5 days in Tuscany – a poetic travel guide to Lucca and Florence

We flew in to Pisa, golden light pouring over the runways and rooftops. From there, a short train ride took us to Lucca, our base for the week — a small Tuscan city surrounded by centuries-old walls and the scent of freshly brewed espresso. A quick taxi from the station brought us to our stay, a charming attic air bnb apartment where the kitchen windows opened to morning traffic and the sound of life beginning outside.

Around the corner: the greengrocer, the butcher, and a handful of little shops selling everything you could need to fill your table with Italian goodness. It was the kind of place that makes you instantly slow down, order another coffee and watch the real life pass by.

Lucca

Tucked between Pisa and Florence, Lucca sits quietly in the heart of northern Tuscany — a small, walkable city of just under 90,000 people, known for its perfectly preserved Renaissance walls and unhurried rhythm.

We spent in total five days here — enough time to settle into its gentle pulse, to notice the details that often slip by in bigger cities. The chestnut trees in full autumn splendour, children spinning in the carousel to the sound of the fountain nearby, lovers sharing a moment walking the city.

With several Tuscan gems behind us, we thought we knew what to expect — but Lucca is like nowhere else. The thick stone wall, wrapped in soft greenery, guards the city with quiet grace. Through its gates, you step into a world of narrow alleys, cobblestone corners, and sunlit piazzas where history hums under your feet.

At first, the city within the walls can feel a little closed. But once you give the wall your time — walk its full circle, let the breeze guide you — Lucca opens up. Locals stroll and cycle along the top, pausing to chat as the afternoon light spills over the rooftops. It’s Tuscany at its gentlest — the kind of place where time drifts like laundry in the wind, and every coffee feels like an invitation to stay a little longer.

October was the perfect month to visit. The air was crisp, the crowds had thinned, and every square seemed to glow in the late-afternoon sun. Market stalls overflowed with persimmons, and fasades with sunkissed laundry.

To fall in love

At Piazzetta del Libro, surrounded by preloved books, we fell in love with words we understood — and those we didn’t. Beauty in abundance, whispering stories in languages that didn’t need translating. Slip quietly through the square and you’ll reach Café Bei & Nannini. Ask for a cake recommendation; every single one tastes heavenly.

For a classic coffee stop, sit down at Café Santa Zita — elegant, timeless, perfectly Italian. Lunch at Trattoria da Giulio in Pelleria, where locals gather for generous plates and laughter that fills the room.

Lucca is a city that invites you to be still. To watch. To listen. To feel the rhythm of Italy as it moves — coffee cups clinking, bikes passing, proud church bells between stone walls.

Florence

Just an hour by train from Lucca, Florence feels like another world — a city that hums with grandeur and quiet intensity. The journey is simple: a window seat, a cup of coffee, and Tuscany passing by in soft waves of ochre and green.

We spent a full day here, walking everywhere, letting the city unfold. Florence is best discovered on foot — it’s the kind of place that rewards wandering, where even a wrong turn feels deliberate.

Our first wrong turn led us to Ditta Artigianale, one of the city’s most beloved cafés (we learned), known for its craft coffee and creative spirit.

From there, we wandered toward il Mercato Centrale Firenze, the old market filled with stories. Beauty from the past, wrapped up in the presens.

Crossing Ponte Vecchio, we found narrow backstreets where Florence suddenly exhaled — quieter, softer, lined with artisan shops and windows dressed in typography that could make a designers heart beat twice as fast.

We paused at Fotomatica, a vintage photo booth that decided to keep our portraits to itself (a small, poetic act of resistance, perhaps). But anyway - we truly enjoyed the moments and all the sweet talks with visitors just like us.

Dinner at Il Santo Bevitore sealed the day — warm light, unpretentious elegance, and plates that balanced creativity with Tuscan roots and a cool, artsy vibe. Just the way we love!

Florence is a city of contrasts — monumental and intimate, bold and tender. It’s a place that asks you to look twice, to notice the details behind the grandeur.

Let's wrap it up!

6 tips for a perfect visit in Lucca & Florence Five days with Lucca and Florence taught me that travel is as much about stillness as about seeing. Lucca gave us time to slow down enough to notice chestnut trees in autumn light, the colors shifting of the walls, and the quiet rustle of leaves along the green walls. Florence reminded us of history’s heartbeat — the artistry in stone and the way cobblestones echo with passages of centuries.

Here are the things I want to carry with me, and the things I hope you’ll try:

Walk the walls of Lucca. That full, roughly four-kilometer circuit opens up views, sky, rooftops, and a sense of the city’s heart.

Find your corner café. Café Santa Zita, or a local spot in Pelleria. Sit. Sip. Let the sunlight and sound settle on you.

Piazzetta del Libro. Lose yourself among preloved books. Let their beauty — even the ones in languages you don’t know — draw you in.

Eat like Italians. Sharing is caring — small plates, wine, laughter, and food grabbed in the moment enjoyed under a cathedral’s shadow or at a sunlit table.

Use the tools. Omio for train tickets. Google Maps for buses. Local intuition when directions feel too formal.

Go in October (or shoulder season). The light is golden, the air is sweet, the crowds are gentler, and Tuscan hues are at their richest.

Travel isn’t about ticking boxes or rushing toward the next landmark. It’s about letting the moment stretch. It’s about morning coffees, afternoon light, discovering dear books, catching laughter in piazzas, and sharing a plate of pasta with someone you love. That’s what Lucca and Florence are — places not just to see, but to feel.