Straight talk

Italy’s best photo spots, and when to shoot them

What month do you think this photo was taken?

Italy’s most famous photos have been taken thousands of times. So the question isn’t where, it’s when, and from exactly where. These are places we’ve photographed ourselves, and the moment when the shot works better, for less money and with less sweat.

And don’t forget spring. It starts much earlier in Italy than many expect: by April the trees are green and it’s around 68 °F (20 °C) in many places.

Rome: the Colosseum, Trevi and the Pantheon

About 23 million travelers arrived in Rome in 2025, and summer is the busiest time. Around the mid-August holiday alone, the city expected roughly 662,000 arrivals this year.

The photos won’t show it was 15 °F cooler:

We were in Rome in April, and it was around 68 °F (20 °C): just right for walking and shooting. Spring is popular, so prices peak then. In October, prices are the same as in July, but it’s 16 degrees cooler and much less crowded. November is the cheapest month for lodging.

Colosseum: the best angle is from above, at the edge of Colle Oppio park and the steps of Via Nicola Salvi. Go at sunrise or at blue hour in the evening.

Trevi Fountain: your best shot before the crowds is early morning, before 8 a.m.

Pantheon: the square is at its calmest in the morning, and around noon a beam of sunlight falls through the hole in the dome.

Worth it: April, October or November, an early alarm and three photos before breakfast.

The catch: noon in July. You get a photo of a crowd with a fountain behind it, and you sweat while taking it.

Consider yourself warned. Rome

Arco della Pace, Milan

You’ll hardly ever get the Duomo without a crowd. The triumphal arch at the edge of Sempione Park is different: we got a shot of it with nobody in it.

Worth it: morning, with the arch shot from the park side. In October the light is softer and prices are the same as in summer.

The catch: coming to Milan just for this. It’s worth a day trip, not a whole vacation.

From the other side, along Corso Sempione, you can catch a yellow tram under the arch, and the shot becomes instantly Milanese. The street has traffic and parked cars, though, which don’t look great. Crop them out or wait for a quieter moment. Milan

Cinque Terre: five villages, five photos

The five villages, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, are each a photo of their own. In July they fill with day-trippers from late morning, and lodging is at its priciest. In May you get the same photos for less, and 12 degrees cooler.

• Riomaggiore: a tiny harbor with boats, and the village rising above it like an amphitheater
• Manarola: the classic view at blue hour after sunset, when the house lights come on
• Vernazza: the harbor and church by the sea, best from the trails above the village
• Corniglia: the only village high on a cliff, with views along the coast both ways

Worth it: May or October, and a boat trip that shows you every village from the sea.

The catch: noon in July, standing in line in the lanes and at the viewpoints.

Cinque Terre

Amalfi Coast: shoot it from the sea

In summer the coast road is jammed and lodging is among the most expensive in Italy.

Worth it: May or October, stay somewhere else like Sorrento, and shoot from a boat trip. The villages look better from the sea than from the road, and you save twice: cheaper month, cheaper town.

The catch: driving the coast road in July just for the photo.

Amalfi Coast

Faraglioni, Capri

Worth it: a boat trip in May, when the boat goes under the arch without a line.

The catch: peak summer, when boats line up under the arch and day-trippers fill the island.

Capri

Lama Monachile, Polignano a Mare

Worth it: May, before 10 a.m., or from a boat trip, when you also see the sea caves. You can already swim in May.

The catch: noon in July, when the cove is packed and lodging is at its priciest.

Polignano a Mare

Alberobello

Worth it: early morning, when the light is best and the lanes are at their quietest, or the evening after the day-trippers leave. Stay in a trullo and you get both. April and October cost the same as July, without the heat.

The catch: midday, when the lanes are full and many trulli are souvenir shops.

Alberobello

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Florence is the hottest place on this list: an average high of 90 °F in July, and the stone streets radiate heat well into the evening.

Worth it: April, October or November, early in the morning or after sunset, when the bridge is nearly empty and the Arno reflects the lights.

The catch: noon in July, when there’s no room on the bridge.

Florence

Venice from a gondola

The canals look completely different from water level than from the bridges. A gondola is expensive, but it’s also a photo spot you can’t get anywhere else.

Worth it: April or October on the small side canals, where houses rise straight out of the water. Lodging is cheapest in November, but that’s also when acqua alta, high water, can flood the streets.

The catch: the Grand Canal at noon in summer, when the traffic feels like a freeway.

Venice

Lake Garda from the mountain or the water

Worth it: May or September, the cable car from Malcesine up Monte Baldo, with the whole lake below you, or a boat trip. Cheaper, cooler and shorter lines.

The catch: a foggy day on the mountain. Check visibility before you buy the ticket.

Malcesine, Garda

Scala dei Turchi, Sicily

A white limestone cliff above turquoise water, a perfect photo spot. On our visit it was hazy, and the cliff blended into the sky. On a clear day the white and turquoise stand out completely differently.

Worth it: spring or fall, in the afternoon light, when the cliff glows white above the sea. The white rock reflects the sun, so in summer it’s brutally hot.

The catch: if you’re expecting to walk on the cliff. Check the current access rules before you go.

The Egadi Islands

Worth it: with luck, a windless day, when the water is so clear the boats seem to float in the air. It’s a gamble, but it’s always beautiful. In May and October there’s room on the boat trips.

The catch: strong wind, when the boats stay in port.

Trapani

Three tips for every spot

• The wrong month costs you twice: pricier lodging and a worse photo
• Morning beats evening: at sunrise even the most famous spots are at their calmest
• The sea gives you shots the shore can’t, and staying overnight gets you the evening and the morning

Temperature: average daily high. Price level: $ cheapest, $$$ most expensive.

Keep reading

How big is Italy, really?About the size of Arizona, with more people than California.Italy from New YorkNonstop flights, fares and where to go.Is Florence worth it?Yes. Just not at noon in July.