12 Unforgettable Things to do in Tuscany for Your Destination Wedding in Italy
If you choose to have a destination wedding in Tuscany, you will be delighted by its breathtaking scenery, delicious food, heavenly wine, and fascinating history. They are simply magnificent. The region also offers many authentic and fun activities you and your guests will remember forever.
My advice is to always have a couple of days before and after the wedding to experience the Italian culture and indulge in the dolce vita lifestyle.
2020 has not been easy for Italy lovers who live abroad so far and I thought you must be missing Tuscany a lot at this point! This is why today we will be having a virtual tour throughout the region and all the amazing breathtaking activities you can do while in Italy. So, here is your list of unforgettable things to do in Tuscany:
Take a Fiat 500 Ride
What is more Italian than a vintage Fiat 500? Imagine you and your sweet half in the middle of the Tuscan rolling hills, visiting a local trattoria lost in the countryside for lunch, the wind in your hair on a warm sunny day. This is happiness!
If you want to drive it yourself, consider that most Italian cars, Fiat 500 vintage and the modern version included, do have gears. If you are used to the automatic transmission, you can book a tour with a driver. Consider that Fiat cars are tiny for 2, maximum of 3 people if you want to enjoy Tuscany with family and friends.
Take a Vespa tour
Another way to experience Italian vibes is on a Vespa scooter. Piaggio Vespa is an undisputed icon of Italian culture. The freedom it gives you is amazing! Be sure you bring your driver’s license if you want to drive it yourself.
If you don’t feel like driving, you can enjoy the sidecar experience. From late spring to early fall, these kinds of tours are the best you can get! Many of them also include wine tastings and romantic sunset views.
Balloon ride
Do you love views and always have to climb to get the best one while traveling? Then you can’t miss an amazing balloon ride adventure, flying over the rolling hills of Tuscany.
Imagine standing in a wicker basket up in the air, looking down at the countryside, vineyards, the famous lines of cypress trees and historic towns. This is a great experience that will allow you to see Italy as few people do. Totally recommendable, especially if you enjoy heights.
Cooking classes
What’s better than eating outstanding Tuscan pasta? Learning how to cook it yourself from scratch, so you can surprise your friends and family at home too!
Tuscan cooking lessons are usually organized for no more than 10 people and the ingredients are all local. You can do them at the villa where you are staying if it is equipped for it, or at a local grandma’s house. Some of the classes include a tour to the local market too.
Imagine being able to cook fettuccine al ragu or an actual Italian tiramisu all by yourself! This will become your family recipe and you will recall this experience every time you cook it!
Truffle hunting
Another great idea is to participate in a truffle hunt adventure. Accompanied by a professional guide and trained dogs, you will learn how to search for truffles throughout the forests.
Tuscany has both white and black truffles, depending on the season. You will be taught how to identify the various species of trees and the ideal habitat for truffle growth.
You will have to wake up early for the hunting but it is totally worth it – after it, you will enjoy some pasta with the truffle you found and local wine.
Spend some days on the seaside
From Maremma to Livorno, Tuscany is full of natural parks and pretty stretches of coastline, beaches and seaside resorts.
It is not typically thought of as a summer spot, which makes its seaside enjoyable even in August, when Southern regions are overwhelmed with tourists. Yet, here you can find surprisingly crystalline water and a fragrant shade of pine groves.
You can rent a yacht and explore local bays, visit luxury destinations like Porto Santo Stefano or Forte dei Marmi, and enjoy the best fish restaurants in the area.
Shopping
Tuscany is well known for its artisan boutiques that produce shoes or leather bags but that’s not all you can get. The city centres have many famous brands stores and outside the cities, there are some outlets Italians come to visit even from other regions!
The most famous are The Mall near Leccio and Barberino at a half an hour drive from Florence. Both offer great value for money and are a must-visit if you love the Italian class and style.
Make your own perfume
Do you know where perfumes were invented? France? Not at all, they were actually born in Florence! Caterina Medici married Henry II and followed him in France in the 1500s. She imported fragrances to France to wear them on her gloves and body: in this way she avoided the odors of other people, who did not wash regularly at that time in history.
Following tradition, Florence has modern laboratories that inherited the original customs of the Medici family. Just a few steps away from the Basilica of Santa Croce there is a one of a kind place called Aquaflor. It is a perfume lab and boutique located in the marvelous 15th century Serristori Corsini Antinori palace.
Bespoke perfumes are created here by Master Sileno Cheloni from more than 1500 scents. This is the place where you can create your own fragrance based on your favorite ones.
You can also buy body creams, bath salts, candles, and beautiful organic soaps in the most appealing colors and stylish packaging, or enjoy perfume tastings, workshops, or laboratory tours.
Every detail of this historical and elegant place is carefully studied and perfectly connected with the whole ambiance to create an unforgettable experience.
Find the ring on Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio is the bridge that crosses the Arno River in the center of Florence. It was originally constructed by Roman soldiers over 2000 years ago and is the only bridge in Florence that survived WWII.
Since the Renaissance, the shops on the bridge were assigned to the gold merchants. If you want to find an engagement or a wedding ring, a bracelet, or a necklace, this is the right place.
The experience of buying gold here is a luxury one: you will have an aperitivo with an Arno view while choosing the right piece for you, away from all of the hustle and bustle of the city. Remember, in Italy 18 karat is the lowest legal standard to be called gold, so you can’t be wrong about your choice!
Enjoy the thermal baths
Tuscany has the highest number of thermal centers in all of Italy. They are the perfect addition to a holiday in appreciation of art and nature. You will find natural baths with therapeutic properties, relaxing spas, and hot springs.
They are visitable all year long but you will probably most appreciate them in fall and winter. Imagine being able to relax in the bubbles surrounded by some of the most beautiful, breathtaking natural landscapes in the world!
The province of Siena is the richest area of natural thermal waters in all Tuscany. The natural thermal waters of Saturnia and Petriolo offer many opportunities for curative wellness, from the free hot thermal pools in the middle of nature to the luxurious and modern centers with all kinds of treatments.
Don’t miss it when in Tuscany, it does feel regenerating!
Take the wine trail
The Chiantigiana (SR 222), the road connecting Florence to Siena, is one of the most beautiful driving routes in Italy, passing upon acres of vineyards producing the world-famous Chianti Classico DOCG.
Chianti has been one of Italy’s most important wine-producing regions for more than three centuries. Here the family of the Grand Duke of Tuscany began cultivating grapes during the 18th and 19th centuries in the region that would become modern Chianti.
This route is gorgeous all year long but you may want to visit it for the September harvest to see the ripening Sangiovese grapes – the variety from which Chianti Classico is made.
Almost all local wineries make degustations where you can try the round wine and the delicious cheese or ham, all produced right there!
Enjoy museums and art
Last but not least, you can enjoy a variety of museums, from Uffizi in Florence to Duomo in San Gimignano, Pitti Palace, or even the less known museums, like the Etruscan Museum in Cortona.
If you enjoy open-air art, don’t miss the Tarot Garden in Southern Tuscany – built by Niki de Saint de Phalle in the second half of the last century. The Garden displays the huge and beautiful sculptures by the French artist who depicted the 22 major arcana of the Tarot cards.
No matter what you choose to do, please don’t take a photo while holding the Pisa tower… Actually, hey, you’re in Italy, you can do whatever you want as long as you’re having fun!
I hope you enjoyed today’s blog post! Share it on your social media, so your friends who miss Italy too will be grateful you made them travel to Italy (even if so far only virtually).
Which activity would you like to do first? Let me know in the comments!