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Full-day shore excursion from La Spezia — private transport to Lucca, guided gourmet food tour through the walled city, local pasta, Tuscan charcuterie, wine, artisan chocolate, and buccellato
La Spezia to Lucca — A Gourmet Shore Excursion
Lucca is one of the most satisfying day trips in Tuscany — a perfectly preserved Renaissance walled city, compact enough to cover on foot, with a food culture that is entirely its own. This excursion takes cruise passengers from the La Spezia terminal directly into the heart of Lucca for a guided gourmet food tour through the old town, led by a local guide who knows where to eat, what to order, and why it matters.
You will taste cecina (Lucca’s iconic chickpea flatbread, eaten hot from the wood-fired oven), tordelli lucchesi (the city’s own pasta, filled with braised meat and herbs), local charcuterie and pecorino, Colline Lucchesi wine, artisan chocolate, and buccellato — the anise-and-raisin sweet bread that is as Lucchese as the walls themselves. Transport from the cruise port is included throughout.
Tour Details
- Starting point: La Spezia cruise terminal (pickup included)
- Duration: Full day — approximately 7 to 8 hours
- Group size: Private — exclusively for your group
- Language: English
- Transport: Included — private vehicle from La Spezia cruise terminal to Lucca and back
What’s Included
- Private transport from La Spezia cruise terminal to Lucca and back
- Guided gourmet food tour through Lucca’s historic centre
- Cecina — Lucca’s wood-fired chickpea flatbread
- Tordelli lucchesi — the city’s traditional stuffed pasta
- Local charcuterie and Tuscan cheese tasting
- Glass of Colline Lucchesi wine
- Artisan chocolate
- Buccellato — Lucca’s traditional sweet bread
- Coffee at a local bar
- English-speaking local guide throughout the food tour
What’s Not Included
- Additional food or drinks beyond the tour programme
- Entry to any monuments or museums
The Drive
Lucca is approximately 85 kilometres from La Spezia — just over an hour by private vehicle along a route that crosses from Liguria into Tuscany through the Magra valley. The drive is straightforward and the landscape changes quickly: from the coast and the port behind you to the flat agricultural plain of the Garfagnana and then the towers and walls of Lucca appearing through the trees.
Departure from the cruise terminal is timed around your ship’s schedule. Please share your all-aboard time when booking and we will plan the return accordingly, always allowing a comfortable buffer.
Lucca
Lucca is unlike any other Tuscan city. Its Renaissance walls — four kilometres of brick bastions built in the 16th and 17th centuries, wide enough at the top to serve as a tree-lined promenade — are intact and free to walk. Inside them, the city is a medieval grid of narrow streets, Romanesque churches, and piazzas still shaped by the Roman amphitheatre beneath them.
There are no famous museums to queue for and no single unmissable monument. Lucca rewards walking, eating, and looking carefully. The food tour uses the city itself as the context — every stop has a story connected to the street it is on.
The Food Tour
Your local guide leads you through the historic centre on foot, covering roughly two to three kilometres over three hours at an unhurried pace. Each stop is chosen for quality and authenticity, not proximity to tourist sights.
Cecina — The first stop is always here. Cecina is a thin, crispy flatbread made from chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt, cooked in a wood-fired oven and eaten hot in a folded paper cone. It is the street food Lucca has eaten for centuries and the best version in the city is found in a handful of small bakeries that open early and sell out by midday.
Tordelli lucchesi — Lucca’s own pasta: fresh egg pasta filled with braised meat, herbs, and a grating of nutmeg, dressed with a rich ragù and a handful of grated aged pecorino. It is distinct from anything you will find in Florence or Siena — heavier, more wintery, and deeply satisfying. You sit down for this course.
Charcuterie and cheese — A selection of Tuscan salumi — finocchiona (fennel salami), lardo di Colonnata (the white-veined cured fatback from the marble quarry village above Carrara, eaten on warm bread), and local pecorino at different ages, with Lucca DOP extra-virgin olive oil for dipping.
Wine — A glass of Colline Lucchesi DOC — the local appellation produced in the hills immediately north of the city. Under-known outside the region, consistently good.
Artisan chocolate — Lucca has a small but serious artisan chocolate scene. You taste two or three single-origin pieces from one of the city’s best chocolatiers.
