If there was one country on earth that seems like it was designed for a romantic getaway, it’s Italy. All the top things to do in this beautiful country are perfect for a couples trip. Wine tasting overlooking rolling hills lined with vineyards, sailing with incredible views of the coastline, and eating delicious food (not difficult in Italy!) are all romantic, Italian activities. Whether you’re looking for the most romantic places in Italy to celebrate Valentine’s Day, a special occasion, or just because, this list has them all.
Here you will find inspiration for the top romantic Italian cities, coastal towns, and countryside escapes where you’re sure to enjoy spending quality time together no matter where you travel in Italy.
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Table of Contents
Our Top Romantic Places in Italy
1. Rome
Visiting the Eternal City of Rome is the perfect place for a romantic trip with your eternal love. Its entire city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is filled with famous Roman ruins that inspired romantic poets like John Keats.
One of the most romantic things to do in Rome is to take a Vespa tour like Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. This private nighttime Vespa tour is the best way to explore the narrow streets and ancient ruins of this beautiful city without crowds and with a backdrop of sunset.
Because of Rome’s famous landmarks, it’s one of the best places for a couples’ photoshoot. Hire the incredible photographers in Rome at Flytographer to capture you and your partner in front of the sites. The Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Villa Borghese, Ponte Sant’Angelo, and Forum all make for romantic backdrops.
Book a stay at the 4-star Liberty Boutique Hotel for more affordable luxury. Choose the Hotel Palazzo Manfredi to stay in a renovated palace with spectacular views of the Colosseum.
2. Venice
The Queen of the Adriatic Sea, the Floating City, the City of Love… One of these nicknames makes it very clear that Venice is one of the most romantic places in Italy!
Of course, one of the most romantic things to do in Venice is a gondola ride through the canals. Start at Piazza San Marco, the city’s main square and meander your way through the back waterways of the city.
Venice is an ideal place to visit on a couples’ trip for cocktails, wine, and light bites called cicchetti. These are small, tapas-like plates usually consisting of fish on bread. Take a Cicchetti tour of Venice’s wine bars to sample the top spots.
Liassidi Palace Hotel is a traditional, four-star hotel in a good location. H10 Palazzo Canova is a four-star hotel with incredible views over the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge.
3. Florence
Florence is a city of the Renaissance, and a visit feels like walking through history. This Italian city is famous for world-class museums like the Uffizi Gallery and its stunning Duomo. There’s a reason why E.M. Forster’s main characters in A Room With a View were upset when their guesthouse didn’t have a view over the Arno River and the city. It makes for an incredibly romantic setting!
Italy is known for its high-quality leather, but Florence is the place to buy your partner a token of your affection in the form of a handbag or belt. Head to Mercato Centrale for the biggest selection of Italian-made leather products. If they’d prefer a gift that glistens, check out the jewelry shops on the Ponte Vecchio.
Head to a rooftop bar to enjoy aperitivo with panoramic views of the city from SE·STO on Arno Rooftop Bar. Book ahead so you can enjoy your glass of wine with nibbles at sunset!
Stay in Hotel Rivoli, a charming, renovated former monastery turned five-star hotel with a beautiful courtyard. For unbeatable views, it has to be the five-star Ponte Vecchio Suites & Spa.
4. Tuscany
Although Florence is one of the most romantic places in Italy if you’re looking for a city break, the wider Tuscany region is the perfect location to escape the crowds. Rent a car and drive through the vineyards, olive groves, and along coastal roads to explore several beautiful towns on your couples’ break.
San Gimignano is an enchanting hilltop medieval town famous for its 13th-century medieval walls and towers. Head to the small Tuscan town of Pienza and Montalcino too. You can book a Brunello di Montalcino wine tasting and tour of the cellar with appetizers.
Since Florence is the birthplace of gelato, where better to learn how to make it with your partner? Take a gelato-making and pizza-cooking class on this gorgeous Tuscan estate.
When enjoying a romantic vacation in the Italian countryside, stay in an agriturismo. Agriturismo Belagaggio has a pool and is in a romantic setting very close to Pienza. Or consider Il Casolese di Vignamaggio, a stunning 15th-century property near Greve in Chianti.
5. Dolomites
Nestled in the eastern corner of Northern Italy near Austria, the mountainous Dolomites region is one of the most romantic places in Italy for adventurous couples.
