Packing A No-Cook Picnic Lunch In Italy + Printable Shopping List

Last updated on July 22nd, 2024

Sometimes the best way to visit a new place is by slowing down and getting off the beaten track. So why not do so with some good food in your back pocket (or a bag or basket)?

I have been traveling throughout Italy since my teenage days and living here since 2012 and I love spending a sunny day enjoying an Italian picnic lunch.

If you are in Italy and looking to pack the perfect picnic, read on for:

my Italian picnic shopping list
tips for making a picnic in Italy
how to keep things easy and simple

Where To Have A Picnic In Italy

Man walks down path with picnic basket in the Tuscan countryside. — *My dad carrying our picnic basket at Cugusi cheese farm in Montepulciano*

The best places to have picnics in Italy are in rural areas of green parks in the city. I would avoid sitting down for picnics on the side steps of a street, of a church or in a busy square in town as this isn’t really something people do in Italy (and someone might tell you to move along!).

Finding a green space gets you off the beaten path and allows you to slow down without the hustle and bustle of tourism around you. This is particularly good for families traveling in Italy with small children. I also like picnics as an alternative to sit down restaurant meals.

Where To have A Picnic In Florence

View inside Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy. Manicured grass bushes in round shapes with large building in background. Inbetween them is a large grassy area with gravel walkway and in the middle of walkway is a large obelisk. A few people walk on the gravel walkway. — *Boboli Gardens*

Boboli Gardens (in the designated picnic area)
Bardini Gardens

Where To Have A Picnic In Milan

Parco Sempione
Giardini Indro Montanelli
Parco Papa Giovanni Paolo II (Parco delle Basiliche)
Parco Don Luigi Giussani

Where To Have A Picnic In Rome

Villa Borghese
Villa Pamphili
Appia Antica

Where To Have a Picnic In Turin

Pellerina
Parco del Valentino

Where To Have A Picnic In Venice

Giardini della Biennale
Giardini Papadopoli
On one of the boardwalks along the canal (Riva San Biasio has benches, for example)
At Burano’s playground (if you’re visiting with kids)
Parco delle Rimembranze

Where To Have A Picnic In Naples

Parco Virgiliano
Royal Park of Capodimonte

Where To Have A Picnic In Palermo

Along the water at the Foro Italico
Villa Giulia Park

Where To Buy Picnic Ingredients and Supplies

Colorful display of fresh vegetables with prices at open air market in Italy outdoors.

If you want to make buying a picnic in Italy simple and easy, my best piece of advice is to get your ingredients at either a grocery store or at an open air market (usually just open in the mornings). This will help you avoid going to several different stores to make multiple purchases.

Where To Buy Picnic Ingredients

Open Air Markets

Open air markets are where you will find the absolute best ingredients, freshest produce and seasonal goods. Get here early and bring cash.

Learn more about Italian Markets:
How to Shop at Markets in Italy
10 Rules for Shopping at Markets in Italy
Incredible Food Markets in Italy
My Favorite Markets in Florence
Food Markets in Florence
Top Markets In Tuscany
Food Markets in Venice
Rialto Market in Venice

Grocery Stores

Cured meat section at the deli in an Italian supermarket.

Grocery stores are the best option for packing a picnic in Italy if you have little time at hand. Pick up everything you need here without going all over town (including optional items such as knives, napkins and a corkscrew). To learn more about grocery shopping in Italy, read on in Grocery Stores In Italy – How To Grocery Shop On Vacation.

Pizzicheria/Gastronomia

A pizzicheria or gastronomia is a deli with daily specials that you can order and bring back to your accommodation to reheat. In addition, they make sandwiches, sell cured meats, cheeses, bread and basic grocery items.

They also sell a wide variety of pre-made dishes that can be purchased and enjoyed at your picnic such as:

panzanella
cooked beans
meatballs
fried foods
stewed vegetables dishes such as caponata

Specialized Stores

side view of wall of food on shelves at a cheese shops lined with packaged pasta, cheese wheels and olive oil.

Buying food at specialty shops is the old school way of shopping in Italy. It involves going from one small store to the next to pick up various items (cheese at cheese shop, bread at bakery, meat at butcher, produce at vegetable shop, etc.). The quality of the food products is much higher than at a normal grocery store but you need time to burn.

Specialty food shops in Italy to buy picnic ingredients at:

Caseificio or negozio di formaggio – where cheese is produced but often sold as well/cheese shop
Confetteria – sweets shop
Drogheria – dry goods store selling coffee, tea, cookies, spices, soaps, herbs, etc.
Enoteca – wine shop
Forno/panificio – bakery
Fruttivendolo or ortolano – fruit & vegetable shop
Macelleria – butcher for cured meats
Pasticceria – pastry shop
Pizza al taglio – pizza by the slice (sold by the weight)
Salumeria – another name for a deli

Tip: Specialized stores are also great places to pick up food souvenirs and gifts.

