Tuscany...So Much To See, So Little Time.

We are going to be in Florence for 5 nights and want to spend at least two days out in Tuscany.  The question is....where to go?  There looks to be so many wonderful towns, how are you supposed to choose.  We want to eat wonderful food, drink great wine, shop and just stroll around people watching.   It sounds like every town offers these options, and more, so I guess there isn't a bad choice in the bunch.  That being said, choices need to be made and we are having a difficult time making them.   It is certainly more difficult since we will not have a car.

We are considering the Original Slow Day in Tuscany Tour.  It is a small group tour with a maximum of eight people although in reading the reviews, often times you have the tour all to yourself.  Pretty much all the reviews give it five stars on Trip Advisor and it sounds wonderful.   Here is a snip-it from their website.

Your day starts at 9.30am at the meeting point. From there we head straight to the family-owned vineyard. After a leisurely wine tasting and the opportunity to learn about chianti wines, we go on foot through the vines and olive orchards to the Medieval hill town.

Lunch at a family run slow-food restaurant is for many one of the highlights of the day. For those wanting to taste the typical local recipes that have made Tuscany renowned for foodies the world over this is for you!

In the afternoon you will be able to explore one of Tuscany's most charming villages, with a piazza where the wine harvest is held each year, arcades of artisan shops and local produce.

 It is also quite inexpensive at 125 euros for nearly 8 hours and includes lunch and wine tasting.

We are also considering a private tour by Sergio at Scenic Wine Tours of Tuscany.  They have some fantastic day tours.  They are more expensive at around 200 euros per person, but you have the guide all to yourself and can customize your experience.  There are 13 reviews on Trip Advisor for him and every one is 5 stars.

I just found this website today....Globetrotter Girls.  This is a very interesting blog about two women who took all of 2011 off and traveled the world.  They spent some time in Tuscany and list the following as their top 5 towns to visit when visiting.

• San Gimignano

• Siena

• Volterra

• Lucca

• Barga

It is a very interesting blog that I will have to spend more time exploring.

Not sure why or if I am really complaining.  We should probably book these two tours and move on, but....there are so many great towns and we want to see them all.   If anyone has any suggestions, we would love to hear them.  We will keep searching and exploring and will eventually do a post with what we decide to do.