Tuscany is the perfect place to visit for the first-time traveler in Italy, but it’s also a region you could return to again and again. Cypress-lined winding roads, great wines, and Renaissance cities full of history – that´s what most people associate with Tuscany when they think of this beautiful region in Italy. But Tuscany offers so much more. So I thought I’d prepare a Tuscany travel guide for you to find the best places to visit in Tuscany!.
No matter where you go, you’re sure to find stunning views of rolling hills, exceptional wine, a lively piazza, gelato shops, and quaint alleys. I’ve also included a few of the best hotel choices and restaurants in the area.
Also, if you need any outfit inspirations for your upcoming trips, make sure to follow me on Instagram, where I have linked all the outfits with the links.
How to get to Tuscany & how to get around.
A great way to explore Tuscany Italy is a road trip. It’s best to start in Rome or Florence and then make your way up or down. We landed in Rome and drove from Rome to Florence. The drive is only 2 and half hours. You can also take a train from Rome to Florence and later rent a car from Florence to explore the rest of the Tuscany areas.
You won’t need a car if you are only planning to visit the major cities like Rome and Florence, but if you are planning to visit the countryside of Tuscany, you will need a car due to the lack of public transportation.
Driving is pretty easy in Italy but keep in mind that most of the highways have tolls. I highly recommend renting a car though.
Where to stay in Tuscany.
Depending on which areas of Tuscany you want to see, you have to decide whether you want to stay in one place and take day trips from there or in multiple locations to be closer to specific attractions.
We stayed in Florence for 3 nights, and for the rest of the 3 nights, we stayed at the Il Borro countryside estate in Tuscany. (more on that later).
Florence: We stayed at Plaza Hotel Luchessi. This hotel is in the perfect location. If you have a car, they have a paid parking garage. But, there is also an option of street parking just near the hotel, which is pretty inexpensive. It is not that hard to find street parking near the hotel.
We found that the other hotels, which were located a bit on the internal streets of Florence, can be a bit tricky with the street parking situation. Therefore I highly suggest Hotel Plaza Luchessi.
We also spent the 3 nights in the Tuscany countryside, and it was breathtaking. We decided to live at the Il Borro Estate. IL borro is located in the Arezzo region, located halfway between Florence and Siena which was a great base to visit the Chianti wine region, San Gimignano and Vald’orcia.
You can also stay near the Vald’orcia region since the region has a lot of Agriturimuso’s, which are inexpensive but have gorgeous views.
Day 1: Florence, Tuscany
Florence is a great place to start your trip through Tuscany. As I said before, we drove to Florence from Rome.
Some of the things to do in Florence: Visit the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, the dome, and the bell tower. Around the Piazza Della Signora, you can find the Palazzo Vecchio and the Neptune fountain which are both famous sights in Florence. Another main attraction is the Uffizi Gallery with its art collection including Da Vinci, and Michelangelo along with the Accademia Gallery which includes the famous David statue.
You can also visit Ponte Vecchio, a famous bridge where you can find some shops. If you have some time make sure you visit Palazzo Pitti with the Boboli Gardens.
If you don’t have enough time to visit all the monuments, and can only do a couple, I would suggest going to the Accademia Gallery and the Uffizi Gallery. Relax at the Ponte Vecchio bridge with some gelato and spend more time roaming around the streets of the city to enjoy it a bit more instead of just visiting the historical monuments. That’s just my opinion, you can for sure do as you prefer.
Florence Restaurant suggestions:
- Trattoria Za Za- a must visit. The pasta is to die for as well as the tiramisu. We went there twice because it was that good. If you are a vegetarian, I highly recommend the Bocalona spaghetti as well as the truffle sauce spaghetti, if you are a fan of truffle sauce.
- Osteria Santo Spirito: a must-visit as well since their truffle gnocchi is out of this world. It was only 6 Euro and the portions were great.
- Trattoria 13 Gobbi
- Le Vespe Cafe for brunch
- Buca Mario
- Gusta Pizza
- Trattoria Da Lloste
- La Giostre
- 4 Leoni
Florence Rooftop and Bar Recommendations:
- View on the Art Rooftop bar
- Djaria American bar
- Golden View
- Divina Terrazza at Grand Hotel Cavour
Day 2: Cinque Terre, Tuscany
The next day, we decided to take a day trip to Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is a small coastal town two hours away from Florence. It is worth the drive. If you don’t have a car, you can also take a tour with one of the companies. I would highly recommend visiting it though.
Cinque Terre consists of 5 small Italian villages which are preserved to their authentic state even after all the tourism in Florence. The 5 villages are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso.
The five towns are different but very similar at the same time. You can park the car in one town and visit the other towns through the train that runs between them. I would suggest parking your car in Manarola since the parking space is way more compared to other towns.
If you only have time to visit one or two towns, I would suggest Manarola and Vernazza. All the towns are beautiful but I found most things to do in these two towns.
