Europe Italy 1 Day in Lucca: The Perfect Lucca Itinerary

1 Day in Lucca: The Perfect Lucca Itinerary

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Tuscany is a region of Italy rife with beautiful tourist destinations. Cities like Florence and Siena may grab most people’s attention, but Lucca may well be the region’s most underrated destination. This scenic and historic city reflects the romantic image of life in Tuscany. You won’t be disappointed if you visit, especially as you only need one day in Lucca to uncover its charms.

Being so close to Florence, Lucca is an increasingly popular day trip for visitors to Tuscany. As a relatively small city, it’s an easy place to go sightseeing when you know what you’re doing. Armed with our Lucca itinerary, you can head straight for the city’s main attractions without any messing around. Let’s get to what to do in Lucca in one day so you’ll be ready to visit this Italian gem.

Best Time to Visit Lucca

To get the most out of a visit to Lucca, you should time your trip carefully. Ultimately, the best time to visit Lucca depends on what kind of weather you’re looking for, how busy you like your destinations, and how it fits in with your other travel plans.

High season throughout Tuscany, including Lucca, is June, July, and August. While Lucca won’t be as insanely busy as places like Florence and Rome, summer is still the peak season here, which means more expensive accommodations and longer lines, especially as Lucca is a popular day trip from Florence. The region’s weather also gets quite hot in summer. Of course, you get the opposite problem in December, January, and February, when the city is cold and a little rainy, and certain attractions (such as the Torre Guinigi) are closed for winter.

The shoulder season is a far better time for seeing the best of Lucca. Spring (April and May) or fall (September and October) is ideal, with pleasant temperatures and minimal rain. You also won’t have to contend with quite so many other tourists to see Lucca’s attractions. 

How to Get Around Lucca

While visiting Lucca, you’ll mainly get around on foot, as it’s a compact city. Roughly half the streets in the city center are for pedestrians, so walking is the easiest way to get to many places. While the historic center is something of a maze, its huge surrounding walls make it easy to get your bearings.

You have alternatives to walking, of course, such as riding a bicycle along the track on top of the city walls. There’s also the easier approach of taking a bus. Because the streets are so narrow, though, only a few buses run inside the city. There are more bus routes outside the city walls, such as on the loop around the ring road. Tickets for the bus start at €1.50 (about $1.67) for a 70-minute single pass.

Driving inside the city walls of Lucca is limited mostly to locals with permits. If you do drive, your best bet is to park outside the city walls. If you’re staying the night in Lucca, ask your hotel where you should park, or find a parking garage near the closest city gate to your hotel.

Where to Stay in Lucca

Just because it’s possible to see Lucca as a day trip from Florence doesn’t mean you can’t spend a night or two there, given its wide selection of accommodations and how simple it is to work out where to stay in Lucca. To best enjoy your visit, you’ll want to stay within the city walls (or immediately outside them), which is definitely where you’ll find the best places to stay in Lucca.

If you’re looking for somewhere special, consider the Alla Corte degli Angeli for your stay. This four-star boutique hotel has plenty of character, attentive staff, and inviting room decor.

If you want to enjoy your time in Lucca without spending too much, B&B Anfiteatro is a great choice. This bed-and-breakfast in the outer ring of the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro provides spacious rooms and a great breakfast spread.

Unfortunately, Lucca doesn’t generally cater to backpackers and budget travelers. However, there are a few more affordable places to stay, such as Affittacamera Luce. Though it’s a bit outside the city walls, this guesthouse makes up for it with friendly hosts and nice rooms.

For more accommodation options in Lucca, check out Booking.com. This site consistently offers the best rates, and its customer service is on point.

The Perfect 1-Day Lucca Itinerary

Although you only need one day to take in Lucca’s sights, don’t assume there isn’t much to see in this fascinating Tuscan city. It’s just that the city’s historic center is so compact that none of the best places to visit in Lucca are too far apart. With a day in the city, you can see all that Lucca has to offer within its historic center.

However, before we get to our Lucca itinerary, we just wanted to remind you to purchase travel insurance. You never know what will happen and, trust us, you do not want to get stuck with thousands of dollars in medical bills. As a wise man once said, “If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.” So don’t leave home without it.

SafetyWing offers travel insurance for only about $10 a week, making it a no-brainer to get. You can get a quick, non-binding quote below:

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SafetyWing is, of course, not the only option available. Two other popular alternatives are World Nomads and Heymondo.

With that important detail covered, let’s jump into our Lucca travel itinerary, which will detail how to properly see Lucca in a day.

Day 1 in Lucca

San Martino Cathedral

Within the walls of Lucca lie many historic churches, but San Martino Cathedral is a standout. Also known as Lucca Cathedral, it isn’t as tall as the main cathedrals in Siena and Florence, but it makes quite a statement with its grand Gothic architecture and mix of marble and brick. It also boasts a large marble hall inside and an incredible level of detail everywhere, such as the stone carvings and intricate paint on the facade. Don’t miss a climb up the belfry to get your first view across all of Lucca.

Romanesque Facade and bell tower of St. Martin Cathedral in Lucca, Tuscany. It contains most precious relic in Lucca, Holy Face of Lucca (Italian: Volto Santo di Lucca)
Stepniak / shutterstock.com

Piazza Napoleone

Given the city center’s compact feel, Piazza Napoleone almost seems too large for it. Lined with trees and often featuring a merry-go-round or various seasonal festivals and events, this broad square is a lively place for locals to meet. It’s also hard to miss the Palazzo Ducale, a Renaissance palace that now houses multiple administrative bodies.

