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...

  

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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Villa Bottini
Photo credits: Davide Papalini / CC BY-SA 3.0

Tuscany abounds with beautiful historic buildings and homes, in particular. Some of these astounding buildings remain private homes (some can even be booked through our website, like the stunning Villa Moriano that we recently highlighted), others have been converted into hotels, and others still house museums or are open to the public for tours as attractions in their own right. Many have equally gorgeous gardens that can be enjoyed and explored. Villa Bottini in Lucca is a very charming example that is sometimes open to the public but, more often, is used as a site for various kinds of exhibitions and events.


While perhaps not as famous as some of the buildings that surround in Lucca and certainly not a household name like Tuscany’s most famous architectural gems, it is certainly worth exploring if you have found a villa with pool in Lucca or if you are planning on renting one of our Tuscany Villas this summer and are looking for unique events to attend in the most magical of settings. Varying hugely each year, you’ll have to keep your eyes open, but you can pretty reliably ensure that this intriguing gem of a building is likely going to be the site of some extraordinary outings and magical events. 

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Villa Moriano, exterior

Across our selection of stunning luxury villas in Tuscany, you will find several different historic properties that are beyond beautiful. For those who love history and art, period films, and dreamy or cinematic surroundings or for those who have always wanted to feel a little bit like a lord or lady, the experience of staying in one of these gems is utterly magical and unforgettable. The pretty Villa Moriano is one such property, a historic and charming and picturesque villa that looks like something from a Wes Anderson film or a storybook. An eight-bedroom luxury villa located in the lush countryside just outside the famous Medieval walled town of Lucca, this truly remarkable vacation rental in Tuscany has all of the bells and whistles that you could ask for and utterly seductive visuals.

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Palazzo Vecchio & Loggia dei Lanzi

While anyone who is browsing our Tuscany Villas and decides to book a holiday rental in Florence will likely have a list of attractions, landmarks, architectural wonders, and museums that they want to visit devised shortly upon beginning planning their itinerary, we also want to highlight the importance of merely wandering around the city. The birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is not only home to some extraordinary institutions that house works of art but it is also basically one giant open-air museum as well. So, instead of darting from one attraction to the next, really taking your time as you explore will be incredibly rewarding and is an experience and activity in its own right. 

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San Gimignano

Tuscany is famous for her remarkable landscapes and pretty towns and places where you can view both. Perhaps the best spot of all, however, to take in these views is the medieval beauty that is San Gimignano. This magical gem is a place where high rise buildings in the form of tower houses are not a new addition to the lovely skyline at all – in fact, they have a long history in the town. Come see these incredible structures and views for yourself by finding a luxury villa in San Gimignano.


San Gimignano, known as the Town of Fine Towers, was famously and historically a town of these impressive ancient towers that were built in the Medieval and Renaissance periods by wealthy families and nobility who tacked the structures onto their homes and built them up increasingly higher in order to compete with each other to show off their fortune and power. The towers were very much status symbols of the time, again something that is not unfamiliar as many places around the globe today continue to compete in attempting to build the tallest structures in the world. 

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