Where To Buy Picnic Supplies

If you need supplies such as a corkscrew, cups, a knife and spoon, check out a small grocery store. You can also go to a department store such as COIN, OVS, Rinascente with a HOME section.

While many of us are not in need of these items, having a blanket, cutting board, small knife and corkscrew make picnicking a lot easier. Try to choose items that you might also like to bring home as a souvenir or gift by which to remember your trip. For example, an olive oil wood cutting board is one of my top souvenir suggestions and also makes your picnic much easier.

Finally, a mesticcheria is a small mom and pop home store or hardware store that will sell a lot of these items as well.

No-Cook Picnic Lunch Items To Buy

Seasonal Produce

side view of various vegetables including radishes and zucchini at a market outdoors.

What you choose for your picnic will depend on the season. Look for items that seem to be readily available and relatively easy to eat without peeling:

cherry tomatoes
fava beans
radishes
bell peppers
cucumbers

Canned or Preserved Items

deli view of several different tubs of pickled and preserved goods such as sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, olives and spreads from side view of glass counter.

olives
preserved artichokes
sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
canned tuna fillet
pickled vegetables
lupini beans

Cured Meats

Choose two or three different cured deli meats for your picnic. Order them at the deli counter by the weight or pre-packaged. These are our favorites:

prosciutto crudo
prosciutto arrosto/cotto
salame
mortadella
cured sausages

Cheese

Choose three or four regional cheeses with a mixture of textures and flavors such as:

pecorino cheese
mozzarella cheese (look for small, bite size shapes)
parmigiano cheese
scamorza
tomino
taleggio

For more on cheese in Italy, don’t miss
Italian Cheese – All You Need To Know Before Coming to Italy
Is Mozzarella Pasteurized In Italy?
Is Ricotta Pasteurized In Italy?
What is Mozzarella di Bufala (Buffalo Mozzarella)?
Mozzarella Types and Shapes + a Mozzarella Imposter

Bread

side view of regional read in big loaves ready to be cut on a board with some loaves already cut from side view.

Choose regional bread, wherever you are, including pizza. These are popular and readily available options that are easy to share and serve at a picnic:

pizza by the slice
focaccia
schiacciata
pizzette (small pizza rounds)
focaccine (small focaccia rounds)
taralli (small round crackers)

To discover regional bread specialties, check out Bread in Italy – Types of Italian Breads & Where to Eat Them.

Beverages

Wall display of wines for sale in a shop in Venice, Italy.

Be sure you choose at least one of the following to drink at your picnic:

wine (if choosing white, be sure it’s chilled)
beer (again, should be cold)
non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks or lemonsoda.
water

For help navigating the Italian wine scene, read Where To Buy Wine In Italy – Tips From A Local and Wines To Try In Tuscany – A Comprehensive Guide Written By A Local.

Desserts

Traditional Venetian cookies in a display case in a bakery in Venice, Italy. — *Cookies for sale in Venice*

If you want to end your meal with something sweet, choose from these easy to pack picnic dessert ideas

cookies
chocolate
Italian candy
panforte
small pastries
seasonal fruit (peaches, plums, apricots, grapes, apples, pears, berries)

If You Feel Like Making a Salad

Yes, these dishes require a kitchen and a little more prep work.

If you love Italian salads, try making:
Caprese Salad
Fennel and Orange Salad
Kale Salad with Gorgonzola
Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables
Panzanella
Spring Farro Salad
Tuna Salad (Mayo-Free)
Tuscan Bean Salad

Other Key Items For A Picnic In Italy

Cheese board with sliced pecorino, ricotta, and bread for a picnic lunch in Italy.

While some of these items are optional, most make for an easier and more smooth picnic experience in Italy.

Spoon and Knife

You can either buy a pocket knife (or maybe you travel with one) or pick up a cheap serrated knife at most grocery stores. If you don’t want to pick up a knife, be sure to get pre-sliced bread, cured meats and cheeses (or opt for bite-size mozzarella)

Small Cups

Pick up plastic or paper cups at supermarkets next to the plastic wrap, disposable silverware and napkins.

Napkins

Don’t forget napkins or paper towels readily available at supermarkets.

Corkscrew

A corkscrew is key to opening your wine. You can pick up corkscrews at most wine shops (enoteca) or grocery stores. Should you want to avoid it, look for screw tops which are ever more common in Italy.

Blanket

A picnic blanket is a total bonus but not by any means necessary. Look for cheap cotton blanks (or even a large beach towel or tablecloth) at department stores, large supermarkets or home good stores (mesticheria).