Lazio is Italy’s best-kept secret, a region of volcanic lakes, papal retreats, medieval villages, and crystalline islands that most visitors fly over on their way to the Eternal City. Those who stay discover something rarer than any monument: an Italy entirely their own.
Start in Rome
Two days. One city. A lifetime of impressions.
Arrive, rest, then meet the city on its own terms. A vintage FIAT 500 weaves you through centuries in an afternoon. As the sun drops, ask your driver to leave you in Trastevere, and order the Carbonara. Rome doesn’t need to be conquered. It needs to be felt.
WinkItaly arranges early check-in, private city guides, and skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums and Colosseum, all tailored to your pace.
Into the Hills
The Castelli Romani. Where Rome has always come to breathe.
Less than an hour from the capital, the Alban Hills open into a landscape of ancient vines, volcanic lakes, and villages where the Pope spent his summers. Castel Gandolfo overlooks Lake Albano in silence. In the medieval fortress of Lanuvio, a wine shop pours the DOC wines of the hills, the kind you won’t find back home.
The Lake
Bracciano. A castle above a crater.
Lake Bracciano was born from a volcano and shaped by centuries of legend. Its village rises from the shore toward the Orsini-Odescalchi Castle, chosen by couples from around the world for its extraordinary beauty. Walk the narrow streets uphill, and the lake unfolds beneath you like a painting.
The Islands
Ponza. The Mediterranean as it used to be.
Two hours from the coast, six tiny islands surface from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Ponza is the jewel, rocky coves, translucent water, and natural arches carved by the sea over millennia. Palmarola, just beyond, is pure, untouched paradise. No crowds. No performance. Only the sound of water against stone. Beneath the surface: ancient Roman shipwrecks and the remnants of wartime vessels, waiting for those who dive deeper.
WinkItaly arranges private boat tours aboard the oldest fishing vessel on the island, with a captain who knows every secret cove.
What Lazio tastes like.
From the iconic Carbonara of Trastevere to the fresh catch of Ponza, Lazio reveals its soul through unforgettable flavors. Sip renowned DOC wines among the rolling hills of Castelli Romani, then savor authentic street food at the lively markets of Bracciano, each taste a journey into the region’s rich heritage.
Did you know?
Lazio was inhabited at least 60,000 years ago. History and myth entwine here, Virgil himself wrote that Aeneas landed on these shores, making Rome’s legendary founders, Romulus and Remus, descendants of that very soil. Every stone in Lazio carries a story. Most of them have never been told to a tourist.
Let’s Begin the Journey
Ready to discover your Lazio?
Every WinkItaly journey is designed entirely around you, from the first night in Rome to the last boat back from the islands.
Each region of Italy carries its own rhythm, landscape, traditions, and sense of place. These destinations can help shape journeys that feel both personal and unforgettable.
