Best time to visit Tuscany

January and February are often rather bleak with January the coldest month in Tuscany. However, the Easter celebrations of March and April bring things back to life after the winter hibernation.

Things start to warm up around May and June. Tuscany in May is an enticing time for walking, cycling, or sightseeing without the crowds and the heat of high summer.

July and August can be stifling. August is the warmest month in Tuscany, so our advice is to head for the coast or find a shaded riverbank for a picnic before enjoying an evening of grilled Tuscan sausages and a glass of Chianti as you keep an eye out for shooting stars and fireflies. That said, summer can be the best time for photography in Tuscany, with some golden light to be had in the evenings.

September is the best month to go to Tuscany, while the weather’s still toasty warm but the crowds are diminishing. And visit Tuscany in October for a milder alternative to northern Europe, although there may be more showers, and coastal resorts will have closed the shutters for the winter.

The autumnal foliage from mid-October to mid-November is an explosion of fiery reds and warm ambers with vineyards, beech and chestnut trees changing colour and dropping leaves on top of bulbous, snow-white mushrooms.

Autumn (October and November) is the best time to visit Tuscany vineyards. Not only because you’ll find fewer people, fairly dry weather, and vibrant colours in the foliage. But also because this is the time of the grape harvest, one of the most exciting parts of the Tuscan calendar.

The rainy season in Tuscany is typically November and December, though don’t be surprised if you encounter a few showers in the spring months of March and April either – giving those lush landscapes even deeper shades of green.

December in Tuscany is geared up for Natale with churches offering seasonal services and processions whilst shops, piazzas and markets are alive with hand-painted baubles, decorated trees and boxed panettone. The swirling aroma of freshly roasted chestnuts fills the air.