Top Florence Day Trips

Florence is the perfect home base for exploring the gems of Tuscany and beyond. Based on traveler reviews, these are some of the top-rated day trips from Florence:

• Tuscany Day Trip from Florence: Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Lunch at a Winery
• Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence with Optional Hiking
• Siena and San Gimignano: Small-Group Tour with Lunch from Florence
• Semi Private Cinque Terre and Pisa Leaning Tower Tour from Florence
• Tuscany: Day Trip to Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, and Chianti

Yes, Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany, which means you can quickly get from the city of Florence to other parts of Tuscany on a day trip. Whether you’d like to explore Pisa, Siena, or Chianti wine country, you can reach most Tuscan highlights via rental car, public transportation, or guided tours from Florence.

Yes, you can do a day trip from Florence to Cinque Terre—just be prepared to wake up early. The five towns of Cinque Terre are connected by a picturesque railroad and hiking trails, so it’s best to grab the train from Florence, which takes about three hours. Once you arrive in Cinque Terre, you can hike or ride the train from one seaside village to another.

That depends on your destination and travel style. It’s easy and inexpensive to visit a single city—such as Pisa, Siena, or Lucca—on your own by train or bus, and these towns are small and walkable enough to explore without a strict itinerary. For day trips to Chianti wine country or harder-to-reach hill towns, such as San Gimignano, it’s worth booking a guided excursion. Guided day trips take care of the timing and transportation for you, so you can taste Tuscan wines and enjoy the countryside scenery without worrying about driving and other logistics.

Yes, Pisa is the perfect day trip from Florence. Buses and trains between the cities run frequently and take less than 1.5 hours. Once you get to Pisa, exploring the Leaning Tower, museums, shops, and other attractions on foot is easy.

That depends on how deeply you want to explore the city. Three days should give you enough time to see Florence’s cultural highlights, including the Uffizi Gallery, Accademia Gallery, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Pitti Palace, and Boboli Gardens. However, you could easily spend a week strolling the city’s unique neighborhoods, tasting Florentine specialties, and taking day trips around Tuscany.

There are tons of fun tours and excursions in Florence aside from day trips. According to previous travelers, these are the best activities to book for your next trip:

• Wine Tasting
• Cooking Classes
• Private Drivers
• Vespa Rentals
• Art Classes

Florence day trip prices vary depending on duration and inclusions. If you’re looking for high-quality experiences on the lower end of the price range, these are the best tours to book now: 

• Pisa and Piazza dei Miracoli Half-Day Tour from Florence
• Pisa and the Leaning Tower Afternoon Tour from Florence
• Half-Day Chianti Vineyard Escape from Florence with Wine Tastings
• Chianti Vineyards Escape from Florence with Two Wine Tastings

Before booking a Florence day trip, it’s best to check the tour’s meeting point and transportation offering—some excursions offer transfers by private vehicles, and others include train or bus tickets to your destination. Be aware of any age limits, too, as wine tours might not be open to guests younger than 18. Lastly, check the cancellation policy; for example, you might be able to reschedule your day trip if there’s inclement weather.

The best way to enjoy Florence day trips is to dress and pack accordingly. For example, bring a swimsuit and a change of clothes if you’re going to Cinque Terre, or wear something that covers your legs and shoulders if you’re visiting any churches. If lunch isn’t included on your itinerary, pack a picnic or plan to buy food at your destination.

The best time of year for a Florence day trip depends on the experience. The grape harvest season from September–October is ideal for wine tours, while fall and spring offer lovely conditions for touring nearby cities like Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano. In general, Tuscany’s non-coastal cities are best avoided in the summer, when crowds and temperatures are both at their peak.

Tons of Florence day trips are possible without a car. Regional trains to Pisa, Siena, and Lucca take less than 90 minutes, or you can hop on high-speed trains to explore cities outside of Tuscany, including Bologna and Verona. Guided day trips are best for countryside destinations such as Chianti wine country, which isn’t easily accessible by public transportation.

Yes, guided tours make it easy to visit multiple Tuscan towns—plus the picturesque countryside—in one day. For example, the top-rated Tuscany Day Trip from Florence: Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Lunch at a Winery includes transportation to three different cities, with a stop for lunch and wine tasting at a Chianti farmhouse. While you could try to plan a similar itinerary on your own, tours save you from driving, parking, or figuring out train schedules.

Guided day trips from Florence are often booked several weeks in advance, so reserve ahead to avoid missing out, especially during peak season from late spring through early fall. Buy tickets for popular attractions, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, ahead for the best choice of time slots, and save money on high-speed trains by booking a few weeks early; prices usually go up closer to the departure date.

World-renowned Chianti is the closest wine region to Florence, and guided day trips with included transportation are the best way to experience it. Excursions such as the Small-Group Wine Tasting Experience in the Tuscan Countryside, for example, let you visit multiple wineries, tour the vineyards and cellars with the producers, and taste classic Tuscan wines, paired with local olive oil, cheeses, and other specialties.