Many of our travelers return to Italy again and again, drawn by the enduring appeal of the country’s culture, food, wine, landscapes and people.
Ashley Ganz, founder & CEO of Artisans of Leisure, travels to Italy frequently to relish her favorite places and scout the latest in luxury hotels and insider experiences. Read more about some of her favorite places and experiences throughout the country.
Q: What’s an iconic place in Italy to visit during the summer?
A: The Amalfi Coast is glorious in the summer. I personally like to spend time in several locations on the coast, such as Positano and Ravello, so I have ample time to enjoy the different hotels, views, shops, seaside restaurants and sites in each town and the surrounding areas.
…incredible views…
…upscale pottery shops…
…churches filled with Byzantine mosaics…
…and terraced paths that are great for scenic walks.
The town has two top hotels, the Belmond Hotel Caruso…
…and Palazzo Avino. Both are historic palaces perched on clifftops with incredible views.
I also spent time in nearby Amalfi, a great town for walking, people-watching and dining.
The large Amalfi lemons are famous for their extra tangy zest. It’s great to sample the lemon-flavored local gelato, limoncello and granita…
…and to visit the nearby lemon groves.
The surrounding hills are beautiful and filled with hiking paths, wineries and gardens.
Hotel Santa Caterina is a great hotel near Amalfi with incredible food…
…and amazing coastal views.
It also has a beach club that offers fun for the whole family—my sons love to take the elevator down to the beach and swim in the water by the coast.
One of the best views of Positano is from a private boat charter…
…or from a terrace at a top luxury hotel such as Le Sirenuse, a local institution since the 1950s…
…or Il San Pietro di Positano, another iconic hotel in Positano.
I highly recommend having us book a private boat to explore the coast and visit famous seaside restaurants.
Q: Where do you like to go in combination with the Amalfi Coast?
A: Capri can easily be visited as a day tour from the Amalfi Coast. I love visiting Capri, and for those with enough time I recommend spending a night or two on the island. It’s worth being there at night to walk around and enjoy the towns when the cruise visitors have left and the island isn’t as crowded.
There are beautiful hotels, including Hotel La Palma…
…Capri Tiberio Palace…
…Capri Palace Jumeirah…
…J.K. Place Capri…
…and classics such as La Scalinatella.
Capri is also an incredible shopping destination, with small boutiques and major luxury brands…
The island is home to many historic sites and gardens…
…and excellent dining options, including legendary restaurants under the lemon trees.
Exploring Capri by private boat is a great way to see the iconic Faraglioni rocks, the Blue Grotto, Green Grotto and the unbelievable yachts.
Q: We know you like to visit the ancient ruins in the region. Which are your favorites?
I love the scale and intimacy of Oplontis. The frescoes are spectacular.
The nearby city of Naples has a wealth of history, architecture and great food (Neapolitan pizzas are a must). I always visit one of my favorite historic coffee houses that is known for its elegant Art Nouveau interiors.
Rome is another great destination to combine with the Amalfi Coast. Rome is one of my favorite cities—I love the balance of ancient history, vibrant contemporary culture, the beautiful architecture and trees, and the great cultural sites and fantastic dining.
When in Rome, be sure to have Artisans of Leisure arrange private, expert-led tours of iconic sites like the Colosseum…
…the Pantheon…
…the Trevi Fountain…
…and the Vatican Museums (Artisans of Leisure can also arrange VIP after-hours tours and specialized experiences).
Near the Colosseum, I always like to visit Basilica San Clemente, a 12th-century church and fascinating archaeological complex that is a great lesser-known gem.
I like to incorporate special activities in Rome such as a private cooking lesson to make Roman cuisine (including gluten-free dishes for several members of my family)…
…and Palazzo Colonna…
…and privately touring museums like the Borghese Gallery.
I also enjoy exploring the Aventine Hill…
…the ancient Appian Way…
…the incredible ancient Roman ruins on the Palatine Hill and seeing other renowned ancient sites such as the Baths of Diocletian, Baths of Caracalla…
…Trajan’s Market, an amazing complex that once included a covered market, shops and an apartment block…
…ruins all over the city…
…and so much more!
The food in Rome is incredible.
I love having pasta like traditional cacio e pepe at local trattorias, Jewish food such as Carciofi alla Giudea (“artichokes in the Jewish style”)…
…visiting markets and stopping by historic coffee houses.
