All you need to know to plan a family trip to Tuscany, Italy: the best places to visit in Tuscany with kids and best family attractions.
Tuscany is one of my favorite places to visit in Italy with kids.
It is a beautiful area, blessed with some of the most beautiful landscapes in Italy and it has plenty to do for visitors of all ages.
Here, you can visit historic towns, visit some of the most famous landmarks in Italy, spend time in family-friendly farms, go wine tasting, cycle and go to the beach, all on the same day!
This variety of attractions and the easy transport options means families can easily have a multigenerational trip here and find something for everyone.
I know Tuscany well. I have spent all my childhood summer vacations here and still now, I bring my kids here often.
We are actually going again this summer!
This is my selection of the best places to visit in Tuscany with kids and my first-hand tips for visiting.
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Travelling in the company of those we love is home in motion – find more family travel quotes here
Leigh Hunt
The best places to visit in Tuscany with kids
Val d’Orcia
Val d’Orcia is the stunning area of Tuscany you usually see on travel brochures.
You know the photo of the hilltop villas and the long country roads frames by cypress trees?
That is Val d’Orcia and in reality, it is as beautiful as the photos suggest or actually even more!
This is a wonderful place in Tuscany for families who want to take it easy and soak up all the Tuscany countryside has to offer.
Many of the best things to do in Italy with kids, from classes to sightseeing are here.
In Val d’Orcia, you can:
Visit family-friendly farms and get up close and personal with the animals. Many offer you the option of meeting the animals first, feed them and then go for a picnic with fresh farm produce: it is the perfect family day!
Go cycling: several cycling routes exist in Val d’Orcia, some suitable for kids
Visit hilltop towns with family-friendly centers such as Pienza and San Quirico d’Orcia
Experience family-friendly natural thermal springs in Bagni San Filippo, Bagno Vignoni and Saturnia.
The best places to stay to experience Val d’Orcia are Agriturismo Country homes, which you can book on booking.com or the local site agriturismo.it
You can find here >> our guide to visiting Val D’Orcia
Chianti and Siena
Siena and the area immediately around it is another excellent spot in Tuscany for families looking for a relaxing holiday in the Italian countryside.
In this area, you can:
Visit Siena and its incredible Piazza del Campo, which will capture the imagination of kids with its stories of knights and local rivalries.
See Monteriggioni, a lovely hilltop medieval walled town with a car-free city center and a cool walk on the city bastions, offering amazing views over the Tuscany countryside
Visit San Gimignano, a beautiful medieval town with a car-free city center and so many towers your kids won’t believe their eyes (for parents: this is also the place where you can taste Vernaccia wine!)
Marvel at the real sword in the stone in the stunning Abbey of San Galgano, an incredible medieval abbey now abandoned in the middle of the Italian countryside, with the sky as a roof!
You can also, of course, enjoy what this part of the country is know for: wine!
You can find here all our tips to enjoy wineries and Chianti area here >>> our guide to visiting Chianti with kids
Costa degli Etruschi and Southern Tuscany: best family beaches in Tuscany
Tuscany is most famous for historic towns, country landscapes and wine however, it also has lovely beaches.
The most family-friendly beaches in Tuscany are in the area called ‘Etruscan coast‘ and the province of Grosseto and Livorno.
Here you can find some lovely stretches of clean, sandy beaches, good facilities for families, great campsites and resorts and some rocky beaches perfect for older kids and more adventurous ones.
The best places to go in Tuscany with kids along the Etruscan Coast are:
Carbonifera, a lovely stretch of pristine sandy beach with shallow waters and plenty of option for a sea and sun vacation
San Vincenzo, a nice area of sandy beaches, well equipped with family-friendly campsites big and small (Eurocamp is here)
Bolgheri, Suvereto and Castagneto Carducci, lovely hilltop towns a stone throw from the sea with lovely medieval architecture, great food and the quintessential slow pace Italian lifestyle
Il Cavallino Matto, an old-style theme park for kids, perfect for those afternoons when the children just want to play!
You can find here >> our guide to Southern Tuscany
Lucca
Lucca is a lovely small town in the North-West of Tuscany and a great base for families who are looking for a beautiful, quiet town to call home for a while.
In the Lucca area, you can visit:
Lucca itself, a lovely, slow pace family-friendly town with well-preserved city walls you can cycle on
Pistoia, a nice town loved by families especially because of its ‘giardino volante’, a great kids playground designed by architects and artists
Pinocchio Park, a vintage (read: old but oddly charming) theme park devoted to the character of Pinocchio, with adventure trails, sculptures and workshops for kids (did you know that Pinocchio was born in Tuscany? You can find this and more fun facts about Tuscany here!)
The beaches of the Tuscan Riviera and the area of Marina di Pisa and stylish Viareggio, good for an afternoon at the beach
Pisa
Pisa is likely be on your children’s radar because of its leaning tower and indeed, it is a fun place to visit for kids (and a beautiful one for adults, the square with the tower is wonderful).
Pisa can be easily visited in one day: the town is largely modern and the main area of interest is Piazza del Duomo, which has several important buildings and teh famous tower.
You can read how to spend a day in Pisa here and also find some fun facts about the leaning tower of Pisa for kids here, perfect for school age kids.
Florence / Firenze
Florence is the biggest city in Tuscany and it is therefore not everyone’s ideal location in Tuscany if what you are looking for are relaxing days at the pool and getting off the beaten track.
However, we loved our time in Florence with kids and found plenty to keep kids and adults entertained here.
Basing yourself in Florence you can:
Visit Florence itself: you can find our guide to Florence with kids here and learn how to see all Florence main attractions with little legs in tow
Spend a day in the lovely Maiano Farm, where the kids can learn about farm life and parents can taste some of the best Tuscan food you can imagine
Visit Fiesole and its beautiful Roman theater.
Visit Pratolino and marvel at the statue of its incredible giant
Great family friendly places to stay in Florence and the surrounding area are:
- Palazzo Belfiore, family hotel in Florence
- Al Gelso Bianco, agriturismo with pool and cooking classes for kids
- Hotel Villa La Palagina, family-friendly farm and resort
- Agriturismo Maiano Farm in Fiesole, with pool and kids activities
Practical tips for visiting Tuscany with kids
The best way to explore the Tuscany countryside is by car.
This is the only mean of transport that will give you access to farmhouses and the widest array of accommodation options as well as some free attractions such as the Saturnia hot springs or more remote villages such as Monticchiello.
You can find my tips for driving in Italy here.
You can also visit parts of Tuscany by train.
Trains are cheap and reliable and usually drop you in the center of the city.
The easiest places to visit n Tuscany by train are Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Siena.
Cars, while useful in the country tend to be a nuisance in towns, where access restrictions are usually in place and parking can be expensive.
You can find my tips to using the trains in Italy with kids here.
If traveling with toddler a compact stroller or an all terrain stroller will come in handy in town and country locations.
If you are interested in a road trip around Tuscany, you can find our recommended Tuscany driving itineraries here.
If this is your first time in Italy, make sure you also check our guide to planning the perfect family trip to Italy. Safe travels!
This post has been fully updated in 2023 with our personal experience of recent trips done in 2022 and 2023.
