Tuscany

When to go

What to see

Florence Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) Climb Giotto's Bell Tower or Brunelleschi's Dome. The dome climb costs 20 EUR, the bell tower 15 EUR. Both give you 463 steps. Book the dome weeks ahead in high season. Skip the museum inside the Duomo unless you love religious art. Total time: 90 minutes for the climb plus piazza photos.

Uffizi Gallery The world's best Renaissance collection. Botticelli's Birth of Venus lives here. A standard ticket is 25 EUR. Book 2-3 weeks ahead online for a specific time slot. The line without a reservation can be 3 hours. Allow 3 hours inside. Skip the cafeteria and eat on Piazza della Signoria.

Accademia Gallery Michelangelo's David. That is the main reason to go. The museum is small. 17 EUR ticket. Book ahead. Spend 45 minutes total. You will see David, some unfinished slaves, and a few musical instruments. That is it.

Siena The Piazza del Campo is one of Europe's best squares. The Duomo di Siena costs 13 EUR and has a marble floor that is uncovered only from June to October. Climb the Torre del Mangia for 10 EUR. Siena is compact, you can see the main sights in 4 hours.

San Gimignano A hill town with 14 surviving medieval towers. The walk from Porta San Giovanni to Piazza della Cisterna takes 20 minutes. The Duomo frescoes are free. Skip the torture museum. Best gelato at Gelateria Dondoli on the main square. Plan 2-3 hours.

Chianti Wine Region Drive the SS222 road from Florence to Siena. Stop at Greve in Chianti for wine shops. Castellina in Chianti has a great castle. Most wineries require a booking for tastings. A proper tasting with 3 wines and snacks costs 25-40 EUR per person. Allow a half day.

Val d'Orcia The iconic Tuscan landscape of rolling hills, cypress trees, and farmhouses. The best photo spot is the Chapel of Vitaleta near Pienza. Pienza itself has pecorino cheese shops and a lovely square. Montalcino is the Brunello wine capital. A full day tours from Siena cost around 90 EUR per person. Rent a car for more freedom.

Lucca A walled city you can bike on top of. Rent a bike for 5 EUR per hour. Climb the Guinigi Tower with its rooftop trees for 6 EUR. The city is flat and family friendly. Half a day is enough.

3-day itinerary

Day 1: Florence full day

8:00 AM. Start at Piazza del Duomo. Climb the bell tower or dome. Book your dome slot for 8:30 AM to avoid the worst queues. 9:30 AM. Walk to Piazza della Signoria. Free sculptures under the Loggia. 10:00 AM. Uffizi Gallery. Prebook for 10:00 AM. You will be out by 1:00 PM. Lunch at Mercato Centrale. The ground floor has a fresh pasta bar, the first floor has a food hall. Prices from 12 EUR for a plate. 2:00 PM. Ponte Vecchio. Walk across and take photos. 2:30 PM. Oltrarno neighborhood. Visit Santo Spirito church (free) for a Brunelleschi design. 3:30 PM. Boboli Gardens. 10 EUR ticket. Walk the hedges for 1 hour. 5:00 PM. Gelato at Gelateria dei Neri near Santa Croce. 6:00 PM. Aperitivo at Le Volpi e L'Uva. 8 EUR for a glass of wine and free snacks. Dinner at Trattoria 4 Leoni. Book ahead. Pasta around 16 EUR.

Day 2: Siena and San Gimignano

8:00 AM. Train from Florence to Siena. 20 EUR, 1.5 hours via direct bus. 9:30 AM. Piazza del Campo. Walk the shell shape. 10:00 AM. Siena Duomo. 13 EUR. Spend 1.5 hours. 11:30 AM. Torre del Mangia climb. 10 EUR. 12:30 PM. Lunch at Osteria Le Logge on Piazza del Campo. Reservations recommended. Pasta 15-18 EUR. 1:30 PM. Bus to San Gimignano from Siena. 45 minutes. 10 EUR each way. 2:30 PM. Walk the main street. Climb Torre Grossa for 9 EUR. Gelato at Dondoli. 4:30 PM. Bus back to Siena. 5:30 PM. Walk the Siena city walls for free. Dinner at Trattoria La Pia. 7:00 PM. Train back to Florence.

Day 3: Chianti wine drive and Val d'Orcia

Rent a car in Florence. Pick up at 8:00 AM. 50-70 EUR for a day including insurance. Drive south on SS222. 9:00 AM. Stop at Greve in Chianti. Walk the triangular piazza. Buy a bottle of Chianti Classico for 15 EUR at the Enoteca. 10:00 AM. Drive to Castellina in Chianti. Visit the Rocca fortress. Free. 11:00 AM. Wine tasting at a small winery. Book Fattoria di Manzano the day before. 25 EUR for a tasting of 4 wines with bread and cheese. 12:30 PM. Drive to Siena. 1:00 PM. Quick lunch in Siena. Grab a panino from Pizzicheria De Miccoli. 2:00 PM. Drive to Val d'Orcia. 45 minutes. 3:00 PM. Pienza. Walk the main street. Taste pecorino at Formaggi Pienza. 4:00 PM. Drive to the Chapel of Vitaleta. Photo stop. 5:00 PM. Montalcino. Climb the fortress for 8 EUR. 6:00 PM. Return to Florence. 90 minute drive. Return car by 8:00 PM.

Where to stay

Getting around

Train Good for Florence to Siena (bus, not train, is direct), Florence to Lucca (1.5 EUR, 1 hour), Florence to Pisa (9 EUR, 1 hour). Buy tickets on the Trenitalia app or at machines. Validate paper tickets in the yellow boxes. 50 EUR fine if you forget. Avoid regional trains after 7 PM on weekends, they get rowdy.

Bus Siena to San Gimignano runs every 30 minutes. 10 EUR each way. Buses are on time for the first trip of the day and 5-10 minutes late later. Buy tickets at tabacchi shops.

Car The best way to see rural Tuscany. Rent from Hertz or Europcar. Avoid driving in Florence city center. ZTL zones (limited traffic zones) with cameras will fine you 80+ EUR. Park at Villa Costanza tram stop outside Florence for 5 EUR per day. In Siena, park at Stadio parking for 1.5 EUR per hour. In hill towns, park outside the walls and walk up.

Tours Group tours from Florence to Val d'Orcia cost 90-130 EUR per person. You lose flexibility. I recommend renting a car for a day.

Budget

Mistakes to avoid

Buying leather goods on Ponte Vecchio. The shops there sell Chinese imports at Italian prices. Go to Scuola del Cuoio near Santa Croce for real Florentine leather. A belt costs 40 EUR. A bag starts at 200 EUR.

Eating at a restaurant with a menu in 6 languages. Tourists traps in Florence include all places on Piazza della Signoria. Walk 200 meters down a side street. Look for places where the menu is handwritten in Italian and the pasta is made fresh.

Not booking tickets ahead for the Uffizi and Accademia. You will wait 2-3 hours in July. Book online at least 2 weeks in advance. The official site has a small booking fee of 4 EUR. Use it.

Driving into a ZTL zone. Those cameras are everywhere. Florence, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano all have them. The fine arrives at your rental car company in 3 months. It is 80-150 EUR. Park outside and walk.

Ordering a cappuccino after 11 AM. Italians drink milk coffee only in the morning. After lunch they have espresso. You can order a cappuccino at 3 PM, but the barista will judge you silently. Do it anyway if you want, but know the rule.

Climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa without a reservation. That requires booking months ahead. The tower is a 30 minute visit. If you cannot get a ticket, just take the photo of you holding it up. It is free and takes less time.

FAQ