The Tuscan capital of Florence is the cradle city of the Renaissance. The incredibly irresistible, enchanting, and romantic Firenze, as it’s traditionally called, is all about decadence, whether it’s art, architecture, or cuisine. It’s a place to feast your eyes on Michaleangelos’ David and where you can feast on deliciously gourmet Tuscan cuisine. Whether you’re looking for a classic Tuscan countryside escape, a food-centered trip, or a trip down the lanes of history, Florence has a day trip for you. The best day trips in Florence Italy include trips to not only the best museums and galleries in the town but also trips from Florence. That’s because just outside the city, you’ll find charming villages, stunning hilly landscapes, and striking towns that can be reached via short trips.
What also makes Florence so popular is that it’s one of the best luxury honeymoon destinations in the world! It’s also popular with graveyard lovers, as it’s home to one of the world’s most haunted hotels. Plus, there’s the Ponte Vecchio, one of the best places to get creative forced perspective photos. So, what are you waiting for? Here’s an entire list of the 13 best day trips in and from Florence Italy.
Table of contents
Uffizi Gallery
13
A trip to the Uffizi Gallery is one of the best day trips in Florence. This Uffizi Gallery Tour takes you to what is one of the best museums in the world. Tour the gallery, which lies on the first and second floors of the gorgeous structure, guided by an expert local guide. They not only tell you all about the history but also share lesser-known anecdotes and stories behind the masterpieces. You get to feast your eyes on well-known paintings by masters such as Caravaggio, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Botticelli, Giotto, and others. After the official tour, you even get time to explore the place at your own pace, going back to your favorite spots.
- Tour duration: 2-4 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: N/A; this trip is in Florence itself
- Transportation: None; it’s a walking tour
Chianti
12
This Full Chianti Experience with Vineyard Trek is one of the best day trips from Florence Italy. Chianti boasts a unique landscape, with green, undulating hills, small stone villages, and wide fields of olive groves and vineyards. This tour takes you on a unique sensory experience to one of the region’s best vineyards. A guide tells you all about how a great glass of Chianti is produced there. You’ll even learn to recognize the aromas and colors that have come to herald Chianti as one of the most popular wines in the world. Later, you enjoy a delightful, easy trek through the hillside vineyards to Casa del Chianti Classico. Here, you finally learn about the winemaking process and even enjoy a delicious wine tasting.
- Tour duration: 8 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: 1 hour from Florence
- Transportation: A/C minivan
Basilica Di Santa Maria Del Fiore, Opera del Duomo Museum, and Brunelleschi’s Dome
11
This Florence Cathedral and The Opera del Duomo Museum: Tour with Brunelleschi’s Dome is one of the best day trips in Florence. The cathedral lies in the religious heart of Florence, where you pass through the famous “Gates of Paradise” to head inside. As you gaze at the spectacular artwork and mosaic decorations, you hear tales, stories, and facts about ancient Florence. After a guided tour, climb 463 steps to the Brunelleschi’s Dome, one of the world’s most famous domes. It’s where you’ll find the best views over the city of Florence.
- Tour duration: 2-3 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: N/A; this trip is in Florence itself
- Transportation: None; it’s a walking tour
Pisa
10
This Day Excursion to Pisa from Florence is one of the best day trips from Florence Italy that you can take. Hop on board a train that takes you to Pisa, after which your tour begins in the main square, Piazza Dei Miracoli. This UNESCO World Heritage site os a square is one of Europe’s most important historical complexes. What’s more, it holds within its folds a gaggle of important monuments, including the Monumental Cemetery, Baptistry, cathedral, and Leaning Tower. After the guided tour, you even have free time to stroll the city center on your own, choosing to get back via any train.
- Tour duration: 7 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: 1.5 hours from Florence
- Transportation: Train
Accademia Gallery
9
This Accademia Gallery Tour is one of the most intriguing best day trips in Florence that you can indulge in. After all, it takes you to one of the world’s most famous statues, the masterpiece of David by the inimitable Michaelangelo. The Accademia Gallery also houses some of the Renaissance’s most amazing artwork in this excellent skip-the-line guided tour. It begins with you seeing the valuable musical instruments collection of the Medici family, which includes the world’s most expensive Stradivarius. After a series of artwork, you come upon the iconic David, where your guide tells you all about its complex history. The tour ends with plasters and paintings by Lorenzo Bartolini and Lorenzo Monaco. Plus, you even get to see the not-so-popular and hidden parts of the museum.
- Tour duration: 1-2 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: N/A; this trip is in Florence itself
- Transportation: None; it’s a walking tour
Siena, San Gimignano & Monteriggioni
8
This unforgettable Siena, San Gimignano, & Monteriggioni Tour is one of the best day trips from Florence Italy. Sit comfortably in a GT coach that whisks you across the Chianti hills to the medieval UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano.
Step back in time at your second stop Siena, which is one of Europe’s best preserved medieval cities. The highlight here is the Piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s most beautiful squares full of Gothic civic architecture and famous for the Palio Horse Race.
Your final stop is the third medieval city you’ll see on this tour, Monteriggioni, after which you head to Chianti for a wine-tasting and food session before heading back to Florence.
- Tour duration: 11 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: 1 hour from Florence
- Transportation: A/C GT coach with mod-cons
Boboli Gardens
7
If you want a break from history and enjoy Florence’s natural beauty, then why not go on this Guided Tour of the Boboli Gardens? This green oasis sits right in the heart of Florence and has a colorful and deep history, as your guide will tell you. The tour begins from the Palazzo Pitti’s central gate as your guide tells you the little-known details about the gardens. After that, you can enjoy a relaxing walk through this striking open-air museum full of sculptures, temples, and fountains. Do you have any questions about the place? Ask your guide anything that you want. It’s no wonder that this is one of the best day trips in Florence.
