Florence wine tours with kids, teens and non-drinkers
A wine tour from Florence is mostly a drive through the Chianti hills, with cellars and food along the way. Teens, sober travelers and people who simply prefer water can enjoy a good share of it. The age limits and access rules differ by tour, and this page sets them out.
Who can join which tour
Wine tours from Florence are built around tastings, but most of the day is spent on the road and walking through cellars and vineyards. That leaves room for teens and people who never drink, as long as each tour's age and access rules fit your group.
| Tour | Ages | Not suitable for | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prestige Rent small group | 12 and over, no infants | Wheelchair users | ~$101 |
| Towns of Italy trail | Under-18s get non-alcoholic drinks | Pregnant women; mention mobility needs in advance | ~$99 |
| Towns of Italy Vespa tour | Drivers 18+, passengers 13+ | Pregnant women, people with mobility impairments | ~$119 per vehicle |
| Ciao Florence | Check the listing | Wheelchair users | ~$55 |
| Gray Line Florence | Check the listing | Wheelchair users | ~$79 |
Where a listing is silent on a point, ask the operator before you book rather than at the meeting point. What each fare buys beyond the tastings is laid out on our price page.
Teenagers and the Italian age rule
Italian law does not allow selling alcohol to anyone under 18, and the Towns of Italy listing says so plainly. On its wine and olive oil trail from ~$99, under-18s are served non-alcoholic drinks while the adults taste.
The rest of that day gives a teenager plenty to do. There are three wineries with cellars to walk through, an olive oil mill at a historic estate, a three-course lunch and a stop in Greve in Chianti to stretch the legs.
Prestige Rent sets its minimum age at 12 and takes no infants. A 12-year-old gets the cellar visits and the plates of cheese and cold cuts, though a long tasting can drag when you are only watching.
A full day with lunch for a mixed group
The Towns of Italy trail pours soft drinks for under-18s and adds an olive oil mill and a sit-down lunch, so there is more to the day than wine. Mention any mobility needs when you book.
Younger children and toddlers
Toddlers are the group that should skip these tours. The days run from about 4.5 to 11 hours, much of it in a minibus or coach, and tasting rooms are quiet places full of glass.
Our pick does not take infants at all. For a family with small children, one parent on a short tour while the other keeps the morning free may work better than bringing everyone along.
Prestige Rent is back in Florence in time for the afternoon, so the family can meet for lunch. The other tour lengths are compared in our half-day or full-day guide.
The Vespa tour with a teen passenger
The Towns of Italy Vespa tour from ~$119 per vehicle takes passengers from 13, riding behind a driver aged 18 or over with a valid license. A parent and a teenager can share a double Vespa that way.
Pregnant women and people with mobility impairments cannot join, and the driver must already know how to ride a scooter. The full rules, from weight limits to footwear, are in our Vespa guide.
Not drinking, and what you still get
Non-drinkers still get the drive through the Chianti hills and the cellars with their barrels, plus the talk about how the wine is made. Olive oil tastings with bread are part of several tours and suit everyone.
Food counts for more when you skip the wine, so a tour with a proper meal makes sense. The Towns of Italy trail and the Gray Line hill-town day both include a sit-down lunch, as does the Vespa tour, while our pick and Ciao Florence serve snacks with the tastings.
None of the listings we read offers a reduced price for non-drinkers. Everyone pays the same fare, so a teetotaler pays for pours they leave untouched.
Tastings are small pours rather than full glasses, and spitting or leaving a glass is normal at any winery. Nobody will press a drink on you, and asking for water is an ordinary request.
No designated driver needed
Driving yourself through Chianti means one person in the car tastes nothing all day. On these tours a professional driver takes the wheel, so the person who would have driven can taste with everyone else.
The exception is the Vespa tour, where whoever holds the handlebars is the driver. Go easy before you ride, and let a passenger do most of the tasting.
Access, pregnancy and food needs
None of the five tours suits wheelchair users. Prestige Rent, Ciao Florence and Gray Line Florence say so on their listings, and the hill-town day adds uphill walking in San Gimignano and Siena.
The Towns of Italy trail asks you to mention mobility needs in advance and is not for pregnant women, and the Vespa tour excludes both groups. Prestige Rent can arrange vegetarian or gluten-free food if you ask when booking.
Choosing dates with children? Summer afternoons in the hills get hot, and a spring or autumn date is gentler on younger travelers. Our seasons guide covers the weather through the year.
Choosing for a mixed group
- Teens of 12 or more and a short day, Prestige Rent from ~$101
- Under-18s with soft drinks and a proper lunch, Towns of Italy from ~$99
- A parent and a teen of 13 or more on one scooter, the Vespa tour from ~$119
- Travelers who would rather see towns than cellars, Gray Line Florence from ~$79
On the hill-town day the winery is one stop among four, with two hours of free time in San Gimignano. Our Siena and San Gimignano guide has the details, and the two meeting points are in our meeting point guide.