Places to Visit in Tuscany: Lose Yourself in Medieval Lanes & Golden Valleys
A lone cypress casting a sundial shadow over honey-colored wheat, a cork popping in a church-quiet wine bar, or the silence of beech woods after rain are just a few of the unexpected moments Tuscany has given me. This is a personal itinerary—places to visit in Tuscany that feel like a secret shared over a long lunch—rather than a list of the typical crowd-drawers.
Days of travel, notebooks full of tastes and textures, and a predilection for quiet, landscapes, and fine craftsmanship all went into creating this shortlist. Anticipate valleys where time walks rather than runs, peaceful hilltowns, and sea-salted coves. Consider it your curated list of places to visit in Tuscany, curated for leisurely strolls and friendly companionship.
Choose a chic villa from Haute Retreats if you want your villa base to fit the theme. Their hand-picked and concierge-led Tuscany collection is a perfect fit for discerning tourists looking to see the best places to visit in Tuscany.
How to Use This Luxe Shortlist
Tuscany rewards the art of minimalism; skim by region and then connect two or three stops. Following a description of what to eat and do, each entry explains why it belongs on any list of places to visit in Tuscany.
If you’re looking for a coastal base, the Maremma and Argentario are uncrowded and cinematic; if you’re looking for forests and monasteries, head to Casentino and Monte Amiata; if wine is your compass, Montecucco and the hills surrounding Cinigiano offer character without crowds—still top places to visit in Tuscany, Italy.
Garfagnana & the Apuan Alps: Tuscany’s Quiet North
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
North of Lucca is the Garfagnana, a valley of alpine meadows and rope-bridge hamlets where the air smells of fresh ricotta and pine, surrounded by marble mountains and chestnut forests. At sunset, Isola Santa, a lake hamlet that appears to have been painted into existence, and Barga’s Duomo glow like alabaster. One of the most authentic places to visit in Tuscany when you need mountain silence, it’s untamed, peaceful, and hardly Instagrammed.
What to taste & do
To see marble-flecked peaks, drive the switchbacks toward the Apuan quarries at sunrise, hike the Orecchiella trails, and order porcini with chestnut polenta. Enjoy a glass of biodynamic Garfagnana wine in a small enoteca as you cap off the day while discreetly marking your places to visit in Tuscany.
Lunigiana: Castles, Chestnuts & River Light
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
The literary center of Lunigiana is Pontremoli, and the region is situated between Tuscany and Liguria, with castles and rivers. Here, medieval bridges arc over crystal-clear water, summer festivals are powered by poetry and testars of chestnut flour, and markets still smell of honey and mallow. One of the most atmospheric places to visit in Tuscany, it is a borderland that maintains its own rhythm.
What to taste & do
Savor testaroli with mortar-made pesto; stroll along portions of the historic Via Francigena from village to village; take a dip in a green pool. If you needed another reason to include Lunigiana on your list of places to visit in Tuscany, consider how the sunset from a battlement terrace turns the valley to silk.
Casentino Forests & Sacred Ridges
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
With monastic anchors at Camaldoli and La Verna, the Casentino is a cathedral made of oak, beech, and silver fir trees. As woodsmoke wafts from stone-roofed villages, bells resound through the shadows. Craft and reflection still coexist in a valley guarded by Poppi’s castle. It’s one of the most sacred places to visit in Tuscany for contemplative travelers.
What to taste & do
Purchase hand-carved wooden spoons, try pecorino aged in grottoes, and hire a forest guide for dawn walks when deer emerge like specters. Places to visit in Tuscany become more of an emotion than a list when you sit on a monastery wall with a notebook open.
Tufa Triangle: Pitigliano, Sovana & Sorano
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
These towns in the Maremma are carved into volcanic tufa and float above gorges like ships at sea. Sovana is a miniature masterpiece; Sorano feels cinematic and a little eerie at dusk; Pitigliano’s winding streets display Etruscan cuttings and a carefully preserved Jewish heritage. Pure hidden-gem places to visit in Tuscany: fewer buses, more substance.
