Things to Do in Italy

Vatican City may be the smallest sovereign nation-state in the world, but it is a religious and cultural superpower, home to some of the world’s greatest artistic and architectural marvels—namely St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. It is located wholly within the confines of Rome, covers 110 acres (44 hectares), and has an official population of about 800. Having gained recognition of full independence in 1929 and today governed by the pope, Vatican City has its own post office that issues official stamps and a banking system that mints coins (though the euro is used for commerce).

Some of Rome’s most visited attractions are set in Vatican City. The Vatican Museums often have long entry lines stretching for blocks along the city walls; to avoid the crowds, consider reserving a small-group Vatican tour with skip-the-line access or a private tour with VIP priority access in the morning or evening. Vatican City private and group tours generally include visits to the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pinacoteca, other sights in the Vatican Museums complex, and the Vatican Gardens.

The most scenic way to enter Vatican City is by foot from the center of Rome, across Ponte Sant'Angelo to Piazza San Pietro. Alternatively, the Ottaviano station, on metro Line A, is about a five-minute walk away.

Vatican City heaves with tourists year-round. Summer is the busiest time of year, when skip-the-line tickets or a private tour guide are essential; the museums are less crowded during the winter months. At any time of year, Vatican City’s sights are busiest at midday, so plan your Rome tour around a visit in the early morning or late afternoon.

One of the most photographed sights in Vatican City are the brightly costumed Swiss Guards, who stand at attention around St. Peter’s Square. This small force of Swiss soldiers is maintained by the Holy See and provides security for the papal residence and the pope, as it has since 1506.

Set in acres of landscaped parkland on the banks of the Po River, Valentino Castle (Castello del Valentino) is Turin’s most stately building and one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy.

The UNESCO-listed royal palace dates back to the 16th century, but its heyday was under Duchess Christine of France, who redecorated in a style fit for her lavish parties. Today, visitors can admire many of the beautifully preserved rooms, including the Roses Room, the Zodiac Room, the Valentine Room and the War Room, each richly decorated with white and gold stuccoes, colorful frescoes, and elaborate friezes.

As well as touring the former palace, visitors can enjoy views from the castle gardens, now a public park and a popular inclusion on walking and biking tours of Turin.

Home to the best art collection in Venice, the Accademia Gallery (Gallerie dell'Accademia) houses Venetian paintings dating from the 14th century to the 18th century. Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is the collection’s most famous work, but the Venetian painters best capture the spirit of the Floating City. 

Venice’s Accademia Gallery gathers sumptuous masterpieces by Venetian artists like Titian, Giambattista Tiepolo, Canaletto, Mantegna, Hieronymus Bosch, Giovanni Bellini, and Paolo Veronese. Housed in the Scuola della Carita, part of the former Santa Maria della Carità convent complex, the museum first opened in the early 19th century. Today it is home to both a permanent collection and rotating temporary exhibitions. To fully understand the scope and importance of the artwork on display, by far the best way to visit is with a guided tour that includes skip-the-line access to the popular museum.

Venice's Accademia Gallery is located on Campo della Carità in the Dorsoduro district right on the Grand Canal. Take vaporetto line 1 or 2 to the Accademia stop from either St. Mark’s Square or the train station. 

Venice is one of the most popular destinations in Italy, and the best time to visit its sights is October to March, when the city is less crowded. That said, the Accademia Gallery is the perfect respite from the muggy heat in summer, cold lagoon winds in winter, and sudden rainstorms in spring and fall. The museum is closed on Monday afternoons, May 1, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

The Scuola della Carità was the oldest Scuola Grande in Venice, dating from the 13th century. The city originally had six of these important charitable and religious confraternities, which were Napoleon disbanded during his 18th-century occupation.

Italy is rich with ancient Roman ruins, but Sicily’s Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Templi) is unique. Here, some of the some of the best-preserved ancient Greek ruins on earth dot the hillside outside of what was once the Greek city of Akragas, dating from when this area was part of Magna Graecia in the fifth century BC.

