Liguria and Tuscany Summer Itinerary, See the Best Places in 9 Days

Our 9-Day Liguria and Tuscany Summer Itinerary included Italy’s stunning beautiful areas. Hilltop towns, landscape sketched by cypress trees, wineries, tours, and art filled our memorable trip.

Opting for a flight to Florence from Frankfurt, Germany, saved travel time. After a brief stay near Florence, we spent seven nights in a Monteggiori hotel. From there, we explored both Liguria and Tuscany with ease.

Where we stayed

By the time we tried booking a hotel in Florence, prices were sky-high. Fortunately, we found I Parigi Corbinelli Residenze, 20 kilometres from Florence Airport. Surprisingly, it was the best choice for the money we paid.

Our next stop was Dulcis in Borgo, a family-run hotel in Monteggiori, an Etruscan village atop a hill. The highlight? Dining at the renowned local restaurant La Tre Terrazze.

How we arrived in Italy and get around there

As Air Dolomiti, an Italian airline within the Lufthansa Group, operated direct flights from Frankfurt to Florence, our journey was smooth. Nonetheless, road construction led to the rental car office being temporarily relocated outside the airport, causing us an hour’s delay in finding it.

Our Liguria and Tuscany Summer Itinerary

In our Tuscany summer itinerary, we planned to explore 16 places, including the renowned Cinque Terre, which actually consists of five small villages. Therefore, we ended up visiting a total of 20 villages and towns.

• 1^st  Day:  Florence
• 2^ed Day: Pisa, Monteggiori, Pietrasanta
• 3^rd Day: Beach, Lucca
• 4^th Day: Cinque Terre, La Spezia
• 5^th Day: Beach, Carrara marble route & Colonnata
• 6^th Day: Monteriggioni, Siena, Castellina in Chianti
• 7^th Day: Portovenere, Montemarcello
• 8^th Day: San Gimignano
• 9^th Day: Serravalle Pistoiese

1^st Day:  Florence

The route to our first hotel, I Parigi Corbinelli Residenze, was straightforward.

Upon check-in, the hotel owner shared a tip for reaching Florence quickly without driving. We purchased a family bus ticket from him and boarded public transport to Florence, the stunning medieval city bisected by the River Arno.

Florence, renowned as the art capital, has awe-inspiring architecture, sculptures, museums, and more. We were overwhelmed by the mesmerizing views at every corner. Later, we savored rustic Tuscan cuisine at a local eatery in the heart of the city.

2^ed Day: Pisa, Monteggiori, Pietrasanta

En route to our next hotel, we caught sight of the Pisa tower. Following a brief visit and a quick lunch there, we resumed our journey to our second accommodation.

Upon checking into the family hotel in the hilltop village of Monteggiori, it was already late. We took a short stroll in this secluded village and discovered that the renowned local restaurant La Tre Terrazze was fully booked. Since Pietrasanta, a charming Ligurian coastal town just a few kilometers away, offered numerous dining options, we decided to dine there instead. Surprisingly picturesque, we couldn’t resist capturing the beauty of this coastal gem until nightfall.

3rd Day: Beach, Lucca

Swimming wasn’t the primary focus of our Tuscany summer itinerary, but whenever we had the chance, we made sure to enjoy a few hours splashing in the sea and relaxing on the shore. With a beach conveniently close to our hotel, we seized the opportunity for a refreshing swim before our visit to Lucca. The beach we chose belonged to one of the most exclusive beach clubs in the area.

Just before noon, we left the beach club and set off for the walled city of Lucca. Rich in history and adorned with numerous churches, Lucca offers a glimpse into bygone eras. The highlight of our visit was undoubtedly cycling atop the medieval walls, a unique and unforgettable experience.

4th Day: Cinque Terra, La Spezia

The trains are the easiest way to get to and around the Cinque Terre. We started our journey at the Levanto railway station and bought day tickets with unlimited rides. The train from Levanto to La Spezia stopped at Riomaggiore, the most southern village of the Cinque Terre, also the first place we visited on that day.

Among the five villages, Riomaggiore has the best sea view of Cinque Terre, while Manarola is the best place to eat. After lunch, we went to Corniglia and Vernazza. And then, we arrived at the last village of our trip, Monterosso al Mare. It is a busy tourist resort for beach holidaymakers.

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at La Spezia and had our dinner.

5th Day: Beach, Carrara Marble Route , Colonnata

We went to another Italian beach club at Marina di Pietrasanta and booked a complete set of beach facilities for 4 hours. That was a surprisingly good experience because the price was reasonable, the place was pretty clean, and the beach facilities were beautifully arranged. The Italian food offered from the lunch menu was super delicious at very fair prices. 

Having relaxed at the beach, we went on the Carrara marble route. Some of the memorable scenes from the movie “007 Quantum of Solace” were shot on this route. The marble route passes a small village, called Colonnata, where most marble diggers live.

6^th Day: Monteiggioni, Siena, Castellina in Chianti

One of the beautiful things in Italy is its pretty hilltop towns. Monteriggioni is one of them. We had a stop there on the way to Siena, the heart of Tuscany.

Siena is distinguished by its medieval brick buildings. Among its many well-known sites, the fan-shaped central square, Piazza del Campo, has left me a strong impression.

On the way back, we did not drive via highway but followed the Chianti Road instead. Therefore, we could explore Castellina in Chianti,  a hidden gem in the Chianti Region.

7th Day: Portovenere, Montemarcello

Portovenere is one of the best places along the Ligurian coast. We had a walk along its nicely paved promenade, visited the Gothic-style Church of St. Peter atop a rocky headland, saw the romantic Lord Byron’s Grotto, and wandered through the maze of its narrow streets. And finally, we did swim in the Ligurian sea.

The road to Montemarcello was a scenic ride along the road surrounded by different local vegetation and glimpse views of the Gulf La Spezia. Montemarcello’s alleyways are cut at right angles, perpendicular to each other.

8th Day: San Gimignano

Many spectacular towers dominate the skyline of the hilltop town of San Gimignano. We spent nearly the whole day there, climbing the tower, visiting local shops selling all kinds of local products, tasting the Italian food, and of course the Italian ice cream.

9th Day: Serravalle Pistoiese

On the way to Florence Airport, we spotted another hilltop village Serravalle Pistoiese. It was not on our Tuscany summer itinerary list, but we took the opportunity to visit the small place. It was a nice stopover before the end of our Tuscany trip. 

Travel Tips

We are glad to include so many places in our Tuscany summer itinerary. If possible, we would like to stay in Florence for a couple of days. Chianti Wine Tasting was also on our list since Tuscany is also a wine region. Unfortunately, the wine tasting requires an overnight stay in Chianti Wineries. Unless you pre-book a wine tasting tour in Florence to avoid the driving.

To drive around in Tuscany and Ligurian regions took us a lot of time and energy. We drove on the highway as long as possible to save time on the road but then left out many beautiful countryside views. Besides, the highways in Italy are toll roads. In some tourist areas, the parking fee is also expensive.

The budget tour, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano with Lunch and Wine in Chianti, explores top destinations in Tuscany in one day. It has good value for money.