What to Pack for Summer Vacations in Italy

With the current baggage weight restrictions for all major airlines, figuring out what to bring is no small feat for anyone who wants to be comfortable and properly dressed for guided Italy walking tours and other Italian adventures!

Fortunately, our Italy tour specialists and amazing Avventure Bellissime Italy tour guides have some great advice for what you need to pack for your summer vacation in the country that is home to some of the world’s most famous fashion designers:

Sun protection.

There are many ways to stay cool in Italy in summer, but chief among those is being prepared for walking outside under the hot sun - whether you’re in Venice, Rome, or Florence. Be sure to bring sunglasses, a lovely sunhat, and a light shawl or pashmina that you can throw over your shoulders during the most intensely hot periods of the day. This is especially important when you are enjoying walking tours in cities such as our Small Group Renaissance Tour of Florence or exploring the countryside with a day trip like our Small Group Excursion to Veneto’s Medieval Hilltowns. And don’t forget to bring sunscreen because you will want to be exploring Italian markets and shops, not pharmacies!

Comfortable walking shoes.

Now, comfortable doesn’t have to mean ugly! Choose stylish sandals, nice oxfords, or snappy casual walking shoes - whatever you know you can walk for a long distance in without limping and crying out for First Aid treatment. Wear a pair and pack one more, just ensure the shoes are broken in and won’t hurt even if you do the Ancient Rome Small Group Walking Tour and Private Rome Ghost Walking Tour in the same day.

Clothes you can dress up or dress down.

Remember that many Italy tours include stops at Roman Catholic churches and cathedrals, which as sacred spaces require a more modest dress code than other destinations. Visitors enjoying our popular Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica as well as other historic shrines in other regions are expected to wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees - and yes, this means men as well as women. For this reason women may wish to consider skirts, dresses, or capri pants rather than shorts; both men and women may also want to consider packing the style of walking pants that with a few zips can be turned into shorts. Pack shirts or tops with short sleeves or light cardigans to ensure bare shoulders don’t keep you from touring some of the finest artwork in Italy.