It is no secret that Italy is my favorite country. Italy has so much to offer, from the mountains, to the beaches, to the food, to the culture, and the wine! In recent years I have been trying to get a bit more off the beaten path. Though I will NEVER be one of those people telling you to skip the Cinque Terre, Rome, Florence, Venice, etc… I 100% believe that those places are must-see places and are popular for good reason. But some of the more underrated places in Italy are truly the best Italy has to offer.
This post is about a few places I’ve sought out or stumbled upon in recent years that you may not know a lot about, that I truly think anyone would enjoy! If you’re interested in some even more underrated places in Italy feel free to message me, I have more!
Prosecco Hills
The Prosecco Hills are an absolutely stunning area of Italy and are basically on your way from Venice to the Dolomites. Yet this area is one of those underrated places in Italy that most tourists miss. As you can see in the picture below, the Prosecco Hills are located right at Conegliano!
Just like the Champagne region of France, the Prosecco region of Italy is the only place in the world that can actually call itself Prosecco. Though you may find sparkling wine from many different countries, Prosecco can only come from this region of Italy.
I recommend 1-2 days in the Prosecco Hills to relax and enjoy the experience. During our time here, we did Prosecco tasting, rode bikes to the town of Conegliano to explore, went up to the castle and had a glass of Prosecco overlooking the valley, and did a full tasting with dinner and a sunset at our accommodation! It was such a beautiful experience and a nice relaxing pace before heading to hike in the Dolomites. It would also be a great way to wind down after hiking in the mountains!
Where to stay: I may be biased because we haven’t stayed anywhere else, and I promise this was not a sponsored stay, but I can not recommend staying at Mani Sagge more highly! It is one of my favorite stays we’ve ever had and honestly, finding this place was why I chose to visit this region.
This place is family run and they are so passionate about what they do. It is small and intimate so you get a really personal experience. We loved our room, it was so cozy and comfortable and included a delightful breakfast. All of the common areas were amazing to spend time in. The terrace was our favorite spot and we spent almost all of our time outside looking over the vineyards, sipping Prosecco, and relaxing. We did a full Prosecco tasting here and I assure you it was some of the best I’ve ever had in my life, if not the best. We also had dinner here and it was delicious! Everyone was so kind and helpful, taught us so much, took us on a tour, and made sure we were so happy and comfortable with everything.
If you’re looking for a more in depth look into this area I have a full blog post here —–> The best way to experience Italy’s Prosecco Hills
Montepulciano
One of the most underrated places in Italy on my list that people know a bit more about, it might be this one. However, I do feel this town is often overlooked for some more popular Tuscan towns like Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, etc.
We visited Montepulciano because it is one of our favorite wines in the world and we wanted to try it straight from the source. I had no idea how much we would truly love this town. The streets were so charming with little enotecas everywhere! You could stop in nearly anywhere in town and taste some wine. You could also visit the cellars at some places and see some of the process. We had excellent food here, enjoyed exploring and climbing the tower for views over the town, loved shopping in little stores full of olive oil and pasta etc, and overall were just thrilled to be here.
Where to Stay: The stay here was a huge part of why we loved the experience so much! We stayed at Residenza Fabroni and it was a magical experience. There are just a few suites here and they are all stunningly beautiful. We stayed with friends so we had a suite with 2 rooms. One overlooked the amazing scenery of the Tuscan hills and the other overlooked the town! The best part of staying here was that the hosts had a “wine and local product tasting” on the roof of the Residenza! It ended up being more than enough food for a full meal, there were multiple courses including cheeses, meats, stuffed peppers, treats, etc. We got to try different wines from the region with every course and enjoy the night chatting and listening to music while tasting. This was a very special experience and one I will always remember!
If you’re looking for more info about Montepulciano check out my post here —–> 24 hours in Montepulciano, Italy
Treviso
Treviso is a delightful town about 30 minutes outside Venice but is often overlooked as Venice is so enticing and close by. But if you want a much more quiet, Venice-like experience, Treviso is your spot!
