Florence and Tuscany
Florence and Tuscany, in a few days
From Florence through the Chianti hills to Siena and San Gimignano, in the cradle of the Renaissance: the map, what is worth booking and everything that costs nothing.
- Day by day
- 1 Florence Days 1-3
- 2 The Chianti hills Day 4
- 3 Siena and San Gimignano Days 5-6
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
Day by day
Florence
The capital of the Renaissance, where the Duomo, the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio are all a few minutes' walk from one another.
- Uffizi Gallery, skip the line2h30 · from €30Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael: one of the great art collections of the world, and a queue well worth skipping.
- Climbing Brunelleschi's dome1h · from €20463 steps between the two shells of the dome, past the frescoes of the Last Judgement, to the view from the lantern. Entry is by timed slot.
- Ponte Vecchio
- Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset
- The Oltrarno
The Chianti hills
Vineyards, cypresses and hilltop villages between Florence and Siena: the heart of Tuscan wine.
- Tasting at a Chianti estate2h · from €35The cellars, then a tasting of Chianti Classico, the wine with the black rooster on the neck of the bottle.
- The Chiantigiana road (SR222)
- Greve in Chianti
Siena and San Gimignano
Florence's old Gothic rival, built around its shell-shaped square, and nearby the hill town that still keeps its medieval towers.
- Guided walk through Siena2h · from €25Piazza del Campo, the striped cathedral, and the medieval lanes of the contrade, the seventeen districts whose horses race in the Palio.
- Piazza del Campo
- San Gimignano
Worth sorting before you go
A car is the way · The stops are spread across the hills and the small roads are half the point. Leave the car outside central Florence and Siena: the old towns are restricted traffic zones (ZTL), and the fines arrive by post.
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Bistecca alla fiorentina: a thick T-bone steak, grilled over coals, served rare and priced by weight.
- Ribollita: bread and bean soup with black cabbage, better on the second day, as the name suggests.
- Pici: thick pasta rolled by hand around Siena, often served all'aglione, with garlic and tomato.
- Panforte and cantucci: Siena's dense cake of nuts and candied fruit, and almond biscuits dipped in vin santo.
- Lampredotto: tripe in a bread roll from a Florentine street cart, for the curious.
- Chianti Classico: the red of the hills between Florence and Siena, made mostly from Sangiovese.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Restaurants with photo menus and someone outside waving you in, above all near the Duomo.
- Check the bill for coperto (the cover charge) and service before you add anything.
- Do not drive into central Florence or Siena: cameras fine every car without a permit.
- Shoulders and knees covered in churches, the Duomo included.
- In summer, book the Uffizi and the dome climb weeks ahead.
Words that help
English ↔ Italian
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Buongiorno |
| Thank you | Grazie |
| Please | Per favore |
| Yes | Sì |
| No | No |
| Excuse me | Mi scusi |
| Goodbye | Arrivederci |
| Do you speak English? | Parla inglese? |
| I don't understand | Non capisco |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa? |
| Where are the toilets? | Dove sono i bagni? |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favore |
| Help! | Aiuto! |
| Cheers! | Salute! |
The practical page
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/tuscany
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.