Tuscan Villas

By David Barclay | February 7, 2025

Villas have become a popular option for group travel.  They can be perfect for a group of friends, multiple families traveling together, and multi-generational family trips.  While villas are available throughout the world for weekly or longer rental, no place is better suited for a villa rental than Italy.  And while there are many lovely rural areas of Italy with fabulous villas offering incredibly scenic views of the countryside, the epitome of an Italian villa is a villa in the Tuscany region.  In the future I’ll write a more general Villa 101 post covering the logistics of renting a villa and the options throughout the world, but today I’ve decided to focus on why a Tuscan villa can be the foundation of a wonderful vacation.  And since I recently worked with one of my villa partners, Red Savannah, to offer villa options to a multi-family client group, I have several great examples of villas to share.

What is a Tuscan Villa rental like?

Villas in Tuscany are typically rented on a weekly basis, from Saturday to Saturday.  Check-in will typically occur in the mid-afternoon (e.g. 4:00pm) on the first Saturday and check-out on the last Saturday in the late morning (e.g. 10:00am).  The rental will include exclusive use of the entire property, providing a level of privacy and exclusiveness not available at most hotels and resorts.  Villas range in size from three bedrooms (suitable for an immediate family) to mammoth properties that have 16-20 bedrooms and can accommodate 30-35 guests.  However, the majority of villas in Tuscany fall in the 5-10 bedroom range, perfect for a moderate sized group of adult couples, two to four families with kids, or a multi-generational trip with grandparents, adult children, and grandkids. 

What are the benefits of a villa rental?

A villa rental offers many benefits over a hotel or resort stay.  First, villas offer a tremendous amount of private space, enabling guests to spread out and relax.  Even with a large group you will never feel crowded, and those who need a little quiet time can always find a vacant area to read or meditate.  The interior space villas offer can be vast, with multiple bedrooms, living rooms, games rooms, etc.  And villas are typically surrounded by large private outdoor spaces, perfect for strolls, sunbathing, games, or just hanging out with traveling companions and enjoying the scenery of Tuscany.

Another benefit is that guests only need to unpack once and can use the villas as a base for exploring Tuscany.  This can be especially convenient for groups with children, as parents won’t need to constantly unpack and repack their children’s suitcases and fret about small items being left behind. 

Villas also offer access to many activities that appeal to both younger and more seasoned travelers, both on the property and in the surrounding region.  Children may enjoy running around the grounds, playing hide-and-seek, or splashing in the pool.  Adults may enjoy visiting the region’s multiple wineries or trying their hand at an Italian cooking class.  And all ages will enjoy exploring nearby hilltop towns or venturing into one of the larger cities like Florence or Siena.  Many villas also offer bicycles for guests’ use, to explore the area around the villa.

What do villa rentals include and what optional services can you add?

Every villa will include a specified number of bedrooms, with a combination of king/queen and twin beds.  They will also include a large kitchen, one or more living rooms, and a pool.  Most pools can be heated for a small extra fee, useful if traveling in the spring or fall shoulder seasons.  Villas will also include air conditioning (important for summer rentals given the hot summers in Europe the past few years), daily housekeeping, and wi-fi.  From there, what villas offer can vary, which is why it’s important to look at a few villa options and compare the amenities.  Villas might offer gyms, cinema/media rooms, outdoor kitchens, pool tables, tennis courts, spa facilities, saunas, and indoor pools. 

Luxury villas will come with pre-trip planning and concierge services, as well as a 24/7 emergency support team while in Tuscany.  Most villas will also have a property manager nearby, who will assist guests with their check-in and is available to help with other needs.

Some villas will include chef services for a specified number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  Additional chef services can be added (e.g. if villa doesn’t provide any, or if guests would like more meals to be crafted by the chef).  The chefs may also offer cooking classes for those looking to try their hand at Italian cuisine. 

Guests can also add additional housekeeping services, mid-week linen changes, personal laundry service, pre-arrival grocery shopping, massage & beauty services, bar service, and additional staff.

Example Tuscan Villas

Many Tuscan villas are former farmhouses that found new life after being renovated and transformed into charming vacation retreats. While some smaller villas are priced between $5,000-$10,000 per week (shoulder season pricing), the majority of villas are $15,000+ per week and the rental price goes up from there as they grow in size and amenities.  Below are examples of three villas that span the mid to upper-mid tier for size, amenities, and pricing.

Podere Tre Archi

Podere Tre Archi (picture courtesy of Red Savannah)

This villa is a typical farmhouse style villa located near Montalcino (one of my favorite Tuscan hill towns!).  It has beautiful views of the Val d’Orcia and is within easy driving distance of the wine estates in Montalcino (Brunello) and Montepulciano (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano).  It is a 6-bedroom villa able to accommodate up to 12 guests.  The upper floor houses a gym with high-performance Technogym equipment and the bottom floor houses a wine cellar with a table that can accommodate all guests. 

Off-Season: ~$26,000 / wk                        High Season: ~$32,000 / wk

Tramonti

Tramonti (picture courtesy of Red Savannah)

Another farmhouse style villa, this one is located just an 8-minute drive from Castellina in Chianti.   Tramonti offers 7 bedrooms able to accommodate up to 14 guests.  The villa offers incredible views from all parts of the property.  On clear days guests can see as far as the city of Siena, as well as the mountains surrounding the Val d’Orcia.  This villa has not one, but two beautiful pools along with a changing room and outdoor shower.  Guests who like to dine alfresco will appreciate the covered outdoor dining table, and cooks will like the outdoor kitchenette. 

In addition to the usual villa amenities, guests will enjoy breakfast preprepared by the chef each day and five other meals prepared during a weeklong stay (additional chef services can be added). 

Off-Season: ~$28,000 / wk        High Season: ~$38,000 / wk

Villa Vorno

Villa Vorno (picture courtesy of Red Savannah)

This is an example of a more formal villa with exquisite interiors that’s just a 5-minute drive or short bike ride from the beautiful town of Lucca.   It is a renovated 18th-century estate that includes the villa, the guest house, and a banqueting hall situated among expansive gardens.  It provides 9 bedrooms able to accommodate up to 18 guests, perfect for large multi-gen gatherings or multiple families traveling together.  In addition to the gardens, the property offers a large pool, a fantastic private spa, a tennis court, and it even has its own lake!

The weekly rental includes daily breakfast, three chef services, and a fun pizza night in the villa’s traditional oven.  For an additional fee, guests can add wine from the cellar, massage & beauty services, bar service, and additional staff.

Off-Season: ~$34,000  / wk       High Season: ~$55,000 / wk

What can you do on a vacation utilizing a villa rental?

The options on a vacation with a villa rental are vast.  And one of the benefits of a villa rental is guests can pursue their individual interests.  They don’t have to stay together as one large group for the entire trip, but can break up into smaller groups and head out for different experiences each day which align with their interests. 

My villa partners and I are happy to help coordinate many wonderful on- and off-property experiences.   We can assist with things like:

• Car rentals – and we recommend several smaller cars vs only one or two large vehicles, as that provides more flexibility for smaller groups to pursue their interests each day
• Private tours of Tuscan cities and towns (Florence, Siena, smaller hilltop towns)
• Winery visits and wine tastings
• Truffle hunts
• Cooking classes
• Bike rentals (if the villa doesn’t provide bikes)
• E-biking tours

The sky is the limit for your villa vacation, just ask and we will be happy to help craft wonderful experiences for you.