Travel guide to the best things to do in Lucca and nearby, based on our own travels. All you need to know to make the most of your stay in Lucca and surrounding area: the best things to do, the best day trips, my recommendations for restaurants, accommodation, tours and experiences.
If you are looking for a Tuscan base that offers something for everyone — history lovers, foodies, beach lovers, hikers, cyclists, wine enthusiasts and families with children — then Lucca might just be the most perfectly positioned town in the whole region.
Lucca itself is a delight.
The town is a beautifully preserved city with Roman origins, with extraordinary churches, a unique amphitheatre piazza and one of the most beloved things in all of Tuscany: vastly intact town walls wide enough to walk and cycle on!
But what makes staying in Lucca so special is what lies beyond those walls, as well as what they embrace.
To the west, the Versilia coast and its elegant beach resorts are a short drive away.
To the north, the Garfagnana valley offers dramatic mountain landscapes and medieval villages utterly unlike anything else in Tuscany.
To the east, Pisa is 30 minutes away and Florence less than an hour and a half. And Cinque Terre, that five-village stretch of dramatic Ligurian coastline, is reachable in under two hours.
So, as you can see, when I say Lucca has something to offer to pretty much everyone, I mean it!
I love this area.
I have visited it many times over the years and I always recommend it to families with kids especially, as it flat and kid friendly.
But you don’t need kids to love Lucca because the town truly is lovely. It consistently surprises people who think of it as a day trip destination and the most common reaction from visitors is ‘I wish I had known! I would have stayed here!’
This is my guide to making the most of a stay in Lucca and surrounding area. I hope you enjoy it!
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Travel guide to the Lucca area TL;DR
- Lucca is one of the most beautiful and family-friendly towns in Tuscany — flat, walkable, full of character and surprisingly uncrowded compared to Florence and Siena
- Its position in northern Tuscany means the coast, the mountains, Florence, Pisa and Cinque Terre are all within easy reach
- It is an excellent base for people who want a mix of culture, countryside, coast and outdoor activities
- The best way to explore the wider area is by car. I recommend renting through Discover Cars
- Lucca itself however is unusual in that it is also well served by train — Pisa, Florence and Cinque Terre (via La Spezia) are all reachable without a car, which makes it a good base if you are visiting Tuscany without a car
- My favourite experiences in this area are cycling the walls, the Garfagnana valley by car, a day at the coast, a farm to table day in Tenuta Chiudendone, and a day trip to Cinque Terre
- The best seasons to visit are spring and early autumn. Summer is busy and hot but enjoyable, especially if you combine town visits with beach days. If you love comics, then you cannot miss Lucca’s famous Comics & Games festival in late October/early November.
Where to stay near Lucca
My shortlist of places to stay in the Lucca area:
A note on accommodation: staying in Lucca town itself is a wonderful option: the centre is atmospheric, flat and walkable, and parking is easy just outside the walls. That said, if you are visiting in summer and therefore want a pool (you really do in simmer here!), the best options tend to be outside of the town, where there is more space and greenery. Own car a must if staying outside of the center.
The best things to do in Lucca and surrounding area
Visit Lucca town and cycle its walls
A stay in the Lucca area begins, naturally, with Lucca itself, which is a real delight of a place: a place of churches, music (it’s Puccini’s home town), history and of course amenities such as restaurants, cafes and shops.
Lucca historic and very Tuscan but, unlike many other centers, is it flat, which means it is suited also to visitors with mobility challenges and families with kids of stroller age.
It’s size is medium: so while you don’t have all the opportunities of bigger center, it is not a minuscule either, and you have a good amount of restaurants to stay here several days with no repetition.
I have a full guide to Lucca town, covering all the best things to see and do: the extraordinary walls, the Roman amphitheatre piazza, the cathedral and churches, the Torre Guinigi with its rooftop trees, the special events and practical tips for getting around.
I also have a dedicated guide to visiting Lucca with kids here, which has everything families need to know and why I love Lucca for little ones specifically.
One thing I will say here: many people come here thinking the town will be a quieter alternative to Florence it partially is…. but partially isn’t! Lucca is very well known to tourism and while it tends to be quiet in the evening, it is very much a place with people, cars, etc. It’s a real town with real life going on, which in Italy means tourism too. So: expect pretty and small but don’t expect an isolated, off the beaten track hamle – Lucca is small but it’s a city and very much on the tourism radar!
