8 Reasons to Visit Lucca, Tuscany: Is Lucca Worth Visiting?

Last Updated: September 2026

Lucca is a beautiful old town in the north of Tuscany. Only an hours drive from the more famous Florence, Lucca is known for its Renaissance architecture and its fortified old walls. With its well-preserved, centuries-old buildings and churches, a visit to Lucca truly lets you step back in time.

It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with this stunning little town.

Why you should visit Lucca

1 – Lucca is picture-perfect

Lucca is extremely beautiful! As you lose yourself in its cobblestone streets, you can’t help but admire its colourful buildings and its stunning architecture. Warm, bold colours such as yellows, oranges, rich turquoise and emerald dominate, making Lucca totally photogenic. You’ll spend more time taking photos than doing anything else!

2 – The Great Walls of Lucca!

One of the best things to do in Lucca is to walk or cycle along the top of its impressive city walls. Stretching for 4.2 kilometres around the historic centre, these beautifully preserved Renaissance walls are now lined with trees and make a fantastic place for a stroll or bike ride.

If walking isn’t your thing, you can hire a bike from one of the many rental shops around town. It’s a lovely way to see Lucca from a different perspective while enjoying some fresh Tuscan air.

3 – Lucca feels more relaxed than Tuscany’s big hitters

Lucca certainly isn’t undiscovered, but it still feels much more relaxed than some of Tuscany’s bigger tourist hotspots. Maybe it’s because many visitors focus their time on Florence, Pisa and Siena, but their loss is our gain (and hey, let’s just keep Lucca to ourselves, okay?!). It ended up being our favourite town in Tuscany, and we’d happily choose its laid-back atmosphere over the crowds elsewhere.

4 – Lucca Looks Great From Above

For some of the best views over Lucca, climb one of the city’s historic towers. Torre Guinigi is the most distinctive, with a small garden of holm oak trees growing right on top of the tower. After climbing the 230 steps, you can catch your breath beneath the trees while enjoying fantastic views over Lucca’s rooftops and the surrounding Tuscan countryside.

Another option is the Torre delle Ore, Lucca’s historic clock tower and the tallest tower in the city. Both offer fantastic views, but if you only have the time or energy to climb one, I’d choose Torre Guinigi for the unusual rooftop garden alone.

5 – Lucca is full of churches

Lucca has been nicknamed “the city of 100 churches” due to the abundance of them scattered around it. There are churches from several eras such as the Renaissance, Gothic, Medieval and Roman periods.

Of course, you won’t want to visit them all, (well you might but I had to practically drag Simon through the few we visited!) but it’s always nice to check out a few of them to appreciate their different architecture and artwork. I enjoyed our visit to the Duomo di San Martino, the Church of Saints Giovanni e Reparata, the church of San Michele, and the Basilica of San Frediano.

6 – Piazza dell’Anfiteatro is a Beautiful Square

Lucca’s Piazza dell’Anfiteatro is one of the best places in the city to sit down, relax and soak up the atmosphere.

This circular square (huh?!) follows the shape of the ancient Roman amphitheatre that once stood here and is now lined with restaurants and cafés. Sit down for a meal or a drink, enjoy the atmosphere or indulge in some serious people watching.

7- Lucca’s food and wine are amazing.

Well, it is Italy after all, so how could it not be! Lucca is packed with little restaurants serving gorgeous Tuscan specialities and super tasty wines. Try the Tortelli Lucchese, the Farro soup, rabbit and salt cod and other specialities.

But if you’re a vegetarian, there are still yummy things to taste. You can’t spend a day in Italy without having a gelato, so make sure you head to La Gelateria le Bonta for ice cream!

8- Lucca is a great base for exploring the region

Lucca is a lovely medieval city and you could easily spend all of your time there. But you’ll probably want to explore the area around the city as well. There are numerous places worth visiting within a short distance of Lucca. Here are some of them.

The Devil’s Bridge

You’ll find the Devil’s Bridge in the small town of Borgo a Monzano, 30 minutes drive from Lucca. This bridge is a great photo stop. You can photograph it from the road to catch its reflection onto the river and then walk across the bridge to enjoy the views from the top. It’s a very impressive display of medieval construction and it’s definitely worth the detour to reach it.

