one calls a 1000-year-old castle home. The next vineyard – which we did get to visit – was the home of Mona Lisa’s family! I’m not sure if you can get any more romantic than stumbling upon the background to one of the most famous paintings in all of history?

There are vineyards around every corner and the ones you find by accident are the best! We definitely think a tour should be on your bucket list of romantic things to do in Italy – but it doesn’t really matter which one!

The first vineyard tour at a larger scale operation was mind-blowing and all the things you’d expect. The second experience at the tranquil and small-scale vineyard? Probably even better.

We were served house-cured meats, cheeses from the region, and honey from the vineyard’s farms. Served with the pillowy soft housemade bread and wine to wash it all down, we slept WELL that night after getting back to Florence.

#6 Visit A Castle

There are thousands of castles in Europe and over 40 in Italy alone!

It’s easy to romanticize anything when you’re walking through a castle! Whether you’re alone, with your partner, or with friends – touring a castle should be high on your romantic things to do in Italy bucket list.

The stones from these castles are over a thousand years old sometimes.. and you may not believe us but you can smell it! Especially when you visit castles by the coast – the smell of salty air and history is pretty intoxicating.

We visited two separate castles on our trip and neither of them was on purpose. One in Ravello, because the ruins are basically in the town square. The other was the large-scale vineyard we talked about above. It’s almost comical that they’re so commonplace that we didn’t need to make a special day trip to see one!!

#7 A Bottle Of Champagne On The Beach

In the Northern region of Italy, near Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, lays the champagne region. We’re not necessarily saying you need to add this region to your bucket list, and certainly not if it’s your first time in Italy. You should, however, drink a bottle of champagne on the beach.

It may even be French champagne in reality? But that really doesn’t matter when you’re mixing it with fresh-squeezed orange juice while listening to locals chatter in Italian around you.

Really and truly, a boozy beach day is a must. We did it three times on our two-week trip and it was the perfect way to do nothing and relax. (If you don’t know this yet – on long trips you need breaks in between all of your exploring!)

• Get all of our beach day packing essentials here!

P.S. It also doesn’t matter what beach you chose. We did it in Sorrento, Positano, and Capri. All three were very different experiences and we wouldn’t have traded those days for the world!

#8 See A Sunset High Over The Mediterranean

Seeing a sunset sounds like a no-brainer – but the tricky part is getting a good spot to watch it.

The best way we can advise you to find a spot to take in a sunset over the sea is to book your accommodations accordingly. Our Airbnb ended up being in this completely out-of-the-way place that we weren’t too happy about at first. Once we realized we had that incredible view we were so pumped!!

• If you’re going to Italy on a honeymoon trip, do yourself a favor and book a place with a view!

If you’re not able to see the sunset over the sea from your hotel or Airbnb, you’ll have to find other ways to see the sunset. Our favorite way to see the sunset, other than a high-up view, over the Mediterranean would be at dinner. There are plenty of places along the coast to get dinner – just try to set a reservation! Watch the time the sun is supposed to set and make your reservation for about an hour before.

Dinner takes a really long time in Italy no matter where you go. (Unless you’re eating street food!) If you are sitting down to dinner, you’ll have plenty of time to watch the sun go down! From the first salad course, the main course, and then dessert along with wine – it’s most likely going to be a two-hour meal.

#9 A Boat Ride On The Meditteranean

We already talked about taking a gondola ride in Venice, but a boat ride on the Meditteranean Sea is something different altogether.

With some of the most unique water we’ve ever seen – Italy’s rocky Meditteranean coast is daydream worthy. The turquoise crystal clear depths of the sea, the fresh salty air on your face?

Once you charter your ride for the day, you’ll set out early in the morning but it’s so worth it!

We did a day trip to Capri and loved it. After that day – we considered doing another island because we enjoyed it so much. In the end, we didn’t have time, but if we go back to Italy, this is an experience we would 10/10 try again.

There are 450 islands surrounding Italy so there are plenty of day trips to choose from!

P.S. After booking, you may have a little buyer’s remorse because typically you have to be up around 7 AM to go on a day trip to an island. Don’t skip it!

#10 Visit A Hot Springs

The last of the romantic things to do in Italy: visit a hot spring.

We chose the remote and not well-traveled Cascate de Mulino in Saturnia, Tuscany. There are more hot springs than just this one, but it’s indisputably the most stunning.

Others like the Terme di Vulcano on the Eolie Islands of Sicily are well known for the mud’s healing powers. In the northern region, about three hours north of Milan, you’ll find the Terme dei Bagni Nuovi, in Bormio, Lombardy.

• Many are free to enter, but you’ll have to find one that fits with your itinerary the best.

We loved our experience at the Saturnia hot springs because we had never seen water so crazy crystal blue! Not to mention the rolling hills and bales of hay dotting the hillside away from the hot springs? Truly picture-worthy. The coolest part was – you’d never know it from the road!! It was so well hidden, all you really saw was a gravel parking lot and a dirt path.

Since Terme di Saturnia is also one of the biggest hot springs, the area is incredibly lush. The backdrop of the house with the waterfall coming out from the left? You could spend an entire day basking in the waters!!!

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It may seem almost fantastical or fairy-take-like on your first trip to Italy to walk through a city like Rome. Or too good to be true to try and visit a hot spring like Terme di Saturnia. If you focus less on getting pictures and more on what brings you joy – you can accomplish so much on your trip! We hope you have an incredible time and don’t forget to romanticize every moment!

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Until next time friends,

Thanks for sharing!