Why would I take a day trip from Florence?
Florence is an absolute dream of a city. There is a reason that it is one of the most visited and loved destinations in Italy. Florence is filled with art, history, and Italian charm. You could explore here for days on end and never get enough, and you should.
I highly recommend you spend a significant amount of time here seeing all that the city has to offer. However, if you have some more time, and want to see the surrounding area, these 5 day trips from Florence (which could also easily be overnights or weekends) are some excellent choices.
If you’re interested in more about Florence, check out my post here —> “6 Spots in Florence That Are Worth The Hype”
Another excellent thing about many of these day trip from Florence locations is that if you don’t want to do it yourself, there are many tour options from Florence that will get you there! I will include some tour options in this post, however, I should note that my experiences and the day trips I took to these areas were all on our own and were all by car.
Siena, Italy
How to get there
You can make this day trip from Florence by train or car. You can take a direct train to Siena from Florence in about 1.5 hours. You could also make the drive in about an hour. We didn’t find parking to be too challenging here, you can park right outside the city and then walk right in. Once you are parked everything is walkable here.
Siena Cathedral
When we were on the plane to Italy, we mentioned to a man that we were going to Siena, and he said that the city had the most stunning cathedral he’d ever seen. We had seen the churches in Florence, Rome, and Milan, and wondered how it could be the most beautiful he had seen. When we got there we realized he could be right. The cathedral in Siena is absolutely stunning on the outside and the inside. We also were very lucky that the cathedral floors were uncovered during our visit (this only happens certain times of year). We got to see the beautiful mosaic floors when we visited in October. Regardless of the floors though, this is worth a visit. The cathedral itself is honestly worth a day trip from Florence.
Piazza Del Campo
The square in Siena “Piazza Del Campo” is one of the most massive and stunning squares we’ve seen in Europe. There is a very famous horse race that takes place here each year called the “Palio de Siena”. This is a major event in Siena and has numerous events leading up to, and following the main event. If you’re not visiting during the event the square is a lively and wonderful place to grab a snack or a drink, people watch, and enjoy the wonderful Tuscan vibes.
La Taverna di San Guiseppe (a meal worthy of a day trip from Florence)
I recommend lunch at “La Taverna Di San Giuseppe” and you should make a reservation here if you can. We went right at opening time for lunch and got very lucky! The food here was absolutely incredible. We loved everything we tried and we went with a large group (we were in town for a wedding). I had a white lasagna which was so different and delicious! The interior of this spot is so charming and the staff here were so kind and helpful, the wines were wonderful, I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
Stroll the streets
We adored just strolling all the incredibly beautiful streets in Siena. We popped into leather shops, chocolate shops, olive oil spots, and more. We enjoyed stopping for drinks, checking out art, and simply enjoying all that this beautiful place had to offer.
I am usually a big fan of staying somewhere overnight instead of visiting for the day, we visited this area for a friends wedding and we stayed in the countryside all together at a villa.
If you’d prefer the ease of doing this day trip from Florence as a tour, click any of the photos below to be linked directly to the tours. Hope this makes it super easy for you!
San Gimignano
There is so much to love about San Gimignano, the towers, the charming streets, the gelato, and the wonderful vibes! I had one of my favorite meals of my life thus far here, so that was worth a day trip from Florence on it’s own.
How to get there
For this day trip from Florence the train is not an option. There is no train station in San Gimignano so for this one you’ll have to take a bus or drive. We drove, but I recommend going early because it’s a small town and the parking is limited. The drive takes about an hour.
The Towers
San Gimignano is known for its towers which you can see rising above the town from pretty much any angle. The town has even been nicknamed “Medieval Manhatten” as the towers can be seen like a city skyline from the surrounding countryside. The towers were built by resident families to showcase their wealth and power. The taller the tower, the more wealth and power the family had. Many of the towers still remain and you can go up inside one of them for really incredible views over the town and the areas all around.
Ristorante Peruca
If you don’t get lunch at “Ristorante Peruca” I will be disappointed. This is truly one of my favorite meals of my lifetime and I dream about revisiting this town just to eat here again. We tried essentially every pasta on their menu and I can honestly say that every single one was enjoyable. I went in hopes of trying the “peasants bundles” which were stuffed with pecorino & pear in a pecorino and saffron sauce. They were absolutely everything I dreamed they would be.
Try the Wine
San Gimignano is also home to one of my favorite Tuscan wines! The “Vernaccia” wine here is one of my favorite white wines to drink. It is light and refreshing and perfect to sit out in the town and have a sip and enjoy! I highly recommend trying this wine or doing a tasting when you’re in the area.
Try Gelato
Many people take a day trip from Florence just to try the gelato here. San Gimignano claims to have the “Best Gelato in the World” at a place called “Gelateria Dondoli”. We tried this gelato and really enjoyed it, however, we think we found the best gelato in the world… and it was just across the square at a place called “Caffetteria Gelateria dell’Olmo”. Either way you can NOT go wrong and both places were incredible. I highly recommend sampling both during your time in San Gimignano.
Go for a wander
Go for a wander: This is such a lovely town to wander around, sit in a square and share a drink, grab an espresso and people watch, shop for leather or other trinkets, etc. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as we did!
If you don’t want to do this day trip from Florence on your own and would rather a tour, here are a few good choices!
Lucca
I wanted to go to Lucca to see the “trees on top of the tower” that I had seen and read about in blogs and instagram. What I found was a very enjoyable town with quite a lot to offer!