What to taste & do
Explore the Vie Cave, which is made up of old Etruscan sunken roads with stone walls that rise like waves from a fortress. Order bianco di Pitigliano with regional fish soups and peruse lichen-colored ceramic glazes. Your journal will appreciate you putting this triangle at the top of your list of places to visit in Tuscany!
Argentario Backroads & Lagoon Quiet
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
Although Monte Argentario is not a secret, you can find the peace you seek by moving inland to the lagoon roads and pine-scented byways. Fishermen and herons occupy the early mornings, while Tyrrhenian shimmering cliff walks occupy the late afternoons. It’s the tasteful, understated option among coastal places to visit in Tuscany.
Where to stay with Haute Retreats
Consider Villa Veltuna, close to Orbetello, designed for seclusion and long, sea-salted days, or Via del Mare, an 18th-century seaside villa, for a front-row seat to Maremma’s coast and Argentario’s glam-meets-wild vibe. Both are located in that charming area where elegant linens and beach paths converge, making them the perfect starting points for touring the coastal places to visit in Tuscany.
Etruscan Coast: Baratti, Populonia & the Buca delle Fate
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
Populonia crowns the headland with views that make you stop and think; the Gulf of Baratti is a crescent of shallow, luminous water and bronze-age memory. A path leads to the Buca delle Fate, a cove with sapphire pools and rock shelves where you’ll probably swim by yourself—a rare amenity among seaside places to visit in Tuscany.
What to taste & do
For leisurely lunches, take a detour inland to Suvereto and Campiglia Marittima. Return at golden hour to swim in coves and observe the sky turning rose quartz. This coastline subtly demonstrates that the most fulfilling places to visit in Tuscany tend to be subtle rather than overtly obvious.
Colline Metallifere & Massa Marittima
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
Rolling, raw, and full of character, the mineral-rich Colline Metallifere flanks Massa Marittima, a hill town with a cathedral that seems to exhale limestone light. Bicyclists come for the long, deserted roads, and streets spill into piazzas designed for prosecco and sketches. One of those places to visit in Tuscany that will change your plans is this one, especially for those who enjoy design and painting.
What to taste & do
Order some wild boar pappardelle, get some clean, peppery olive oil, and visit the cathedral square at noon, when the geometry is sharpened by the shadows. Then, with the windows down, direct the vehicle toward the following group of places to visit in Tuscany.
Val di Cecina & the Geothermal Moon of Larderello
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
Tuscany excels at the surreal; in Larderello, the hills glow copper in the late light, and plumes of steam curl from the earth. In between takes, the nearby villages resemble movie sets: serene, independent, and surrounded by sage and vineyards. For an unusual afternoon that concludes with a sky full of swifts, add this to your list of places to visit in Tuscany.
What to taste & do
Sample rustic breads and saffron-tinted cheeses; stroll along broom-edged farm tracks; take pictures of the geothermal landscape at sunset. The point is that you won’t find this chapter in most guides to places to visit in Tuscany.
Monte Amiata: Beech Forests & Volcanic Warmth
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
With a monk-quiet energy, Monte Amiata rises cool and covered in forest south of the Val d’Orcia. The trails are green tunnels in the summer and ripple in the wind like copper canopies in the fall. Amiata is one of the most central places to visit in Tuscany because of the postcard exchange between towns like Abbadia San Salvatore and Santa Fiora.
What to taste & do
Trek to centuries-old chestnut groves; eat local trout and mushrooms; soak in untamed, warm pools at sunset if you know where to go. Among the places to visit in Tuscany on a lengthy trip, Amiata serves as the reset button.
Montecucco & the Cinigiano Hills
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
Nestled between the Amiata slopes and Montalcino, Montecucco is a wine region that still prioritizes serving its neighbors. Producers talk more about soil than scores, and vineyards stretch out toward small hamlets. This is one of the most delicious places to visit in Tuscany if you want provenance without pretence.
