• Indulging in the World's Best Gelato: Ice cream was invented (probably) in Florence in the 16th century, and today it's impossible to resist the addictive, luscious gelato flavors on offer throughout the region. The pistachio (pistacchio) and hazelnut (nocciola) taste like they've been made with nuts plucked straight from the tree, and the zesty fruit flavors explode on the tongue.
  • Sampling the Porchetta Sandwich: Take a suckling pig, debone, roll, spit, and roast over a wood fire, with a generous stuffing of garlic, rosemary and fennel. Then carve and serve on a crusty roll for 2.50€. Can it get any better than this? Available at most weekly markets.
  • Death by Chocolate on the Perugina Factory Tour: Perugia is the home of Baci chocolates, those sweet, velvety "kisses" with a hazelnut truffle center. The Perugina factory tour includes a chocolate buffet. Seriously.
  • Enjoying Aperitivo, Tuscan-Style: These days aperitivo means more than just a pre-dinner drink -- bars in Siena, Pisa, and Florence offer rich buffets of finger food, pasta, salads, cured meats, and pizzette, for free, with a drink (usually between 6 and 8pm).
  • Eating Seafood by the Seashore: You'll find the freshest fish right along Tuscany's coast, but in the port city of Livorno, on the mainland, and the island of Elba's main settlement, Portoferraio, it counts as the major attraction in town. Specialties include fritto misto (a mixed fry of today's catches), baccalà alla Livornese (salt cod stewed with tomatoes), and cacciucco, a spicy mixed fish soup-stew similar to Marseille's bouillabaisse.
  • Dining at a Southern Tuscan Grill: They like their meat properly reared and cooked plain and simple on the flamegrill right across southern Tuscany. Look out especially for beef sourced from white Chianina cattle and pork from the Cinta Senese breed of pig.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.