What are the best day trips from Florence?

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The best day trips from Florence include visiting the historic city of Siena, known for its medieval brick buildings, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a freestanding bell tower known for its unintended tilt, and the Cinque Terre, a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. Other notable destinations include the Chianti Wine Region, famous for its vineyard landscapes and wine production, and the city of Lucca, renowned for its well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city center. Each of these destinations offers a unique experience, from exploring architectural wonders to enjoying scenic landscapes and tasting world-class wines.

The Mistake Nearly Every Visitor Makes with Day Trips

Florence is one of the most densely packed cities in the world when it comes to world-class art, architecture, and food. The Uffizi alone could absorb an entire day. The Accademia, the Boboli Gardens, the Oltrarno neighbourhood — none of these can be properly appreciated in a quick pass. Yet many visitors, faced with a list of tempting destinations within easy reach, start planning day trips from day one and end up short-changing the city they actually came to see.

Our advice: don’t plan a single day trip unless you have at least four full days in Florence. If you’re there for two or three days, stay. Walk the streets at dusk when the tour groups have left. Eat where the locals eat, well away from the Duomo. Then, if you have time at the end, consider a half-day to Fiesole on the hillside above the city — it takes thirty minutes by bus and gives you a view of Florence that reframes everything you’ve already seen.

Top 10 Day Trips from Florence: A Comprehensive Guide

Plan your visit: Visit Tuscany, the region's official tourism site

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1. Siena

Plan your visit: Siena on Visit Tuscany (official regional tourism site)

Siena’s shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, the striped marble cathedral and the Palazzo Pubblico make it the classic day trip from Florence. Its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palio horse race is run in the Campo on 2 July and 16 August; on those days the town is packed. Regional buses and trains take about 1 to 1½ hours.

2. Pisa

Plan your visit: Pisa on Visit Tuscany (official regional tourism site)

The Leaning Tower stands with the cathedral and baptistery on the lawn of Piazza dei Miracoli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Climbing the tower needs a timed ticket, so book ahead in summer. Fast trains take about an hour; the square fills two or three hours, so pair Pisa with Lucca.

3. Lucca

Plan your visit: Our guide: why Lucca should be on your Italy itinerary

A small city still ringed by its Renaissance walls, with a tree-lined path on top that you can walk or cycle all the way round. Inside are the oval Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, built on the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre, and the church of San Michele in Foro. Trains from Florence take about 1 to 1½ hours.

4. Chianti

Plan your visit: Our guide to Tuscany's wine regions, including Chianti

The hills of vineyards, olive groves and castles between Florence and Siena, home of Chianti Classico wine. The SR222 Chiantigiana road runs through Greve in Chianti, Panzano and Castellina. There is little public transport, so drive or join a small-group tour, and book winery tastings ahead.

5. San Gimignano

Plan your visit: San Gimignano on Visit Tuscany (official regional tourism site)

The hill town of medieval towers; 14 still stand of the many that once rose over its skyline. The historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the local white wine is Vernaccia di San Gimignano. There is no train: take a bus via Poggibonsi or drive, and arrive early or late to miss the tour coaches.

6. Fiesole

Plan your visit: Fiesole on Visit Tuscany (official regional tourism site)

The hill town above Florence, a short city bus ride from the centre. It has a Roman theatre and baths in its archaeological area, the cathedral of San Romolo, and a view over the whole of Florence from the path up to San Francesco. Ideal for a half day.

7. Cinque Terre

Plan your visit: Our guide to the five Cinque Terre villages

Five fishing villages on the Ligurian coast, linked by train and cliff paths and protected as a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a long day from Florence, about 2½ to 3 hours each way by train via La Spezia, so start early or stay a night.

8. Bologna

Plan your visit: Our Bologna travel guide

The capital of Emilia-Romagna, known for its food, its miles of porticoes (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Two Towers. Try tortellini in brodo and tagliatelle al ragù. High-speed trains from Florence take under 40 minutes, the quickest trip on this list.

9. Arezzo

Plan your visit: Our guide to things to do in Arezzo

An hour by train, Arezzo has Piero della Francesca’s Legend of the True Cross frescoes in the Basilica of San Francesco (book ahead), the sloping Piazza Grande and a big antiques fair on the first Sunday of each month and the Saturday before.

10. Pistoia

Plan your visit: Pistoia on Visit Tuscany (official regional tourism site)

A walled town under an hour by train from Florence, with fewer visitors than its neighbours. Its Piazza del Duomo holds the cathedral, the striped baptistery and the Palazzo Comunale, and the Ospedale del Ceppo has a terracotta frieze by the della Robbia workshop. A morning food market fills Piazza della Sala.

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Getting There: Transport and Timings

Tuscany’s transport links are good, but not all day trips are created equal. Some are effortless; others will eat half your day in travel. Here is the practical breakdown.

• Siena: regional buses (Autolinee Toscane) and trains both take about 1 to 1½ hours; the bus drops you closer to the centre. Allow a full day.
• Pisa: trains from Florence Santa Maria Novella take about an hour; the walk from Pisa Centrale to the Leaning Tower takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Book a tower climb ahead in summer.
• Lucca: direct trains from Florence, or via Pisa. Bikes for the walls can be hired near the station and inside the walls.
• San Gimignano: no train; bus to Poggibonsi and change, or drive and park outside the walls.
• Chianti: little public transport; hire a car or book a small-group tour. Greve in Chianti is the easiest first stop on the SR222.
• Arezzo: regional trains take about an hour. Book the Piero della Francesca frescoes ahead.

Check current train times and fares on the official Trenitalia site and bus times on Autolinee Toscane.

The Day Trip Itineraries That Actually Work

After years of helping readers plan Tuscany trips, these are the day trip combinations that work best from Florence.

The classic half-day: Fiesole. Take the city bus up from Piazza San Marco (about 20 minutes). Walk through the Roman amphitheatre, have lunch at a restaurant with a view of Florence below, and be back by mid-afternoon. This is the best option if you only have a few hours.

The perfect full day: Pisa + Lucca. Morning in Pisa (tower, cathedral, Piazza dei Miracoli), train to Lucca for lunch and an afternoon cycling the walls. Two very different towns, one easy day.

The food and wine day: Chianti by car. Leave Florence by 10:00, drive the Chiantigiana, stop at two wineries, lunch in Greve or Panzano, back by late afternoon. Book winery tastings in advance.

The art lover’s day: Arezzo on the first Sunday of the month. Morning at the antique market, Piero della Francesca’s frescoes after lunch, a slow walk through the medieval streets. Arezzo has a fraction of Florence’s tourist density and some of Italy’s finest Renaissance painting.

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