typical view of Italy's Tuscany hills seen on Tours of Tuscany

Best Time of Year to Visit Tuscany: Seasons, Travel Tips, and More

WRITTEN BY JOELLE EDWARDS

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT TUSCANY, ITALY?

The good news for all of you trying to decide on when to visit Tuscany, Italy is that this stunning region is pretty amazing all year round. You just need to figure out what your vacation priorities are, what temperatures are comfortable for you and what the deal breakers could be.

Some of the best places to visit in Tuscany are actually at their best during the months holidaymakers would consider ‘out of season’. This will all depend on whether you are a sun seeker looking to bask outdoors, a forest forager fond of truffles, a sucker for skiing, a designer shopper, a culture monster or a food and wine junkie.

girl walking through vines on a Tuscany wine tour in Italy

September and October is harvest time in Tuscany

IS OCTOBER A GOOD TIME TO VISIT TUSCANY?

I often get asked ‘Is October a good time to visit Tuscany?’ because the crowds die down and the prices are lower. If you don’t mind fresher temperatures and a bit of rain but you are a real foodie, for example, then this could actually be the BEST time to travel to Tuscany. This time of year is food festival heaven as the olives are harvested and the wineries are busy handling tonnes of freshly picked grapes. You literally get the pick of the bunch when it comes to fresh produce to sample.

As mentioned in our previous blog post: Visiting Italy For The First Time (https://almaitaliatravel.com/visiting-italy-for-the-first-time/) it pays to try and think like an Italian. This definitely applies to deciding on when to visit Tuscany. Avoid the unecessary challenges of fighting large crowds and high temperatures. When considering the best places to visit in Tuscany ask yourself what the locals are doing and when they are doing it!

Tuscany italy landscape of fields and trees

CLIMATE IN TUSCANY – THROUGH THE SEASONS

Tuscany generally enjoys a mild climate all year round with a noticeable difference between the warmer, coastal areas and the fresher mountains further inland. Temperatures can range from lows of 3°C (37°F) in January to highs of over 35°C (95°F) in July and August so it is worth thinking about the best time to travel to Tuscany based on your specific needs.

Winter in Tuscany

December always sees a little increase of tourist numbers on November as visitors arrive for the Christmas markets in the larger cities, including Florence and Siena, and to see in the start of the ski season with the first snowfall. The popular ski resort of Abetone is only an hour and a half away from Lucca, making it an ideal spot to hit the slopes just for the day or for a long weekend!

January can be pretty cold and wet but the flipside is that many things will be much cheaper. The low tourist numbers could make this the best time to travel to Tuscany if you are excited about the plethora of sites and museums that this region has to offer. You can spend more time face to face with some of the world’s most loved works of art rather than queuing up for them outside. This month also sees the start of the hugely anticipated saldi (sales) where all that money you saved on your airfare and hotel can be used for guilt-free purchases of fabulous Italian leather goods!

One of the things I love about Italy is that you are never far away from a saint’s day, a local celebration, a religious festival or a national holiday at any time of the year. More often than not these will be accompanied by festive food, yum! The constantly changing displays in supermarkets follow, or rather pre-emt, the festive calendar including far more celebrations than Valentines, Easter, Halloween and Christmas. There will be traditional, seasonal food items every couple of weeks depending on what is being celebrated. Take carnival season. In Tuscany pretty much the whole of February is dedicated to elaborate costumes, sweet baked goods such as cenci and the soft sponge cake schiacciata alla Fiorentina, street parties and coriandoli (paper confetti) covering all sidewalks. It paves the way and prepares the stomach for Easter when even more food is celebrated and giant chocolate eggs the size of small children fill shop windows. Celebration is in the air as spring peers over the rooftops to lift the grey skies.

One of the best places to visit in Tuscany at this time of year is Viareggio over the weekend of its world famous, magnificent carnival, second only to Venice. It gets busy but it’s well worth the trip. It’s on a beach for a start!

Florence Italy at sunset view of river and bridge

Spring in Tuscany

Early spring sees plenty more skiers enjoying the white slopes of Abetone, Monte Amiata and Zum Zeri, while manageable tourist numbers and pleasant temperatures (highs of 20°C / 68°F) make this one of the best times to travel to Tuscany for city exploring. You can actually walk around outside at any time of day and not overheat or be constantly on the look out for the next air conditioned gelateria. In March and April explore all the corners of Florence, Siena, Lucca and Arezzo and enjoy some al fresco dining, or take some long walks in the countryside, around the vineyards in Chianti for example. There can be rain (it nearly always rains on Easter Day in Florence) so just make sure you are prepared. You may be surprised at how much of Tuscany you get to see!

