Tuscany is one of the most beautiful parts of Italy, full of charming towns, vast countryside and breath-taking cities. You could easily spend months exploring the region but if you only have seven days then follow this one week in Tuscany itinerary to make the most of your Italian adventure.
This post was last updated on 19/10/23
This 1 week in Tuscany itinerary covers small hill towns and vibrant cities. You’ll get heaps of culture, historical wonders and a healthy dose of vineyard filled countryside. Our visit to Tuscany was part of our European Interrailing adventure and and it was the perfect antidote to jumping on and off trains.
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We tend to cram a load into our travels so don’t feel you have to tick off all of these things. If you’re relatively active I’m sure you’ll be able to manage it all. For this trip we were staying in good value 3 or 4 star hotels and eating at local restaurants making this Tuscany itinerary very affordable.
List of Contents
Lucca
Day 1 Tuscany Itinerary
If you’re not already in the country to start your 1 week Tuscany itinerary then I recommend flying in to Pisa, the best airport for exploring the region. You’ll need a hire car to follow this Tuscany route so prebook one to pick up when you land.
As soon as we had collected the car we headed straight to the town of Lucca. It’s only around a 45 minute drive with some gorgeous scenery along the way. The pedestrianised streets of the walled city can be a bit confusing so make sure you have your google maps on.
Lucca is a stunning but fairly small city with historic walls and lovely squares. If you have time I would just have a wander through town to find your bearings.
We stayed at the Hotel La Luna which is in the perfect location right next to the Piazza Anfiteatro and Basilica of San Frediano.
Lucca
Day 2
There’s plenty to see in Lucca so I’ve given it a full day in this Tuscany itinerary. Start with a walk along the well maintained and beautiful city walls. Then visit the Duomo, San Martino from the 6th Century which is located slightly out of the main tourist areas.
Next over to the Piazza Dell’Anfiteatro for a lunch stop. There are plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from and it was built on the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre giving it a very unique feel.
After lunch head up the 14th century Guinigi Tower for some beautiful views from the lovely roof garden at the top. The Guinigi tower is 125 feet high and the climb up consists of 230 steps. It is one of only 9 remaining towers built in Lucca, this one was built by the Guinigi family who used to rule the town.
If you can time your Tuscany Itinerary right then try to visit Lucca when there is a concert in the San Giovanni Church. We were luck to attend an evening concert celebrating Puccini and Mozart which was simply breathtaking. Finish your day with dinner – we tried Osteria Baralla opposite our hotel for some authentic Tuscan food. Delicious!
Tuscan Hill Towns
Day 3
Check out from your hotel and head South to discover some of the gorgeous walled towns that this part of Italy is famous for.
Drive to hill towns of San Gimignano followed by Volterra which should take around an hour and a half. Parking can be difficult to find in both places, if you see a spot, pull in straight away. There’s an escalator from lower town to the top in Volterra making it fairly accessible although you’ll have to walk the cobbled stones of San Gimignano.
Read more about visiting San Gimignano with kids.
San Gimignano is famous for its many remaining towers and stunning views across the Tuscan countryside. It has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. It’s quite a walk up the cobbled streets to the main square and it can get pretty busy.
Volterra is another beautiful Tuscan hill top town and quieter than the others we visited. It is home to the oldest Town Hall in Tuscany.
After a busy day exploring the hilltowns we headed to Siena where we were staying for the night. Then a quick check in to our accomodation, the Hotel Italia in Siena . We had a quick dinner in Siena, just inside the city walls, through Porta Camollia on the via Camollia. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from.
Siena
Day 4
Just over half way through our 1 week Tuscany itinerary and we spent the whole of day for exploring Siena, there’s plenty to see! Siena is the largest of the hill towns in the area, the centre of which is pedestrian only meaning we could wander the streets traffic free. We visited the Piazza del Campo, a huge open square which is home to the Town Hall of Siena, the Torre del Mangia and many other beautiful ancient buildings plus more restaurants and bars. Prices around the square are pretty high, you pay for the location here.