- Tour duration: 1 hour
- Distance from nearest city/town: N/A; this trip is in Florence itself
- Transportation: None; it’s a walking tour
Cinque Terre
6
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera is one of the most colorful places on Earth. That’s why this Full-Day Trip to Cinque Terre is one of the best day trips from Florence Italy. The five secluded villages that are seaside cliffs are connected only by boats or winding paths that are very popular trekking/hiking spots. Your tour begins in Manarola, which is one of the most beautiful of Italy’s villages that are worth visiting. Manarola looks like one of those places that look like they’re from another world, and it’s easy to see why. Think pastel-hued homes sitting in lush foliage and stunning beaches with white sand and crystal-clear waters. Wander the cobblestoned streets, dig into Ligurian cuisine, or head to the other four villages of Corniglia, Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, and Riomaggiore by boat.
- Tour duration: 12-13 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: 2.5 hours from Florence
- Transportation: Bus/minivan and boat
Palazzo Vecchio Museum
5
This Palazzo Vecchio Museum Tour is one of the best day trips in Florence that take you to one of the greatest testaments to the Italian Renaissance. This guided, skip-the-line tour allows you to appreciate the treasures inside this medieval building, which has everything from Renaissance artwork to ornate rooms. The Hall of the Five Hundred, with its stunning frescoes and high decorated ceilings, is jaw-dropping, as is the hall of ancient maps. Your guide tells you forgotten stories, myths, and facts about the Medici family as you wander through the halls of this gorgeous museum.
- Tour duration: 2 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: N/A; this trip is in Florence itself
- Transportation: None; it’s a walking tour
Venice
4
Do you have very less time to explore the treasures of Italy? This Venice in One Day Tour is one of the best day trips from Florence Italy.
Venice is one of those of the world’s places that you must visit before they disappear – into the sea, that is! The alluring city is one of the world’s most beautiful canal cities, with structures practically rising from everywhere. The luxury coach takes you straight to the heart of Venice, Piazza San Marco. Then, make your way to St. Mark’s Basilica and Palazzo Ducale before enjoying a gondola ride along its picturesque canals. While the gondola ride isn’t included in the price, it’s not to be missed.
- Tour duration: 14 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: 3 hours from Florence
- Transportation: Luxury coach
Oltrarno
3
One of the must-do things when you’re in Florence is to eat! This Food Tour of Oltrarno is one of the best day trips in Florence as you understand the city from a new perspective. This walking tour begins in the charming cobblestoned streets of Oltrarno and takes you to bohemian cafes where you learn all about Florentine culture and food. You’re guided by a passionate local guide who’ll ensure that you get to dig into some of the best food that Florence has to offer. This tour includes stops at coffee shops, a true Florentine breakfast of fennel-spiced salami and Tuscan cheeses, and even a trip to the local restaurant’s kitchen to watch a baking demo of homemade almond cookies. Finally, your tour finishes with the best gelato in town.
- Tour duration: 4 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: N/A; this trip is in Florence itself
- Transportation: None; it’s a walking tour
Val D’Orcia
2
When in Rome, do like the Romans do. And when in Florence, do like the Florentines do on this Val D’Orcia Cheese and Wine Tasting Tour. one of the best day trips from Florence Italy. This tour takes you in a luxury GT coach to the undulating landscapes of Tuscany’s Val D’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the delights of the beautiful towns of v, Pienza, and Montalcino. What’s more, you enjoy not one but two different wine tastings, as well as get to sample the famous Pecorino cheese!
The tour begins with a wine tasting session in a wine cellar/museum in Montalcino, which is home to the world-famous Brunello wine. Continue to explore the scenic country roads, vineyards, cypress trees, olive groves, and sun-kissed rolling hills as you continue to Pienza. The tour ends with a stop at Montepulciano’s vineyards, which is where the second Twilight movie, New Moon, was filmed.
- Tour duration: 11.5 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: 2.5 hours from Florence
- Transportation: GT coach
Pitti Palace and Palatine Gallery
1
This Pitti Palace and Palatine Gallery Guided Tour is one of the best day trips in Florence. A certified tour guide takes you back in history to the ornate Pitti Palace, where you can admire the artwork and explore the ancient rooms. The former home of the Medici family is all about lavish interiors, and you can see that even today. Meanwhile, your guide regales you with stories, anecdotes, myths, and secrets of the palace, even as you admire the artwork, sculptures, and frescoes by great masters such as Caravaggio and Raphael at the Palatine Gallery.
- Tour duration: 1.5 hours
- Distance from nearest city/town: N/A; this trip is in Florence itself
- Transportation: None; it’s a walking tour
Just So You Know
- After the great Italian Unification, it was Florence that was the capital of the United Kingdom of Italy between 1865 and 1870. The mantle of the capital was taken over by Rome in 1870 and has stayed that way until today.
- Did you know Florence was the first city in Europe to pave all the streets? Yes! This happened way back in 1339 and was possible due to donations from Florence’s many banks and wealthy merchants.
- The entire Historical Centre of Florence is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In fact, the city is home to at least one-third of the greatest art treasures in the world. They’re also amongst the top things to do in Florence.
- Florence has so much to see and do that it’s best to stick around for a few days. It also happens to be a very gay-friendly city. So, why not stay in some of the top gay-friendly hotels in Florence, Italy?
