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FL1 regional train Cheapest
Cheaper but doesn't go to Termini - good for Trastevere and Ostiense.
$14 AUD
A luxury sightseeing trip to Italy
A luxury sightseeing trip to Italy is built from the top third of what is on offer: San Gimignano, Chianti and Montalcino Day Tour from Siena, Hot air balloon experience over Tuscany from Florence. Activities in this plan start from about $159.
Your 5-day sightseeing plan for Italy
Where you stayToscana 5 nights
5 days · packed · 12 of 12 bookable now · activities from about $7,113
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Day 1 Toscana
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morning
San Gimignano, Chianti and Montalcino Day Tour from Siena
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afternoon
Hot air balloon experience over Tuscany from Florence
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evening
Hot air balloon experience with breakfast from Siena
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Day 2 Toscana
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morning
Pisa and Lucca Private One-Day Tour from Florence
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afternoon
From Siena: Best of Tuscany Wines & Lunch in Montepulciano
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evening
Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano Tuscany tour from Florence with Traditional Lunch
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Day 3 Toscana
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morning
Private hot air balloon flight experience in Tuscany
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afternoon
Hot air balloon flight experience over Tuscany from Lucca
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Loggia del Mercato Nuovo
So called to distinguish it from the Mercato vecchio (pronounced [merˈkaːto ˈvɛkkjo]; "Old Market") that used to be located in the area of today's Piazza della Repubblica.
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Lunch
Has been awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide in 1993 and 1994 and perennially since 2004.
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Day 4 Toscana
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morningalso worth doing
Pasta and tiramisu cooking class in Chianti
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afternoonalso worth doing
Pasta and tiramisu cooking class in Montepulciano
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Day 5 Toscana
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morningalso worth doing
Pasta and Tiramisu Class in Pisa
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afternoonalso worth doing
Pasta and tiramisu cooking class in Siena
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Prices are indicative and in Australian dollars. Flights and accommodation are not included. Distances between stops are straight-line, so a walking or driving route will be longer, and they are shown only where both stops have a known location. Items marked also worth doing sit outside the sightseeing theme and are there because they are among the best things to do in Italy.
Before you fly to Italy
The part an itinerary app leaves out. These are Italy's rules for Australian passport holders, re-read from the official source and dated below.
Entry
No - Australian passport holders can enter Italy without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Passport
Italy wants 3 months of validity beyond the day you leave. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.
Your checklist
22 things to sort for Italy, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.
- Passport valid - valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from the schengen area, and issued within the last 10 years
- Take out travel insurance
- Get an International Driving Permit
Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Entry requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the official sources below before you book or fly.
Sort these before you go
The two things worth having arranged before a sightseeing trip to Italy, compared on price.
Italy airport transfers
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Leonardo Express Fastest
Non-stop to Roma Termini. Validate your ticket before boarding.
$25 AUD
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Fixed-fare official taxi
A regulated flat fare of €55 applies to anywhere inside the Aurelian walls. Only use the official white taxi rank.
$90 AUD
Driving in Italy
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Car hire in Italy
Search live prices
Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.
Luxury sightseeing questions
What makes an activity luxury in this plan?
Price, measured against the rest of that country - the top third of what is worth doing there. It is not a hotel rating and it does not include flights or accommodation, both of which usually dwarf the activities.
Is the expensive option always better?
Often it buys time rather than quality: a private guide, a skip-the-queue entry, a small group instead of a coach. Everything here is still ranked on its review score first, so a luxury plan is the best-reviewed expensive things, not simply the dearest.
Are the big landmarks worth the queue?
Some are, some are not, and the difference is usually timing rather than the place. Where a timed ticket exists the plan flags it, because the same sight at nine in the morning and at midday are different experiences.
How much sightseeing needs a car?
It depends on the destination, and the plan tells you which items sit outside the main city. If you are driving, check the International Driving Permit rules for the country first - several require one alongside your Australian licence.
Other ways to do Italy
Italy wellness itinerary
Hot springs and spa days, but also gyms, yoga, hiking and open water. Rest and movement, not one or the other.
Italy food itinerary
Markets, cooking classes, wine regions and the places worth planning a day around.
Italy highlights itinerary
Some rest, some scenery, some good eating. For the trip you have not decided the shape of yet.
Sightseeing trips in other countries
Still deciding where to go? These are built the same way - real activities, in an order that works, with the entry rules for Australians attached.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom sightseeing itinerary
Australians now need an ETA - this changed in 2025.
🇪🇸 Spain sightseeing itinerary
Visa-free, late-eating, and cheaper than its neighbours.
🇳🇿 New Zealand sightseeing itinerary
Closest to home, easiest to plan.
🇯🇵 Japan sightseeing itinerary
Visa-free, cash-friendly, and worth over-preparing for.