Italy: city games

Each Italian city tells a different part of the country's history. In the north, Milan, Turin and Verona combine Roman remains with elegant squares, and Bologna is famous for its kilometres of porticoes. In the centre, Rome, Florence, Pisa and Perugia are packed with ancient and Renaissance landmarks. In the south and on the islands, Naples, Bari, Palermo and Catania have a busy street life and a cuisine of their own.

Historic centres are best explored on foot, but expect cobblestones, stairs and some steep streets. Churches usually ask visitors to cover shoulders and knees, and in summer it pays to play in the morning or early evening. Need ideas? Read our guide to our Rome guide or find out our Florence guide.

You book your game online and receive a confirmation email with everything you need. Open the game on your phone when you are ready and start whenever it suits you — no guide is waiting and there is no fixed departure time. Stop for a coffee or a museum along the way and pick up where you left off.

A City Game works for friends, family, couples and colleagues, and just as well on your own. You play in teams on one phone, and several teams can walk the same route at the same time, which is why it is often used for birthdays, team outings and family days. Children join in easily as long as an adult reads along.