The Greeks built several Doric temples on a ridge just outside their ancient city, now Agrigento, and the remains of seven of those impressive temples are now protected as part of the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside this vast 3,200-acre (1,295-hectare) site, you can view the largely intact remains of the Temple of Juno Lacinia and the Temple of Concordia, both constructed in the fifth century BC, and five other Doric-style temples built between the fifth and sixth centuries BC. The park also includes an archaeological museum and a structure that archaeologists believe was once a war memorial to Roman soldiers.

The best way to visit is on a private tour that includes transportation from Agrigento. Because the archaeological site covers such a large area, joining a walking tour led by an expert guide guarantees that you won’t miss any important ruins. You must purchase a ticket to enter the park, and lines at the ticket office can be especially long in summer, so consider booking a tour that includes skip-the-line tickets.

The Valley of the Temples archaeological park is located in the olive-tree–covered hills outside Agrigento. You can easily visit on a day trip from Taormina, Catania, Syracuse, or Palermo.

The Valley of the Temples archaeological site is almost entirely open air, so it’s best visited on mild days. In summer, arrive in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat of midday. Valley of the Temples tours also run on summer evenings, so you can enjoy the temples dramatically lit. 

Not far from the Valley of the Temples, Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina is an ancient Roman hunting lodge and thermal baths decorated with the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world. Consider visiting both of these sights on a single combined tour.

The cityscape of Rome is characterized by numerous obelisks. They have a strong decorative effect, but the meaning behind these monuments dates back to the ecclesiastical influence of centuries past and is supposed to demonstrate the power of the church and the glory of the popes—a connection between our world and the world of the gods. It’s said that the higher the obelisk, the closer it is to god. 

The Vatican Egyptian Obelisk, often simply called the Vatican Obelisk, is situated in the middle of St Peter’s Square and, standing 84 feet (25.5 meters) high, it’s the second-largest of the 13 remaining obelisks in Rome. It has survived two millennia of world history and was brought from Heliopolis to Rome on the order of Caligula in 37 A.D. as a demonstration of power. In ancient times, it was located in the center of the Circus of Nero, but was moved in 1586 to the famous St Peter’s Square, which was built around it later on. 

The obelisk draws the eye immediately, standing strong in the middle the piazza. It has done so for 2,000 years, as it is the only obelisk that hasn’t toppled since Roman times. According to legend, a metal globe on the top was supposed to hold the ashes of Julius Caesar and a relic from the cross from Jesus himself. The former was proven false, but the second claim? Nobody knows.

After Chianti, the vinicultural region of Valpolicella produces the most wine in Italy under the DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata,) Italy’s top quality classification for wine. Winemaking has existed in the cool hills and mild climate of the area since the time of the ancient Greeks. 

The wine now labeled as Valpolicella comes from one or more of three grapes: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Molinara. The wines produced here tend to resemble Beaujolais and are often lighter in flavor and texture, often fruity and fragrant. Perhaps the most regarded wine from the region is the subtype called Amarone della Valpolicella. It is considered worldwide to be one of Italy’s finest wines.

Vineyards and tasting rooms (along with some great restaurants) are scattered throughout the valley, with everything from traditional villas and small, family-run spots to modern, tech-savvy winemakers. Most welcome guests for wine tastings or events.

The Uffizi Gallery houses one of the world’s most significant collections of art, drawing in more than a million annual visitors who wish to cast eyes upon its many masterpieces. Set in the heart of Florence, the museum contains the works of artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Botticelli, and Giotto, among others. It is the premier place to view Italian Renaissance art and is the most-visited museum in Italy.

Due to its immense popularity, the Uffizi Gallery is prone to long lines and extensive wait times—it's best to book skip-the-line admission to maximize your time. The gallery features a number of long, winding art-filled hallways, making it near-impossible to see everything on display, so small-group guided tours and self-guided audio tours are recommended to help you see the top pieces and give some context to the works you’re viewing. A visit is often combined with a stop at the nearby Accademia Gallery, which houses the Statue of David.