Piazza Napoleone in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
Frank Fischbach / shutterstock.com

Piazza San Michele

Walking the streets of Lucca, you may get the impression that the city isn’t quite as grand as its Tuscan neighbors. That’ll change when you reach Piazza San Michele. This L-shaped plaza is bursting with graceful architecture, including the Palazzo Pretoria, converted banks, and particularly the Church of San Michele in Foro. Taking center stage in the plaza, this white marble basilica has a steep facade packed with columns and statues.

View of the church San Michele In Foro, Lucca, Italy
Mildax / shutterstock.com

Torre Guinigi

One of Lucca’s most distinctive features is the many medieval towers within its historic center. Many of these towers can be climbed and have panoramic terraces that afford you a view across Lucca’s rooftops. Each of these towers has its own special heritage, but the most iconic by far is the Torre Guinigi.

What makes this red brick tower so interesting is the oak trees sprouting from its roof. It’s a rather peculiar sensation to sit in the shade of these trees on the narrow rooftop as you look out over Lucca. However, the Torre Guinigi is best appreciated from a little farther away. For a great city view that includes the Torre Guinigi, climb the Torre delle Ore instead.

Panoramic view in Lucca, with the famous Guinigi Tower. Tuscany, Italy.
Stefano_Valeri / shutterstock.com

Piazza dell’Anfiteatro

Of the many plazas in the Lucca Old Town, none is quite as distinctive as Piazza dell’Anfiteatro. It has an unusual oval shape similar to that of an arena, and the houses around its edges create a complete ring. The shape makes sense once you find out that this is where an ancient Roman amphitheater once stood.

Entering the plaza through one of the tunnels at either end, you’ll pass outdoor seating for the cafes and restaurants that fill the space. The traditional buildings gradually curve right around you in an intriguing way, and it’s a fun challenge to try to fit it all in one photograph.

The Famous Oval City Square on a Sunny Day in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
Rudmer Zwerver / shutterstock.com

City Walls

Having seen them throughout the day, you now get to check out Lucca’s impressive city walls up close. Find the nearest city gate to you, which will likely be the Porta Santa Maria if you came in through the Porta di Borgo. After taking the nearby ramp, you can begin the track circuit that’s so popular with runners and cyclists. Walking along the track allows you to admire not only these ancient walls but also the views into and away from the city.

You may be surprised to learn that these walls built in the 16th and 17th centuries were designed by none other than Leonardo da Vinci. Running for roughly 4 kilometers, they were built to replace older medieval and Roman city walls. When they were no longer strategically useful, the walls became a green leisure space like they are today.

View of the landmark Renaissance city walls in Lucca, a historic city in Tuscany, Central Italy.
EQRoy / shutterstock.com

Palazzo Pfanner

Lucca’s historic quarter is home to many palaces, a few of which you can actually visit. The one most worth visiting is Palazzo Pfanner at the north end of town. You get to see not only the interior of this 17th-century palace but also its garden, which is what most visitors rave about. Coming out of the palace, you descend an ornate covered staircase into this elegant sculpture garden with a fountain and lush foliage.

Garden of Palazzo Pfanner, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
Laura Facchini / shutterstock.com

Puccini Museum

Probably Lucca’s most famous native son is acclaimed opera composer Giacomo Puccini. The house where he was born in 1858 is now a museum dedicated to his life and works. Exhibits in the Puccini Museum include rooms with their original furnishings, including the piano that Puccini used to compose with, as well as paintings and early drafts of his work.

Day 2 and Beyond

Although you can comfortably cover the highlights of Lucca in a day, you may well want to spend more time there. Aside from exploring every nook and cranny of the city, you can use Lucca as a base for exploring the surrounding countryside. Here are a few options if you have more than 24 hours in Lucca.

The picturesque town of Bagni di Lucca on a sunny day. Near Lucca, in Tuscany, Italy.
Stefano_Valeri / shutterstock.com

1. Serchio Valley

Just north of Lucca is a patch of deep hillside that adds quite a bit of atmosphere to the cityscape. But rather than just being a backdrop, this region is home to the steep and picturesque Serchio Valley. Along this river valley are quaint villages, such as Bagni di Lucca, and gorgeous bridges like Ponte della Maddalena, which have crossed the Serchio River for centuries.

Piazza dei Miracoli complex with the leaning tower of Pisa in front, Italy
Rolf_52 / shutterstock.com

2. Pisa

Lucca isn’t the only small city in this part of Tuscany. The better-known city of Pisa is just a short trip southwest, making it an easy place to visit for the day. Though people mostly know it for the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, that’s not the only thing to see there. You’ll find the equally picturesque Pisa Cathedral and Baptistery of St. John nearby, not to mention the beautiful Renaissance buildings that surround Piazza dei Cavalieri.

Scenic view of ocean and harbor in colorful village Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy
Martin M303 / shutterstock.com

3. Cinque Terre

It may not be in Tuscany, but the Cinque Terre is definitely worth the extra travel time. Found north along the coast from Lucca, this treasured national park is home to five idyllic villages clinging to the region’s scenic coastline. With beaches, hiking trails, and plenty of food and wine on offer, there are certainly worse ways to spend a day. Check out our detailed guide for everything you need to know to visit the Cinque Terre.

So there you have it – the ultimate Lucca itinerary with all the best things to do in Lucca! It should be clear just how much you can see during your short time in this beautiful Tuscan city.

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