Next to the Duomo di Siena. As with most of the Duomos we visited, the interior and exterior design is extremely intricate. Inside the Duomo is the Piccolomini Library, which is full of colourful frescoes which are over 500 years old. The Duomo has magnificent black and white marble columns and incredible inlaid marble floor squares depicting scenes from the bible.
Book your tickets for Duomo di Siena and the Piccolimini Library on Get your Guide so you can avoid the queues.
We had dinner again in Siena at Ristorante Enzo on the via Camollia, the food was fantastic.
Florence
Day 5
Day 5 was one I was super excited about, our day trip to Florence, Tuscany’s main city. We wanted to make a day of it so had breakfast at the hotel at 7am before heading off. We hopped on the Rapida bus 8.10 and arrived in Florence 9.45. This was great value and saved us having to find parking in busy Florence. Although we mainly drove this Tuscany road trip, it’s always nice to have a day off driving.
First up head straight to the Duomo to get in as early as possible. The Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore is a beautiful building both inside and out. We queued for 1 ½ hours so that we could see the inside of the Duomo, I highly recommend pre booking your tickets to avoid this.
Next head to the Ponte Vecchio, the only surviving medieval bridge in the city and the first to be built across the River Arno.
Then to the Pitti Palace which dates back to the 15th century and is now essentially an art gallery full of sculptures, paintings and porcelain.
We ended our day of exploring the Boboli Gardens which are Italian in design and a lovely green space within the city. A short walk from Boboli and included in the ticket was the Villa Bardoni with lovely views over the city.
Stick around for dinner in Florence then hop on the late bus back to Siena. Yes it’s a long and busy day but totally worth it.
Chianti
Day 6
On day 6 we drove to Chianti region. Our first stop was at Hotel Belvedere to admire the typical Chianti countryside and stop for a coffee. Then on to charming Castellini in Chianti for another coffee stop. After our refuel we continued on to Greve, a delightful medieval town in Chianti to find somewhere for lunch.
After lunch it was a long drive (an hour and a half) to the hill town of Cortona. This is right on the edge of Tuscany / Umbria with an amazing view of Lago Trasimeno. We walked the very steep, winding streets to a fortress at the very top of the hill past the church of Santa Margerita. From here we could take in the magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. At the fortress you’re at the highest point. Finally it was time for a wine stop in the lovely town square which is where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed. There were escalators from the car park to the town walls which makes the town more accessible.
Siena
Day 7
Luckily we had another day in Siena scheduled, looking to slow down after a busy few days. Even though we were trying do do Tuscany in a week, it’s important to plan in break days. We visited the Fort (Fortezza Medicea) and the beautiful Botanical Gardens for lunch which is free to visit. We enjoyed afternoon drinks at Campo in the sunshine. It’s the perfect spot for an Aperol (how very predictable!). We explored the origins of the city in the Castellano area and finished at the Basilica and cloisters of San Francesco which was almost destroyed by fire in 1655.
Our evening consisted of a drink near Piazza San Domenico looking towards Duomo, dinner near Duomo at Trattoria La Tellina, via delle Terme. We had one last look at Piazza del Campo at sunset which was stunning before returning to Hotel for an early night.
Hill Towns to Home
Day 8
We checked out of our hotel by 11 and drove to some more hill towns, Monteriggione, another walled town and Certaldo. We had lunch on a lovely garden terrace with wonderful views towards San Gimignano – then to Pisa Airport to hand back the car and get an evening flight home.
One Week in Tuscany Map
Have a look at the route we took in map form. If you click on the image it will take you to the interactive map.
This was a totally unforgettable one week in Tuscany and I think the perfect combination of tiny towns and culture filled cities. Tuscany in a week is completely possible but you will need to work out a detailed schedule and move about a fair bit.
If you’re looking for more fabulous Italian holiday ideas then take a look at this guide to Bologna with kids. And make sure you check out these 7 reasons to take the kids to Tuscany.
Make sure you pin for later to help you plan your own one week Tuscany itinerary.
