Agriturismo country
Tuscany's agriturismi are working farms required by law to produce what they serve, which means dinner comes from fifty metres away and children can watch the olive oil, honey or pecorino happen.
- Best forFamilies · Foodies · Couples
- In September25°C · 10 rainy days
- Ideal stayA week
- Approx. flying time~12h 30m from Los Angeles
- CurrencyEUREuro
- LanguageItalian
- Local time12:171h ahead of the UK
- PlugsType C / F / LBring an adapter
- Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
- Dialling code+39
Why go
The country south of Siena is the one on the posters: clay hills, cypress lines, hill towns on every third summit and wheat turning from green to gold across the spring. An agriturismo puts you in the middle of it, usually a stone farmhouse with a pool, a few rows of vines or olives, and dinner made from whatever the farm produces. Days are slow and almost entirely outdoors.
A week works well, with mornings for a hill town, afternoons at the pool and evenings at a long table. Siena, Pienza and Montepulciano sit within an hour of most farms, and Florence is an easy day trip by train. May, June and September give warm days without August's heat or prices. Families needing a beach or a nightlife scene will be driving a long way for both.
- Ideal stay
- A week
- The vibe
- Slow, sun warmed, generously fed
From our guides
The Val d'Orcia, south of Siena, has the postcard landscape plus pools with views wasted on the under-tens. Book one that advertises animals and cooking sessions — pasta-making with a Tuscan nonna beats any kids' club — and go in May or September.
Featured in Ten farm stays and countryside escapes kids genuinely love
Things to do
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Pienza
A small Renaissance town rebuilt to a single plan, with a terrace looking over the whole Val d'Orcia and pecorino shops along every street.
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Piazza del Campo, Siena
The shell shaped square slopes towards the town hall and works as picnic spot, playground and, twice each summer, the track for the Palio horse race.
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Bagno Vignoni
The village square is a stone pool of steaming thermal water. You cannot swim in that one, but free hot springs below the village let you sit in the stream.
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Pasta making with the farm cook
Many farms run kitchen sessions where children roll pici, the thick hand rolled local pasta, and then eat the results for supper.
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Montalcino and Montepulciano
Two wine towns on facing hills, both with fortresses to climb and long views for anyone not tasting.
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Abbey of Sant'Antimo
A Romanesque abbey stands alone among olive groves below Montalcino, plain, pale and unusually quiet even in high season.
Getting there
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Fly to
Firenze (FLR)
Nearest airport to Agriturismo country, about 52km away as the crow flies.
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Then
To Siena
About an hour and a half by car from Florence (FLR) to the Val d'Orcia, south past Siena on the fast Siena road. Pisa is the other common arrival airport.
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On the ground
Getting around
Agriturismi sit at the end of white gravel strade bianche, often several kilometres from the nearest village, so a car is essential for dinner, hill towns and the sights.
Public transport: Buses connect the main hill towns and there is a rail line to Siena, but nothing serves the farms themselves.
Flights
Los Angeles Agriturismo country, Tuscany, Italy
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Roughly 12h 30m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.
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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.
When to go
Daytime highs run from about 10°C in January to 30°C in July. Driest in July; wettest in December, with rain on about 13 days.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
September25° · rain 10 daysWarm with rain most weeks.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
Self-catering apartments in restored farm buildings, usually with a shared pool and a weekly farmhouse dinner. Some do B&B rooms. Hotels and chains barely feature in the countryside.
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Best base overall
Val d'Orcia, south of Siena
The postcard landscape of cypress avenues and hill towns, with Pienza and Montalcino for dinner. Farms here come with pools and views, and roads are white gravel, slow and dusty.
Find stays in Val d'Orcia, south of Siena -
Best with children
Chianti, between Siena and Florence
Closer to both cities, greener, with plenty of farms running animal feeding and pasta lessons. Busier and more anglicised than the south, which cuts both ways.
Find stays in Chianti, between Siena and Florence -
Best value
Maremma, towards Grosseto
Southern Tuscany near the coast, where agriturismi cost less and the beaches are half an hour away. Hotter in August, and further from the famous art towns.
Find stays in Maremma, towards Grosseto -
Quietest
Casentino and the Mugello
Wooded hills north-east of Florence with working farms and hardly any foreign visitors. Cooler and less photogenic, but the trade-off is genuine peace and cheap dinners.
Find stays in Casentino and the Mugello
Worth knowing before you book: Most run Saturday to Saturday with a week minimum from June to August, and many charge a separate final cleaning fee that is not in the headline rate.
Search everything else in Siena by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Driving
- Country roads include long stretches of white gravel, the strade bianche. They are fine taken slowly, but hire cars come back filthy.
- Book ahead
- Farms with pools and children's activities fill for summer by late winter, and most want Saturday to Saturday stays in high season.
- Timing
- Lunch runs roughly one until three and dinner rarely starts before eight. Small town shops close through the afternoon.
- Cash or card
- Cards work almost everywhere, though small producers and market stalls still prefer cash.
- Pack this
- Closed shoes for the farm, mosquito repellent for the evenings and something warmer than you expect for May and September nights.
Similar places
Nearby destinations
Saturnia hot springs
Tuscany, Italy · 18km away →
Chianti
Tuscany, Italy · 29km away →
Florence
Italy · 47km away →
Soaking the Cascate del Mulino
Saturnia, Italy · 78km away →
Lucca
Italy · 101km away →
Cinque Terre
Liguria, Italy · 154km away →Elsewhere in Italy
Related articles
Quick answers
When is the best time to visit Agriturismo country?
Daytime highs run from about 10°C in January to 30°C in July. Driest in July; wettest in December, with rain on about 13 days.
How long should I spend in Agriturismo country?
Our suggestion: a week.
How do I get to Agriturismo country?
About an hour and a half by car from Florence (FLR) to the Val d'Orcia, south past Siena on the fast Siena road. Pisa is the other common arrival airport.
Do I need a car in Agriturismo country?
Yes, a car makes a real difference here. Buses connect the main hill towns and there is a rail line to Siena, but nothing serves the farms themselves.
What currency and language are used in Agriturismo country?
Currency: Euro (EUR). Language: Italian. Plugs: type C and F and L.
Who is Agriturismo country best for?
Best for families, foodies and couples. In a phrase: slow, sun warmed, generously fed.