Italy is the dream destination for a wide variety of travelers. Travel to Italy is a long flight from anywhere in the United States, but it’s well worth the effort. Whether you’re a lover of art, food, architecture, beaches, mountains, history, or people watching, you can find something to love in Italy.
It’s possible to travel Italy thousands of different ways. You can stick to a particular region, do a food tour of the country, only hit the big cities, or simply stay put in one beautiful location. You may never run out of things to do in this magical country, so today we wanted to point you toward destinations that are bit off the beaten track. If you’ve been to Italy several times before, we are willing to bet that you haven’t enjoyed all of these destinations:
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The Alba White Truffle Fair
Truffles are quite rare and extremely delicious. In Italy, they can be found in the regions of Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria, and Le Marche. Every fall, there are multiple fairs throughout the country celebrating this unique food which draws culinary experts from around the world. One of the most famous festivals is the Alba White Truffle Fair, which takes place on weekends from early October to mid-November. At the fair you can enjoy evening concerts, a wide array of truffle-laden foods, and you can even go on a white truffle scavenging walk.
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Lucca
This small Tuscan town is off the beaten track for most tourists in Italy, which makes it a wonderful place to get a sense of real Italia. It is a medieval city surrounded by walls hundreds of years old. One of the most fun things to do in this charming town is rent a bicycle and peddle along the top of the wall all around the city. There’s also amazing architecture to take in, lovely shops on cobblestone streets, and the Duomo di San Martino.
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Turin
Turin may be best known by tourists for the Guido Gobino Chocolate shop. This shop make some of the best chocolate in the world, quite literally. If you want to go on a complete chocolate tour of Italy, you should also head to Gay Odin in Naples, and La Bottega dei Trappisti in Rome.
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Manarola
Mineola is one of the five towns that make up the Cinque Terre, certainly well-known by tourists but worth the visit nonetheless. Nestled on the Italian Riviera, Manarola is thought to be the most picturesque of the five towns, made up of brightly colored buildings built directly onto towering black rocks. For the foodies in your group, the town is known for its production of wine and artisan olive oil, both of which are available in shops throughout the town.
Wherever you choose to go on your Italian vacation, remember that you do not need an Italy visa if you are a US citizen with an active passport. If you hold a passport from another country, contact the Swift team to learn more about your specific travel requirements for Italy.
