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Where to Travel in Italy during the Jubilee
Wendy in Rome, atop the Vittorio Emmanuel monument. “Should I travel to Italy this year?” It’s a question we’re asked every day. That’s because this is the year of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee, which happens in Rome once every 25 years. Some sources anticipate 35 million visitors to Rome, many of them pilgrims focused on the Vatican and Rome’s other religious sites. The potential impact on WOW-caliber travel in Italy is a conversation I’ve been having with WOW List Italy experts Maria Landers and Brian Dore ever since I visited them last fall in the town in Umbria where they live.
Wendy with Italy insiders Brian Dore and Maria Landers in Foligno, Umbria, last fall.
Maria’s prediction about the impact: “I think it’s going to be a big nothing. The Jubilee is not going to affect what most American travelers do in Rome because pilgrims travel very differently than U.S. travelers do.” Most Jubilee pilgrims travel in groups and come from Europe, which means their trips are relatively short and focused on religious sites, rather than winding itineraries throughout Italy, says Maria. In Rome, they aren’t staying in centrally located four-star and five-star hotels. They’re staying outside the city center, in monasteries, hostels, and two-star hotels. They’re not taking up tables in Rome’s best restaurants; they’re eating in monastery cafeterias and tour-group restaurants with set menus. And they’re coming for designated events at specific sites on specific days—events that aren’t happening every day—so if you’re with a first-rate private guide who knows where the groups will be when and what routes they’ll take around the city, “the crowds are absolutely avoidable,” says Maria.
For travelers with flexible schedules, there are reasons why certain windows of time this year could actually be advantageous. With the huge increase in the number of nonstop flights to Italy in 2025, there are likely to be good airfares and mileage-award seats. Hotel prices in Rome have not increased since last year, says the head of Rome’s hotel association, Giuseppe Roscioli, who also says the forecast for hotel traffic is similar to last year.
Maria thinks this year is actually a good time for Rome–except during holy holidays such as Easter and Christmas due to the Jubilee events planned for those times—because of all the cleaning and repairs that have been done to the Eternal City’s piazzas, facades, and public spaces in preparation for the Jubilee. “The travertine marble of the fountains and other monuments, now restored and cleaned of smog and the wear of time, can now be admired in something close to their original color, the way the artists conceived them and as they were viewed centuries ago,” says Maria. “This is a priceless and unique opportunity.”
Italy is the #1 most-booked country for WOW trips this year. Many of these travelers have been to Rome before and are skipping it this time, focusing instead on Italy’s charming, uncrowded, under-the-radar locales that the vast majority of tourists don’t even know exist. Read on for a sampling of lesser-known delights discovered by your fellow travelers, and if you’d like a personalized trip recommendation, we’re at the black button below.
UMBRIA AND EMILIA-ROMAGNA: “Although it was crowded in Italy, we always felt as if we had our own private pathways to each activity…”
The ancient hill town of Montefalco in Umbria, Italy. Photo: Shutterstock
“My husband and I decided to go back to Italy, where we had been a number of times, but wanted to do something different. We contacted several agents who said that we had done so much in Italy that they could not suggest anything. We then contacted Maria and Brian. Maria met with us by Zoom, and we discussed our interests and the kind of trip we wanted. Maria really listened and planned an amazing trip for us. From the moment we were met at the airport and whisked to Montefalco by our driver, it was perfect.
Montefalco is a charming Umbrian town nestled in the hills with a focus on wine and olive oil. We went truffle hunting and shared perhaps the best meal of our trip with the family. Each of the seven courses was delicious, and I could have eaten the entire tray of the homemade onion focaccia.
The next morning was our WOW Moment. WOW does not do justice to the opportunity to meet Marta Cucchia, the great-granddaughter of weaver Giuditta Brozzetti, who has carried forward her textile workshops. Working on looms from the 15th century, she provided us with a look into the art of weaving. Her joy in the work and understanding of the complexity and history of this art form was enthralling.
This experience set the tone for the remainder of the trip, meeting artisans, wine growers, balsamic-vinegar artists, parmesan cheese makers, prosciutto ham makers, sculptors, cooks, and guides and hoteliers that made us feel welcome. Although it was crowded in Italy, we always felt as if we had our own private pathways to each activity.
