If you are planning your first visit to Florence, one of the most important decisions you will make is where to stay in Florence. You have lots of great options to choose from, from cozy boutique-style hotels, highly rated budget properties, luxurious 5-star hotels, family friendly apartments, and hotels with a view of Ponte Vecchio […]
San Quirico d’Orcia is a small hilltop town in Val d’Orcia, one of the most scenic stretches of Tuscany. We first visited in late September, during harvest season, while staying at a nearby villa. We fit it in between stops at Pienza and Montalcino, not expecting much from a town this size, and left having […]
Planning a trip to Tuscany? This guide covers everything you need to build the perfect itinerary, whether you have 3 days, 5 days, or a full week. How long should you spend here? Where should you stay? Should you rent a car? What towns are worth visiting? These are all questions that may be running […]
Monteriggioni looks almost too perfect to be real. Perched on a rounded hilltop in the Chianti countryside, its ring of medieval walls and 14 towers appears almost exactly as it did in the 13th century, a complete, intact fortification unlike almost anything else in Tuscany. We visited on a day trip from Siena, just a […]
From world-famous cities like Florence and Siena to quiet hill towns and scenic drives through vineyard-covered hills, Tuscany offers a wide range of experiences, but deciding what to do (and what to skip) can be overwhelming. We’ve explored Tuscany on two very different trips: a one-week highlights tour with our kids and a longer 10-day […]
Planning a trip to Italy and only have enough time for one day in Florence? With a well-planned day, you can visit Florence’s top sights, including the Duomo, Michelangelo’s David, the amazing Uffizi Gallery, and Ponte Vecchio. Watch the sunset, stroll through Florence’s scenic streets, and enjoy views of the Florence Cathedral from a rooftop […]
Florence is not only filled with some of Italy’s most awe-inspiring sights, but it also makes a fantastic home base for exploring Tuscany and nearby cities. There is a long list of day trips from Florence, from quick visits to Tuscan hill towns to full day excursions to the Cinque Terre, Siena, and Pisa. Whether […]
Some cities in Italy overwhelm you with options. Siena does the opposite, and that’s exactly what we loved about it. The historic center is compact and entirely walkable, the main sights are clustered within easy reach of each other, and the city has a pace that makes it easy to slow down. The things to […]
Pisa and Lucca are two popular day trip destinations from Florence. Their close proximity to one another, small sizes, and handy train stations make them very easy to combine into one amazing day trip from Florence. We’ve visited both cities on separate trips to Italy. We stopped in Pisa while traveling by train from Florence […]
If you are planning your first trip to Florence, this Florence itinerary is perfect for you. With 2 days in Florence, you have just enough time to visit the highlights of this beautiful city. Tour the Uffizi Gallery, climb the dome of the Duomo, see Michelangelo’s David, stroll across Ponte Vecchio, and watch the sunset […]
Home to the amazing Uffizi Gallery and Michelangelo’s David, famous piazzas and historic bridges, towers to climb, and of course, the Duomo, there are many wonderful things to do in Florence. Florence is a relatively small, compact city but there is a lot to do here. To get to everything on this list, it would […]
After two trips through Tuscany, we’ve visited a lot of hill towns, including Siena, Cortona, Montepulciano, Pienza, and a handful of smaller villages tucked into the countryside. Arezzo was one of the last ones we visited, and arriving on a Sunday in early October, we weren’t sure what to expect. What we found was one […]
The first time we visited the Siena Cathedral, it was a hot July afternoon and our kids, then 9 and 11, were well past the point of cathedral fatigue after several days of museums and churches. We weren’t expecting this to be the stop that won them over. But inside, with the mosaic floor on […]
Volterra, Italy is one of the most rewarding Tuscan hill towns to visit and one of the most underrated. We climbed the tower of Palazzo dei Priori for a 360° view of the countryside, walked a Roman theater that dates back to the 1st century AD, climbed Torre del Maschio with a guide and just […]
There’s a moment when you round a corner on one of Cortona’s side streets and the whole Val di Chiana valley opens up below you, and you think: how is this town not more famous? Tim and I had that moment during what was supposed to be a quick afternoon stopover between Arezzo and Assisi. […]
Perched on a hilltop in Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia, Montalcino is one of Italy’s most beautiful wine towns, famous for its Brunello wine, sweeping vineyard views, and charming medieval streets. Whether you’re here for a quick stop or a slow afternoon of wine tasting, this small town delivers one of the most memorable experiences in Tuscany. […]
Visiting a rooftop bar or two (or three!) is one of the best things to do in Florence. If you want drinks with a view of the Duomo, you have quite a few rooftop bars in Florence to choose from. In this guide, we cover the top picks and practical information so you can choose […]
Planning your list of things to do in Montepulciano? This hilltop town in southern Tuscany is one of the most atmospheric places in the region, known for its Renaissance architecture, sweeping views over the Val d’Orcia, and its famous Vino Nobile wine. Perched on a hilltop in Val d’Orcia, Montepulciano is compact but packed with […]