The Green Heart of Lucca: Botanical Garden and Walls
Lucca, Italy
From USD 55.53
Office phone number: +39 340 464 1267
The Green Heart of Lucca: Botanical Garden and Walls
Lucca, Italy
Culture shock rating
Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.
Low
Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.
Medium
Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.
High
You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.
Physical rating
Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.
Low
Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.
Medium
Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.
High
Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.
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Tour snapshot
Lucca’s enchanting medieval town is hiding a secret: a charming green heart that many travellers unwittingly overlook. Join us for a gloriously tranquil afternoon, exploring the flora and fauna that hides behind the city walls. Visit the botanical gardens and discover rare magnolia and sequoia trees and indigenous flowers before climbing the walls to enjoy sweeping views across the city. Finish your afternoon with a refreshing scoop of our favourite artisan ice-cream. Buonissimo!
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Highlights
- See a different, greener side to historic Lucca and discover her natural gems
- Climb the town walls and descend into the belly of the bastion to see the city from another perspective
- Admire rare trees, native plants and tropical flowers at the enchanting Botanical Garden
- Enjoy sweeping vistas across the city from our favourite, hidden spot
- Taste a delicious artisan gelato at a charmingly ancient gelateria
Local Impact: How you taking this tour will benefit the local community:
- Support urban nature conservation with a visit to Lucca’s stunning botanical gardens. A portion of your tour fee is donated to the botanical gardens to help them continue their important work.
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All the stores and foodie spots we visit are 100% owned and run by locals, ensuring that local people benefit from tourism to their city. So any inclusions on the tour and additional purchases you make will directly benefit the local community.
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Schedule details
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Meeting point:
At the main entrance of Lucca Railway station under the taxi sign.
View on Google Maps.
- Find the exact meeting point with what3words:
- Starting time: 2.30 PM
- Ending point:
Amphitheatre Square
Language: English
Inclusions: Local, English-speaking guide, entrance fees, one drink or gelato.
Exclusions: Additional food and drink, souvenirs, gratuities/tips for your guide.
Our tour begins at the railway station; once you have met your local guide you will take a stroll towards the historic part of town, via a secret, medieval passage that not a lot of tourists know about.
As we walk towards our first stop, we will talk a little about Lucca’s fascinating history and what it’s like to live here. After a few minutes we will reach the Botanical Gardens where you will be pleasantly surprised to discover a peaceful, green oasis in the middle of the city.
The gardens were founded in 1820 by the Bourbon Duchess Maria Luisa as a scientific laboratory, led by the Royal College. We will walk along beautiful paths, admiring towering old trees and a pretty plethora of plants and flowers that have been generously donated over the years by other botanical gardens around the world.
We’ll also lead you to our favourite spot in the gardens, a haunting lake that hides a mysterious a legend — but you’ll have to join our tour to find out more!
Our next destination is the city walls, which we will climb (not literally; there are steps, and this is a relaxing afternoon tour after all!). From the top, we’ll enjoy magical views across the historic rooftops and fortifications of the city towards the marvellous landscape of the Tuscan hills beyond. We’ll also gaze down on the pretty tree-lined boulevard below with its impressive array of tree varieties such as horse chestnuts, tulip trees, holm oaks and so on.
A picturesque stroll through the town is certain to put us in the mood for a refreshment stop and, this being Italy, we know just the thing to rejuvenate you: artisan gelato! We’ll visit our favourite gelateria set against a beautiful, ancient backdrop and divulge the secrets of how it’s made and the tasty (and sometimes surprising) products they use to produce it. If you don’t fancy a gelato but would like to quench your thirst instead, drinks are available too.
After getting our sweet fix, we’ll continue to traverse the historic streets for a short time, taking you to hidden corners and neighbouring districts where we’ll talk about the economy and traditions of Lucca through the ages.
We have saved something rather special for our last stop. There are 11 bastions linking the city walls together and not a lot of people know that the bastions lead you underground. We’ll ascend into our favourite bastion to explore the treasures below and then head to the top of the structure to look down upon beautiful villas, palaces, gorgeous renaissance gardens and the unique ‘lemon house.’
After seeing Lucca from all angles, we’ll make our way back to Amphiteatre Square where our tour ends. Before you go, don’t forget to ask your local guide for tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay in lovely Lucca.
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Additional information
Inclusions: Local, English-speaking guide, entrance fees, one drink or gelato.
Exclusions: Additional food and drink, souvenirs, gratuities/tips for your guide.
Dress standard: Casual and comfortable shoes
Your Trip: For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.
Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point. Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.
Closure of sites: The botanical garden is open every day from 21/3 to 30/10
Child Policy: This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ above when booking. Children under the age of 6 are permitted to join this tour free of charge. Please inform us at the time of booking if you’ll be bringing a child under the age of 6. You can do so in the special request box on the checkout page.
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Dietary Notes
Any travellers who do not wish to have gelato will be offered a drink of their choice instead.
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Local contact
Office phone number: +39 340 464 1267
Email address: info@luccaurbanadventures.com
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