The Uffizi Gallery is set between the Piazza della Signoria and Arno River in central Florence, not far from the Ponte Vecchio. The museum is best approached on foot, and is about a 15-minute walk from the Duomo.

The gallery’s busiest times include weekends, mornings, and Tuesdays. Crowds tend to be lighter after 4pm and from November to March. It is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission is free on the first Sunday of each month—expect the biggest crowds of all on these dates.

Although art enthusiasts are bound to enjoy every piece, a few highlights include the Medici collection (gifted to the museum in the 18th century) and the Caravaggio works on the first floor. Other must-sees include Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus; da Vinci's only completed panel painting, The Annunciation; and Titian's Venus of Urbino. Together with Raphael’s portraits and Michelangelo’s Tondo Doni, these works signify the height of the Italian Renaissance.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Rome’s Trastevere district, the Turtle Fountain (Fontana delle Tartarughe) is one of many important monuments found in the historic Jewish Ghetto. The collaborative masterpiece of sculptor Taddeo Landini and architect Giacomo della Porta, the fountain was built between 1580 and 1588, and stands at the center of the Piazza Mattei.

A prime example of late Renaissance art, the fountain’s design features a central pedestal depicting four ephebes perched on marble shells, each lifting turtles to the upper water basin. Today, the original bronze turtles that gave the fountain its name have been replaced by replicas thanks to a spate of thieving, while the originals are preserved in the Capitoline Museums. 

The incredibly ornate Trevi Fountain is the most famous fountain in Rome—and perhaps in all of Italy. At the baroque masterpiece’s center stands the Greek sea god Oceanus, who is surrounded by Tritons, seahorses, and other figures from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Visitors to the Eternal City flock to the Trevi Fountain, as it is internationally recognized thanks to its appearances in many films, and for the legendary good-luck connotations of throwing a coin into its waters.

The Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) is set at the end of the restored Aqua Virgo aqueduct, which dates back to ancient Rome. Water cascades from spigots in several different places, and the palace behind the fountain was redesigned to include majestic columns and statues befitting the fountain below. Visitors jockey for a position from which to throw a coin over their shoulder, supposedly ensuring a return to Rome. Rome walking and bike tours are good ways to see the fountain up close.

The Trevi Fountain dominates the Piazza di Trevi in the historic center of Rome, not far from the Quirinal Palace. It's easiest to get there on foot or bicycle, given the narrow streets surrounding the fountain into which larger tour vehicles can't go. On the Metro, take line A to the Barberini stop.

The Trevi is an outdoor public fountain and is open year-round. Given its popularity, sometimes visitors have to wait their turn to admire the fountain, get a good picture, or get close enough for a coin toss. Early morning and evening visits can be quieter and more atmospheric, especially during Rome's less touristed winter months. To avoid crowds and get stunning lighting for your photos, visit at sunrise.

Coins thrown into the Trevi Fountain add up quickly, amounting to roughly $3,600 (€3,000) per day. City officials gather the coins each night, and the money is given to a local charity called Caritas, which helps Rome's neediest citizens.

If you’ve ever seen a picture of the Tuscan countryside—softly rolling hills, towering cypress trees, winding country roads, and quaint hill towns—chances are that you were looking at the Val d'Orcia. This unique landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is considered among the loveliest in Italy, and the wines produced here are among Italy’s best.

The Val d'Orcia, a favorite subject of Renaissance painters and modern photographers, covers a small area of Tuscany between the town of Siena and Mount Amiata, and is known for its beautiful landscapes, medieval towns, and excellent cuisine. Take a Val d'Orcia tour to visit the villages of Montalcino and Montepulciano, and to sample their local Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines—perhaps paired with pecorino cheeses from nearby Pienza—during a wine tasting session. Other delightful small towns worth a visit on a private tour of the Val d'Orcia are San Quirico d'Orcia, famous for its olive oil, and Bagno Vignoni, home to historic thermal baths. 

