ItalyField Guide
Toscana

Region

Toscana

Italy's most-visited region, and the one most travelers picture when they imagine the country — rolling hills, cypress roads, Renaissance cities, and the world's most famous food-and-wine country.

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The verdict

Tuscany earns the hype more than any other Italian region, and it's the best single region for a first trip. It also gets the most crowded and the most photographed, which means the famous towns — San Gimignano at midday, central Florence in summer — can feel exhausted. The reward is that you can spend two weeks here and barely scratch it: art cities, hill towns, coast, mountains, and a wine culture that's unmatched. Go, but go beyond the three places everyone else goes.

Why go

For the most complete Italy in one region — Renaissance art, medieval hill towns, world-class wine, and landscape that looks like the brochure.

Skip if

You can't handle crowds in July and August, or you've already done the big three and aren't willing to go deeper.

Where to go in Toscana

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Lucca
01

Town · Toscana

Lucca

Lucca is worth a night or a day trip from Florence. Cycling the walls is the essential experience. It is quieter and less touristy than Siena or San Gimignano, which is the point.

Montepulciano
02

Town · Toscana

Montepulciano

Montepulciano is one of the Tuscan hill towns worth giving real time to, particularly if wine is part of the trip. You still probably do not need more than one night.

Florence
03

Town · Toscana

Florence

Florence is worth two full days minimum and handles three well. It is small enough to walk end to end, which means it is also small enough to feel crowded — book the Uffizi and the Accademia ahead or you will waste half a day in line.

Siena
04

Town · Toscana

Siena

Siena is worth a night, or a long day trip from Florence. It is the best Tuscan base if you want a real city rather than a village. The Piazza del Campo alone justifies the visit.

Things to do in Toscana

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