One of the most surprising events was a last-minute opportunity, provided by Maria, to go to the opera in Parma. It’s in an old theater that is built like the opera house in Venice. Maria got us perfect seats to see Pagliacci. My husband, who is not an opera fan, has been telling everyone that one of the highlights was seeing the opera with 280 performers on stage. This may be the highest of compliments for a perfect trip.” —Lynne Golomb
Read about more under-the-radar finds. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
THE PIEDMONT: “The Piedmont region is completely underrated!!! It has the beauty of Tuscany without the crowds…”
The medieval village of Serralunga d’Alba in Italy’s Piedmont region. Photo: Shutterstock
“The Piedmont region is completely underrated!!! It has the beauty of Tuscany without the crowds. My husband is an avid wine collector and had requested a tour of the Gaja winery in a local village. Gaja is not open to the public for tours. Andrea used her connections to set up a private tour and tasting for us.
We were also taken to a private home of two brothers who truffle-hunt. After a truffle tutorial, we made our way up into the hills with our truffle-hunting dog, Leesy. It was so exciting to actually find truffles in the ground! We proceeded back to the house for an amazing selection of local cheese, salami and olive oil…with a generous portion of truffle slices on top!
Our guide took us to an amazing lunch in a local hilltop village and then dropped us off in the town of Alba, the largest town in the area. We explored Alba on our own and ended up wandering the narrow streets filled with locals for several hours…trying to forget that it was our last day!! Northern Italy was a special area that we can’t wait to go back to again!!” —Jennifer Mann
Read about more unusual locales in Italy. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA: “Inexplicably, the region doesn’t seem to be on the tourist radar, so of course we decided that this was the place for us!”
Miramare Castle in Trieste, Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. Photo: Shutterstock
“Jennifer helped us plan a two-week trip to Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The area is a melting pot of northern Italian, Austrian and Slovenian cuisines and has great wines (mostly white). Inexplicably, the region doesn’t seem to be on the tourist radar, so of course we decided that this was the place for us!
After two days in Trieste, our driver took us to the Collio wine country, with a stop at Miramare Castle on the way. The accommodation Jennifer suggested to us in the Collio was outstanding, just what we were hoping for! The property was lovely, with a spa and walking paths through the surrounding vineyards. We also spent an amazing day visiting local wine producers and sampling their wares. (Our favorites were Friuliano and Schioppettino!)
After our break in the countryside, we moved on to Udine. A highlight was seeing Tiepolo’s amazing ceiling frescoes. From our base in Udine, we visited the lovely town of Cividale del Friuli, with beautiful Lombard art and architecture, and day-tripped to Kobarid in Slovenia to learn about the Italian front in the First World War. We also had a WOW Moment while staying in Udine: We had a private cooking demo in the kitchen with chef Anna Barbina and her mother, who serves as her sommelier. Anna made five traditional dishes for us to sample (with wine served by her mother, of course), then we had lunch in her restaurant, AB Osteria Contemporanea, where she serves contemporary twists on traditional cooking. Heavenly!
FVG was full of beautiful scenery and art, brimming over with fascinating history, and the food and wine were simply spectacular. We’ve had many incredible meals in Italy over the years, but we had more standouts on this trip than any other. If food is your religion, you should make your way to FVG.” —Rachel Webber
Read about other hidden Italian gems. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
LIGURIA: “While very close to the Cinque Terre, we avoided all the crowds associated with it…”
Sestri Levante in Liguria, Italy, is close to the Cinque Terre but not nearly as crowded. Photo: Shutterstock
“Our first stop recommended by Emanuela was Sestri Levante. We stayed at a fantastic hotel right on the water. The ocean views, the people and the restaurants were wonderful and, while very close to the Cinque Terre, we avoided all the crowds associated with it.
She arranged a great boat and captain, Marco, who took us on a great tour of the Bay of Poets, seeing several fishing villages, some massive yachts, the Italian Naval Academy, great scenery and a stop at Porto Venere. We explored the small town and had an excellent lunch at an oceanfront restaurant. While in Sestri Levante we also had a chance to visit Portofino and had a great lunch at a beach club close to town.” —Jeff Stengel
Read more about Liguria. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
PUGLIA AND BASILICATA: “We were greeted by the owners and treated like royalty…”
Cone-shaped trulli houses, like these in Alberobello, are Puglia’s signature architecture. Photo: Shutterstock
“Antonello and his team planned experiences that we will never forget. We stayed in a palace with 10 rooms in Lecce, a trulli resort surrounded by the countryside where we were greeted by the owners and treated like royalty, and a cave hotel in Matera where we were wined and dined.
Our guides were top-notch, a marine biologist, an archaeologist and experts in all fields. We had lunch at an olive grove and we were served an exceptional lunch by the farm’s owners. We took a private cooking class in someone’s home!! Our most cherished experience was with a ceramic maker. We not only took a tour of his workshop—he invited us to his home to see his acquired antiquities.” —Janis Marcus
Read more about Puglia and Basilicata. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
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