Passing one Week in Tuscany: 7 days itinerary!

One Week in Tuscany Itinerary:Tuscany Best Towns and Destinations!

If you are fortunate enough to spend one Week in Tuscany, then you are probably wondering what are the top destinations and attractions to visit!
Which are the best and most scenic art towns and surprising places not to be missed for an unforgettable stay in Tuscany?

The Best of Tuscany in 7 Days

Well, you may find the following suggestions for a 7 days itinerary in Tuscany very useful; at least you may get some idea on what you should absolutely visit 🙂

Seven full days are quite enough to get the most out of Tuscany! I highly recommend moving by car, as it is the best way to fully discover and appreciate all the beauty of Tuscany, especially when you are leaving larger cities like Florence to explore the beautiful Tuscan countryside.
Driving through the scenic winding roads of Tuscany, while admiring its wonderful landscapes and undulating hills, is a real delight! You’ll have a lot of fun driving around and exploring the country.

Apart from all the beautiful sights you’ll visit in Florence, that always tends to be crowded, Tuscany is the perfect place to enjoy relaxing moments. When I go for a weekend, I always choose very quiet places, full of silence, that’s my idea of a great stay, at least after a day sightseeing!

Top Towns and Destinations in Tuscany

So, I would spilt the week this way:

Florence & Chianti 3 nights – Lucca & Pisa 1 day trip from Florence – Siena 1 night – San Gimignano & Volterra 1 day trip from Siena – Val d’Orcia 2 nights

1. Florence and its treasures

Florence is the cradle of Renaissance art, that’s a magical art town that really has a lot to offer! No other city in the world has such a huge concentration of beautiful artistic treasures.

Here is a mini guide on what to visit in Florence. You may decide to choose your accommodations right in Florence’s historical center or in the near splendid Florentine hills, in one of the many charming hotels in Chianti.

 2. Chianti area and its fine Wine

While you’re staying in or near Florence, the first area I recommend you visit is the Chianti region, south of Florence, that can be conveniently reached  by car.
Chianti is the hilly region between Florence and Siena, is characterized by wonderful countryside landscapes and lovely country roads, and has very charming hill top towns, like Greve in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, and Radda in Chianti.
Chianti is very famous for its superb Chianti wine; you can stop along the route to visit some wineries and stop to eat in one of the many fantastic little restaurants.

For all you need to know about Chianti, I’d suggest you have a look at my Chianti guide, with a list of the most important things to visit. The splendid and famous Chianti region is also the perfect place to take great and unique pictures of Tuscany.

3. Lucca’s walls and Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli

From Florence you can leave to visit Lucca, beautiful walled town, characterized by a unique wonderful square known as Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, ancient Roman Theatre. Do take a walk along Lucca’s circle of walls, or ride them by rent a bicycle.

Then go for Pisa, famous all around the world for its amazing Leaning Tower in white Carrara marble, a must visit! Piazza dei Miracoli or the Miracles Square is unique in the world! A true spectacle!

 4. Siena and its endless surprises

While visiting Siena, you will realize how incredibly amazing and beautiful this town is, simply wonderful!

Siena is very different from Florence, yet so equally beautiful and so full of charm 🙂
You’ll have a great time there! If you are wondering where to sleep right in its historical center, here are my suggestions for very charming accommodations in Siena.

 5. San Gimignano and Volterra

While in Siena, I suggest you make a tour to visit 2 of the most beautiful and scenic medieval hill towns of all Tuscany: San Gimignano, famous for its medieval surviving towers looking up at the sky, and Volterra, Etruscan town of great charm, perched on a rocky promontory enjoying an endless panorama! Both towns are particular and extremely atmospheric, they certainly deserve to be visited at least once!

 6. Val d’Orcia Park and its scenic landscape

As to the smaller beautiful hilltop towns of Tuscany, I highly recommend visiting the villages located to the south of Siena, in the area known as the Val d’Orcia, that, honestly, is the part of Tuscany I prefer.
The best thing would be to stay an overnight or 2 right in that area or near Siena, so you can visit the place without being in a hurry.

The towns I suggest visiting are: Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Bagno Vignoni, San Quirico d’Orcia, and the Abbey of Sant’Antimo near Montalcino.
The Val d’ Orcia is a dream, all the best and most typical photos you see of Tuscany come right from this place!

You’ll have a lot of fun taking your photos here! The views are outstanding! any part you look.
The area is famous for the great wine production and the great food and local cuisine.
At least twice a year I go for a short holiday in Val d’Orcia, and I usually stay in Bagno Vignoni, a tiny but unique village having a renaissance thermal pool as its main square, if you wish you can read my post on it.

In case you’re going to pass more time in Tuscany, I suggest this Two Weeks Itinerary in Tuscany!

These are just my personal suggestions to pass a week in Tuscany, though this region has so many things to see and visit that one can really be spoilt for choices 🙂

Any other unforgettable destination in Tuscany you would add to your itinerary?