Visit Pisa
Just 30 minutes from Lucca by car, or under 30 minutes by direct train, Pisa is one of the easiest and most rewarding half-day trips you can make from this base.
Everyone knows the Leaning Tower — and yes, it really is as impressive in person as it sounds however, I urge you not to come to Pisa just for it, the lean itself will only keep you attention a couple of minutes, it’s really not that interesting!
What IS interesting and worth seeing however is the whole Piazza dei Miracoli (the Campo dei Miracoli) which is extraordinary: the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Camposanto Monumentale (a medieval cemetery with remarkable frescoes) together make one of the most spectacular architectural ensembles in Italy. Give it at least a morning.
Pisa also has a real city to explore beyond the main piazza: the riverfront and piazza dei Cavalieri are lovely and the city, beyond the tower area, is quiet and authentic since mass tourism doesn’t take the time to check it out! I have a full guide to a day in Pisa here
Explore Florence
About an hour and 20 minutes from Lucca by car or direct train, Florence is the obvious big-city day trip from Lucca and is, of course, magnificent.
Rather than tell you why a day trip to Florence is a good idea (the Uffizi, the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, the food…), I’ll point you straight to my Florence itinerary, which I think gives you the best possible day in the city.
The itinerary is short enough to be done in a day and it starts form the station – perfect coming with the handy train from Lucca!
Discover the Garfagnana valley
This is one of the great hidden pleasures of staying in the Lucca area, and one that many visitors completely miss!
About an hour north of Lucca by car, the Garfagnana is a dramatic mountain valley — all deep forests, rushing rivers, stone medieval villages and local food culture: it feels completely unlike the Tuscany of cypress trees and rolling hills but it is beautiful and as authentic as it gets!
It is perfect for a day of slow driving with stops along the way: the medieval town of Barga is particularly beautiful, with wonderful views and excellent restaurants and the Castelnuovo di Garfagnana fortress is worth a look.
The mountain air, after a few days among the summer crowds, is absolutely glorious too!
The region is dotted with medieval hilltop towns, where hiking and cycling are popular, with trails ranging from easy riverside walks to more challenging mountain paths. It is ideal for anyone craving outdoor adventure combined with authentic, unhurried Tuscany.
Have a farm to table day with cooking class in Tenuta Chiudendone
About an hour drive from Lucca lies one of my favorite places in Italy: Tenuta Chiudendone.
Tenuta Chiudendone is a stunning family farm on a hilltop that regularly opens its doors to visitors, so that they can experience a real day as a guest on a Tuscan estate.
During their farm to table experience you tour the estate, visit their vines and olive grove, pick vegetables from the patch, then cook all together, eat together and, in summer, you can also spend the rest of their day in their pool.
It’s a dream of a place and perfect especially if you are staying in town, since it give the perfect opportunity to experience the countryside without stress and even without a need to drive, as they can help with local transport. You can find all info here > tell Francesco and Isabella that Marta (that’s me!) sends you!
Go wine tasting: Colline Lucchesi and Montecarlo DOC
Lucca is outside the most famous wine area of Tuscany; however, it has its own DOC denominations so it still have good options to offer to wine lovers.
Wineries that are worth checking out are Sardi Giustiniani, Fattoria di Montichiari, which are beautiful and have a strong hospitality vocation.
If you prefer traditional Chianti varieties, Chianti itself is only a drive away.
Spend a day at the coast: Versilia
One of the great advantages of staying near Lucca, and one that visitors from other parts of Tuscany genuinely envy, is how close the coast is.
The Versilia, a stretch of wide sandy beaches backed by the Apuan Alps, is only about 30-40 minutes by car and makes for a perfect beach day.
I have a full guide to the best beaches near Lucca here but the main options worth knowing about:
Viareggio is the most famous and lively of the Versilia towns, with beautiful Liberty-style architecture in its centre and long, wide beaches with well-equipped lidos. A classic upscale Italian beach resort experience.
Forte dei Marmi is the most glamorous and expensive option, ‘Forte’ is legendary among the wealthy for its beautiful beach clubs and exclusive atmosphere.
Lido di Camaiore is a lovely choice for families with children, with gently shelving beaches and shallow water perfect for young swimmers.
Marina di Pietrasanta sits between Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio and has a slightly more relaxed but still very attractive feel.
