The region of Tuscany is arguably one of the most beautiful places in Europe. The cities, the towns, the untainted nature, all of it. It’s also just a generally rich region, be it culturally, aesthetically or gastronomically. The question, however, is when would be a good time to visit Tuscany? Today, we’ll make a case that autumn is a great time for that, whether you want to visit Florence, Siena or any other place in Tuscany.
Fresh truffles and mushrooms
It’s in autumn when you’ll be able to both taste and stock up on Tuscany’s treasures: truffles (tartufi) and mushrooms (funghi/porcini). The best time for that is from September to November. You’ll also find a special Truffle festival in San Miniato which takes place on the three last weekends of November.
Grape harvesting season
September is also a great month if you love the wonderful Chianti Classico red wine. The whole month is a wine month and the whole season is a grape harvest season. Don’t skip out on trying local wines, especially alongside Bistecca alla Fiorentina.
You can also visit a wine festival in autumn!
- Montecarlo Wine Festival – First two weeks of September
- Cantine nel Tufo – Takes place in Pitigliano. Like the Montecarlo festival, it’s on the two first weeks of September
- Chianti Classico Expo – Festival of the most famous Tuscan wine in Greve. First week of September
Fewer tourists
Tuscany, and Florence in particular, are some of the most visited regions in the whole of Europe. The off-season is, therefore, the perfect time to at least avoid the main hordes. Additionally, prices tend to be a bit lower than in the high season. Florence, alone, welcomed 15,840,000 tourists in 2019, before the you-know-what. If you don’t like crowds, then certainly fly later.
Check out our list of the best tourist attractions in Florence that you’ll be able to explore with more ease in autumn!
The best weather in Tuscany (if you can’t stand the summer heat)
Tuscany is one of the hotter regions in Italy due to its location, so summers can be, frankly, unbearable. If you’d rather have it be a bit milder, then September and October are still very warm, but in a pleasant way, not a literal scorch. November is, admittedly, a bit cold already, but that’s also an option if you prefer it even colder.
Opera and cultural festivals
Florence is also the hub of art and culture. Autumn is actually the time of the most important cultural events after the summer break. Not to mention the Uffizi Gallery, which you’ll be able to actually enter thanks to the smaller queues. You might also think about a Firenze Card if you want to save even more time.
Temperature in September in Tuscany
Autumn kicks off with a very warm month, as September carries over much of that heat over. You can expect to see over 30°C on a regular basis, with 30°C being the actual average temperature in 2023. You may see slightly lower temperatures, to about 25°C, if the season isn’t so favourable, but that’s still a lot of heat. It gets a bit milder at the end of the month. At night, the temperatures can drop to about 16-18°C, so still very, very pleasant. If you would like a compromise between mild and scorching, then September is about right.
Temperatures in October in Tuscany
And if you’d rather have it be actually mild, then October is an excellent month for that. Though the beginning of the month can still sit at around 30°C, the end is more around 20-26°C. Nights are also still okay, about 14°C. Additionally, the tourist count is already beginning to decrease at this time. Sadly, the trade-off is that there’s more rain, about 9 days on average. Pack an umbrella and sunscreen at the same time, just in case.
Temperatures in November in Tuscany
November sees a decently sharp decrease to about 15-18°C average. The beginning of the month is still decently warm, though you can certainly feel that the winter is around the corner. Nights also get a lot colder, with an average of 9°C and sharp spikes down to about 0 at the end of the month. Sadly, there’s also a lot of rain in November – about 11 days a month.
November is easily the least favourable month of the three, though it’s also when most tourists decide to wait for summer. You should follow weather forecasts to see whether the next November is a decently pleasant one, as it’s certainly not going to be overly crowded and might also have some good cheap deals. If you prefer to be on the safe side and you don’t mind the slightly bigger crowds that much, then you have a choice between hot September and mild October. Something for everyone in autumn.
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