Things to Do and See in Tuscany

For those of you who are planning your trip to Tuscany, Italy, our blog is just the thing to help you figure it out! Full of things to see in Tuscany and unique things to do in Tuscany, whether you want to visit classic tourist attractions or try out more obscure activities and get off the beaten tourist path, you're in the right place to make sure your trip to Tuscany is the vacation of your dreams. This is our guide to Tuscany.

Whether you are going to be based in the tuscan countryside, amongst the rolling hills and picturesque villages and hilltop towns, and are looking for day trips, road trips, and outdoor activities, or if you are planning on staying in one of the towns and cities and want to see the likes of the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Uffizi Gallery, we have articles with all of the information you might need about particular tourist attractions, as well as lists of things to see and do in different destinations.

We want you to have the most incredible holiday possible in Tuscany and to make memories that will last a lifetime. There are so many incredible things to do and special experiences in Tuscany. From wine tasting experiences and winery tours in the wine regions of Chianti and the stunning Val D'Orcia to exploring the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano with its medieval towers. From seeing Michelangelo's David, works by Leonardo da Vinci and other great Renaissance paintings with your own eyes in Florence's multitude of museums to trying your hand at a cooking class or joining a food tour to learn more about tuscan food and wine. From discovering the diverse Tuscan Coast from the city of Livorno to the island of Elba to soaking in the thermal baths and hot springs for free in one of the many spa towns. Or maybe you're interested in even more unique experiences in Tuscany like attending a festival within the historic city walls in Lucca, seeing the tuscan countryside from above in a hot air balloon, going for a horseback ride along a beach and enjoying the tuscan sun and much more besides.

So, if you want to plan a great trip in Tuscany and are looking for things to do and visit in Tuscany, then read on to our travel guides...

  

Friday, April 21, 2023
Calendar

For those who have been dreaming of a vacation in a beautiful villa, we have just launched a new payment option that will make it even easier to book an ideal vacation with us and for all of our customers to budget for a perfect holiday. Instead of paying a deposit and then a larger remaining balance all at once at a later period, our new installment payment option will split your payments into smaller, more manageable amounts, interest-free over several months in the run-up to your vacation. For families with lots of expenses to consider as well as those who might have clear monthly budgets to keep in mind for whatever reason, this really is a great way to book, spread your cost, and avoid a large expense all in one go.


We believe that absolutely everyone deserves a dream holiday and a proper break and for those who are certain about a vacation and want something to look forward to, this is one excellent way to make that possible. Importantly, as this option is offered free of interest, you don’t have to worry about any hidden costs or about the trip suddenly becoming more expensive. This payment plan is simply an easy way to pay off a bit at a time with calculations of payments made based on the property and dates and nothing else. The further ahead in advance of the vacation that you book your trip, the lower that each of these installment payments will be each month, making it so much easier to manage alongside any and all of your regular expenses day-to-day.

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Posted in: Newsletters

  

Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Villa Staggia, terrace

While, of course, there are a range of different Tuscany villas to browse across our websites to suit all sorts of budgets, groups, tastes, preferred locations, desired features and amenities, etc, we cannot help but admire a particular kind of villa: the stunning historic properties plucked directly from our dreams! These incredible gems boast stunning interiors, incredible surroundings and grounds, remarkable characters and histories, and just endless visual appeal. For those who have always wanted to stay in a palace or old manor and get a taste of the lives of ancient nobility, these really are a dream come true! 


An example that we have been admiring lately is the extraordinary seven-bedroom and seven-bathroom Villa Staggia, located 13km (8 miles) from Poggibonsi and 24km (15 miles) from Siena in green and leafy private grounds that overlook lush fields and rolling hills so typical of this magical region. 

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Posted in: Central Italy, Localities, Pretty Views, Siena, Tourist Attractions, Tuscany, Villa Spotlights, Villas and Farmhouses

  

Tuesday, April 11, 2023
David in the Accademia

Michelangelo’s David has come up in a few of our recent articles and we thought it about time to write an updated post about the museum in which you can find this iconic sculpture. The museum in question is, of course, the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze and is often referred to merely as the Accademia. Smaller and a little more specialised than the Uffizi, it is also the second-most-visited art museum in Italy after the Uffizi. However, this does not mean that it should be skipped! In fact, any art-lovers who find a villa with pool in Florence and who are spending time exploring the birthplace of the Renaissance should definitely head to this gem. In addition to that most famous work by Michelangelo, there are paintings, sculptures, frescoes, and more from some of the greatest artistic talents who were working largely in the period of around 1300 to 1600.


So, if you have browsed our Tuscany villas and landed on your dream villa in Florence, what can you expect from a visit to the Accademia? Well, expect to set aside a decent amount of time. Despite the fact that the collection is not quite so large as the Uffizi, there is still a decent amount of extraordinary things to take in. In fact, for many this is a much more readily digestible museum that really rewards those with time to wander about for a couple of hours. For most guests, however, there will certainly be particular highlights and/or sections that are likely to be of more interest to you and that might be what you are looking forward to most during your visit.

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Posted in: Florence, Localities, Museums & Galleries, Must See Attractions, Tourist Attractions

  

Friday, March 31, 2023
Vines in Tuscany

Tuscany is famous for many things: stunning scenery, famous landmarks, architectural gems, world-class iconic artworks, charming historic cities and towns, delicious food, and incredible wine. When it comes to the last item on that list – the remarkable wines of the region – there are endless places to go to sample, savour, study, and purchase outstanding examples. Pretty much wherever you go in Tuscany, you will find great wine – in bars and restaurants, at wineries, in shops, and more. In fact, you won’t really have to go looking at all. However, if you are a bit more of a wine-lover with a particular interest in wine then you might want to be somewhat more discerning or you might want to go on a proper wine-tasting voyage all across the region while you enjoy your time in one of our Tuscany Villas. So, in order to help you maximise your wine experience of Tuscany and to aid you in planning your itinerary for your time the region, we have put together a guide to the main wine areas of Tuscany. If you are keen to try the main and most important and famous wines of Tuscany, then these are the places that you need to make a point to visit during a holiday in Tuscany...

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Posted in: Central Italy, Chianti, Food and Wine, Localities, Siena, Tuscany, Wineries & Breweries

  

Thursday, March 30, 2023
Wisteria in the Giardino Bardini
Photo credits: Txllxt TxllxT / CC BY-SA 4.0

April is a wonderful time to find a luxury villa in Florence or to book one of our Tuscany Villas and plan a day-trip (or two or three) to Florence for plenty of reasons! Not only do tourist crowds remain relatively smaller compared to the height of the summer but it finally starts to get a bit warmer and, importantly, the city finally goes into bloom. And, all of these flowers and this lush greenery that can be found in the gardens and parks and dotted throughout Florence only serve to make the impossible beauty of this incredible city all the more picturesque and to add splashes of colour amongst the grand architectural gems that are found all over. In particular, Florence is home to some of the world’s most famous and extraordinary historic gardens and most of them are best experienced in the spring.


Among this selection of stunning gardens that can be found by visitors who are planning on booking a vacation rental in Florence, one that is considered a must-see each April and which is regularly photographed at this time of the year is the Giardino Bardini. This is because of one particular feature: the extraordinary, “Wisteria Lane.” 

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Posted in: Central Italy, Events, Florence, Localities, Parks & Gardens, Pretty Views, Spring, Tourist Attractions, Tuscany