Val d'Orcia is located about an hour south of Florence and is an easy day trip from Rome, Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, and Siena. There is little public transportation between the towns and wineries in this area, so by far the best way to explore is by joining a small-group tour with transportation included.

The Val d'Orcia is lovely year-round but is particularly interesting to visit in the fall, when the grapes and olives are harvested and many towns hold wine and olive oil festivals.

The Val d'Orcia is just one of many areas in Tuscany known for its striking scenery. The stark chalk hills of the Crete Senesi and the wooded countryside of Chianti are also beautiful—and are equally popular wine tour destinations.

The Vasari Corridor (Corridoio Vasariano), designed by Giorgio Vasari in the 16th century, is an elevated medieval passageway connecting Palazzo Vecchio and the Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti), each set on opposite banks of the Arno River in Florence. Snaking through and along many of the city's landmarks, the near-mile-long, elevated walkway was once a secret, used by the Medici family to travel unnoticed through Florence. Today, it is an art gallery, home to Italy’s most important collection of self-portraits. Visitors can admire views over the river from its large windows running over the Ponte Vecchio.

This near mile-long walkway is only accessible via small-group guided tours, rendering gallery visits a rare and coveted experience. Official corridor tours are limited to a maximum of one hour for groups of no more than 25, and booking in advance is a must. A literal walk through history, tours take visitors through the Uffizi Gallery; across the river in an enclosed passageway running atop the Ponte Vecchio; along a private balcony in the Church of Santa Felicita; and into the Boboli Gardens, as it extends to the interior of the Pitti Palace. Vasari Corridor tours can be combined with a skip-the-line Uffizi Gallery tour and a private tour of the Pitti Palace museums.

Entrance to the Vasari Corridor is in the western hall on the second floor of the Uffizi Gallery, located in the heart of Florence next to the Palazzo Vecchio. The museum is a 10-minute walk from Santa Maria Novella train station. From there, walk down Via Cerretani until you reach Piazza del Duomo and then take Via Calzaiuoli toward Piazza della Signoria. When facing Palazzo Vecchio, head to the right to find the Uffizi Gallery.

Access to the Vasari Corridor is only available via advance reservations as part of small-group tours led by professional tour guides, so crowds are not an issue even in summer; you can expect a quiet and nearly private visit. As such, space is limited and tours frequently sell out, so if visiting in spring, summer, or fall when there is more demand, be sure to book your tour ahead of time.

More than 1,000 artworks line the corridor halls, including a famous collection of self-portraits that dates back to the 16th century and features paintings by European greats such as Bernini, Guido Reni, Rubens, Ingres, and Delacroix.

More than 100 towers pierced the sky above Bologna in the Middle Ages, but only 20 still stand today. The most famous are the city center’s Two Towers (Due Torri), which lean at a gravity-defying angle that rivals Pisa’s Leaning Tower. Climb to the top of the taller one for fabulous views over the city and surrounding countryside.

 

The Two Towers are among the unique sights in Bologna, reminding visitors of the city’s bellicose history and offering the best scenic overlook in the center. The landmark Garisenda and Asinelli towers were constructed to provide defensive protection and to represent the wealth and power of the noble families who commissioned them. You can climb 498 steps to the top of the Asinelli tower, built by the Asinelli family in 1119 and soaring 318 feet (97 meters) above the city’s rooftops; the shorter Garisenda tower leans too steeply to be climbed.

 

Join a walking tour, or a tour by bike or Segway, to see the Two Towers and other top Bologna attractions like the Basilica of San Petronio, Piazza Maggiore, and the churches of Santo Stefano and San Domenico. Bologna is famous for its wonderful cuisine, so you can also opt for a food tour to combine sightseeing with samples of the city’s traditional food and wine. 

