Tuscany with Teens: 13 Things to do in Tuscany with Teens

Exploring Tuscany with teens is great fun. As one of our favourite regions in Italy we have spent many holidays discovering the best things to do in Tuscany with our teenagers and there is plenty to keep them entertained! We’re well aware that most holidays with teenagers have to happen in the school summer break. With this in mind, most of these activities to do in Tuscany with teens are best enjoyed in the warmer months of the year. Our advice is not to try and cram in too much and don’t make the mistake of dragging your youngsters everywhere on foot. There are plenty of creative ways to move around Tuscany’s cities – bikes, segways, kayaks, horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws are not even an exhaustive list!

1.Kayak in Florence

Florence is a wonderful city. There’s no doubt that many teens will enjoy simply wandering through the streets and piazzas. There is an almost endless stock of museums and galleries to explore in Florence. However, we realise that this is not every teenager’s idea of fun. Our top tip to be able to enjoy the architecture and atmosphere of Florence whilst also keeping your teen entertained is to join a kayaking experience on the River Arno. See popular sights like the Uffizi Gallery, paddle beneath the Ponte Vecchio bridge and even get an adrenaline kick as you slip down the San Niccolò slide. We are never disappointed by the quality of the guides in Florence and they keep this tour light and easy to digest with a lovely garnish of humour to help the positive endorphins kick in for the paddling!

There is a huge amount to see and do in Florence. It is home to some of the most famous sights in the world including the Uffizi, the Duomo, the Accademia, the Ponte Vecchio and the Palazzo Vecchio. With all these places, we would recommend you book your tickets in advance to avoid the queues. After all, very few teens (or parents!) have the patience to stand in line for long periods of time.

2. Climb a Mountain

Many people don’t realise that Tuscany is home to some stunning mountains. While this region is most famous for the rolling hills of Val d’Orcia, Tuscany also has some impressive peaks, marble creators and even a few volcanos! The mountains here are not as high and mighty as those in the Dolomites or northern Alps. However, for a trip to Tuscany with teens there are some perfect peaks which can be easily conquered in a day.

Often described as the ‘Queen of the Apuan Alps’, Monte Croce is stunning peak amongst this magnificent mountain range. From the summit you can often see as far Corsica. There are several routes up and it is possible to drive part of the way, if you don’t fancy a full day hike. Guided trips are available and recommended if you are an inexperienced hiker. Alternatively, 10 Adventures offer free trail guides for this hike and many others which you can enjoy while in Tuscany (and right across Italy) with your teen.

Another option is Monte Capanne on Elba Island. As the highest point on the island, you will be rewarded with the most magnificent 360 degree views of mainland Italy along with Corsica, Capraia, Pianosa and Monte Cristo. The hike up takes a couple of hours. In the summer it’s strongly recommend to set odd early and avoid the warmest hours of the day. A bonus of Monte Capanne is that there is also a cable car if you don’t fancy the hike or are travelling with some less spritely family members.

3. Discover Elba Island

Just 10 kilometres from mainland Tuscany and easily reached by a regular ferry service, Elba is Italy’s third largest island after Sicily and Sardinia. Most famous for being Napoleon’s home during his first abdication in 1814, today Elba is a holiday destination in its own right. For us, the main draw to visit this stunning island in Tuscany with teens are Elba’s breathtakingly beautiful beaches. Every inch of Elba’s coastline is pristine. There are some really special beaches to discover. In the north, Spaiaggia della Sorgente and  Spiaggia di Sansone offer some of the best snorkelling we’ve done anywhere in Europe. The water is truly crystal clear. While Elba’s beaches are incredible, there are plenty of other activities and tours to keep you and your teen busy too. Click here to read our full travel guide to Elba island.

4. Adventure in Stretti di Giaredo

Nestled in the most undiscovered corner of Tuscany, if you have an adventurous teen then this is a must-do activity. Just 10 minutes from Pontremoli you’ll find this magnificent gorge where the Gordana stream has carved an impressive channel through the ancient Tuscan rocks. The river links a series of azure pools, while beautiful rock formations tower above you as natural walls. You can experience them all if you’re happy to combine some swimming with some walking in between. What’s more, a number of waterfalls cascade into the pools, creating a magnificent natural kaleidoscope of colours.

A word of warning though, the water here is cold! Even in August many people prefer to do this activity in a wetsuit. More information and  guided tours (including wetsuit hire!) can be explored here. If you like the sound of this then you will probably enjoy our full guide to wild swimming in Italy too.