We explored the little towns and then had late lunch in one of the restaurants in Manarola called Nessun Dorma. The restaurant has gorgeous views. Make sure you have a reservation through their app “Nessun Dorma or have your name on the waiting list through the app, so you don’t have to wait in long lines.
Vernazza also has a beautiful restaurant Belfort, which also has long lines so make sure you have a reservation. You can spend your day taking in the gorgeous views of both the towns.
If you can only do one day trip from Florence, make sure you visit Cinque Terre.
Day 3: Florence, Tuscany
We wanted to relax a bit on this day visiting different shops in Florence and taking in the city a bit more. We woke up late, had delicious brunch at Le Vespe Cafe, and shopped around. Both of us love shopping in Europe, so I and Parth decided to take the day easy, and sip on some wine while people watching and shopping.
Day 4: Chianti
We checked out of our Florence hotel and checked in to the Il Borro estate for the next 3 days. It was one of the most gorgeous properties I have been to. So calm and serene.
It was truly an authentic Tuscan experience.
Before we checked in to our hotel, we decided to explore the Chianti region of Tuscany and visit a few wineries.
We went for wine tasting at the famous Antinori nel Chianti Classico winery. It is such a beautiful winery. The views are gorgeous. It goes without saying, but the wine was also delicious. The winery also has a restaurant that serves lunch and snacks. Having a reservation is highly recommended. We had lunch before continuing to explore other wineries.
Next up we went to Castello di Verrazzano winery. It also offers tours and wine tasting and the views are gorgeous as it is everywhere in Tuscany. You cannot go wrong with the countryside Tuscany views.
After spending a few hours there, we headed back to IL Borro for our photoshoot.
We hired a professional photographer to capture our beautiful memories and I plan to share a newsletter about it with my subscribers, so make sure you subscribe if you are interested in getting the newsletter.
Day 5: IL Borro and Arezzo
If you have been following me for a while, you know that for me and my husband, travel is not about checking off the things on your list, but it is truly enjoying the moment and the place.
Therefore, since we loved the IL Borro estate so much, we decided to spend the day at the estate. Had a delicious Tuscan breakfast in the morning, went biking and horse riding, and spent time at their gorgeous pool.
I am so glad that we took out a day to enjoy the estate and not rush but enjoy the stillness of the moment like a true Tuscan experience.
Day 6: Exploring the Tuscany Countryside towns
We started our morning a bit early today since we wanted to explore the small towns of Pienza, Montepulciano, Monticchiello, San Gimignano, and Vald’Orcia as much as can.
I am not exaggerating when I say these small Tuscan countryside towns are one of the most gorgeous things I have ever witnessed. It looks like these are real-life paintings. I truly envy the people who live there, because it is truly a heaven on earth.
Poster-like cypress trees and rolling hills. Oh my, I can go there every year and would still not get bored of it. The dreamy region of Val D´Orcia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and features some of the most picturesque views of Tuscany.
The typical Tuscan landscape is what many people come for when visiting this region. Cypress-lined winding roads, green hills, endless vineyards, and olive groves – I hope you enjoyed reading this Tuscany travel guide! If you have any other questions about our Tuscany trip just let me know in the comments below! The best place to see this image of Tuscany in real life is Val D´Orcia which is the epitome of the typical Tuscan landscape.
I think the best way to explore this area is to drive through the small towns and along the scenic roads. One of the most picturesque roads is the Strada Provinciale del Pecorile. This is where you find a lot of photo spots, such as the winding roads of the Agriturismo Baccoleno.
Bar Il Casello is the perfect place in Pienza to grab a glass of wine and relax at the bistro tables facing the Tuscan hillside. You can also grab lunch at Latte di luna. Their pasta is delicious. The ingredients are so fresh and juicy.
I would recommend driving through the area and exploring the towns for a day or two. There are so many good wineries, restaurants, and landscapes that you won’t be disappointed.
There is also Saturnia, the insta-famous natural hot springs. This is probably one of the most photographed places in Tuscany Italy. Unfortunately, we did not have time during this trip to visit it, but I am sure I am going to be making another trip to Tuscany in the near future haha so will for sure make it happen then.
Day 7: Heading back to Rome
Sadly, this was our last day. We checked out of our hotel and headed back to Rome.
The towns of Pienza and Valdo’orcia are on the way from Florence to Rome, so we decided to visit the towns again on our way to Rome, and have lunch in one of the towns before we said our final goodbyes.
We made it to Rome late evening for our flight back to the US the next morning.
This was our second time in Rome, so we decided to take it easy and just have dinner in Travastere.
Some things you can see in Rome:
The Colosseum should definitely be on everyone’s bucket list as it is the largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire. The Forum and Palatinate Hill from where the Roman Empire was administered isn’t far from the Colosseum and worth a visit. Another famous sight is the Trevi fountain in which people throw coins in order to find love. Vatican City with the St. Peters Basilica is a very popular tourist destination but you should plan a lot of time. To find some cute spots and restaurants stroll through the streets of Travastere.
I hope you enjoyed reading this Tuscany travel guide! If you have any other questions about our Tuscany trip just let me know in the comments below!
