Going to Italy and not visiting Pompeii is like having a cappuccino after noon, it's just not ok. The rich history of this town is a must-see. Whether you book a guided tour or tour it yourself, you have to make it down here at some point! 

I was lucky enough to live right outside of Vatican City for the entirety of my program, and let me tell you, I never got tired of walking past St. Peter's Basilica. This is one of those spots that you must get a tour of when you visit. It will take about 2-3  hours to get through the whole museum, but boy, is it worth it. Unfortunately, you cannot take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel, but it will take your breath away once you walk in. Be prepared to have your shoulders and knees covered out of respect, and carry a fan with you because it is jam-packed with other tours and it gets warm!

I booked a weekend trip through Bus2Alps and it did not disappoint! We stayed in a hostel in Sorrento and took a private boat to Capri for one day and then ferried to Positano another day. Pictures can only do so much for these locations. Both spots were amazing and buzzing with locals and tourists. If you make it to Capri, you must do the chair lift! It cost about 14 Euros, but the view from the top was priceless; it had a cafe with great drinks as well! 

In case you didn't know, Tivoli is where that one iconic scene from Lizzie McGuire was filmed. The estate was gorgeous from the infrastructure to the view of the city, I would recommend this day trip! There is an organ that is powered by one of the waterfalls that only plays at certain times during the day and it was so cool to hear as you look off onto the gardens! 

This was my favorite destination by far! I never wanted to leave this place! One of the five lands we visited was Monterosso, and the atmosphere was light and fun and everyone had a smile on their face! The little town had great restaurants and friendly locals. We did wine tasting in Monterosso, and the view of the vineyard was amazing! 

Santorini, Greece was the one spot I was dying to visit. My friend and I took this trip at the end of our program and loved every minute of it! At the north end of Santorini is Oia which is where you see the Iconic blue dome houses on the cliff, and where the nightlife and younger travelers are. The bright white buildings with blue accents never got old. If you are down in the South-East part of the island, stop in Perissa and take a trip to the Ancient Thiran town. This little town is packed with ancient Greek history and the views are hard to beat! Everything about Greece is amazing, from the black sand beaches to the food to the infrastructure, nothing compares! While you're here, might as well have yourself a little Mamma Mia moment. ;)