Tuscany · Italy · Itineraries
One week in Tuscany by car: Pisa to Florence
A week is enough to drive from Pisa to Florence the slow way, through the hill towns of southern Tuscany. The route runs to San Gimignano and Siena, south into the Val d'Orcia around Pienza, past Montepulciano, and north to Florence. It is about 310 kilometres. The towns are close together, so no drive is longer than an hour and a half.
Day by day
- 1
Pisa
One night, or a long first afternoon. The Leaning Tower stands on a lawn beside the cathedral and the round baptistery, in a walled square at the edge of the old town. The tower leans about four degrees and can be climbed, by timed ticket only, so book a slot before the trip. The cathedral itself is worth going into. Most visitors see only this square. The rest of Pisa is a quiet university town along the river Arno. Pisa airport is a few minutes from the centre and a common place to collect a rental car.
- 2
San Gimignano
An hour and a half inland. San Gimignano is a small walled town on a hill, known for its medieval towers. Rival families built 72 of them as a show of wealth, and 14 still stand. You can climb the tallest, the Torre Grossa, for the view over the vineyards. The two main squares sit side by side in the middle of town. Day visitors fill the streets from late morning, so the town is at its best in the evening and early morning. That is the reason to stay the night. Park outside the walls.
- 3
Siena
Under an hour south, and two nights. Siena is a city of brick built across three ridges, meeting at the Piazza del Campo, a sloping square shaped like a shell. The Palio, a bareback horse race between the city's districts, is run around the square on 2 July and 16 August. The striped marble cathedral, a short walk uphill, has an inlaid floor and a library covered in frescoes. The whole centre is closed to visitors' cars. Use one of the car parks around the walls and walk or ride the escalators up.
- 4
Val d'Orcia
An hour and a quarter south of Siena is the landscape most people picture when they think of Tuscany: rounded hills of wheat, lines of cypress trees and farmhouses on ridges. The whole valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pienza, a tiny town rebuilt in the Renaissance as an ideal city, is the natural base and is known for pecorino cheese. Drive the back roads between Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia and Bagno Vignoni slowly, and stop often. One night in a farm stay here suits the route. Light is best early and late.
- 5
Montepulciano
Twenty minutes east of Pienza, and a stop of a few hours. Montepulciano is a wine town stretched along a narrow ridge. One long main street climbs from the lower gate to the Piazza Grande at the top, where the town hall has a tower you can go up. The red wine made here is Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and cellars along the street offer tastings, some in vaults cut into the rock beneath the houses. The climb is steep, so allow time. Park at the bottom, outside the walls.
- 6
Florence
The end of the route, about an hour and a half north. Return the car on arrival, because the centre is a restricted traffic zone watched by cameras. Florence is small enough to walk. The cathedral with its great brick dome, the Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi gallery are within a few minutes of each other. The main museums and the climb up the dome sell timed tickets that go well ahead in the main season. Two nights is a minimum. For the view over the city, cross the river and walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo.
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Plan it
- Best time
- April to June and September to October for mild weather and green or golden hills. July and August are hot and crowded. Siena is packed around the Palio on 2 July and 16 August.
- How long
- Seven days. With four or five, skip Pisa and San Gimignano and base yourself in Siena and the Val d'Orcia.
- Getting around
- A rental car from Pisa, returned in Florence. Every old town has a restricted traffic zone, a ZTL, closed to visitors' cars. Park outside the walls and walk in.
Good to know
- ZTL fines arrive by post months later, through the rental company. Do not follow a sat nav into an old town.
- Book the Pisa tower climb and the Florence museums before the trip.
- Many small-town restaurants close between lunch and dinner. Plan meals around that.
Frequently asked
How many days do you need in Tuscany? +
A week suits a first trip. It allows two nights each in Siena and Florence and single nights in the smaller towns and the Val d'Orcia. With three or four days, choose Florence plus one area of countryside.
What is a ZTL in Italy? +
A ZTL is a restricted traffic zone covering a historic centre. Only residents and permit holders may drive in, and cameras record every number plate at the entrances. Visitors who enter are fined, usually weeks later, through the rental company. Park outside and walk.
Do you need a car in Tuscany? +
For the countryside, yes. Florence, Pisa and Siena are linked by train and bus, but the small hill towns and the back roads of the Val d'Orcia are hard to reach without a car. You do not need one inside any of the towns.
Where is the classic Tuscany landscape? +
In the Val d'Orcia, south of Siena. The rolling fields, lone cypress trees and winding lanes seen in most photographs are along the roads around Pienza and San Quirico d'Orcia. Spring is green, and late summer is gold.