Rent a boat and sail on Lago di Braies from June to September. Enjoy a romantic picnic on the banks of Lago di Dobbiaco. Tre Cime de Lavaredo is potentially the most dramatic and beautiful scenery in the region, with three of the area’s famous peaks.
In the winter, check out the Christmas Markets. Bolzano is home to the best Christmas markets in Italy. There are few things more romantic in winter than enjoying festive decorations and spiced hot chocolate together.
One of the best places to stay in the Dolomites is Castel Hörtenberg in Bolzano. Mi Chalet is on the pricier side near Val Gardena, but this ultra-modern lodge with mountain views for miles is unforgettable.
6. Siena
The medieval city of Siena either makes for a romantic city break by itself, a great addition to your romantic Tuscan break, or as a day trip from Florence.
Stroll around Siena and soak in the beautiful buildings in the historic center. Walk through Piazza del Campo where you’ll see Palazzo Pubblico, the city’s red brick town hall which houses gorgeous frescoes. Seek out the 13th-century fountain, Fontebranda, and the striped marble Duomo di Siena.
Siena has lots of rooftop bars with beautiful, romantic views of its historic buildings. Enjoy cocktails overlooking Piazza del Campo at San Paolo Pub.
Stay at Hotel Athena, a four-star budget option that overlooks Siena’s city walls. Hotel Santa Caterina is an 18th-century building with views of the Tuscan valley.
7. Lake Como
If it’s good enough for George Clooney to live here, it’s probably good enough for your romantic break! Along with Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano, Lake Como is one of the most famous in the Italian Lakes region. It’s known for luxury hotels and historic villas dotted around the banks, as well as scenic boat cruises with mountain views.
And that’s exactly what you should do during a Romantic trip to Lake Como! Book a private boat cruise of Lake Como so you can explore the towns and villas with your partner. Como, Bellagio, and Villa del Balbianello are all worth visiting.
Make a reservation for a romantic dinner at sunset with a lakeside view. Ristorante Alle Darsene di Loppia allows you to sit underneath a beautiful pergola and look out over the harbor. Ristorante Crotto dei Platani is another high-end option near Argegno with a private dock.
Located near the town of Como’s cathedral, DBH Duomo Boutique Hotel is a central, four-star option. Villa Mojana in Limonata is also a luxurious yet more affordable option with an infinity pool and onsite winery.
8. Lake Garda
Another of the most romantic places in Italy is Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. While Lake Como is closer to Milan and a more luxurious choice, Lake Garda is closer to Venice and Verona. No matter which part of Lake Garda you visit, its natural beauty with bright blue waters and mountains stretching for miles is so romantic.
You could spend all day sunbathing on one of Lake Garda’s many top beaches like Jamaica Beach or Sabbioni Beach, or take a boat cruise with prosecco included.
Since Lake Garda is on the border of the Lombardy and Veneto regions, there are lots of wineries in the hills surrounding the lake. Book a vineyard and winery tour in Lazise, the town at the heart of Lake Garda’s wine scene. Local shops in other small towns on the banks of Lake Garda like Sirmione, Riva del Garda, and Limone sell the local wine if you can’t make a tour.
Stay in Hotel Spiaggia d’Oro, a four-star lakeside boutique hotel near Salò. Splendido Bay is a five-star resort option between the towns of Salò and Sirmione, and it’s more affordable than you might think!
9. Verona
Fair Verona is the ancient city where Shakespeare set his famous play about the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. Where else is better to spend a special romantic vacation?
Visit Juliet’s house and courtyard where you can pose with a statue of Juliet. Don’t miss an opportunity to send a letter to the Secretaries of Juliet if you seek advice or well wishes. There’s no shortage of other Juliet-themed activities in Verona, as you can visit Juliet’s Tomb and dine at Romeo Bistrot & Cocktail Bar.
Take a stroll along the River Adige and cross the bridge to visit Giusti Garden, a 16th-century botanical garden with tiered terraces complete with cypress trees and Roman-style statues. Verona is one of the best places to visit for a traditional, wholly Italian dining experience. Make a reservation at Trattoria al Pompiere or Trattoria da Camillo for rustic, candlelit dinners.
Stay at Relais Balcone di Giulietta, a five-star hotel overlooking Juliet’s balcony. Another option is Hotel Accademia, a four-star hotel close to the main square, Piazza delle Erbe.
10. Capri
Capri is a tiny island in the Bay of Naples (you can take a ferry from Naples or Sorrento) covered in mountains and heaps of luxury resorts. It’s absolutely one of the most romantic places in Italy if you want to sunbathe, sail, and swim during the day and dine out at night.
