Chianti
Explore Chianti with your family: hilltop villages, castle visits, pasta classes, and some of the best food in Tuscany. Here is everything you need to plan your trip.
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🇮🇹Lucca
Explore Lucca with your family — cycle the Renaissance walls, climb a tower with rooftop oak trees, and taste Tuscany's best pasta in a city with far fewer crowds than Florence.
Your family guide
Lucca: the Tuscan gem your family will fall in love with
“Fewer crowds, more charm: Lucca is Tuscany at its most liveable.”
— San & Jo
Lucca is one of those places that feels like a secret, even though it absolutely should not. Tucked inside a ring of perfectly preserved Renaissance walls in the heart of Tuscany, this compact medieval city rewards curious families with cobblestone piazzas, rooftop gardens, Roman ruins hiding beneath an elliptical square, and gelaterias on practically every corner. It is the kind of place where kids actually want to explore.
What makes Lucca so good for families is how easy it all feels. The historic centre is flat, traffic-free, and made for wandering on foot or by bike. You are not fighting crowds the way you would in Florence or Pisa. Instead, you get the same gorgeous Romanesque architecture, the same rich Tuscan food culture, and the same deep sense of history, just at a pace that actually works when you are travelling with children.
From climbing a medieval tower topped with real oak trees to cycling the city walls with a gelato in hand, Lucca delivers the kind of moments your family will still be talking about on the drive home. Culture, history, and great food all wrapped up in one very walkable, very beautiful walled city.
Tuscany, ItalyCentral Italy
Sept–Nov and SpringBest time to visit
Mid-rangeBudget level
Best things to do
Why we love Lucca for families
Climb Torre Guinigi
This 14th-century tower is 45 metres tall with 230 steps, and at the top you find a rooftop garden of real oak trees growing out of the stone. Kids absolutely love the surprise of it. The views over Lucca's rooftops and the Tuscan countryside are stunning, and the whole experience feels genuinely magical.
Go early morning to beat the queues and enjoy the views in cooler temperatures
30–45 minutes
Discover Piazza dell'Anfiteatro
This elliptical square was built directly over the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre, and once you know that, you can see the oval shape everywhere. It is ringed by colourful medieval buildings with cafes and shops at street level. A brilliant spot to sit down, let the kids run around, and soak up the atmosphere.
The square is liveliest in the early evening when locals come out for their passeggiata
1–2 hours
Cycle the city walls
Lucca's Renaissance walls form a 4 km tree-lined promenade on top of 12-metre-high bastions. You can rent bikes at several spots near the walls and pedal the entire loop with panoramic views over the city on one side and the Tuscan hills on the other. It is flat, safe, and genuinely one of the best family activities in Italy.
Bike rental is available near Porta Santa Maria: arrive early on weekends as bikes go fast
1–2 hours
Marvel at San Michele in Foro
Standing on the site of Lucca's ancient Roman forum, this church has one of the most spectacular Pisan-Romanesque facades you will ever see, crowned by a gilded statue of Archangel Michael slaying a dragon. Kids are usually pretty impressed by that detail. It is free to admire from the outside and the square in front is a lovely place to stop.
Point out the different columns on the facade: no two are the same design
20–30 minutes
Explore Palazzo Pfanner and its gardens
This 17th-century palace has beautiful Baroque gardens with statues and fountains that feel like stepping into another era. It is one of the most serene spots inside the city walls and a welcome break from the busier piazzas. The gardens are also visible from the city walls above, so you can spot them from your bike ride too.
The palace was used as a filming location for the film Portrait of a Lady: a fun fact for older kids
45–60 minutes
Visit the Duomo di San Martino
Lucca's Romanesque cathedral houses the Volto Santo, an ancient wooden crucifix that has been venerated for centuries, and the breathtaking tomb of Ilaria del Carretto: considered one of the finest Renaissance sculptures in Italy. It is a genuinely moving experience and a great way to bring history to life for older children.