What to taste & do
Take the white roads that follow ridgelines, schedule a tasting with small growers, and chase it with honey and pecorino. While planning tomorrow’s places to visit in Tuscany, uncork a Montecucco Sangiovese when you get back to your villa.
Island Detour: Elba’s Sant’Andrea & Marciana
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
Marciana sits like a silent guardian above Sant’Andrea, which is all granite shelves and crystal-clear water on Elba’s northwest edge. It feels private to swim here in the morning, and the stone lanes and lemon granita are refreshing in the afternoon. Elba should be on your list of places to visit in Tuscany if you want an island feel without the glitz.
Where to stay with Haute Retreats
Pick a sophisticated base with Haute Retreats on the Tuscan coast or islands—properties that combine concierge convenience with sea views, perfect for family vacations to coastal places to visit in Tuscany. Consider Villa Selvera, Villa Tagete, La Tenuta, or Monte Mario for a stylish inland option close to the Maremma coast. These four properties encapsulate the area’s understated elegance.
Carmignano & the Montalbano Slopes
Why it belongs on your places to visit in tuscany list
Medici villas dot the olive-soft hills of Carmignano, west of Florence, where a small but proud appellation produces perfumed red wines. Farmsteads of stone and cypress line the trails; starry skies and farmhouse dinners illuminate the evenings. Among the places to visit in Tuscany, it is a whisper of culture.
What to taste & do
Explore historic estates, sample Carmignano DOCG with grilled bistecca, and ride country roads at dawn when the vineyards are misting. You’ll come away from this pocket with the impression that the most iconic places to visit in Tuscany are still the ones that receive the least amount of publicity.
Map It: A 5-Day Loop for Slow Travelers
Day 1: Land, exhale, and direct the vehicle toward Garfagnana for mountain trails and a dinner that resembles woodsmoke and thyme—a welcome to the more sedate places to visit in Tuscany.
Day 2: Take a long lunch, read on a stone wall, and cross the river roads to Lunigiana. Over grappa and chestnut cake as the golden hour approaches, make a list of the places to visit in Tuscany tomorrow.
Day 3: Drift into the Tufa Triangle for twilight after sliding south to the Casentino forests. In these places to visit in Tuscany, time will seem to slow down.
Day 4: Slip to the Etruscan Coast for swimming and shell collecting after skirting the Colline Metallifere to Massa Marittima. Sea breezes and lesser-known places to visit in Tuscany are interspersed throughout the day.
Day 5: Finish with a walk through the Amiata forest and Montecucco tastings, or take a ferry to Elba for a final swim. You’ll bring home a personal guide to the best places to visit in Tuscany, either way.
Final Notes on Seasonality & Style
My favorite times of year are spring through early June and mid-September through October because of the cool nights, deserted roads, and moving leaves and vines. The most soulful places to visit in Tuscany are when the crowds are few. In the winter, forests smell of rain and woodsmoke. Coastal paths are yours alone. Restaurants specialize in soups and slow braises.
Bring a field notebook, layers, linen, and low-heeled shoes for cobbles. Pick up a few phrases. The best places to visit in Tuscany frequently start with a wrong turn and end with a view you were unaware you were missing, so make room for detours.
Click here to discover more Tuscany villas
Conclusion
This is a love letter, if that’s how you read it. The quiet in between villages, the gleam of olive leaves before a storm, and the ability of a single glass of wine to pinpoint your location are all examples of Tuscany’s magic. From sea-salted Maremma to forested Amiata, Haute Retreats offers villas where privacy, a sense of place, and meticulous service come together to create a stay that fits the mood. Create a shortlist, share your wish list with your traveling companions, and we’ll assist you in mapping out your private places to visit in Tuscany that offer ample space for relaxation, breathing room, and views that you’ll remember for years to come.
Read Next Tuscany Travel Guide