5. Climb the Tower of Pisa

This has to be a bucket-list activity for most visitors to Tuscany. Here at Bookings For you, we actually love Pisa and regularly shout about there being so much more to this wonderful city than its very famous wonky architecture! However, this is also one of the most-loved activities we have done with our teens in Tuscany so we had to include it.

The Leaning Tower is just one of the attractions to be found in the Piazza dei Miracoli. However, the other architectural wonders such as the Baptistry and Duomo may be of less interest to your teens. But, don’t worry, there are plenty of other activities to keep them entertained in Pisa. Why not hire a 4 seater bike to explore the rest of Pisa’s streets? Or simply enjoy shopping for souvenirs together. There are plenty of street sellers offering the chance to buy a memento of your visit.

Pisa is super popular and we highly recommend arriving early to avoid the crowds that gather quickly around the tower and cathedral. On our most recent visit in August, we drove into the city from our villa in Tuscany and arrived at around 8.30am. We found parking easily on Via Andrea Pisano for €2 per hour. Our pre-booked skip-the-line tickets meant we avoided the queues and these tickets also include entry to the cathedral. There are 251 steps to climb to the top of the bell tower and its a fairly tight squeeze in places – we recommend wearing trainers for this activity! At the top of the tower, you’ll be rewarded with some great views of the city and beyond to the coast and and mountains.

6. Cycle the Walls in Lucca

Lucca’s walls are unlike typical medieval city defences. They are wide, tree-lined, and more importantly for cycling they are flat!  Stretching 4.2 kilometres (2.6 miles) in length, the walls offer panoramic views of Lucca’s red-tiled rooftops, historic towers, and surrounding Tuscan countryside. With plenty of shaded areas and rest stops – cycling the walls is leisurely activity that will keep teens entertained while soaking in the city’s charm. There are all kinds of bike hire options and guided cycle tours too. Click here to see what’s on offer.

7. Take a Cooking Class Together

One of the greatest things about travelling to Italy with teenagers is that you are taking your teen to the home of pizza, pasta and ice cream! What’s more Italians love nothing more than sharing their age-old culinary knowledge by offering all kinds of different ‘learn to cook’ experiences. This is a great way to share an experience and learn some new skills in the kitchen with your teens. The added bonus of course is that you get to eat your culinary creations too!

Classes can be tailored to you and your family and cater for any special dietary requirements. A cookery class in Italy offers a great opportunity for the whole family to learn some new skills together, under the tutelage of some of the world’s most passionate chefs. If you opt for a Tuscany villa holiday, then the chef can come to you and in many cases the classes can be held outside.

The other option is to head out and enjoy a class elsewhere. One of our favourite cookery schools is L’Ideale in Florence. Here, Laura and Gianluca run classes as part of Cooking in Florence. Laura and Gianluca also have some other amazing experiences to enjoy outside the city, including a visit to a Tuscan cheese producer or a jeep safari with a picnic in the woods. Both Laura and Gianluca are brilliant with children so it will definitely be child friendly.

Click here to see what’s on offer. These are popular experiences in Tuscany with teens so we always recommend booking well in advance to avoid disappointment.

 

8. Hang-Out at a Hot Spring

Interestingly, there are more thermal baths and hot springs in Tuscany than in any other region in Italy. From the northern Lunigiana to to Val D’orcia you are never far away from a ‘terme’ in Tuscany. Probably the most well known and certainly the most instagrammed is Cascate del Mulino. Often known as Saturnia, (which is actually the name of the town), this series of silky-blue waterfalls are magnificent and your teen will love taking their turn to get a selfie whilst soaking in these mineral-rich pools. What’s more there is not entrance fee so this activity is also suited to a teenager’s budget!

The water here springs out at a balmy 37.5 degrees – not ideal refreshment on a typical Tuscan summer’s day! As these springs are open air and free to the public, you can actually visit at any time of the day. So opting for an early morning or evening visit can help make the the temperature of the pools more appealing. However, if you’re visiting off season then you’ll certainly appreciate the warmth of the water.

9. Get an Adrenaline Hit at a Water or Adventure Park

If you have an adrenaline hungry teen, then Vagli adventure park will surely satisfy their appetite! Just north of Lucca and Pisa, tucked in the Apuan Alps, this mecca of adventure has a 1500m zipline which reaches speeds of 130 kmph! There is also an impressive suspension bridge over the river (featuring a glass panelled bottom!) and high ropes course. However, if you’d rather keep your feet on the ground then there is also a lovely swimming pool which has the most stunning views of the mountains. Here you’ll find plenty of sunbeds so you can relax with a book while your teens get their adrenaline kicks!

