Tuscany
11 nights
Day 3 – 6 · Stop 2 of 4
Wander the cradle of the Renaissance: climb Brunelleschi's dome, lose yourself in the Uffizi and browse the Oltrarno's workshops, all on foot.
Getting there · Day 1
Your car
Zurich → Florence
589 km · 7 h
About €90–145 in fuel and tolls
Stay
We don't have places of our own here yet. Search the whole town on the booking site.
No booking needed. Just go when you like.
Sight · Day 2
Climb 463 steps between the dome's two shells, passing close under its frescoes, to a terrace with views across Florence. Entry is by timed reservation.
Get tickets ahead to skip the queue, then go any time it's open.
Food & drink · Day 2
Browse the food stalls of Florence's central market, then share small plates of lampredotto, pasta and cheese upstairs in the food hall.
No booking needed: drop in while it's open.
Museum · Day 2
Walk through one of the world's great collections, with Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Leonardo and Caravaggio along corridors overlooking the Arno. Timed tickets sell out in season.
Get tickets ahead to skip the queue, then go any time it's open.
Museum · Day 2
See Michelangelo's David up close at the end of a long gallery lined with his unfinished Prisoners. A visit takes about an hour.
Get tickets ahead to skip the queue, then go any time it's open.
Soak in warm sulphur springs flowing year-round over travertine terraces, then wander a quiet village on Etruscan foundations.
Getting there · Day 3
Your car
Florence → Saturnia
162 km · 2 h 30 min
About €25–40 in fuel and tolls
Stay
A Hotel in Saturnia, a comfortable base for exploring the area. See rooms, photos and availability on the booking page.
Sight · Day 4
Stroll the quiet village, following old walls to the Roman gate on a road laid out over Etruscan foundations.
No booking needed. Just go when you like.
Get tickets ahead to skip the queue, then go any time it's open.
Hot springs · Day 5
Sit in natural pools of warm sulphur water tumbling over travertine by an old mill. Free and open all day; go early.
No booking needed. Just go when you like.
Hop on the ferry to a granite island: dive superb waters, hike between terraced vines and wander a walled hilltop village.
Getting there · Day 6
Your car
Saturnia → Porto Santo Stefano
53 km · 1 h
About €10–15 in fuel and tolls
Ferry
Porto Santo Stefano → Isola del Giglio
15 km · 1 h
About €10-16 per person, €30-60 with a car, one way
Book on Maregiglio
Stay
A B&B in Isola del Giglio, a comfortable base for exploring the area. See rooms, photos and availability on the booking page.
Hike · Day 7
Follow the path along the island's wild southern tip to its red-and-white lighthouse.
No booking needed. Just go when you like.
Walk · Day 7
Lose yourself in the alleys of the walled hilltop village, ringed by towers and looking over both coasts of the island.
No booking needed. Just go when you like.
Dive, swim and sail around a rugged former island tied to the coast by sandbars, between the harbours of Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole.
Getting there · Day 10
Ferry
Isola del Giglio → Monte Argentario
15 km · 1 h
About €10-16 per person, €30-60 with a car, one way
Book on Maregiglio
Stay
A Hotel in Monte Argentario, a comfortable base for exploring the area. See rooms, photos and availability on the booking page.
Hike · Day 10
Hike to the promontory's highest point through scented Mediterranean scrub, with views out to the Tuscan islands.
No booking needed. Just go when you like.
Diving · Day 11
Head out by boat with a local dive centre for a guided dive in clear water. Equipment hire and beginner courses are usually available.
Run by Argentario Divers. Book a place ahead: the times depend on them.
Getting home · Day 12
Your car
Monte Argentario → Zurich
762 km · 8 h 30 min
About €115–190 in fuel and tolls