By air
Florence (FLR) or Pisa (PSA), ~1–2 h by road
Europe · Italy
Tuscany, Italy
Cypress lanes, hill towns and vineyards
Getting there
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October — the harvest
Don't miss
Siena's Piazza del Campo
San Gimignano's towers
Pienza
Montepulciano
Things to do
Chianti wine tastings
The hill towns of Pienza and Montepulciano
Cycling through the vineyards
Where to eat
What to pack
Layers, comfortable shoes
A quieter corner
Bagno Vignoni's village square of hot water
Questions travellers ask
When should I visit Tuscany?
April to June, or September to October for the harvest. Pack layers and comfortable shoes.
Which towns should I see in Tuscany?
Siena for its Piazza del Campo, San Gimignano for its towers, and the hill towns of Pienza and Montepulciano. For something unusual, find Bagno Vignoni's village square of hot water.
What should I eat and drink in Tuscany?
Pecorino and ribollita, with Chianti and Brunello wines. Go to a Chianti wine tasting, or cycle through the vineyards.
Where should I fly into for a Tuscany trip?
Florence (FLR) or Pisa (PSA), then allow about 1–2 hours by road.
About Tuscany
- Hills
Where it is
Tuscany is a region of central Italy with Florence as its capital, stretching from the Apennine mountains west across rolling hills to a coast on the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas, and including the island of Elba.
History
The Etruscans, the Tusci of the Romans, gave Tuscany its name, and in the Middle Ages rich communes such as Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca rose and competed. In the 16th century the Medici of Florence absorbed the Republic of Siena to create the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and in the 19th century, after a plebiscite, the region joined the new Kingdom of Italy.
People
Tuscans speak Italian, which grew out of the Florentine dialect. Farming families produce wine, olive oil and pecorino cheese, marble is quarried in the Apuan Alps around Carrara, and country cooking favours bread soups such as ribollita and hand-rolled pici pasta.
Known for
- Florence, Siena and the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino wines
- San Gimignano's medieval towers
- The Val d'Orcia landscape
- Siena's Palio horse race
Did you know?
Siena's Palio, a bareback horse race around the Piazza del Campo, is run twice a year, on 2 July and 16 August, by ten of the city's seventeen contrade, or wards.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.