I visited Treviso solo and it was an excellent spot to feel safe and comfortable as a solo female traveler! Treviso is much quieter than Venice, I visited in mid-August and felt like I had the town to myself during the day. It did come alive around aperitivo time and into the evening, which was very nice. The canals here are absolutely stunning and the whole place is so clean and well taken care of.
There were amazing food spots, great chichetti (basically Italian tapas), cute shops, and squares to sit in and people watch. Treviso is easily walkable, you only need about 1-2 days here if you’re staying. This is actually one of those underrated places in Italy that you could use as a base for visiting Venice if you wanted to!
Where to stay: I stayed at Palazzo Raspanti and found it to be the perfect spot. I was sold as soon as I looked it up due to the location, the parking, the fact that it was in a 16th century building, and that it was the home of a former Renaissance painter. You know these are always the places that have a ton of charm. It felt like you were staying in a bit of history. I stayed in the attic suite which was huge for one person and lovely. I was able to park my car and walk to anything I needed in Treviso. The owner/host also lives on site and was so kind, welcoming, and helpful with anything I needed. I was bummed my husband wasn’t here for this one as I know he would have loved this property.
If you’re looking for more information about Treviso, check out my post here —–> Treviso, Italy: A Hidden Gem near Venice
Courmayeur
It seems like everyone is talking about the Italian Dolomites these days, and for good reason. Hiking the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites is one of the favorite adventures of my lifetime. However, Courmayeur should NOT be overlooked! We spent a day here before beginning to hike the Tour Du Mont Blanc and I fell in love with this town!
Courmayeur is the definition of charming, we visited in the summer, but I can just imagine how amazingly cozy and fantastic it would be in the winter as well. It is full of shops, snacks, cafes, restaurants, and is an access point for so much mountain fun. You can hike around here, take the cable cars up to see different areas, ski, and just enjoy all that an Italian mountain town has to offer.
There are stunning views from almost anywhere you are in town, there is a great vibe here as many visitors are here for the same reasons: to enjoy the outdoors! You can eat focaccia, pizza, pasta, and all the best classics that Italy has to offer. There is also a smaller village right across the river called Dolonne that we LOVED exploring and even ate dinner there. I still dream about my pasta with both tomato and pesto sauce!
Where to stay: We stayed at Hotel Crampon and I was very happy with our spot. We had a very cozy room with an amazing balcony overlooking the mountains! I had a hard time staying inside with how lovely it was. We were celebrating an anniversary while here and my sister had called to ask them to do something special. We arrived to Prosecco and treats in our room and it was so sweet how exited they were to share in our celebration! Breakfast was excellent and well prepared and the location was perfect, we could walk from the bus station and also walk to anything we needed in town!
If you’re looking for more information about visiting Courmayeur —–> Why you should check out charming Courmayeur, Italy
Monopoli
This is one of the underrated places in Italy that I would choose as a base town. It is perfect for visiting Puglia. I chose to stay here based on a conversation with someone from the area, and I am so glad that I took his advice. The white and pastel colors of this city are a dream, the plants & succulents everywhere make for such a beautiful scene, you are right on the ocean and can beach hop for hours, and we found some great shops, bars, and food stops here!
There is a train station in town, we also used a van service at times as were traveling in a group. During our time in Monopoli, we also visited Alberobello, Bari, and Polignano Al Mare. This region of Italy is fabulous and Monopoli is a great spot to stay to explore it all!
Where to stay: We were traveling with friends here and found it to be easier and more spacious to stay in an airbnb. We found a great spot a short walk outside of the old town. It was walkable to everything, had a lot of space, and had a lovely rooftop for relaxing in the mornings and evenings. We visited during an extreme heatwave and I will be honest, the AC had a hard time holding up to the heat, but we still very much enjoyed our stay. The host was also very responsive, kind, and helpful. Below is the link to our spot, although some reviews recently are a bit questionable. Below that I linked you to booking.com for some hotel options in Monopoli as well!
