*I visited Tuscany as a guest of Bookings for You and Mansalto Tuscany

Tuscany is known for its stunning landscapes, rolling green hills, history, art, and architecture. Having traveled to many different places in Italy previously, Tuscany had still been left untouched on my travel bucket list – until I was recently invited on a press trip to explore this gem of an Italian region by Bookings For You and Mansalto Tuscany. To say I left my heart in Tuscany is a gross understatement, and it’s amazing how much we were able to do in Tuscany in three days. So if you are planning a trip to Tuscany and only have three days to explore it in, here’s what you need to do!

Fly in to and explore Pisa

Pisa is a great landing point for Tuscany – it’s either that or Florence. But if you haven’t marveled at the Leaning Tower of Pisa yet and want to do Tuscany in three days then taking in Pisa and all its stunning architecture is totally do-able by foot in a day. Top tip: you can store your luggage at the lock-up facility at Pisa train station to avoid dragging it around with you all day if you are just passing through!

Head into the hills

When people think of Tuscany, there’s one thing that comes to mind – and that’s all those gorgeous green rolling hills peppered with vineyards, olive groves and hilltop towns, fantastic wine and food, and jaw-dropping sunrises and sunsets.

If you’re aiming to do Tuscany in three days, to truly experience that I would highly recommend you base yourself out of a villa if you’re traveling in a group. We stayed in Villa Le Tornaie with Bookings for You – the perfect place to soak up all the tranquillity of the Tuscan countryside and incredible vistas.

The large 7 bedroom villa we stayed in slept up to 16 people (from 425 Euros per night). Oozing in historic atmosphere and dating back to 1899, it was a slice of peaceful Tuscan heaven set off a quiet country road. Think sprawling bedrooms (many featuring four-poster beds!) with ensuite bathrooms, a large open plan dining room and a living area complete with a banquet-style table and grand piano. All of which was set against the backdrop of gorgeous alfresco space and a charm-your-pants-off courtyard.

And yes, even during our whirlwind three days in Tuscany we managed to find time to luxuriate in the villa’s hot tub, sauna and steam room. In late September, It wasn’t warm enough for me to brave the pool though!

Visit Siena

From where we were based in the Tuscan hills, Siena was just a half-hour drive away – happy times for those looking to nail Tuscany in three days. Siena is the perfect place to visit in just one day because it’s nice and compact. You can stroll around the historic old town at leisure, soaking in all its historic charm and taking in all the sites including the Duomo and Torre Del Mangia.

Eat at authentic nonna style restaurants

Of course, one of the massive draws of Tuscany is the fabulous regional cuisine. Although it can be tempting to eat in a tourist trap, it’s well worth spending some time snuffling out the nonna style restaurants that the locals eat in to truly enjoy traditional Tuscan food. For example, when we were in Siena we headed away from the main hub to discover Osteria Nonna Gina. We also enjoyed some fantastic Tuscan cuisine up in the hills at La Scuderia.

Visit a vineyard

There is something so utterly enchanting and fascinating about visiting a vineyard in Tuscany – the home of chianti. Set within 2,000 hectares of land made up by vineyards, olive groves, woods of Turkey oaks, chestnuts and cluster pines, a visit to the Mansalto winery is a must for wine lovers. We learnt so much from an unmissable wine tour and visit to the cellars which of course was all rounded off with a wine tasting.

Enjoy an Italian cooking class

Okay so we all LOVE to eat Italian food but what’s even better is learning to cook Italian food – the Italian way! While in Tuscany, be sure to look up Cooking Florence for a fun, relaxed, personal yet informative cooking experience. Using local seasonal products you’ll learn to make mouth-watering creations to enjoy at the end of the class. I’m still drooling over the memory of the stuffed tomatoes and parmigiana that we made!

So I think you’ll agree that with a little planning and foresight, there is a lot you can experience in Tuscany in three days. We had such a special and unforgettable experience in Tuscany and it’s left me hungry for more. But for the time being…I’ll have to be grateful for being able to experience Tuscany in three days!

Have you ever visited Tuscany? Or perhaps you are looking to visit Tuscany in three days? Do share in a comment below.

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*I visited Tuscany as a guest of Bookings for You and Mansalto Tuscany along with Mamma Prada, Emma and 3, Inspireoo, Pink Pear Bear, The Tiny Italian and The Big Travel Podcast