Our time in Tuscany was a highlight of our unforgettable Italian summer adventure. We loved the freedom of exploring the medieval towns and the rolling hills with our small Italian car, tasting incredible wine, and exploring areas off the beaten path. We loved the slow pace and authentic experience in Tuscany compared to the crowded areas in larger Italian cities. If you are looking for a more authentic Italian experience or romantic getaway, we hope our Tuscany travel guide will help you plan the ultimate trip.
How to Get to Tuscany
When it comes to reaching Tuscany from various parts of Italy, the most convenient option is to take the train. We traveled from Monte Isola to Florence by train to start our journey in Tuscany. From Florence, another train took us to the charming town of San Gimignano. If you're flying into Italy, it's best to arrive in Florence and then either rent a car or take a train to your final destination in Tuscany.
Getting Around Tuscany
For the ultimate Tuscany experience, renting a car is the way to go. Once we arrived in San Gimignano, we secured a car from the local car rental company, Bellucci Rent. Mr. Bellucci, an aficionado of cars and photography, treated us to a tour of his personal car museum, a copy of his Tuscany guidebook featuring his photography, and set us up with our car. It's important to note that most cars in Europe are manual, so if you require an automatic like we did, be prepared for a potentially more challenging search and higher costs.
How Much Time to Spend in Tuscany
We dedicated five days for our Tuscan getaway, relaxing at our farm stay and discovering the charming small towns of Tuscany. We believe that 5 to 7 days is the perfect amount of time to experience Tuscany at a leisurely pace.
Where to Stay in Tuscany
Our home base was Fattoria Di Pancole, located just outside the town of San Gimignano. This vineyard offers private apartments, a pool with breathtaking panoramic views of the Tuscan countryside, and complimentary parking on its extensive 60-hectare vineyards and olive groves. The apartments came equipped with everything we needed, including kitchenettes and private gardens.
Fattoria Di Pancole is a fully functioning vineyard renowned for its exceptional white wine and high-quality olive oil. Situated only a 5-minute drive from San Gimignano, it was the ideal location for exploring the region's small towns. We highly recommend participating in a wine tasting or tour for a personal, local experience during your stay. Our time at Fattoria Di Pancole was amazing and offered a relaxing and romantic retreat in the heart of Tuscany. Whether we were exploring nearby towns or relaxing by the pool, it provided the perfect home base during our time in Tuscany.
Photo Credit: Fattoria Di Pancole via Booking.com
Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco is a 5-star hotel within a 900 year-old Italian estate set on 5,000-acres located in Montalcino, Tuscany. This luxury hotel offers Italy's only private golf club, a winery, cooking school, spa, outdoor heated pool, and much more.
Photo Credit: Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco via Booking.com
This luxury Marriott resort is located outside the walled medieval city of Lucca, which offers an ideal location in the heart of Tuscany. The hotel offers a spa, pool, bar, and cooking classes.
Things to Do in Tuscany
Learn to Make Pasta at an Italian Cooking Class
During our stay in Tuscany, we had the opportunity to take our first-ever cooking class, an experience that left us hooked on culinary adventures. We booked this class through Cesarine, which offers authentic culinary experiences throughout Italy. Lucia Casagli hosted our class at her home in San Gimignano, with her neighbor translating since she didn't speak English. During this 4-hour class, Lucia taught us how to prepare fresh pasta, pork ragu, Tuscan chicken, and delicious tarts for dessert. This immersive experience taught us so much about the local culture and cuisine of Tuscany. We truly recommend booking a cooking class through Cesarine, which costs around $165/per person including food and wine.
Book a Wine Tasting
Our stay at Fattoria Di Pancole gave us the chance to participate in a one-on-one wine tasting, allowing us to sample their award-winning wines alongside local charcuterie. The tasting lasted for an hour and cost €25.00 per person. We would have loved to do the guided tour of the vineyard, cellar, and tasting of all wines, but unfortunately, this was already booked during our stay. If you want to partake in a full tour, be sure to book ahead of time to avoid missing out like we did!
Book an Olive Oil Tasting
Just outside of San Gimignano, we enjoyed sampling local olive oil at Cesani Winery. We had never participated in an olive oil tasting before and it was such a fun and unique experience for us. Cesani Winery not only produces olive oil but also wine and saffron. During our tasting, our host guided us through this fun and informative tasting where we learned about differences in Italian olive oil depending on the region, and taught us the proper way to taste olive oil, all with a stunning panoramic view from their terrace. You can even stay at Cesani, where they offer traditional rooms, an outdoor pool, wine and olive oil tastings, cooking classes, and more.
Photo Credit: Agriturismo Cesani via Booking.com
Explore Medieval Towns
Exploring the charming Tuscan medieval towns by car was such a fun adventure. Learning about the history, architecture, and cuisine of each village taught us so much about Tuscany.
San Gimignano
San Gimignano is one of the most popular small towns in Tuscany and its known for its medieval architecture and iconic towers. San Gimignano is one of the best preserved wall towns in Tuscany and is full of ancient stone buildings to explore. There's something for everyone with plenty of shops, restaurants, gelato, museums, and many more!
Siena
Siena is a Tuscan city with a perfectly preserved medieval center with a cathedral, the famous Piazza del Campo, and amazing views of Tuscany.
Certaldo
Certaldo is another well-preserved medieval walled town in Tuscany and a great place to explore and admire medieval architecture. This quaint town is full of charming streets, shops, and authentic restaurants like Osteria da Chichibio.
Where to Eat in Tuscany
Osteria Baccano -$$
This charming restaurant in San Gimignano offers amazing wine and authentic Italian cuisine, making it an excellent spot for a casual and delicious meal. We loved the truffle pizza, anchovy and caper pizza, and the house wine.
Osteria da Chichibio - $$
Osteria da Chichibio is a restaurant serving delicious and authentic Tuscan dishes in Certaldo. Their charcuterie board is a must-try, and the pici all'aglione with garlic and hot chili peppers was my personal favorite.
Located in Siena, this traditional Italian restaurant serves delicious pasta and authentic Tuscan entrees. Their fresh pasta was amazing and we loved their cacio e pepe.
Tuscany Travel Guide Takeaways
Tuscany stood out as one of our favorite international destinations. This rural area of Italy offers an incredible blend of history, breathtaking landscapes, world renowned wineries, and incredible food making it an amazing getaway. If you're considering a trip to Italy, we wholeheartedly recommend including Tuscany in your itinerary, and we invite you to use our Tuscany travel guide along the way!
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