The top 20 experiences in Tuscany

Tuscany What To See and Do – Quick tips for your trip

1. Florence and its grand museums

See Botticelli and Da Vinci at the Uffizi and meet the David at the Accademia Gallery in Florence. On this Special Tour Skip-the-Line of the Uffizi you can skip the queues and experience the highlights of Renaissance art with an experienced guide. If you love art, explore the fabulous Bargello and San Marco Museum, to admire amazing frescoes and statues.

2. Have breakfast like a Florentine

Grab a cappuccino and a fresh brioche with the locals at one of the ciy’s top bar pasticcerie. Try one ‘pezzo dolce‘ at Robiglio or Scudieri, or Pawskoski in Piazza della Repubblica.

3. Take pictures from Piazzale Michelangelo

The best views of Florence and a top photo opportunity. Go late afternoon. Pack an extra battery for your camera. You can walk to piazzale Michelangevo via the Rampe dei Poggi – the panoramic complex of staircases fountains and walkways – or take the bus (it takes around 15 minutes from the city centre).

4. See how the Medici family lived

Visit the Medici Palaces and see the majestic tombs designed by Michelangelo in the Medici Chapels in Florence.

=> 15 Unmissable Things to do in Florence!

5. Wonder how the Leaning Tower in Pisa is still standing

Yes, it’s well worth the trip to Pisa if you’re in Tuscany. Best in the evening with fewer tourists around. You can climb to the top too.

6. Step back time in Piazza del Campo in Siena

. Forget the 21st century. Welcome to the middle ages. This is one of the top Medieval squares in the whole of Italy. Take a Guided Walking Tour of Siena to skip the line and visit the Duomo and explore the ancient “contrade”. Prepare to be amazed.

7. Climb a Medieval tower in San Gimignano

You know those 14 towers that make the famous skyline of San Gimignano? People used to live in them. Climb up and revel in the atmosphere.

8. Walk the green city walls in Lucca

Lucca‘s Renaissance ramparts are today the city’s green belt. Ride it, walk it, or just sit there and contemplate this beautiful, relaxing town.

9. Vintage Vespa tour around the countryside

The Vespa was born in Tuscany. What better way to scoot around the winding roads of the countryside? Book your Vespa Tour from Florence =>a local guide leads the way up through the scenic hills, where you pass the famous Piazzale Michelangelo, then you head back to our country estate for a traditional Italian meal to top off your journey.

10. Try all the wine you can find

 The Chianti region in Tuscany offers unlimited occasions for wine tasting, wine buying and general wine worshipping. You can visit a family run winery, a castle where wine is made, or a modern cantina like the famed Cantina Antinori, where contemporary architecture meets traditional wine production.

With this popular Safari Chianti Wine Full Day Tour from Florence you’ll tour the Chianti region, taste some local wines and food – Visit a wine estate and historic villa, learn how Chianti wine is produced, and enjoy a 3-course meal in the countryside.

11. Gaze at the most beautiful frescoes of all time

See one of the Florentine Churches with works by Masaccio and Ghirlandaio. Or head to Arezzo to see the magnificent fresco series by Piero della Francesca. Discover the best frescoes to see in Florence.

=> Most Beautiful Churches to visit in Florence.

12. Drive in the Val d’Orcia for “those views”

You know that enchanting postcard of Tuscany with a hill lined with cypress tree? That’s Val d’Orcia. A UNESCO heritage site that’s even more impressive in real life. One of the most breathtaking of all Tuscany landscapes.

=> Scenic Road trip in the Val d’Orcia

13. Fly over Tuscany in a Hot Air Balloon

This is slow travel at its best. Hop in a hot air balloon and experience beautiful and uninterrupted views of the Tuscan countryside. Its Tuscany as you’ve never seen it. This popular Hot Air Ballon Experience departs from the lovely town of San Casciano Val di Pisa, near Florence.

14. Eat your heart out in one of the traditional trattorie

Big appetite? You’re in the right place. Try the bistecca alla Fiorentina or cinghiale (wild boar) sauce with artisan pasta called ‘pici‘. Grab yourself a bit of pecorino cheese to take home the taste of Tuscany with you. Buon appetito!

15. Romantic evening in Pienza

There are lots of romantic small towns in Tuscany, but Pienza has something extra special. Maybe it’s the street called “Via dell’amore” or the enchanting views of the Val d’Orcia.

=> Best of Romantic Tuscany: places that we’ll make you fall in love with life!

16. Visit the quarries on the Apuan Alps

This is where Michelangelo got his marble from. Reason enough to go there. The mountain quarries have an otherworldly beauty to them. On this Guided Tour of the marble quarries you’ll learn how the marble was mined and how it was often used for sculpture during the Renaissance. A truly unique experience!

17. See the “Tufa towns” in the Maremma

On the southern tip of Tuscany, you’ll find one of its most bewitching sites. Pitigliano and its little sisters Sovana and Sorano seems to grow out the Tufa rock itself. And you’ll surely find plenty of other reasons to fall in love with the Maremma.

18. Meet the Etruscans in Volterra or Cortona

See the remains of ancient Etruria in these two magnificent hilltop towns of Volterra and Cortona in central Tuscany.

=> Discover all the Unmissable Things to do in Cortona.

19. Montepulciano and Montalcino wine

Want to try the best wine in Tuscany? Go to where they are from. Montepulciano and Montalcino are two charming towns, located south of Siena, with an ancient and noble traditions of winemaking.

20. The beaches of the Maremma and Elba Island

If you want kilometres of unspoiled beaches, Maremma is the place to go. The water is clear and there’s a nature reserve too. The Elba Island wins hands-down for sea lovers.

For more ideas for your trip, check out our suggested itineraries in Tuscany.

=> Experience the Best of Tuscany with these 5 Tours!

=> 8 Amazing Medieval Castles to visit in Tuscany