However, if you want a break from the heat whilst still entertaining an adrenaline hungry teen in Tuscany, then a trip to one of Tuscany’s water parks is a good idea. There are a few to choose from but those with the best reviews are the Acquavillage in Follonica and Cecina, (both of which offer a good selection of rides, a choice of swimming pool and plenty of sunbathing and relaxation areas) as well as the smaller Acquapark Pincardini in Sansepolcro.

10. Delve into the Carrara Marble Quarries 

Once again this is a trip to the mountains. After all, Tuscany is home to some of the most stunning yet somehow unexplored mountains in Italy. However, this time there is no need to brace for impact! The marble quarries in and around Carrara produce some of the finest marble in the world, inspiring artists and architects alike. There are many ways to explore the area but for a trip to Tuscany with teens our recommendation is to join one of the Jeep tours. This great way to time efficiently-explore the quarries with a guide. These tours need to be booked in advance. Click here to see what’s on offer.

11. Hit the Beach

Whilst most people flock to Tuscany to explore its famous cities and stunning rural landscape, Tuscany also has a number of beautiful sandy beaches. Some of the biggest and most famous resorts in Northern Tuscany include Forte dei Marmi and Camaiore. However, unfortunately you will find that many of the beaches here are dominated by private beach clubs so finding a free public beach can prove tricky. You may have more luck finding a public beach in the nearby bustling seaside town of Viareggio or in nearby Pietrasanta.

Heading South, there are a number of picturesque Blue Flag beaches on the Livorno coastline including Vada, Marina di Bibbona, Castiglioncello and the Marina di Cecina. The latter is the largest beach along this stretch of coastline and, in our opinion, is also one of the best places to enjoy water sports such as windsurfing, sailing and waterskiing. Another of our favourites is in Baratti – it has a really nice vibe for teens. Keep heading further South and you will reach the Maremma coastline, home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Tuscany. Here you’ll find long stretches of beautiful white sand, bordered by vast forests of pine trees, perfect for a family holiday in Tuscany.

12. Go Dolphin and Whale Watching

If your teen loves nature then there is no better experience for them than having the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures living in their natural habitats. Or if you’re just looking for a bucket-list activity in Tuscany with teens then this should also be on your list. Living in the protected waters off the Versilia coastline of Tuscany, is a large school of bottlenose dolphins. Founded more than 20 years ago, the CeTuS association is a non-profit organisation who specialise in researching the dolphins (and whales) within this Pelagos Sanctuary. They also run daily dolphin tours aboard their catamaran so that you can see them for yourselves and learn more about these amazing creatures. Head to their website for more information.

13. Stroll through the Tarot Garden

Tuscany’s Tarot Garden (Il Giardino dei Tarocchi) is a garden like no other and teens love exploring its many pathways and installations. Best described as a sculptural garden crammed with modern art, the gardens are the creation of Niki de Saint Phalle. Inspired by his visit to Gaudi’s Park Guell in Barcelona, he designed the garden’s sculptures around tarot cards and the resulting space is bright, contemporary and very quirky. Any teen who has an interest in art or design will find this a brilliant day out. Situated just a few miles from the coast it can also be combined with a morning pr afternoon at the beach.

 

Where to stay in Tuscany with teens

Travelling as a family can be great fun. However, we have never found that hotels offer the space or flexibility that we enjoy when travelling together. Opting for a self-catering villa in Tuscany, will give you and your teens plenty of space to relax. We recommend choosing a villa in Tuscany with a pool. This will give you somewhere to relax between days out and more importantly will offer a place to cool off from the heat of the Tuscan sun. You can discover our stunning collection of Bookings For You Villas in Tuscany here. Or contact us to get advice on planning your holiday in Tuscany with teens.

Often a trip to Tuscany with teens can be part of a multigeneration holiday or it can be fun to travel with another family. This way the youngsters can entertain themselves while we also get a  chance to holiday with our friends too. However, finding the right accommodation for a larger groups can sometimes be a challenge. Our top choice is Villa Pienza.

This traditional 7 bedroom Tuscany villa occupies a stunning spot and boasts a large private gated swimming pool. The property is well-equipped, and the set up works exceptionally well for two families travelling together.

Perfect for: Those who like to be looked after; the owners live nearby and are available for catering and general holiday advice. It’s also great for keen cooks who are looking to enjoy cookery classes at the villa.

Sleeps: Up to 14 guests

Looking for more information about travelling in Italy with teenagers? Click here to see our full guide to exploring Italy with your teens.