Visit the hilltop villages of Svizzera Pesciatina

The mountain area of Svizzera Pesciatina surrounds the small town of Pescia (which is also worth a visit). This whole area is packed with ten little villages known as “The 10 Castella” (The Ten Castles). They all have two things in common, they are built out of Pietra Serena stone (a type of stone that was heavily used in the Middle Ages ) and they are built on hilltops.

The ten villages are Fibbialla, Medicina, Aramo, Sorana, San Quirico, Vellano, Castelvecchio, Stiappa, Pontito and Lignana (however Lignana is mainly in ruins these days).

You don’t have to visit them all but it’s worth doing a few of them as they each have their own charms. If you enjoy a good hike, there is a six-hour hike which connects all the villages to each other. We’ll have to save that one for next time!

Pisa

I’d never seen the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa before, so I wanted to check it out, even if just to say “Been there, done that!”. The tower and the Piazza around it are beautiful but it was definitely not my favourite part of Tuscany.

Even visiting late afternoon outside of peak season, the area was crowded with so many people trying to get that famously tacky Instagram shot of them holding up the tower. I’m happy to have seen it, but I can’t say I’m in a rush to return.

Best Time to Visit Lucca

The best times to visit Lucca are spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October), when temperatures are generally pleasant for walking and cycling around the city. Summer can be hot and busier, while winter is quieter but cooler with a greater chance of rain.

If possible, visit outside the peak summer months for a more relaxed experience.

How Long Do You Need in Lucca?

You can see Lucca’s main highlights in one day, making it an easy day trip from elsewhere in Tuscany. However, staying for one or two nights gives you more time to enjoy the city once the day-trippers have left.

How to Get to Lucca

Lucca is only 78 kilometres from Florence or 22 kilometres from Pisa.

By car

If you have a car, it will take you about an hour from Florence or 30 minutes from Pisa to reach Lucca. Once there, you will need to find parking. There are a few parking areas outside of the city walls. Inside the city walls is mainly pedestrian or parking is reserved for local residents. During peak season you should arrive early, otherwise, you might struggle to find parking.

By train

Taking the train is the simplest and easiest way to get to Lucca. Trains run fairly regularly from Florence or from Pisa. Once you arrive, the station is only 5 minutes walk from the entrance to the walls.

With a day tour

If you only have a day to spare to see Lucca, you can take an organised day tour there from Florence or even Pisa. But we’d recommend staying a bit longer there if you have the time.

Hotels in Lucca

There’s no shortage of hotels to choose from in Lucca:

• Appartamento Giulia
• Dolce Sosta

FAQs About Visiting Lucca

Is Lucca worth visiting?

Absolutely. Lucca has beautiful architecture, historic city walls, charming piazzas and a much more relaxed feel than some of Tuscany’s busier destinations. It ended up being our favourite town in Tuscany.

Is one day enough for Lucca?

Yes. One day is enough to see Lucca’s main highlights, but staying overnight lets you enjoy the city at a slower pace and experience it after many day-trippers have left.

Is Lucca a good day trip from Florence?

Yes. Lucca is easily reached by train from Florence and its compact historic centre makes it ideal for a day trip.

Is Lucca walkable?

Very! The historic centre is compact and easy to explore on foot. You can also hire a bike and cycle along Lucca’s famous city walls.

Do You Need a Car in Lucca?

No. Lucca’s historic centre is compact and very easy to explore on foot or by bike. In fact, once you’re inside the city walls, having a car would be more of a hassle than a help.

A car is useful if Lucca is part of a wider Tuscany road trip, but you certainly don’t need one to explore the city itself.

Is Lucca better than Pisa?

They’re quite different. Pisa is famous for the Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli, while Lucca offers a larger historic centre that’s perfect for wandering. We personally preferred Lucca and found it much more enjoyable to explore.

Is Lucca expensive?

Lucca isn’t necessarily cheap, but we found it more affordable than some of Tuscany’s major tourist destinations. Accommodation and restaurant prices vary depending on the season and how close you stay to the historic centre.

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