May is a very popular month as the sunshine becomes a more permanent presence and temperatures rise to highs of 25°C / 77°F. It’s a perfect time to enjoy areas like Maremma with its gorgeous beaches and beautiful natural parks, although it’s unlikely you’ll see any Italians in the water just yet! Some of the best places to visit in Tuscany in May, specifically the last weekend, are the wine producing areas such as Chianti. The nationwide annual event Cantine Aperte (literally translated as ‘Open Cellars’) sees wineries across the whole country opening their doors to the public in the name of wine tourism. What better way to get to know a region than travelling around tasting the whites reds and frizzanti (bubbles) produced on its land? Locals and tourists gather together to learn about the incredible variety of wines in each place and tastings are often accompanied by other delights produced at the same farm such as oil, honey, cheeses or cured meats!

Also not to be missed in May is the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, an annual Italian arts festival in Florence which centers around a notable opera festival programme.

The sea lapping around the rocky coastline of Elba Island, Tuscany Italy

Summer in Tuscany

June starts to get busy in Tuscany. Skies are blue, the air is warm and it is the best time to travel to Tuscany (along with September) to enjoy long days and long evenings at the beach. The pretty midsummer sunsets and warmer waters make the islands of Elba and Capraia a very popular choice for the locals at this time of year along with the resorts in Forte dei Marmi and Castiglione della Pescaia.

July and August are high season with high temperatures and high numbers of tourists. Many shops and businesses close for the whole month of August as Italians head to the coast or up into the cooler hills. My advice – follow them. You don’t need to be traipsing uncomfortably on hot tarmac when you could be sipping an iced tea with your feet in a lake in the mountainous region of Garfagnana, contemplating which hillside restaurant to have lunch in. You will need to book in advance however as many places will be snapped up by Italians early on in the year. Rise high up in the hills above Prato, towards the border with Emilia Romagna, for some fresh temperatures and fresh pasta! Similarly the green forests and villages of Casentino northeast of Florence offer cooler air, breathtaking views and some pretty good tortelli!! If you’re organized, island hopping is a great way to spend these hotter months as you can simply cool off in the water whenever you like. Avoid too many large cities or long car journeys if you can. If wheels are a must you could always opt for two and hop on a Vespa to weave through any traffic while enjoying a fresh breeze. If you do decide to visit the larger cities then consider Siena, on one of the days of the Palio, the famous horse race which takes place in the main square – Piazza del Campo – on specific days in July and August.

Autumn in Tuscany

The best places to visit in Tuscany in September are many. The local kids are back at school, crowds have eased (only slightly) and temperatures are ideal. Harvest time is approaching so the colours in the countryside are spectacular, fields are full and grapes are ready to burst.

When the grapes are sweet enough they are picked. Wine festivals, especially in the area around Chianti, spring up in small villages like Greve in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti and Panzano in Chianti which hosts the famous Vino al Vino festival in the third week of September. Chianti is therefore easily one of the best places to visit in Tuscany in September alongside the beaches on the island of Elba!

If you are wondering whether October is a good time to visit Tuscany, this time of year brings beautiful colours, pleasant temperatures and fewer people. Visit the main cities and sniff out the food festivals and sagras where local produce is celebrated (ignore the bad DJ and concentrate on the food). Get yourself busy at a winery for grape harvesting either picking, tasting or just observing. Later in the month the olive harvest will begin across the region (and the country) from grandpas harvesting their two ancient olive trees with the grandkids, to the teams on substantial olive farms throwing nets and operating shakers. It’s easy to get involved and nothing beats that sweet sting of the first drizzle of bright green, peppery olio nuovo on a fresh piece of Tuscan bread.

November sits in a slow tourist season so if you don’t mind lower temperatures and some rainfall it’s one of the best times to travel to Tuscany in order to visit some of the best museums in Europe with shorter lines to follow. It’s also peak truffle hunting season so get involved to see if you can navigate the woods and win any prizes!

At Alma Italia Travel, whether you are looking for the the best places to visit in Tuscany in September or just wanting to know when to visit Tuscany for the sales!, we will happily guide you to help you plan your trip to some of the The best places to visit in Tuscany. Feel free to schedule a call today.

Timelessness for those caught in the fever and fret of life.

For all it’s beauty, the thing we value most about Puglia is its gift of time. The days pass differently here – the mornings effortlessly blend into the afternoons and the afternoons into night. One day complements the next in the way that vineyards complement the sea in the Valle d’Itria. Puglia is best enjoyed with others – with those you most love – not just because good food and good wine invites good company, but because the region offers time to reconnect, rekindle, and rejoice.

In short, here is our humble opinion: tours of Puglia never disappoint. They rejuvenate, revive, delight. And while there is more to the region than the ocean, you are never far from the sweet, sweet sound of the sea.