How to get there
We drove to Lucca as there was a train strike on the day we were trying to go. The drive was just over an hour. We had intended to take the train to see Pisa & Lucca but the world had other plans. However, you can also take a direct train to Lucca for an easy day trip from Florence.
The Guinigi Tower
The tower I came to see was a very lovely experience. We got into town quite early so we were the first people to go up. It is a nice little climb to get up there and the views over Lucca are very lovely! You can see a few other towers and the big town square area, as well as the surrounding area. The little garden area at the top is a nice place to relax and take it all in for a few minutes. Again, this tower was a status symbol in the town to show that a family had wealth and power.
Lunch in the Square
So many times when you read blogs or online tips they say to avoid squares for lunch or dinner because they are often overpriced and not as good. This is generally good advice in bigger cities, but this is NOT the case in Lucca. We grabbed the most delicious lunch at a place called “Podere” which is super close to our last name Potere! Anyway, I had the MOST delicious shrimp with paccheri and my heart was HAPPY! Griffin had a great panini and we were very satisfied with the fact that we sat down here. Are you sensing a theme yet? We’ve had some amazing lunches when we’ve taken a day trip from Florence!
Shopping
Lucca definitely seemed like a spot a lot of people visited to shop! They had many stores and like Florence had a lot of jewelry and leather stores as well. We found the cutest little boutique store and got ourselves a tiny little frame for our gallery wall.
Bike or Surrey around the walls
We didn’t do this on our visit, but I really wanted to. If we return this will be top of my list. You can rent and ride all around the walls of the town and it looks so lovely and peaceful. We saw at least one little bar where you could stop for drinks and snacks too! Seems like such a wonderful good weather activity, I’d love to pack a picnic and do it!
Tour options if you do not want to make this day trip From Florence on your own:
Montepulciano
How to get there
From Florence Montepulciano is about a 1.5 hour drive. There is no train station directly in Montepulciano, you can get about 15km away by train and then you’d still have to get into town, so driving is probably best for this day trip from Florence.
This town is one I highly recommend staying overnight in if you can! I have a whole blog post about it here. —-> 24 Hours in Montepulciano, Italy
Where to stay (Ditch the Day Trip From Florence!)
If you are able to stay over I can not recommend “Residenza Fabroni” more highly. This place was an absolute gem and made our experience in the town so much better. It was centrally located, so stunningly beautiful and well decorated, and the family who runs it were so incredibly kind. We even did a wine tasting on the roof of the hotel hosted by the owners. It was lovely and an experience we’ll always remember.
Lunch at Enoteca La Dolce Vita
This was the most lovely lunch spot we could have found. The food was so fresh and delicious and the wine selection was seemingly endless. Montepulciano is one of my favorite wines in the world so it was an easy choice. This place also introduced us to another delightful drink “The Chandon Spritz”. It is a sparkling wine that has a taste almost like an aperol spritz. We really enjoyed trying this and we were glad they gave us a sample to taste!
Breakfast or Sweet Snack at Caffe Poliziano
This place is essentially an institution in this town, the food is amazing, the views will SHOCK you, and the best part was our hotel gave us a voucher to have breakfast here in the morning! But regardless of a voucher, you shouldn’t miss this spot. I had one of the best chocolate croissants of my life here!
Go Wine Tasting Around Town
The most fun thing about Montepulciano is that you can wine taste as you stroll the streets. This is another reason you may want to stay over instead of day trip from Florence. There are so many delightful spots filled with wines for you to taste. You can explore some cellars directly in the town, and shop in so many cute little places. You should leave yourself a whole day to wander and do just this! You can also go up in the tower in the town square to get views over the entire town and countryside! It doesn’t take long and is worth a few minutes of your time!
If you would rather a tour than attempting your own day trip from Florence, here are some options:
Unique wine tasting day trip from Florence
This was an airbnb experience that I promise is not sponsored in any way. In fact I’ll even mention a few of the downsides. However, we did really enjoy it and it was quite a unique experience!
We started the day with a ride to a very small town outside Florence called Montespertoli. We visited a ceramics store and had a tasting of our first few wines. I know this is a common thing on many tours and I am not blind to the fact that they hoped we’d buy something (and we did). But they didn’t make us feel pressured at all and the whole visit felt very relaxed. The ceramics here were truly beautiful and all done by hand, we got to see the shop where they were making them.
After this stop we moved on to get a little view of the vineyards before heading down to the farmhouse. They showed us their small barrel room and then we sat outside in the sun and tasted some lighter wines like Prosecco and some white wines.
Finally we moved into the farm house and saw what can only be described as Italian magic. The largest farmhouse table ever covered with cheese, vegetables, cured meats, jams, bread, and more. It was a breathtaking display, like you’d see in a magazine or movie. We got to literally eat to our hearts content, while tasting so many more wines from the region. We were served a small plate of lasagna (which was absolutely delicious) and a desert as well.
The amount of food and wine on this tour for the money was actually insane. I can’t believe they have not altered their pricing yet. We learned a ton, got to try so much, and went home very full and happy. We paced ourselves well on this tour, but if you wanted to, they would literally let you drink until you couldn’t anymore. They never stopped pouring wines, letting us try, and encouraging us to taste what we liked.
This tour left from Florence in the early morning and we got back a bit later than we expected. Keep that in mind if you book, I would keep your afternoon plans clear in case they run late, I get the feeling that was a common occurrence.
Final Thoughts
Of course there are so many amazing towns in Tuscany and so many day trip from Florence options to be explored. But these are 5 that I personally did and loved that I can say without question are worth your while!
If you’re interested in more stays in Italy that I have absolutely loved, you should check out my —–> FREE guide to where to stay in Italy!
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