See Michelangelo's David - so familiar it's a cliché, but something you still have to see.

Climb the Campanile - struggle up the stairs for a breathtaking view of Florence. Alternatively, climb to the top of the cathedral dome for a similar panorama.

See the top museums - you can't escape the art: be sure to visit the Uffizi for the paintings, the Bargello for the sculpture.

Walk in the Boboli Gardens - 5 million visitors a year can't be wrong: take a break from sightseeing in Italy's most visited gardens.

Eat an ice-cream - buy an ice-cream from Vivoli, widely considered to be one of Italy's best gelaterie, and eat it sitting in nearby Piazza Santa Croce.

Visit Santa Croce - Tuscany's greats are buried in this church, among them Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. As an added attraction there are frescoes by Giotto and other medieval artists.

Take an evening stroll - head for the Arno bridges, and the Ponte Vecchio in particular, for some of Florence's most romantic night-time views.

Sip a drink in the Campo - treat yourself to a drink in a café on Siena's Piazza del Campo, one of Italy's most beautiful medieval squares.

Enjoy an al fresco lunch - eating out is one of Tuscany's greatest pleasures: find a restaurant with outside tables and forget the sightseeing in favour of a leisurely lunch.

Visit San Gimignano - the village to see in Tuscany if you see no other, known as the 'medieval Manhattan' for its crop of ancient towers.