Looking for ideas for a day trip? From north to south, every region offers not only natural beauty but also many cities rich in art and culture, perfectly reachable and visitable in a single day. Here are 10 ideas for a perfect day trip in the Bel Paese:
Day Trip in Lombardy
Borromean Islands
Setting aside one of the most visited and beloved tourist destinations, such as Lake Garda or Lake Como, we focus on another fantastic lake, Lake Maggiore. One of the best things to do on Lake Maggiore, just north of Milan, is to take trips to the three islands near the town of Stresa. After a journey of just an hour and a half by train from the Lombard capital, you can visit all three islands by boat or ferry, explore their gardens and palaces – and still have time for a lakeside dinner in Stresa before catching the train back to Milan.
Start with Isola Bella, entirely filled by the sumptuous 17th-century summer palace of Count Vitaliano Borromeo and its extravagant terraced gardens. Citrus trees and cedars, cork oaks and camellias overlook carefully tended flower beds, with the lake and mountains as a backdrop.
Other gardens and a less elaborate palace are found on Isola Madre, while the small Isola dei Pescatori is a picturesque fishing village with – as you might expect – restaurants serving lake fish.
Varese
Often underrated among destinations in Lombardy, Varese is absolutely worth a day trip given its small-town size easily reachable from Milan and rich history, art, and charming corners of beauty comparable to the small villages scattered throughout the region.
Sitting at the foot of Monte Campo dei Fiori, Varese is best known for the Sacro Monte di Varese, a series of 17th-century chapels with frescoes and larger-than-life figures depicting biblical scenes. The Sacro Monte tradition is unique in Italy, in the north of Piedmont and Lombardy, and the one in Varese joins eight other hilltop pilgrimage sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Unlike the others, Varese’s is surrounded by a village climbing the steep hill, encircling the chapels with tree-lined streets and Art Nouveau villas in Italy. In the center of Varese, Palazzo Estense is the richly decorated former villa of the Este family, built in the 1700s beneath a hill park and terraced formal gardens.
Day Trips in Tuscany
Pisa
The famous Leaning Tower is one of Italy’s most easily recognizable icons, but it’s just one of a whole set of exceptional attractions in Pisa, all within a small area that make up its UNESCO World Heritage site. Alongside the tower are the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Baptistery, and the Campo Santo. Alternating stripes of light and dark marble cover the facade and walls of the Siena cathedral, further adorned with statues and reliefs, all the work of the famous artist Giovanni Pisano.
Inside is a true museum of artworks by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Bernini, and others, whose paintings, sculptures, carvings, frescoes, stained glass, and gold work fill the church, perfected in the 19th century when it was no longer needed for defense.
Today, Tuscany and Umbria), and it is famous for producing excellent olive oil and the Est! Est!!! Est!!! of Montefiascone. Don’t miss this delicious opportunity.
There are several ancient churches you can visit for free, such as the Church of San Flaviano.
We hope we’ve given you some ideas for a day trip: explore this guide for a stroll through some of our best cities and locations across the different regions!