 

 

The Two Towers stand over Piazza di Porta Ravegnana in the heart of Bologna’s historic center, just a few minutes’ walk from Piazza Maggiore and the Bologna Centrale train station.

 

The best light for photography from the top of the Asinelli Tower is during the early morning or late afternoon. The rooftop observation deck is outdoors, so choose to visit on a clear day.

 

Legend says that a bricklayer’s small donkeys (asinelli) unearthed a buried chest of golden coins with their hooves. Years later, the bricklayer gave the treasure to his son, who was in love with a noble lady. The lady’s father declared that he would let his daughter marry the poor boy only if the boy built the highest tower Bologna. The treasure paid for the tower, and the bricklayer’s son married his true love.

Venice’s former Jewish ghetto (Campo del Ghetto Nuovo) is one of the most fascinating and poignant corners of the Floating City. The oldest Jewish ghetto in Italy is home to a number of 16th-century synagogues, the Jewish Museum, a small Holocaust memorial, and kosher restaurants and bakeries. 

The origins of the word ghetto can be traced back to Venice: gheto in Venetian means foundry and refers to the island where Venetian Jews were once confined after sunset by Venetian Republic decree. The area is divided into the Ghetto Nuovo (New Ghetto), and the adjacent Ghetto Vecchio (Old Ghetto), though the Ghetto Nuovo is actually the older of the two. Jews from across Europe settled in this neighborhood from the 16th to the 18th centuries, and each synagogue historically catered to a different nationality—German, Italian, Spanish, and Sephardic. 

Today Campo del Ghetto Nuovo is still the center of the Venetian Jewish community and offers a glimpse into its history and culture. The ghetto’s Jewish Museum (Museo Ebraico) narrates local Jewish history with a collection of antique gold objects and textiles from ghetto artisans, historic religious texts and artifacts, and personal and household items from former residents. There is also a small Holocaust memorial in the neighborhood to honor the many residents deported during World War II. Book a Jewish ghetto walking tour with a guide to learn more about the ghetto, or pair your visit with a Cannaregio food tour or home cooking experience to explore local cuisine. The museum offers guided tours of the neighborhood’s historic synagogues, or you can book a private tour to view these historic places of worship more intimately.

The Jewish ghetto is in Venice’s Cannaregio neighborhood. Take the vaporetto (water bus) to the Ponte delle Guglie stop on the Fondamenta di Cannaregio.

As one of the main tourist destinations in Europe, Venice can be very crowded most of the year. To avoid the thickest throngs, visit in early spring or late fall. The December Hanukkah festivities in the historic ghetto, with music and celebrations with the traditional lighting of the menorah, make for a particularly beautiful time to visit.

The ghetto has five historic synagogues: the Schola Tedesca for the German community; the Schola Spagnola and the Schola Italiana for the Spanish and Italian communities, respectively; the Schola Levantina for the Sephardic community; and the Schola Canton, a private synagogue probably built by French emigrés.

Venice is made up of over 100 small islands, but generally “the Venice islands” refers to the three most famous outlying islands in the Venetian lagoon: Murano, Burano, and Torcello. Murano, just north of Venice proper, has been the center of Venice’s famous glass-making industry since 1291, and the island’s expert glassblowers still handcraft stunning pieces of Murano glass today. Farther north, Burano has quiet canals lined with brightly painted fishermen’s houses and is home to Venice’s traditional lace artisans. Its neighboring island of Torcello, first settled in 452, is believed to be the first populated island in the Venetian lagoon.

The only way to visit Venice’s islands is by boat. By far the best option for avoiding the hassle and delays of the vaporettos (ferries) is booking a private motorboat tour. Tours enable you to make the most of your time on each island—visiting the glass factories on Murano, lace-making demonstrations on Burano, and the historic sights on Torcello—without having to navigate the complicated and crowded interisland public transportation system. Choose a half-day sightseeing tour if you are pressed for time, or a more leisurely full-day Venice cruise to explore the Grand Canal and lagoon islands at a more relaxed pace.