Visiting La Spezia or the Cinque Terre?
Escape the crowds with our
truffle hunt & gourmet truffle lunch & tasting in Lunigiana — a perfect shore excursion from La Spezia.
Buccellato — The final sweet: a ring-shaped bread made with anise seeds, raisins, and a hint of sugar, traditionally bought at one of the historic bakeries near San Michele and eaten as an afternoon treat. Every Lucchese has a strong opinion on which bakery makes it best. Your guide has one too.
Coffee — The tour ends at a local bar with a proper espresso or cappuccino.
After the Tour
Once the food tour finishes, you have free time in Lucca before the return drive. The most popular option is to walk a section of the city walls — a 4km loop with views over the rooftops and into the city gardens below. Entry is free and the path is shaded by trees. Bicycle rentals are available at several points along the walls if you prefer to cycle the full circuit.
Alternatively, the compact old town is very walkable: the oval of Piazza dell’Anfiteatro (built on the foundations of the Roman amphitheatre), the Romanesque facade of San Michele in Foro, and the Torre Guinigi — a medieval tower with a garden of holm oaks growing on its roof — are all within a few minutes of the food tour end point.
The Return
Your private vehicle returns you to La Spezia cruise terminal in time for your ship’s all-aboard. The drive back takes approximately the same time as the outward journey. We plan departure from Lucca to ensure a comfortable margin — please share your all-aboard time when booking.
Book This Shore Excursion
To check availability, ask any questions, or arrange a custom departure time around your ship’s schedule, get in touch — we typically reply within a few hours.
Please include your ship’s all-aboard time when you get in touch so we can plan the schedule accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the drive from La Spezia to Lucca?
Approximately one hour to one hour fifteen minutes by private vehicle, depending on traffic. The route is straightforward and mostly motorway. We time departure from the cruise terminal to ensure you arrive in Lucca with plenty of time for the full food tour and some free exploration.
Will we be back at the cruise terminal in time?
Yes. We plan the entire day around your ship’s all-aboard time. Please share it when you book and we will confirm a departure time from Lucca that gives a comfortable buffer. We strongly recommend allowing at least 45 minutes of margin.
What is cecina and why does everyone in Lucca eat it?
Cecina is a thin, crispy flatbread made from chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt, cooked in a very hot wood-fired oven. It has been eaten in Lucca for centuries — it is cheap, filling, and extraordinarily good when fresh from the oven. It is also called “torta di ceci” in some areas. Outside of Lucca and the surrounding Tuscan and Ligurian coast, it is almost unknown. Eating it in context is one of the most memorable things about visiting the city.
What is buccellato?
Buccellato is Lucca’s traditional sweet bread — a ring-shaped loaf made with anise seeds, raisins, and a subtle sweetness. It is sold at historic bakeries in the old town and is deeply associated with the city. Visitors often buy a whole ring to take home; it keeps well and travels easily.
What is tordelli lucchesi?
Tordelli lucchesi is Lucca’s own stuffed pasta — similar in shape to a large tortello, filled with braised meat, herbs, and a little nutmeg, and dressed with a meat ragù and aged pecorino. It is heavier than most Tuscan pasta dishes and distinctly local — the recipe varies from family to family and you will not find an identical version anywhere else.
Can dietary requirements be accommodated?
Yes — vegetarian alternatives are available for the pasta and charcuterie stops. Please let us know of any dietary requirements or allergies when booking so we can plan accordingly. Gluten-free options are more limited in this format but we will do our best to accommodate.
Is this a private tour?
Yes — both the transport and the food tour are private. Your group will not be joined by other travellers. The food tour guide accompanies your group exclusively throughout the day.
Can we walk the city walls after the food tour?
Yes — the walls are free to access and walking a section is one of the best things to do in Lucca. The full circuit is 4 kilometres and takes about an hour at a relaxed pace. Bicycle hire is available along the top of the walls if you prefer to cycle. We factor free time into the schedule after the food tour ends.
Is this suitable for children?
Yes — the food tour is relaxed and child-friendly. The foods covered (pasta, bread, cheese, chocolate) are generally well suited to younger travellers. Please let us know the ages of any children in your group when enquiring.
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