Tuscany is home to historic cities like Florence and Siena, charming hamlets like Montalcino and Cortona, and stunning coastlines. Some of the best places to visit on any tour to Tuscany include:

• Montecatini, the largest and most famous of Tuscany’s spa towns
• Florence, the city at the center of the Renaissance, and where Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo are buried
• Lucca, a town famous for its Renaissance-era city walls, medieval churches, and awe-inspiring towers
• Siena, where you can traverse the vineyards and farmlands of the Chianti region or explore the UNESCO-listed historic center
• Cortona, a charming town with sweeping views of the Tuscan countryside

If you’re planning to travel on one of our Tuscany tours, there’s a good chance you’re going to visit at least one winery. Our top vineyard in the Tuscany wine region is Casato Prime Donne. This is the first all-female Italian winery, and they age their wine in bottles to capture the fragrant fullness. Learn more about it on our list of the top Italian wineries to check off your bucket list.

If you’re looking for tours to Tuscany dedicated just to food and wine, check out our Flavors of Tuscany & Umbria trip.

The best times to plan a trip to Tuscany are from late September to October or from April to May. These months are considered the off-season for travel in Europe, which means you’ll enjoy more comfortable temperatures and fewer crowds at major sites. 

Travelers on our Tuscany tours love to get:

• Pappa al pomodoro. This rich soup is made with stale Tuscan bread, tomatoes, garlic, and basil leaves. 
• Crostini Toscani. This dish is similar to a baguette with chopped chicken liver sauce spread on top. 
• Lampredotto sandwiches. The lampredotto is the fourth stomach of the cow. Tuscans cook it in broth and serve it with salsa verde on a bun—it’s a truly delicious experience. 
• Fettunta. This isn’t really a full dish, but an appetizer. It’s the Tuscan version of bruschetta—a slice of bread with garlic and olive oil.

If you’re stumped for what to pack for a tour in Tuscany, the best advice we can give is that Italians tend to dress fairly conservatively and fashionably, so you’ll want to pack nicer tops and skip the shorts. We also recommend packing plenty of lightweight pants and tops for the summers, and lots of sweaters for winters. Tuscany can get pretty cold in the winter, so check the weather before you depart.

If you’re wondering what to know before visiting Tuscany, our best advice is to live like the locals do and slow down a little. Seek out the hidden gems, soak in the picture-perfect landscapes, and savor every bite, every step, and every moment. These tips for exploring Tuscany come directly from one of our Go Ahead team member, Adam, who traveled there on tour.

The biggest benefit of choosing from our escorted tours of Tuscany is that we’ll take you to all of the best sites, so you don’t have to worry about any of the planning. Our Tuscany tour packages all have a good amount of free time built in, so you can explore on your own when you’re not on one of the guided tours. Nearly everyone who chooses our group tours to Tuscany comes home with a group of new friends, too.