From St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco), take vaporetto 4.1 from the San Zaccaria stop, or a private water taxi from the Grand Canal boat launch near the Doge’s Palace, to Murano. From there, local water buses or taxis run to Burano and Torcello.

The Venice islands are most crowded in summer. The crowds thin considerably from November through February, though chilly temperatures can mean a less pleasant boat trip across the lagoon.

Over the decades, a number of famous artists, musicians, and Hollywood stars have spent time on the quiet island of Torcello. Ernest Hemingway, for one, wrote parts of “Across the River and into the Trees” during his stay on the island in 1948.

Venice is a patchwork of many islands in the Venetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay on the Adriatic Sea that covers 212 square miles (549 square kilometers). After visiting the main Venetian islands, take a boat trip across the shallow lagoon to the outlying islands of Burano, Murano, and Torcello.

Italy’s Venetian Lagoon was formed by nature thousands of years ago, but human intervention over the past centuries—including hydraulic projects to prevent the lagoon from becoming a marsh and the drainage and construction of islands—has shaped the bay into what it is today.

The most popular way to explore the lagoon is by motorboat cruise from the city of Venice to quieter nearby islands such as Burano, famous for its lace and colorful buildings; Murano, known for its glass production; and Torcello, thought to be one of the first inhabited islands in the lagoon. For a romantic evening on the lagoon, opt for a Venice sunset cruise or a gondola ride along the canals in Venice proper fed by the waters of the lagoon.

The Venetian Lagoon straddles the provinces of Venice and Padua in northern Italy, but by far the easiest and most popular way to reach the lagoon is via the city of Venice either by plane, train, or car.

The lagoon can be choppy in winter, so the best time to cruise the waters is May to September, with the additional benefit of escaping the crowds that invade the main islands during these months. Venice has a number of festivals that take place in whole or in part on the lagoon; the most spectacular are Carnival in January and February, the Festa del Redentore in July, and the Festa della Madonna della Salute in November.

The water level in the Venetian lagoon varies dramatically during the year. Often, Venice experiences acqua alta (high water) in the wet winter months, when sea waters flood the low-lying areas of the city along the Grand Canal, including Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Market. The city sets up raised wooden walkways during acqua alta, so people can get around the flooded portions of the city without getting their feet wet.

Popes have been interred in St. Peter’s Basilica for centuries, and while many papal tombs are inside the basilica, others are located underground in the Vatican Grottoes. Take the stairs down from the transept to view the final resting places of dozens of popes along with a number of royals.

The Vatican Grottoes sit below the modern basilica but above the level of the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine’s original 4th-century basilica. The earliest pope buried in the grottoes is the 9th-century Pope Nicholas I; Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II are also interred there. In addition, the tombs of Queen Christina of Sweden, Emperor Otto II, and Queen Charlotte of Cyprus are located inside along with a number of ornately decorated chapels and a 14th-century fresco of the Madonna by Pietro Cavallini.

Due to the long lines to enter St. Peter’s Basilica and the grottoes, by far the best way to visit is to join a skip-the-line Vatican tour that includes the church and underground tombs. Most small-group tours combine the basilica with other Vatican City highlights like the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and Vatican Gardens.

How to Get There

Entrance to the Vatican Grottoes is below the St. Andrew statue near the papal altar inside St. Peter’s Basilica, located on St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro) in Vatican City. The closest metro station is Ottaviano.

You can visit the grottoes whenever the basilica is open. Note that the basilica closes each Wednesday morning during the weekly papal audience.

The tomb of St. Peter is not in the Vatican Grottoes, but one level below in the Scavi (archaeological dig), accessible only via a private tour that you must book months in advance through the Vatican’s Excavations Office.

