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A week in Tuscany - what are some must sees?

We are going to be spending 7 nights in an agritourismo near Pienza from May 13 thru May 20, 2017. I would like to hear what some of your "must see"/"must do" things would be. I am thinking about day trips to Orvieto and Pisa, as well as other places, but I am not sure how far away is reasonable for a day. I don't like the idea of driving after dark in an unfamiliar place. We will have a rental car for the week. I don't want to spend an enormous amount of time in the car, while there are great things to see and do closer. We have been to Florence, and we may go back. My husband prefers small towns to big cities

We are a retired couple in our mid to late-sixties with average stamina. We love beautiful scenery and architecture, art, culture, wine, etc. I would love to hear your suggestions.

Kathy

Posted by
365 posts

Lots to see just driving around the beautiful Val d'Orcia area. Montelcino, Pienza, Montelpulciano, hot springs, Montisi, Cortona, wineries (Avignonesi), Siena to name a few. We stayed at Cretaiole & they kept us so busy that our 1st "free" day was day 5. Needless to say we threw out our extended itinerary fairly quickly & just went with the flow!

Posted by
248 posts

We thought San Gimagnano a trip highlight. We enjoyed our wine tasting at Castello di Verazzano website hereand our day in Lucca.

Posted by
89 posts

We are the same age. Went to Italy four years ago with another couple. Our favorite places were Volterra (app. 2hrs away), Orvieto (app. 1hr. 15min. away), and Lucca (app. 2hrs. 5min. away). Both Volterra and Orvieto are fortresses sitting up on plateaus. Old Lucca is surrounded by brick walls, but not elevated. We enjoyed San Gimignano, but is very popular and crowded (lots of tour buses). Which is one of the reasons we liked Volterra so much. Lots of Etruscan history, beautiful vistas, etc. We are going back in the fall and will definitely go back to Volterra.