Join a Capri boat cruise that will take you to the most beautiful and famous areas of Capri coastline including The Blue Grotto and Faraglioni. As local legend says, if you kiss your loved one while sailing under the arch of the middle rock, you will have 30 years of happiness! If you’re an active couple, hike up to the top of Monte Solaro for the perfect spot for sunset.
Casa Mariantonia Boutique Hotel is an affordable, four-star option on Capri with balconies and a pool. Villa Blu Capri Hotel is a five-star design hotel with beautiful gardens and outside dining.
11. Positano
Ravello, Amalfi, and Sorrento are all beautiful places on the Amalfi Coast, but no coastal town in this region is more romantic than Positano.
This small village on the Mediterranean Sea is famous for its mountain-side pastel-colored houses, warm weather, and crystal-clear waters. It’s also known as the birthplace of limoncello. Join a private limoncello-making class so you and your partner can take home a souvenir to remind you of your trip.
Book a boat ride along the Amalfi Coast so you can both appreciate the panoramic views of all the villages from the water. Choose a sunset ride (always the best time of day for romance!) with snorkeling and wine for the best experience.
You can’t stay in Positano without getting a room with a view of Positano Spiaggia beach. Three-star Hotel Pupetto Positano is an affordable yet still romantic place to stay, whereas Hotel Marincanto‘s views of the coastline are unrivaled.
12. Portofino
Swap the Amalfi Coast for the Ligurian Coast and side-step Cinque Terre for Positano. Once a quiet fishing village and then a hotspot for the rich and famous in the 1950s, Portofino is a romantic coastal town on the Italian Riviera.
Don’t just book any old boat trips, book a sunset boat trip with a picnic basket filled with nibbles and drinks for aperitivo. Visit Castello Brown, a 16th-century fortress named after the Englishman who restored it with views over the iconic harbor.
There aren’t many hotels in Portofino, but the ones that do are institutions. Hotel Piccolo is a five-star resort on the coast while Eight Hotel, also a five-star accommodation, is tucked away in the village.
13. Sardinia
Couples like to visit Sardinia for its beautiful beaches (it boasts 1,800km of unspoiled coastline) in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Book a resort and spend your days sunbathing on the beach or taking part in one of the many water activities available in Sardinia. You can both try SUP boarding and snorkeling off the coast of Caligari or a dolphin-watching and snorkeling tour near Figarolo.
Stay in a beautiful, romantic resort on Sardinia like the five-star 7Pines Resort or the villas in the five-star Petra Segreta Resort & Spa.
14. Puglia
Southern Italy isn’t often listed as one of the most romantic places in Italy, but the region of Puglia is absolutely perfect for a special vacation with your significant other. It’s famous for olive oil production and whitewashed towns packed with traditional trulli houses.
Rent a car and enjoy a romantic, scenic road trip along the coastline through seaside towns like Mola di Bari, Monopoli, and Capitolo. Enjoy a blind olive oil tasting at Villa d’Itria and visit the mill where the olives are processed for a fun afternoon together.
You have to stay in a trulli house when visiting Puglia. Borgo Canonica is a four-star trulli resort in Cisternino, while Le Alcove Luxury Hotel is a five-star option in Alberobello.
15. Milan
If you’re looking for the most romantic places in Italy overflowing with cultural experiences and fine dining, you couldn’t choose better than Milan.
Italy’s second city is full of beautiful, historical buildings like the Duomo, one of the largest churches in the world. Book tickets to see The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci in person with your partner at the Santa Maria delle Grazie church too.
Dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Milan isn’t difficult because it has a whopping 16 of them. Make reservations at Café Cracco for classic Milanese cuisine or Il Marchese for Roman dishes in a romantic, dimly-lit setting.
Stay at Senato Hotel for a four-star, chic experience in a good location or Hotel Nhow for a four-star hotel with views overlooking the beautiful Navagli canal district.
Visit One of the Most Romantic Destinations In Italy On Your Next Couples’ Break
Italy really is the perfect destination for a couples’ trip because you can find romance everywhere. You’ll have no problems finding the best restaurants for a romantic dinner, the most famous historical sites to enjoy a bucket-list experience together, and fun activities in a romantic setting like hiking, sailing, cooking, or wine tasting.
This list has tons of inspiration for the most romantic cities and other romantic places in Italy. Hopefully, you feel inspired to book a trip that you and your partner will never forget!