- Bike or walk along the city walls

- Climb to the top of Guinigi Tower

- Enjoy an aperitivo in Piazza Anfiteatro

- Visit the Puccini Museum

- Osteria Nova

- Osteria da Rosolo

- Osteria dal Manzo

- Trattoria da Giulio in Pelleria

- Trattoria da Ubaldo

- Pizzeria da Felice

- Pizzeria Rusticanella 2

- Ciacco Bistrot

- Enoteca Vanni

- Franklin '33

- Gelateria la Crema Matta

- Gelateria Veneta

- Momo Gelati

If you’re planning to extend your trip beyond the wedding weekend (we highly recommend it!), Lucca makes a wonderful starting point. October is one of our favorite times to be in Italy, with cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, and beautiful fall light. From Lucca, Italy can offer so much depending on whether you’re looking for coast, countryside, or city.

If you’re hoping to spend time by the water, we recommend heading to Cinque Terre, which is about 1.5 to 2 hours north of Lucca by train and makes for a great 2–3 night stay with colorful seaside towns, coastal hikes, and scenic views. From Cinque Terre, Portofino is an easy add-on, about 1 to 1.5 hours further north, and offers a fabulous coastal escape.

Closer to Lucca, the Versilia Coast is just 30–45 minutes away and is perfect for a relaxed beach-town feel.

If you'd like to continue to explore the Tuscan countryside, we recommend visiting the Chianti region, which is about 1.5 to 2 hours from Lucca by car, for vineyards and agriturismos. From there, if you continue driving south, you can easily string together some of the classic Tuscan towns and landscapes, like San Gimignano, Siena, Val D'Orcia, Montepulciano, Pienza, and Montalcino.

For art, culture, and sightseeing, we recommend adding Florence to visit the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and the Uffizi Gallery. Pisa is an easy stop as well, just 30 minutes from Lucca, to visit the Piazza dei Miracoli, home of the Leaning Tower. Rome is approximately 3 to 3.5 hours by train from Lucca and is a great option for a bigger-city experience before heading home.