Tuscany

Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art and well probably wine.. 

Tuscany is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It has Renaissance art, quaint villages with medieval heritage and a truly incredible landscape with a distinct pastoral atmosphere encompassing it’s rolling hills. 

What I didn’t know about Tuscany before we travelled there, is that it was made up of so many different areas and it’s like a minefield when you’re deciding where exactly is the best place to stay?! - Keep reading to discover the top 5 places to stay in Tuscany.

We stayed in Chianti, which is one of the best areas to stay in Tuscany for wine and vineyards. Chianti lies in the very centre of Tuscany, between the larger cities of Florence and Siena. 

This is sample of our itinerary: 

We flew from Dubai to into Bologna which is the closest direct airport. If you are travelling from the UK, US or elsewhere the closest airport for the Tuscany region is probably Florence (which is the capital) or Pisa. 

Day 1 

Arrive, pick up car hire and drive to Castellino Chianti which is about 1hr 45mins from Bologna airport. We arrived by late afternoon to the hotel, so we just chilled, had a look around, sampled the aperitivo and then dinner in the hotel. 

Day 2  

We drove to Montalcino in Val d'Orcia - the town is known for the production of delicious wine, the famous Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino and is a lovely destination for a day out in Tuscany.
We did a wine tasting at vineyard Val diand then stopped for lunch in Buonconvento.

Back to our hotel Castello La Leccia for a vineyard tour and another wine tasting of some of the famous chianti classico 

_{Castello La Leccia}

We ate out for dinner at a Michelin awarded restaurant about 15mins drive from our hotel called Tavola Di Guido which was stunning and amazing food too.

Day 3  

We drove to Siena – (30min drive from Castellino) it is a beautiful medieval town and well worth checking out. 

We only had 3 nights and I would say it wasn’t quite long enough as there is so much to see and do but it was a perfect quick getaway for myself and my husband and we will certainly be going back to sample more of what Tuscany has to offer. 

I would highly recommend hiring a car to get around, I was a bit apprehensive about driving but the roads are good and it was really easy to get around. Apart from when your husband drives down narrow street like this one LOL.

You will need an international driving licence if you plan to drive there so don’t forget to get one. 

Top 5 places to stay in Tuscany 

These would be my top 5 but there are so many other beautiful places to see also. 

1. Florence - the capital and most popular place to stay in Tuscany.

2. Siena - a beautiful medieval town.

3. Chianti - the best area to stay in Tuscany for wine and vineyards. 

4. Val d'Orcia - a scenic valley that has inspired thousands of Italian postcards. 

5. San Gimignano - a town filled with medieval towers and noble history.

If you need any help with your itinerary, booking or want to ask me any questions, feel free to send me a message, I’d be happy to help.