There are many options for gluten-free meals and pastries.
I always like to spend time in the garden at Hotel de Russie, one of my favorite hotels in Rome. The garden is an oasis of tranquility and Italian elegance in the heart of the city.
Q: What about in the countryside?
En route, many travelers enjoy stopping in the beautiful hill towns of Umbria, including Orvieto and Assisi.
In Tuscany, I recommend visiting beautiful, historic towns such as Siena, Montepulciano and Pienza…
…enjoying wine tasting at renowned vineyards, shopping for local ceramics…
…visiting local food producers, including cheesemakers and olive oil estates…
…and staying at one of Tuscany’s tops hotels. For groups of friends and big families, I love booking the villas at Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco.
I also love staying at Hotel Il Pellicano on the Tuscan coast. It epitomizes la dolce vita—it’s a glamorous spot to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings, nature reserves and the leisure facilities at the hotel including terraced Mediterranean gardens and a stylish beach club.
Established in the 1960s, the seaside hotel evokes the retro Italian glamour captured by Slim Aarons, a frequent guest for decades.
No trip to Tuscany would be complete without spending time in Florence, the region’s legendary capital. The birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is renowned for its extraordinary wealth of artistic masterpieces and cultural icons.
We often arrange private access to the Duomo Terraces for our travelers. The views over the city are incredible.
Florence is home to so many notable museums and we arrange skip-the-line tickets and, upon request, exclusive after-hours visits.
Some of the top museums include the Uffizi Gallery…
…the Accademia Gallery, the Palazzo Pitti and the Bargello National Museum.
Favorite smaller museums and special-interest museums include the San Marco Museum, known for its exquisite frescoes in former monks’ quarters…
…the Medici Chapels, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, Gucci Garden and the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum.
For Jewish touring, the Great Synagogue of Florence, completed in 1882, is a must.
The Ponte Vecchio, the medieval footbridge over the Arno, is an enduring symbol of the city. I always like to browse the gold shops that still remain on the bridge. Artisans of Leisure can arrange romantic private meals on top of the bridge.
Florence has an incredible tradition of artisan crafts, and one of my favorite things to do is visit historic workshops to see artisans at work on leather, marble, paper, jewelry and perfume.
Artisans at the prestigious Scuola del Cuoio (Leather School), for example, have been handcrafting leather goods since the 1950s. It’s a great place to see skilled artisans at work, as well as to browse high-quality leather products.
The shopping in Florence is outstanding. I always stop in the Ginori 1735 flagship store (we can also arrange exclusive tours of the Ginori factory outside Florence for an insider experience)…
…the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, in operation since the 1200s…
… and the Ferragamo and Gucci flagship stores. Both fashion houses were founded in Florence in the 1920s.
I also often buy Florentine frames, paper goods and prints and love returning to my favorite historic shops.
The restaurants in Florence are world-class—the city has so many great markets, panini shops, gelato shops, cozy trattorias, upscale restaurants…
…and I always make time to have coffee and pastries in one of the city’s historic cafes.
Florence is famous for its gardens and I always make a point of visiting several, such as the Boboli Gardens…
…and the Bardini Gardens.
I love to stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze—it’s a former Medici estate with beautiful gardens and a historic palazzo.
There are also many other great hotels in Florence and just outside of Florence, such as Belmond Villa San Michele in the hills of Fiesole.
The gardens are a wonderful place for an aperitivo, particularly at sunset.
The fine-dining restaurant occupies a vaulted loggia with incredible views.
Many of our travelers love to have us arrange a private cooking lesson at a private home in Fiesole.
Q: Speaking of food–where else do you recommend that foodies visit when in Italy?
The ancient Jewish district in the medieval center has kept its original 16th-century layout.
I love visiting Bologna’s renowned food markets and art museums (the Morandi Museum is a favorite)…
We can also arrange visits to Parma and Modena to privately tour notable parmesan factories, and balsamic producers…
…the Ferrari Museum, Ravenna to see the Byzantine mosaics and stops at gourmet restaurants in the countryside.
Q: What other cities do you love to visit?
A: I always enjoy spending time in Venice.
With its enchanting canals, beautiful bridges and magnificent architecture, Venice is one of the world’s most uniquely beautiful cities.
Venice has an incredibly rich history, reflected in its beautiful architecture with ornate details and sumptuous interiors.
