Central Italy · Toscana
Rolling cypress hills, Renaissance masterpieces, ancient hilltop towns and the world’s finest wines.
Tuscany is perhaps the most celebrated landscape in the world — a region that gave birth to the Renaissance, shaped Western art and architecture, and produced some of the world’s greatest wines. Its countryside, with its gentle hills, cypress avenues, olive groves and terracotta-roofed farmhouses, has been painted, photographed and dreamed of by travellers for centuries.
Florence, the regional capital, holds one of the densest concentrations of art on Earth. The Uffizi Gallery contains works by Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. The Duomo’s terracotta dome, engineered by Brunelleschi in the 15th century, remains the largest masonry dome ever built. Beyond Florence, Tuscany’s medieval hill towns — Siena, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Pienza — perch above valleys of breathtaking beauty.
The Chianti region between Florence and Siena is the heart of Tuscan wine country. Here, among the vineyards and olive groves, family estates have been producing Sangiovese-based reds for generations. To drive the Via Chiantigiana on an autumn morning, past stone farmhouses and ancient abbeys, is to understand why Tuscany has held the world in its spell for so long.
The cradle of the Renaissance — home to the Uffizi, Michelangelo’s David, Brunelleschi’s Dome and the Ponte Vecchio.
A perfectly preserved medieval city whose Piazza del Campo hosts the thrilling Palio horse race twice each summer.
A UNESCO World Heritage landscape of luminous hills, cypress rows and honey-coloured villages — one of Europe’s most iconic views.
Walk or cycle between vineyards producing Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile — among Italy’s finest reds.
San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Volterra and Pienza — each a perfect medieval world perched above the golden Tuscan plain.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina, ribollita, pici al ragù, pecorino di Pienza, lardo di Colonnata and cantuccini with Vin Santo.
Florence Peretola Airport connects to major European hubs. Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport is 80 km west and well connected. High-speed trains link Florence to Rome (1.5 hrs) and Milan (2 hrs).
A rental car is ideal for exploring the countryside. Trains connect Florence, Siena and Pisa; buses reach most hill towns.
Agriturismi (farm stays) in the Chianti hills offer an authentic Tuscan experience. Florence has excellent hotels at every price point; hill towns offer charming boutique options.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina (minimum 600g, rare), pici pasta, ribollita soup, fresh truffles in season, Brunello di Montalcino and cantuccini with Vin Santo.