Cruising into the Venetian Lagoon is an unforgettable experience, as you skirt the islands to dock at the Stazione Marittima near the Piazzale Roma transport hub. St. Mark’s Square and its many-domed basilica is only a short public ferry or water taxi ride away, and the picturesque canals, bridges, and palaces of Venice await.

Venice can be a confusing maze of winding canals and tiny backstreets for any visitor, so joining a private walking tour of the Floating City is the most stress-free way to savor its unique beauty and visit the most famous attractions while in port. Maximize your time by exploring Venice with a shore excursion that includes a water taxi ride from the cruise port down the Grand Canal to St. Mark’s Square and skip-the-line tickets to the more crowded attractions like the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica. Most Venice shore excursions include a half-day guided walking tour that takes in highlights like St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto Bridge, and the city’s famous network of canals, bridges, and quiet backstreets. 

Vaporettos (public ferries) and water taxis run to St. Mark’s Square from the Stazione Marittima cruise port hourly and take about 20 minutes to make the trip down the Grand Canal; you could also walk 10 to 15 minutes to Piazzale Roma and catch the vaporetto from there, which run more frequently. Some cruise lines provide a free shuttle to St. Mark’s Square, and many shore excursions include a private water taxi to the square.

Most of the largest cruise lines stop at the Venice cruise port. Italian is the predominant language here, but English is widely understood throughout Venice. The local currency is the euro; ATMs and foreign exchange bureaus are clustered around St. Mark’s Square. 

Piazza Barberini is easy to overlook, as it’s relatively small and surrounded by busy streets, but at its center is the Triton Fountain, a sculptural masterpiece by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

The Triton Fountain, or Fontana del Tritone in Italian, was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and built in 1642-1643 by Bernini. It was an outlet of the Acqua Felice aqueduct that the pope had just restored, and was the first public fountain Bernini designed that was free-standing.

The fountain features a large figure of Triton at its center, holding a conch shell to his mouth and blowing water out of it. Below him are four dolphins, whose tails form the base on which he kneels. Bernini also worked in the symbols of his patron, the Barberini family - there are bees carved into the dolphin tails.

The Barberini Palace is near the fountain on the square (today, it is home to the National Gallery of Ancient Art), and another Bernini fountain dedicated to Pope Urban VIII is not far away - it is known as the Fountain of the Bees.

The Vatican—formally known as the Vatican Museums—is an enormous complex of galleries holding some of Italy’s most important art, from paintings and sculptures to tapestries and classical antiquities. Adjoining St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican's miles of corridors connect buildings and courtyards housing the Pinacoteca, Egyptian Museum, Gallery of Tapestries, Pius-Clementine Museum, and Gallery of Maps. But the crown jewels are the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo's ceiling and The Last Judgment, and the 16th-century frescoes in the Raphael Rooms.

The Vatican is the most popular attraction in Rome, hosting millions of visitors each year. Booking a small-group guided tour or skip-the-line access in advance is highly recommended. A private tour offering early access in the morning, before the museums are open to the general public, is an excellent way to enjoy the Vatican’s treasures in relative peace. Many group tours include visits to the museums and Sistine Chapel along with St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Gardens. There is a tremendous amount to take in here, so if you are traveling as a family with young children who may get overwhelmed, consider a guided kid-friendly tour that focuses on the Vatican highlights.

The Vatican Museums complex is adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. The Ottaviano station, on metro Line A, is about a five-minute walk away.

The Vatican sees crowds of travelers year-round. It is busiest in summer, when skip-the-line tickets or a private tour guide are essential; the museums are relatively less crowded during winter. At any time of year, the museums are most crowded at midday, so aim to visit in the early morning or late afternoon if you’re looking for a quieter experience.

Each week, usually on Wednesday mornings, the pope and cardinals give a papal address in St. Peter’s Square. Throngs descend for the papal audience, so be sure to book official tickets in advance if you want to be assured a chance to see the pope deliver his weekly message.