Italy: creamy gelato, rolling vineyard views, and medieval stone villages… it’s hard to improve on such a classic destination. But how about joining a dinner party with locals at a cottage overlooking all of Florence? Or meeting the “mama” in the kitchen of a restaurant hidden inside a butcher’s shop? Or dancing to live folk music with a 90-year old grandpa who can’t stop giggling? Even better! Long story short, there is no shortage of creative date ideas to turn up the romance on your next Italian escape with your love.
What are creative date ideas in Italy? Here are ten creative date ideas in Italy:
- Learn the language of love
- Take a boat ride to a volcano
- Enjoy cooking and opera in the Chianti Countryside
- Gather chestnuts in the rarely-visited mountains of northern Tuscany
- Plan a surprise gourmet picnic in an olive grove, vineyard, or beach
- Have an aperitivo in a privately-owned art nouveau villa
- Lose yourselves in the sights, sounds, and smells of a local market with an Italian nonna
- Spend a day learning from an artisan master
- Ride a Vespa up to Fiesole
- Meet local farmers as you hike to an exclusive lunch location
As you can see, La dolce vita gets a lot sweeter when you know the right person to be an inner connection to the locals and to experiences that you might not even realize are possible. Italy is THE place to go, not because of its famous attractions (those are nice, too) but because today, thanks to a new generation of creative travel planners focused on immersive and meaningful experiences (that’s me!), you can learn the history from those who’ve lived it, taste wine straight from the barrel, and find yourself welcomed as a new friend, rather than just another tourist. Read below to get the deets on all these amazing, creative date ideas.
1. Learn the language of love.
If there’s one thing that will help you have a better trip, it’s learning a few phrases in Italian with a local. Do yourself a favor and start your trip off by learning and practicing beautiful Italian phrases to woo your boo over a plate of homemade pastries and coffee.
Category: Budget, Food and Drink, Other
Location: Florence/Adaptable anywhere in Italy
2. Take a boat ride to a volcano.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is one I can’t fully explain because you just have to experience it yourself. Off the coast of Sicily in the Aeolian Islands, my friend and local biologist, Luigi, hands you a chilled glass of bubbly as you wait to see what explosions, big or small, the volcano of Stromboli has in store for you that evening. I repeat: you have to experience it yourself!
Category: Adventure, Romantic, Luxury/Fancy
Location: Aeolian Islands, Sicily
3. Cooking and Opera in the Chianti Countryside.
There’s romance, and then there’s cooking in a countryside cottage followed by a private opera performance by professional musicians. This is a sure way to light your senses on fire and get you in the mood!
Category: Food and Drink, Romantic
Location: Tuscany/Puglia
4. Gather Chestnuts in the rarely-visited mountains of Northern Tuscany.
Go for an immersive adventure with this easy/medium level hike to an abandoned stone mill where they used to grind chestnuts into flour. Then learn traditional chestnut flour recipes and cook outdoors by a stream. (Go for a dip if you’re feeling bold!)
Category: Adventure, Food and Drink
Location: Tuscany
5. Plan a surprise gourmet picnic in an olive grove, vineyard, or beach.
Italy’s romantic settings stretch from alpine views, to thousand-year-old olive trees, to a personal cave looking onto crystalline water. Take your pick and surprise your loved one with a gourmet picnic with products hand-selected by a local.
Category: Food and Drink, Romantic
Location: Adaptable anywhere in Italy
6. Have an aperitivo in a privately-owned art nouveau villa.
Visiting a museum is one thing, but stepping into a breathtaking villa where the family has been continuously living for over 500 years is something else entirely. Spend an afternoon hearing the family stories and lingering over an aperitivo or tea. They’re also great cooks if you want to learn how to make the creamiest ravioli you’ve ever tasted!
Category: Luxury/Fancy, Romantic, Food and Drink
Location: Mugello, Tuscany/Adaptable in other areas of Italy
7. Lose yourselves in the sights, sounds, and smells of a local market with an Italian nonna.
Sure, you can visit a market on your own and marvel at the sights and sounds, but you can’t beat going with a nonna (Italian grandma) and watching her interact with the vendors and explain the unfamiliar fruits and veggies. Top it off with a cooking class back at her place!
Category: Food and Drink
Location: Adaptable anywhere in Italy
8. Spend a day learning from an artisan master.
There are still a few artisans making shoes, paper, books, leather bags, jewelry, mosaics, and more, all by hand using traditional methods. It is truly a rare and unique experience to spend a day in their workshop using your own two hands to make something beautiful from scratch which you can keep forever!
Category: Other
Location: Florence/Adaptable in other areas of Italy
9. Ride a Vespa up to Fiesole.
I admit I was petrified at first, but as soon as I let go and felt the breeze in my hair and watched in awe as we passed breathtaking Italian streets and climbed the steady rise up to the small village of Fiesole, I was 10,000% SOLD. Clinging onto your boo for safety doesn’t hurt either. 🙂 There’s nothing like it, and the view from Fiesole is the icing on the cake!
Category: Adventure, Romantic
Location: Florence/Adaptable anywhere in Italy
10. Meet local farmers as you hike to an exclusive lunch location.
Walk through the hills of inland Sicily, stopping to meet local farmers along the way and ending with a wine tasting and lunch in an exclusive and scenic spot!
Category: Food and Drink, Adventure
Location: Sant’Angelo Muxaro/Adaptable in other areas of Italy
As you can see there is something for everyone in Italy. From boat rides to eating with Italian grandmothers, it won’t be hard to create some unforgettable memories with your love in Italy. Let us us know in the comments, what your favorite idea is!
This is a guest post by Sierra Busch, authority on travel in Italy and Founder of Creative Edge Travel. This immersive travel company helps you think outside the guidebook to get off-the-map and into the everyday life of authentic Italy. We are grateful that Sierra was able to share some amazing date ideas with us and you.
Creative Edge Travel offers small group trips with 5-7 people in the lesser-known areas of Italy, as well as custom trip planning. Their mission is to help you have a more meaningful travel experience at the crossroads of sustainable tourism and cultural conservation! Details and pricing vary depending on season and availability, please reach out to Creative Edge Travel for Cost and Booking Details.