{"id":23700,"date":"2020-02-24T21:40:52","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T20:40:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sommertage.com\/?p=23700"},"modified":"2023-10-15T09:49:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-15T08:49:42","slug":"tuscany-road-trip-itinerary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sommertage.com\/en\/tuscany-road-trip-itinerary\/","title":{"rendered":"Road Trip in Tuscany: Itinerary & Our Tips for the Most Beautiful Destinations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ciao Toscana! Hello beautiful Tuscany! It\u2019s no secret that we fell in love with this region instantly, it was love at first sight<\/strong>. Tuscany has this unique combination of Italian lifestyle and holiday flair. Our road trip through Tuscany<\/strong> was one of our best trips and most memorable trips (not just because we got to spend it with family).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this travel guide, we share with you our itinerary<\/strong> and which places we visited on our Tuscan road trip. As always, we have included our personal tips<\/strong> as well. All the destinations on our road trip can be found at the end of the article on an interactive map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

1. Tuscany Road Trip: What is Tuscany like? <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Olive groves and vineyards as far as the eye can see, rolling hills and picturesque towns: Tuscany is home to some places that are too beautiful to be true, with incredible photo opportunities<\/strong> all around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the heart of Tuscany, you\u2019ll find beautiful, romantic cities<\/strong>, such as Florence with its stunning cathedral. But the smaller cities are the ones that really captivated us. We were particularly taken by the small charming town of Lucca, with its well-preserved medieval city wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Tuscany would not be Tuscany without its characteristic landscapes: the gentle, rolling hills are mesmerising in the golden hours – as are the lovely cypress trees<\/strong> and olive groves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mornings are best spent with breakfast from local places, and the evenings are best spent enjoying sunset out in the countryside – you can\u2019t get more Tuscan than that! You\u2019ll find it easier to switch-off<\/strong> and be more in the present – life slows down here, just enough that it\u2019s therapeutic. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Toskana<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Itinerary through Tuscany: The Stops of our Road Trip<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Florence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Florence is the ideal starting point<\/strong> for a road trip through Tuscany because being the capital of Tuscany, it is home to one of the largest airports in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With almost 400,000 inhabitants, Florence is not a huge city, but certainly larger than expected. It\u2019s also very touristy with large crowds, especially in the centre. Nowhere else in Tuscany was coffee more expensive than in Florence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most famous sight in Florence is the Uffizi Gallery<\/strong> – a complex of buildings that has now become one of the most famous art museums in the world. Therefore, it might be a good idea to get your tickets in advance. One of the highlights was the stunning cathedral of Florence called Santa Maria del Fiore<\/strong>. We were speechless at the sight of it, this is one of the most beautiful cathedrals we have ever seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our tip:<\/strong> enjoy a magical sunset overlooking Florence from the Piazzale di Michelangelo<\/strong>. This is far from a secret, but the view from up here is simply incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our hotel tip for Florence:<\/strong> Corte Calzaiuoli Elegant Suites<\/a>
Beautiful, very stylish, small boutique hotel right in the centre of florence. Great location, very good breakfast<\/em> \u2013 one of the best accommodation on our road trip. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Toskana<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lucca<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Of all the destinations we visited on our road trip in Tuscany, we found Lucca particularly charming and would highly recommend you to see this place for yourself. The architecture style has a very medieval feel<\/strong> and the city of Lucca is actually surrounded by an excellently preserved medieval city wall<\/strong>, which you can walk or bike around its entire 4 kilometre length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most famous sights in Lucca is Piazza dell’Anfiteatro<\/strong>. As the name implies, this square was built on the ruins of a Roman amphitheater, which is where it gets its characteristic oval shape from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our tip:<\/strong> do not miss the view from the Torre Guinigi (Guinigi Tower). From up here you have a beautiful panoramic view over Lucca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our detailed blog article:<\/strong> Lucca Travel Guide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our hotel tip for Lucca:<\/strong> Il Pozzo di Santa Zita<\/a>
Very nice boutique hotel in a historic house with individually decorated rooms. It has a fantastic location in the centre of Lucca.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Toskana<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Piazza<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"San<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Casa<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pisa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to the city that is home to the most famous attraction in Tuscany: the Leaning Tower of Pisa<\/strong>. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of Italy’s most well-known landmarks. No wonder the crowd<\/strong> was even bigger than we expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course it’s great to see the tower with your own eyes, but we have to admit that there are definitely more impressive and charming places than the grassy areas of Piazza dei Miracoli around the Leaning Tower of Pisa. During peak summer season, this place is swarmed by tour groups<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa is the Duomo of Pisa<\/strong> (Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta).  <\/span>Overall, we found the centre of Pisa less impressive than that of Lucca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our hotel tip for Pisa:<\/strong> B & B Di Camilla<\/a>