If you’re looking for more details about Monopoli, check out my post here —-> Monopoli, Italy: A Great Base for Visiting Puglia
Sperlonga
This was one of the happiest surprises of my travels. I had seen a few pics of this town online and said to my girlfriend, “we should probably leave Rome for a day and hit up another town”. She said yes and we ended up here, and I have been dreaming about it ever since. It is important to note that although you can reach Sperlonga train station from Rome, you will need to have some sort of transportation from the train station into the actual town. Your best bet is going to be to arrange transportation or take a taxi. If you’re on a road trip driving here would be much easier.
Sperlonga honestly looked like a scene from a movie, it felt pretend! It also may leave you wondering whether you’re in Greece or Italy! It is perched high on the hills over the beach which makes for the most incredible views looking both up and down! This is a perfect town to spend a night or two, enjoy the beach all day, come up to town for aperitivo and dinner and just enjoy the dolce vita. You will want to wander every nook and cranny of this town and it is worth doing! There are so many beautiful little surprises, so much hidden art, and so many vibrant colors. This is another spot I’d love to take my husband back to someday, and a great way to escape the heat of Rome in the summer.
Where to stay: We took this trip so long ago, my friend booked it, and I honestly wouldn’t recommend our spot. But you can easily find a spot that fits your vibe and budget. Just be careful when searching about how far the property is from the town and beach. This area can be tougher to get around if you don’t have a car. I also suggest booking early, although this may not be a popular spot with other tourists, this spot is quite popular with those in the know!
Camogli
The grand finale and my current favorite place in Italy. I actually hope this place stays underrated as I am hoping to move here someday.The fact that my husband and I agree on this is a miracle. This little town in Liguria is often overshadowed by the Cinque Terre, Genoa, and the glitz and glam of Portofino, but it has so much to offer on it’s own. The fact that the train runs right into town makes it even better and much easier to access.
From Camogli, you can hike and visit a lot of neat spots on the coast or you can take a boat to explore different towns. Many of the towns you can reach from Camogli are also underrated places in Italy! You are on the train line to a lot of other small and wonderful Italian towns, and Camogli itself is a dream. The stretch of beach with the stunning colorful houses behind it is the best place to spend an afternoon. The port is the perfect place to hang out and watch the sunset while having aperitivo. The main promenade of town is perfect for dinner, drinks, snacks, and you must get focaccia while you’re here as this area is known for it!
Where to stay: Sometimes a stay is so special you don’t even want to share it, but since I’ve already booked my dates in for next summer, I guess I can write about it here. We stayed in an airbnb on the port and it was one of our favorite stays ever. This place is not for the faint of heart, it has a number of narrow flights of stairs leading up to it, has no wifi, and no air conditioning. If you can look past these things, you will be so happy living the Italian dream with the most lovely views!
If you’re looking for something fancier or more modern, then I have two other options for you. The first is Hotel Sublimis, my friends stayed there during their time in town and really enjoyed it. It is an adults only spot and they found it very luxurious and comfortable with a great view and right in the center of things.
The second is an amazing looking property called Hotel Cenobio Dei Dogi. This property is right at the end of the long strip of beach and looks absolutely fantastic. It has a number of places to eat, its own beach area, and many wonderful amenities. Some day when I’m in that price range and finished pretending to be a local, this will be my spot!
If you’re wanting a more in depth look at Camogli, check out my post here —–> Camogli: Your next favorite spot in Italy
If you”re looking for more underrated places in Italy as well as RATED places —> check out my FREE guide to my Favorite stays in Italy
This post about underrated places in Italy contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and book through my links I will earn a small commission at NO COST to you. This helps me to keep sharing out this awesome info! I also will FULLY recommend things that I acquire NO commission on and I just think are truly good recs. You will always get the truth from me here I would never recommend something I didn’t love.