Alberobello

With its distinctive white trulli (round buildings with conical roofs), Alberobello is one of the most unique places to visit in Italy and Puglia’s most famous inland landmark.

What to do

The trulli are by far the biggest draw of Alberobello, so the most important thing to do in town is to walk around the Rione Monti, where you’ll find the highest concentration of them! However, the quieter part of town, Aia Piccola, also has plenty of trulli and is well worth a visit.

Cinque Terre

I could technically list each of the five Cinque Terre villages separately here (in order: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore), but even though they are technically separate places, the Cinque Terre as a whole is one of the best tourist destinations in Italy. visit: Best Vatican City Tickets Tour

What to do

While in Cinque Terre, hike from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza (if you’re short on hiking time, this is the one!), enjoy a meal of seafood and/or pesto, and watch the sun set over Manarola.

Mother

Matera, located in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, is known for its ancient “sassi” cave dwellings, which were forcibly emptied by Mussolini in 1952.

What to do

In Matera, be sure to visit St. Peter’s Church and its incredible vantage point, see the city’s rock churches, and take a walk through the maze-like city center to learn about the complex history that stretches back 10,000 years, while looking for incredible views along the way!

Polignano a Mare

As one of the most picturesque beach towns in Italy, Polignano a Mare is best known for its visually stunning Cala Porto beach – but like other places in Puglia, its whitewashed architecture, historic buildings and seafood also shine.

What to do

A visit to Cala Porto is at the top of everyone’s list of Polignano al Mare scholars – don’t forget to enjoy the view from the top of the Balconata sul Mare too!

Montepulciano

In truth, there are many hilltop towns in Tuscany that deserve to be considered the most beautiful places in Italy, but I chose Montepulciano to include here because it is such a wonderful example of an idyllic Tuscan town.

Baroque towns of Val di Noto

The baroque towns of Sicily’s Val di Noto are known for their remarkable architecture, excellent food (especially Modica chocolate) and incredible natural surroundings. Together they are also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site!

What to do

Siracusa, also included in this guide to beautiful places in Italy, is technically one of those cities, as is the city of Catania. However, the groupings of Ragusa (home to stunning views), Scilici and Modica (home to incredibly unique chocolate) are a popular and worthy collection of villages to visit in their own right!

Pompeii

Of course, Pompeii isn’t exactly a small town, but this incredibly famous archaeological site doesn’t quite fit into any of our categories in this guide to the best places in Italy, so I’ll include it here.