Lovely accommodation with a unique country house style. The location is central, but nice and quiet.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pisa<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Pisa<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Leaning<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Volterra<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Upon arrival, we already had a good first impression of Volterra: The medieval city<\/strong> is perched on a hill and visible from a distance. Volterra’s twisting labyrinth of narrow streets had the potential to be one of our favourite places in Tuscany, if it wasn\u2019t so crowded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, Volterra is definitely worth a stop. Fun fact: Volterra is also called the alabaster city<\/strong>, as it was well known for its mining and processing of alabaster. That’s why you’ll find countless shops selling alabaster products in the city centre – most of them are your typical souvenir shops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our accommodation tip:<\/strong> Villa Loghino<\/a>
Very stylish accommodation in an old country house with a pool. It\u2019s located outside the centre of Volterra and it\u2019s very nice and quiet.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Volterra<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Volterra\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Volterra<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

San Gimignano<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The next city on our Tuscany road trip is San Gimignano. San Gimignano is one of the most impressive cities in Tuscany and also known as the “Medieval Manhattan”<\/strong>. If you approach San Gimignano, then you immediately see why: 15 medieval towers reach up towards the sky, giving the city its strikingly unique appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the highlights is the view over San Gimignano from the towers. Perhaps the most famous one is the lookout point from Torre Grosso<\/strong>. Although most of the information you see on the Internet says that this is the only accessible tower, we actually found ourselves on another tower. However, in our particular case, this alternative tower was actually home to an apartment. Therefore, mostly likely only accessible if the apartment is not currently rented out. Either way: San Gimignano from above is a must-see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our tip:<\/strong> There is a lovely winery near San Gimignano called Teruzzi & Puthod<\/strong>, where we stopped to look around. If you want to buy a bottle of wine or two, then this is the place for you. One of the classics from this particular winery is the Tuscan white wine – Vernaccia di San Gimignano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our detailed blog article:<\/strong> San Gimignano Travel Guide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our hotel tip for San Gimignano:<\/strong> Podere Sant’Elena<\/a>
Very nice accommodation in a restored country house with pool and large garden. Just outside San Gimignano, but very idyllic.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Toskana<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Toskana<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"San<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"San<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bolgheri<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For two things, the small, charming place is particularly well-known: Firstly, you will find plenty of wineries<\/strong> in and around Bolgheri. And on the other hand, the journey to Bolgheri is very special: you drive through the famous cypress avenue<\/strong>, the so-called Viale dei Cipressi. Centuries-old cypress trees line this street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolgheri itself is a charming little town that is explored fairly quickly. Worth seeing is the castle of Bolgheri<\/strong>, through whose gate you also drive when you come to Bolgheri. Otherwise, you can pass the time in one of the wine bars – there are some in Bolgheri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Siena<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another must on a Tuscany road trip: Siena. Siena, located in the heart of Tuscany, is considered one of the most beautiful and charming cities in Italy<\/strong>. Not for nothing is the old town Siena UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to start your city tour is in the most important square of Siena, Piazza del Campo<\/strong>. This sprawling, shell-shaped space is a popular meeting place for locals and tourists at any time of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the tower of the Palazzo Pubblico<\/strong>, the Torre del Mangia, you have a magnificent view over Siena. More than 400 steps have to be overcome before you can enjoy the panoramic view over Siena. He is really breathtaking!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our detailed blog article:<\/strong> Siena Travel Guide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hotel tip for Siena:<\/strong> Casatorre dei Leoni<\/a>
Beautiful and very tasteful accommodation in a historic house right in the center.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Siena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Siena<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Siena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Val d’Orcia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most iconic destinations<\/strong> on our Tuscany road trip is the beautiful Val d’Orcia, located south of Siena. Here all the Tuscany clich\u00e9s that you have in your head become reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can look forward to beautiful, medieval towns surrounded by a picturesque, gently rolling landscape. We particularly liked Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciano.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For wine lovers, the Val d’Orcia is also a must on a road trip in Tuscany. The Val d’Orcia is home of the famous Brunello di Montalcino.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our detailed blog article:<\/strong> Val d’Orcia Travel Guide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hotel tip for the Val d’Orcia:<\/strong> Borgo Canalicchio Di Sopra Relais<\/a>
A wonderful hotel in a quiet location surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. This is how you imagine the perfect vacation in Tuscany!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Val<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Val<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Val<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Map: Overview of our Road Trip through Tuscany<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To give you a better idea of \u200b\u200bwhere all these locations are, we\u2019ve mapped out all our Road Trip Destinations through Tuscany in this interactive map below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n