DESTINATIONS · REGIONS
Explore Italy region by region
Food, landscape and pace change a lot from one region to the next. Start with a regional hub, then choose the areas and towns inside it.
How to use this page
Where a region has its own hub, start there. Where a region is usually seen through its main city, start with the city hub. Some areas inside a region are worth a trip of their own.
The short answer: Italy has twenty regions. Most first trips combine Lazio, for Rome, with Tuscany, for Florence and the hill towns, then add Campania or Veneto. In one week, one or two regions is realistic; with two weeks, three regions work without spending most of the trip in transit.
Updated October 2026.
All 20 regions of Italy at a glance
Italy is divided into 20 regions, and five of them have a special autonomous status. Each region has a capital, which is often, but not always, its largest city. Use the table to find the page to start from for each one.
| Region | Capital | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Abruzzo | L’Aquila | Abruzzo guide |
| Basilicata | Potenza | Matera |
| Calabria | Catanzaro | Tropea |
| Campania | Naples | Naples guide and Amalfi Coast |
| Emilia-Romagna | Bologna | Bologna |
| Friuli Venezia Giulia* | Trieste | Trieste |
| Lazio | Rome | Lazio guide |
| Liguria | Genoa | Genoa and the Italian Riviera |
| Lombardy | Milan | Lombardy guide |
| Marche | Ancona | No guide yet |
| Molise | Campobasso | Molise travel guide |
| Piedmont | Turin | Turin and the Langhe |
| Puglia (Apulia) | Bari | Puglia guide |
| Sardinia* | Cagliari | Sardinia |
| Sicily* | Palermo | Sicily guide |
| Trentino-Alto Adige* | Trento | The Dolomites |
| Tuscany | Florence | Tuscany guide |
| Umbria | Perugia | Umbria guide |
| Valle d’Aosta* | Aosta | No guide yet |
| Veneto | Venice | Veneto guide |
Regions with their own hub
Region hub · Central Italy
Tuscany
Florence, hill towns, Chianti and the Val d’Orcia.
Region hub · Central Italy
Lazio
Rome, Tivoli, Tuscia, the Castelli Romani and Ciociaria.
Region hub · Central Italy
Abruzzo
National parks, stone villages and the Trabocchi Coast.
Areas worth a trip of their own
Area · Campania
Amalfi Coast
Cliffside towns, with Capri and Ischia a ferry ride away.
Area · Lazio
Tuscia
Northern Lazio around Viterbo: hill towns, lakes and Civita di Bagnoregio.
Area · Lazio
Ciociaria
Southeast of Rome: medieval towns, abbeys and countryside food.
Regions led by a city
Region · Molise
Molise
Small-scale travel, inland landscapes and a strong local identity.
Book a regional day trip
Day trips that take you beyond the big cities and into the regions.
Selected automatically from Italy2Love experience pages that match this page, ordered by Viator rating and number of reviews (checked September 2026). Prices and availability are shown live on Viator.
Not sure which region to start with? Our guide to the best places to visit in Italy turns these 20 regions into a short list for a first or second trip.
Frequently asked questions
How many regions does Italy have?
Twenty. Five of them, Sicily, Sardinia, Valle d’Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia, have a special autonomous status.
Which regions are best for a first trip to Italy?
Most first trips combine Lazio, for Rome, with Tuscany, for Florence and the hill towns. Add Campania for Naples and the Amalfi Coast, or Veneto for Venice.
What is the difference between a region and an area?
A region is one of Italy’s twenty administrative regions, such as Lazio or Tuscany. An area is a part of a region with its own identity, such as Tuscia or Ciociaria in Lazio, or the Amalfi Coast in Campania.
How many regions can you see in one trip?
In one week, one or two regions is realistic. With two weeks you can combine three regions without spending most of your time in transit.
Build your Italy route by region
Start with the regions that fit your trip, then choose cities, small towns and experiences inside them.