7 Days in Tuscany surrounded by small villages and farms enjoying some of the worlds best wine, olive oil, and food. What could possibly be better than ending the summer in arguably one of the most beautiful regions in the world? I’ll tell you, NOTHING.
This coming August, I am planning a unique Tuscan vacation for my husband, Ryan, and I. To say I am little excited is a huge understatement. This trip is mainly going to take us through small towns and villages in the Tuscan countryside where we will be staying at 2 different luxury farm hotels, but, we will also be staying in Florence for one night to see some historic sites and famous artworks.
Read on to find out where we will be staying and what we will be doing!
Palazzo dei Conti Residenza d’Epoca, Florence
Florence Hotel: Palazzo dei Conti Residenza d’Epoca
Palazzo dei Conti is located in the heart of Florence and just a short 5 mile drive from the Peretola International airport. The city’s main points of interest are just steps away with the Florence Baptistery and Bell Tower by Giotto being only 650 feet from the front door of the hotel and a mere 950 feet from the Piazza del Duomo. What more could you ask for in a location?!
The rooms are well priced for the location of the hotel and proximity to the city’s main attractions. For our night in Florence, I booked us a double room with balcony so we can really experience the magic of the city even while we are in our room. With a modern luxurious style, we are really looking forward to spending our only night in Florence at the Palazzo dei Conti!
Florence Itinerary:
While we are only spending a day and a half in the city of Florence, our time there will be jam-packed as we plan to see A LOT. The ancient architecture and notable artworks that call Florence home are high up on our list of must-sees. The Uffizi Gallery where Botticelli’s famous The Birth of Venus is housed is going to be one of our first stops followed by a visit to Galleria dell’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David.
As for the notable architecture in Florence, the Duomo, the Baptistery, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Santa Maria Novella, oh I could go on. But alas, we only have a day and a half so we are going to try and hit the biggest architectural highlights such as these.
Of course our 1.5 days here will consist of plenty of shopping as well. From window shopping on Tournabuoni, to shopping for leather souvenirs at the San Lorenzo market, we sure have our work cut out for us!
Locanda LePiazze, Castellina, Chianti
Castellina, Chianti Farm Stay: Locanda LePiazze
This is going to be the more relaxing portion of our trip to Tuscany as the next hotel, the beautiful Locanda LePiazze, has a pool overlooking rolling hills that are typical of the iconic Tuscan landscape. This is where we will likely be spending most of our time while here.
The luxury farm hotel is at a slightly higher price point than some of the other options in the area but for good reason. It is highly acclaimed and has all the amenities one would look for in a luxury hotel like high end furnishings and design, a world-class restaurant on site, and of course the immaculate site it is located on. For our three day stay, I booked us an executive double room which has a private bath and queen size bed.
Chianti Itinerary:
In addition to relaxing poolside and daydreaming about what life would be like to permanently live here, we are going to indulge in a luxurious dinner at the hotels onsite restaurant, Tavola di Guido. The restaurant is run by the executive chef Guido Heinrich Haverkock who was the recipient of a Michelin star at a previous restaurant. Here, he creates dishes inspired by the region and local ingredients.
We also plan to venture into the neighboring towns of Rhada and Monteriggioni to explore their idealistic streets and have dinner.
Villa Dianella, Vinci, Florence
Vinci, Florence Farm Stay: Villa Dianella
Our next, and final, stop is the Medicean Villa Dianella in Vinci, Florence. The 16th century hunting lodge is located on 90 hectares (over 222 acres) of land in Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. Their land consists of vineyards and olive groves where they produce different varieties of wine and extra virgin olive oil. The rest of their land consists of forest with soil ideal for producing truffles and mushrooms.
Over the years Villa Dianella has had many unique and well known owners. Two of the most famous families were the Medici and Fucini families. The Medici family was extremely wealthy wool merchants and bankers. They ruled the city of Florence through their political dynasty and were patrons to the arts which helped progress the Italian Renaissance forward. They used the estate as a hunting lodge until the 1700’s. Renato Fucini was a famous Italian poet and author and he happened to compose the majority of his works while residing at Villa Dianella. Today, the estate is owned and cared for by the Passerin d’Entreves family.
The fair price point for Villa Dianella surprised me a bit since this luxury farm hotel has a lot to offer visitors. The charming, upscale-cottage style of the hotel makes it seem welcoming and luxurious so you can feel right at home. For the final three days of our Tuscany adventure, I booked us a double room which has views of the gardens, a private bath, and a queen size bed.
Vinci Itinerary:
At Villa Dianella, they offer, cooking classes, wine tastings and cellar tours, as well as the unique opportunity to be able to partake in a truffle hunt! Ryan and I are going to enjoy the exhilarating truffle hunting experience followed by lunch that will be prepared with the truffles. To finish off the afternoon we are also going to partake in the wine tasting and cellar tour. I think my taste buds are the most excited for this tantalizing experience!
Thanks for checking out my upcoming itinerary for Tuscany, I cannot wait to enjoy this trip and come back to share my experiences with you!