9 THINGS TO DO IN ITALY FOR THAT UNIQUELY ITALIAN EXPERIENCE

So, you’re set on going to Italy.  You’re halfway towards living the Italian dream!  You are probably familiar with, or planning on familiarizing yourself with, all the famous things to see in Italy.  You will never be disappointed with the overwhelming wealth of sites and beautiful attractions this country is most well-known for but, seeing as you’re travelling all that way, there are some quintessentially Italian experiences that should be high on your list of things to do in Italy, alongside visiting the Colosseum, riding in a Gondola and taking a photo of your partner holding up the leaning tower of Pisa.  We’d like to share our nine favourites with you:

1. WALK ON A VOLCANO

Italians are fortunate enough never to live far from either; beaches, mountains, forests, rolling countryside, or all four!  There is another terrain that excites me more than the rest and offers some of the most fun activities in Italy – lava.  Italy contains the only active volcanoes in mainland Europe, revealing a fascinating geological, historical and cultural insight into the peninsula’s story.  Depending on the season you could try skiing or quad biking on Mount Etna (Sicily), or tasting some of the wines grown on its volcanic slopes, direct from the vineyards with a view.  One of my most unique experiences in Italy will always be a dawn hike to the top of Stromboli (Sicily), through the caper bushes, to witness brilliant, live eruptions in the darkness and hear the hiss of lava hitting the sea below. 

2. GRAPE HARVESTING

If you visit in late summer or early fall, be sure to take a drive through some of the 700,000 hectares across the length of the country covered by vineyards where you will see warm, full, ripe grapes for harvesting La Vendemmia.  This is an exciting time of year when many people get involved, including tourists if they wish.  Be warned that picking the ripe bunches is still very much a manual task.  Better still, book yourself into a winery with accommodation.  Maybe they’ll let you earn your stay!  Either way, every one of your senses will be fully immersed in all things wine.  Undoubtedly one of the most authentic things to do in Italy is a wine tasting tour.

3. LEARN HOW TO MAKE PASTA (PREFERABLY FROM A NONNA)

Undoubtedly one of the most fun things to do in Italy is learning how to make pasta fresca.  Even if you forget the recipe when you get home, you need to do this at least once.  Cooking Italian helps you understand the Italian way and it may even get you speaking a bit more Italian too, especially if you sip on some vino as you go.  Cooking classes are often rated one of the most fun activities in Italy.  Unsurprisingly, the best pasta secrets are often passed down from the culinary head of each family – the grandmother or nonna.  If you get a chance to watch these expert hands in action making tortellini, ravioli or orecchiette then you’re in for a treat.

Cooking classes are rated as one of the most fun activities in Italy

4. OPERA UNDER THE ITALIAN STARS

Italy is the birthplace of opera.  What better place to watch a performance of this magnificent art form than under an open sky, in one of Italy’s famous arenas, like in Verona, Juliet’s city of love, a highligh of Alma Italia’s Veneto tour or in the stunning, ancient Greco-Roman theatre in Taormina, Sicily, against the backdrop of the Mediterranean sea.  Aside from being one of the most famous things to see in Italy, this beautiful, panoramic monument also hosts film festivals, concerts and other performances, offering visitors some truly unique experiences in Italy.

5. SUMMER ALPINE TREKKING

When the last of the snow melts on the ski slopes of the north, the plains spring to life with delicate flowers and grazing cattle, revealing an incredible network of mountain paths to take you across some of Italy’s most stunning and unique landscapes.  It’s easy to feel like you’ve already crossed the border into Austria or Switzerland in Trentino Alto Adige, for example, as you pass wooden chalets and ski huts.  Hiking through this terrain features high on my list of recommended things to do in Italy.  You can plot your route from ski hut to ski hut or rifugi where, on a sunlit terrace, you can sample some incredible cheeses, fresh beer, local wine, a variety of cured meats and other local specialities.    

6. TAKE A SIDECAR TOUR

When you think of Italy and iconic wheels, the first things that spring to mind are Ferraris and Vespas, and getting to drive either of these ranks highly when it comes to fun activities in Italy.  Ferrari’s home in Maranello, northwest of Bologna, makes for an incredible day out where you can visit the museum, take a tour in the factory, ride in a simulator or even test drive cars on their famous track.  Vespa tours are also wonderfully popular across the whole country and can be quite thrilling.  As an accessible alternative, where you don’t have to worry about driving yourself but can still get the thrill of it, consider taking a tour in a vintage sidecar.  Discover the streets of medieval towns or the winding hills of the countryside as a passenger for a guaranteed unique experience in Italy.

7. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN HOT SPRINGS

While you’re being busy taking in all the famous things to see in Italy, remember that part of your vacation is to simply…relax, and there is little more relaxing or indulgent than slipping into a hot spa for a few hours.  With its complex geological composition, Italy boasts some beautiful, natural terme (hot springs) across the country, with a concentration in central Tuscany.  Many of these mineral rich spots are dotted in the wild and are free to use, just ask the locals (and be prepared to bump into them in a rock pool later on).  The curative waters were considered particularly beneficial to health by the Romans, and still are today.  Some spots have been transformed into fantastic spa resorts offering holistic experiences and every type of treatment imaginable.  Just remember to bring a swimming costume to these!

8. L’APERITIVO

A most simple custom, a cultural tradition.  Nothing embodies the joy the Italians share of just ‘being together’ and celebrating the efforts of each and every day like the ‘aperitivo’.  This pinnacle, daily ritual can easily pass visitors by if they return late from a museum or eat out early with the kids.  Typically signaled by the sun starting to set, tables are cleared, music is played, buffets are displayed and people start to flock to piazzas, bars and drinking holes across the country, to raise a glass, to eat and to sign off for the day.  Food is an important part of the aperitivo.  You pay once and will often get a plate, to help yourself as many times as you like from the selection of crostini, arancini, torte salate, pasta salads, dips, etc.  The aperitivo typically flows between 6-8pm and I have to admit, I have often skipped dinner because of the abundance of food.  This is not just a packet of crisps with your pint!  It is, hands down, one of THE things to do in Italy.

9. Take a ski trip

Italy is often associated with summer holidays but Italy is a paradise for winter sports lovers with some of the best skiing in Europe. There is an incredible choice of resorts from chic towns like Cortina in the Dolomites or Courmayeur in the Alps on the order with France to more purpose built family style resorts like Cervina.  A weeks ski trip in the mountains or ‘Settimana Bianca’ is an annual ritual for many Italians and you could do worse than to join them!

If you don’t manage to tick any of the above off your list then at least make time for a visit to a local winery for a wine tasting day, or a simple wine tasting tour.  There are plenty to choose from.  This is still one of the most unique experiences in Italy, and one that creates some of the fondest memories.  Alma Italia Travel will be delighted to assist you in finding the perfect spot, and with endless amounts of advice on all other things to do in Italy.  We look forward to hearing from you! Drop us an email or schedule a call here.