It’s no longer sufficient to visit the Colosseum or go through the Uffizi — the modern-day traveler wants to enter a Roman kitchen, have a Tuscan family recipe taught to them, or relax in a wellness ceremony in a palazzo that has stood for centuries. Italy, with its solid traditions and high-end lifestyle, lends itself perfectly to this change.
Here’s how Italy is embracing a new kind of tourism, the one shaped by stories, skills, and sensations.
1. Private tours
The days of large group tours with earpieces and guide flags are fading.
In Rome, for example, art lovers prefer to have a private walk through the city with an archaeologist or a niche guidance, and uncover Mithraic temples as well as lost ancient streets hidden below the modern city. In Venice, a local guide will most likely introduce you to off-the-beaten-path districts, recounting the stories of out-of-the-way churches, artisanal workshops, and noble homes omitted from the average guidebooks. These tours aren’t about quantity — they’re about depth. You may see less, but you will feel and understand the city’s energy more.
2. Cooking classes
Private cooking courses have become one of the most popular vacation experiences in Italy, not just because of what you learn, but also where and how you learn it. Preparing a meal in a historical villa surrounded by olive groves, working alongside a home cook who uses herbs and vegetables from her own garden, or even beginning the experience at the local marketplace — where you select your ingredients with your chef, learn about their history, and then head home to prepare an in-season menu in a rustic seaside kitchen — provides you with both emotion and a sense of authenticity that you will never forget.
3. Spas and wellness
As it’s about the way Italians live. The country offers countless ways to reconnect with the body in natural, grounded settings. Travelers are increasingly seeking experiences that are both discovery and a rest: a thermal soak, a deep-tissue massage, or a spa day. These experiences are grounded in centuries-old traditions of healing and balance.
For those looking for distinctive places to stay that reflect Italy’s cultural depth and design sensibility, explore VRetreats Hotels, which offer a curated selection of boutique hotels — each one rooted in its destination, with an emphasis on heritage, elegance, and character.
Experiential travel isn’t about avoiding landmarks but enriching them. It’s one thing to visit Sicily’s Mount Etna and quite another to walk its slopes with a local winemaker and taste wines made from volcanic soil, all while hearing about the stories of every harvest. These experiences make travel feel less ”consumptional” and more like a true connection.
And the best part? They’re often surprisingly accessible. You don’t need to be a VIP to book a private tour or a tailor-made spa experience. You just need to be curious and open to choosing travel that’s crafted and not crowded.
Italy is still Italy: still beautiful, still rich with art, flavor, and its particular charm. But how we engage with it can evolve, and that evolution is worth embracing.