Spending time in St. Marks Square, with the Doges Palace and the ornate St. Mark’s Basilica, is a must.
It’s a great place to sit and have a coffee at one of the open-air cafes. We also arrange private tours of the sites and after-hours visits.
I love exploring Venice’s backstreets to see daily life…
…visiting the Rialto Market…
…touring museums such as the Gallerie dell’Accademia, Ca’ Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art, the Pinault Collection at Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection…
…stopping for a glass of wine and cicchetti…
…and browsing specialty shops for silks, paper…
…and glass.
Venice has so many great luxury hotels. I like to stay at Belmond Hotel Cipriani during the summer months—it’s a true resort in the city.
Located on Giudecca Island, it’s just a few minutes by boat from St. Mark’s Square.
Other favorite hotels include The Gritti Palace, Hotel Danieli, The St. Regis Venice and the Aman Venice.
A highlight of time in Venice is a private boat tour through the canals…
…along the Grand Canal…
…to the Giardini della Biennale…
…and out to the islands in the Venetian Lagoon, including the island of Murano to see glass blowing…
…and shop for high-quality glass. I have found some incredible pieces in Murano.
In the Venetian Lagoon, I also recommend visiting colorful Burano for lace and tranquil Mazzorbo for wine tasting.
Q: What resort destinations in Italy do you recommend?
A: The Italian Riviera—including Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure—is beautiful and a great stop to see the colorful towns and villages along the water, and the cultural treasures in cities such as Genoa.
This region is one of my favorite places to eat—the pesto, the incredible pizzas, the delicious focaccia.
Hotel Splendido is a glamorous base to explore the towns.
I recommend having us arrange a private boat charter or a privately guided walking and hiking tour between the five famous Cinque Terre villages.
Not far from Liguria is Piedmont, a celebrated food and wine region. I highly recommend Piedmont for repeat visitors to Italy who want an incredible, in-depth tour focused on food, wine and truffles.
Milan is nearby and is a great city.
Milan is renowned for shopping and we can arrange private shopping tours with local shopping experts.
I love to walk around Milan to see the architecture, visit great restaurants, and to enjoy the historic patisseries…
…amazing museums…
…and sophisticated vibe.
I highly recommend a night or two in Milan for travelers who have the time.
Q: We know you love Lake Como. Tell us more.
A: I make a point of staying in Lake Como each summer. It is one of my favorite places anywhere in the world.
It’s magical—on a sunny day, it is hard to top the beauty of Lake Como.
…Grand Hotel Tremezzo…
…and Passalacqua.
One of my favorite activities is a private boat charter on the lake…
…to visit different gardens…
…and the towns and villas that dot the lake.
I also like to spend time in Bellagio, exploring the town…
…and its gardens and shops.
Q: What about travelers who want to visit some off-the-beaten-track destinations in Italy?
A: There are so many great options, such as the Dolomites, the mountainous region in the north of the country known for its dramatic landscapes and fascinating combination of Italian, Austrian and Ladin cultures.
Elsewhere, I love Puglia in the south and often combine it with the Amalfi Coast.
Destinations: Europe, Italy
Tags: after-hours Italy, Amalfi, Amalfi Coast, Ashley Ganz, Ashley Isaacs Ganz, Bellagio, Belmond Cipriani, Belmond Hotel Caruso, best of Italy, Bologna, Capri, Cinque Terre, Emilia-Romagna, exclusive, exclusive Italy, Florence, Florence Duomo, food and wine tours, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Genoa, gluten free, gluten free Italy, gluten free travel, Hotel Il Pellicano, insider Italy, Italian art, Italian cuisine, Italian fashion, Italian food, Italian resorts, Italian style, Italian wine, Italy, Italy culinary tours, Italy cultural tours, Italy exclusive access, Italy family tours, Italy food and wine tours, Italy food tours, Italy garden tours, Italy tours, Italy wine tours, la dolce vita, Lake Como, Lecce, Lecce tours, Liguria, luxury Italy tours, luxury Tuscany tours, Matera, Milan, Murano, Naples, Oplontis, Piedmont, Pompeii, Portofino, Positano, private Italy tours, Puglia, Puglia tours, Rome, Sicily, Sicily tours, summer travel, Taormina, trulli, Tuscan food, Tuscany, Tuscany landscape, Venetian Lagoon, Venice, VIP Italy tours