Visit Cinque Terre
About an hour and 45 minutes from Lucca by car (or just over two hours by train, changing at La Spezia), Cinque Terre, the famous five colourful villages clinging to the dramatic Ligurian coast, is an ambitious but absolutely worthwhile day trip from this base.
The best approach is to drive or take the train to La Spezia, then use the local trains to hop between the five villages. Having a full day is important — arriving early is essential, especially in summer.
I have a full guide to taking a day trip Cinque Terre here: it is from Florence but works the same from Lucca, since you have a train to La Spezia, your jump off point to Cinque Terre, from both.
Take a day trip to the Apuan Alps and Carrara
A slightly unusual but very memorable option is to go visit the Carrara marble quarries – where the famous Carrata marble you may know from sculptures (and bathrooms tiles!) come from!
About 40-50 minutes from Lucca, the Carrara marble quarries are one of the most spectacular and surprising sights in Tuscany.
These vast white quarries carved into the mountaintops have been supplying the finest marble in the world since Roman times, and seeing them from below (they look like snow-capped peaks) or from within on a guided quarry tour is genuinely extraordinary.
Combine a quarry visit with the lovely coastal town of Carrara itself, or continue down to the coast for a swim.
Explore Pistoia and Montecatini
About 40 minutes east of Lucca, these two towns make for a lovely combined half-day:
Pistoia is one of Tuscany’s most underrated small cities. It has a beautiful medieval centre, an extraordinary Romanesque cathedral, a green zoo (great for kids, a great resource for families) and it gets alsmost no tourists.
Montecatini Terme is Italy’s most famous thermal spa town — a slightly faded but very charming Belle Époque resort full of grand 19th-century buildings and thermal facilities. A lovely, slightly unexpected contrast to the medieval Tuscany of the hilltop towns, and a great option if anyone in your group fancies a spa day.
For families: the best experiences with kids
Lucca is one of the most family-friendly towns in Tuscany. It is flat, walkable, mostly traffic-free in the centre, and has activities that work brilliantly for children of all ages.
Top things to do in Lucca with kids:
- Cycling the walls — the classic Lucca family experience. Children love it and it is easy as you can just get bikes on the day and they are family bikes, so they are suitable also for kids too young to pedal
- Piazza dell’Anfiteatro — the amphitheatre piazza is endlessly fascinating for children who love history and a great place for a gelato stop.
- Torre Guinigi — the tower with trees on top is a brilliant talking point for children. The climb is manageable for most school-age kids.
- Lucca Comics & Games (late October/early November) — if you happen to be visiting in this period, this is one of Italy’s largest and most celebrated popular culture festivals and absolutely wonderful for older children and teenagers.
Nice day trips for kids from Lucca are
- Pistoia Zoo – perfect for all ages
- The Garfagnana — older children who like the outdoors will love a day in the mountains. Easy river walks and dramatic scenery.
- The beach — the Versilia is excellent for families, with calm shallow waters and well-equipped beach clubs.
- Pisa — the Leaning Tower is irresistible for children. Make sure they do the classic photo!
Where to eat in Lucca and surrounding area
Lucca has a wonderful food culture — the city is known for its olive oil (some of the finest in Italy is produced in the surrounding hills), its excellent bread (made without salt, in typical Tuscan style), and a strong tradition of simple, honest, seasonal cooking.
Restaurants you may enjoy are:
- All’Olivo, Lucca
- Antica Locanda di Sesto (immediately outside Lucca)
- Trattoria di Marino, Serravalle Pistoiese
How to get around
The Lucca area is unusual among Tuscan bases in that it works well both with and without a car.
Without a car: Pisa, Florence and Cinque Terre (via La Spezia) are all reachable by direct or connecting train. Lucca’s train station is right outside the city walls and very easy to use. This makes Lucca an excellent choice for visitors who prefer not to drive.
With a car: the Garfagnana, the Colline Lucchesi wineries, Pistoia, Montecatini and the more scenic coastal routes all become much easier and more enjoyable. Having a car also opens up the beautiful countryside drives between Lucca and the surrounding hills.
As with all historic Tuscan towns, Lucca’s city centre has a ZTL (limited traffic zone). Park just outside the walls — there are several well-signposted car parks and on-street spaces — and explore on foot (or by bike!).
Find here >> my tips for driving in Tuscany And here >> my guide to parking in Italy
I hope this guide helps you plan a wonderful stay in Lucca and surrounding area. Safe travels!