The tomb of Ilaria del Carretto is in the sacristy: do not miss it
45–60 minutes
Follow the Puccini trail
Lucca is the birthplace of opera composer Giacomo Puccini, and the city celebrates that heritage with performances in churches and venues throughout the year. Even if your family is not big on opera, the connection to one of the world's most famous composers gives the city an extra layer of cultural richness that is genuinely interesting to explore.
Check local listings for evening opera performances in historic venues: a memorable experience for older kids
1–2 hours
Our verdict
How Lucca scores for families
Kids
The flat, traffic-free centre and cyclable walls make Lucca very easy with children of all ages. There is plenty to spark curiosity: rooftop trees, hidden Roman ruins, and a dragon on a church roof.
Culture
Lucca punches well above its weight. Roman history, medieval towers, Romanesque churches, Baroque gardens, and the birthplace of Puccini: all within a 20-minute walk of each other.
Food
Fantastic local food scene with signature pasta dishes, hearty soups, and sweet anise bread to take home. Plenty of family-friendly trattorias where kids are genuinely welcome.
Nature
The tree-lined walls and Palazzo Pfanner gardens offer lovely green space, but Lucca is primarily a city destination. The Tuscan countryside is close by if you want to venture out.
Budget
More affordable than Florence or Siena, especially outside peak summer. Many of the best experiences, cycling the walls, exploring the piazzas, cost very little or nothing at all.
Planning your visit
How long should you stay in Lucca?
1
1 day
Quick visit
Cycle the walls, climb Torre Guinigi, and explore Piazza dell'Anfiteatro. You will see the highlights but feel a little rushed.
sweet spot
2
2 days
Sweet spot
Two days lets your family explore at a genuinely relaxed pace: time for the cathedral, the gardens, great meals, and a gelato stop whenever you feel like it.
3
3 days
Deep dive
Three days means you can also visit the Basilica di San Frediano, browse Via Fillungo properly, and perhaps catch an evening Puccini performance.
Fun facts
Things about Lucca your kids will remember
Trees growing on a tower
Torre Guinigi has a garden of oak trees growing from the top of a medieval tower, 45 metres in the air. The roots actually grow down through the tower structure. It has been like this for centuries.
A square hiding a Roman arena
Piazza dell'Anfiteatro looks like a normal oval square, but it is built directly on top of the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre from the 2nd century AD. The oval shape of the ancient arena is still perfectly visible from above.
The city that gave the world Puccini
Giacomo Puccini, the composer behind operas like La Bohème and Tosca, was born in Lucca in 1858. His music is still performed in the city today, and his house is open to visit near the cathedral.
Taste Lucca
What to eat in Lucca with your family
Tordelli Lucchesi
Must tryBuca di Sant'Antonio
Lucca's signature pasta dish: crescent-shaped stuffed pasta filled with ground meat, mortadella, cheese, and herbs, served with a spiced beef ragù. Rich, comforting, and completely delicious. This is the dish to order.
Buccellato di Lucca
Kids love itPasticceria Taddeucci
A traditional sweet anise bread studded with raisins, sold in bakeries all over the city. It makes a brilliant snack for kids and one of the best edible souvenirs you can bring home from Lucca.
Zuppa di Farro
Local favouriteBuca di Sant'Antonio
A hearty, deeply flavourful soup made with farro, beans, vegetables, and tomato. It is rooted in Lucca's peasant food traditions and feels like proper home cooking. Perfect for cooler autumn or spring days.
Traditional Lucchese menu
Safe choiceTrattoria da Giulio
Trattoria da Giulio near Piazza Anfiteatro is a local favourite known for excellent value and honest Lucchese cooking. A reliable choice for families who want to eat well without spending a fortune.
Piazza cafe culture
Daily treatCaffe delle Mura
Sitting at a cafe in Piazza dell'Anfiteatro or Piazza Napoleone with a coffee for you and a granita or gelato for the kids is one of Lucca's great pleasures. Slow down and enjoy it.
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