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10 Top day trips from Florence
Explore a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spend a day in Pisa, or take a 15-minute train to Fiesole. Find more about the top day trips from Florence.
Florence is a must-visit destination in Italy. Home to many Medici tales, beautiful Renaissance buildings, and the Uffizi Museum, the Tuscan capital is a great place to visit. But don’t let the city’s beauty overshadow the many things you can do on a day trip near Florence.
That’s why we prepared a guide with the best day trips from Florence. It will take you from the nearby cities to vineyards in Tuscany, outlining how to get to each destination by car or public transport.
Whether buying train tickets or driving with Google Maps for directions, you’ll need a way to stay connected on your Florence day trips. With Holafly, you can avoid data roaming rates in Italy and enjoy your trip with unlimited data and peace of mind.
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1. Go wine-tasting in the Tuscan countryside
- Distance from Florence: 20.94 miles (33.7 kilometers)
- How to reach the Tuscany countryside: A 40-minute drive on the SP 3 Chiantigiana per Ferrone/SP3 or a 1-hour ride from Santa Maria Novella train station to Greve in Chianti.
- Time required: Half-day
No trip to Florence is complete without visiting the Tuscan countryside – and the Chianti region is the pick of the bunch. Beautiful vineyards, breathtaking sunsets, and excellent wine, make for the perfect Florence day trip.
Make sure to book a degustazione at a local vineyard. It’s the best way to taste multiple local wines, which are paired with fresh cheeses, brushetta, and local olive oil to bring out the flavors.
If you plan your visit in the afternoon, you have to take photos of the sunset in Tuscany, where the rolling hills will make you feel like you’re in a painting.
Travel tip: Try to visit the Tuscan countryside using a car. Parking might be hard, but it’s the easiest way to move in the countryside, so save this as your main Italy travel tip.
2. Visit the iconic city of Pisa
- Distance from Florence: 54.68 miles (88 km)
- How to reach Pisa: A 1:20-hour drive on the SGC Firenze-Pisa-Livorno autostrada or a 45-minute train from Santa Maria Novella station to Pisa Centrale.
- Time required: Half-day
Pisa is an iconic Italian city, and it’s also one of the easiest r day trips from Florence by train.
You can visit Pisa’s most iconic Middle Ages landmarks, like the Duomo or the Tower of Pisa, where you can take the famous photo holding the Tower.
But Pisa isn’t all about the leaning tower, spend time visiting lesser known spots like the Church of San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno or Piazza dei Cavalieri.
Once you’ve visited these iconic landmarks, you can try local food in the city center. No Italian adventure is complete without trying their famous Italian dishes.
3. Take a half-day trip to the enclosed city of Lucca
- Distance from Florence: 58.47 miles (94.1 km)
- How to reach Lucca: A 1:10-hour drive on the A11/E76 autostrada or a 1:20-hour train from Santa Maria Novella station to Lucca.
- Time required: Full day
Lucca is known for being a charming modern-medieval town. With its 39ft defensive walls mostly intact, you’ll feel like taking a step back into the Renaissance.
You can explore the 100 churches around Lucca, which are part of a pilgrim route, or visit the Romanesque Cattedrale di San Martino, the most beautiful and important church in the area.
Lucca is a small town, so spend your time strolling down the cobbled streets to find Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, where you can enjoy local wine and listen to ancient tales about the city.
Travel tip: Traveling solo to Italy in summer? Lucca is a great destination to experience festivals like the Lucca Summer Festival, where you can connect with locals and learn the city’s story.
4. Ride on a 15-minute train to Fiesole
- Distance from Florence: 6.08 miles (9.8 km)
- How to reach Fiesole: A 20-minute drive on the Via S. Domenico or a 15-minute train from Santa Maria Novella station to Fiesole-Caldine.
- Time required: Two to three hours
Fiesole is one of the best day trips from Florence without a car and one of the quickest day trips to plan.
Fiesole has a breathtaking view of Florence. You can visit the San Francesco Monastery and enjoy these views, especially during the sunset.
You can also explore Fiesole archaeological site where you can explore the remains of the Etruscan and Roman civilizations.
Not far from the ruins, you can visit a Medici villa or head over to the Bandini Museum, which you can visit for just €5 (~$5.40 USD) or pay €12 (~$12.96) to visit the archaeological site and museum.
5. Visit Siena for a full day of exploring
- Distance from Florence: 48.46 miles (78 km)
- How to reach Siena: A 1:10-hour drive on the Raccordo Autostradale Firenze – Siena or a 1:30-hour train from the Santa Maria Novella station to Siena.
- Time required: Full day
Siena is a beautiful town near Florence Italy to visit by train. If you like horse races, a famous horse race that takes place in the main square and is a chaotic throwback to neighborly competition.
Looking for something more chill? You can explore the Renaissance landmarks around the town, where the Piazza del Duomo and the Siena Cathedral are your go-to options.
Close to the Duomo, you’ll find different restaurants and cafes where you can try the local ricciarelli, grab delicious pasta for lunch, or get a shot of espresso to continue your day trip.
To complete your day exploring Siena, you can grab a ticket to the Facciatone, an extension of the Duomo that offers beautiful views of the city and nearby hills, especially during sunset.
6. Explore the ancient city of Pistoia
- Distance from Florence: 34.42 miles (55.4 km)
- How to reach Pistoia: A 50-minute drive on the A1/E35 and A11/E76 autostrada or a 35-minute bus from the Piazzale Montelungo station to Pistoia.
- Time required: Half-day or full day
Want to leave the city crowds behind? Pistoia is a great destination for day tours from Florence.
You can plan an easy day trip to Pistoia and visit its traditional landmarks, like the Piazza del Duomo or the Piazza della Sala. For a quick adventure, you can walk around the Renaissance buildings and cobbled streets and enjoy the city views.
If you plan to stay all day, you have to add the Museo dello Spedale del Ceppo, a 16th-century hospital, and the Garzoni Gardens, where nature mixes with ancient architecture.
On sunny days, leave after sunset, as the sun will paint the buildings with golden lighting.
7. Plan an outdoor adventure on Lake Trasimeno
- Distance from Florence: 75.74 miles (121.9 km)
- How to reach Lake Trasimeno: A 50-minute drive on the A1/E35 autostrada or a 55-minute train from Santa Maria Novella station to Terontola-Cortona and a 5-minute train to Tuoro Sul Trasimeno.
- Time required: Half-day or full day
Located near Perugia, Lago Trasimeno is the fourth-largest lake in Italy and a treat for lovers of the great outdoors.
You can explore part of the lake on foot or rent a bike close to cover as much terrain as possible, making the 37 miles (59.54 km) easier to visit during the day.
Make sure to prepare your packing list for Italy with some sportswear, especially for if you’re going for the walk instead of the bike ride.
The lake road offers beautiful views of the surrounding natural area and traditional Umbrian houses. Once you’ve completed it, you can enjoy what Italy is mostly known in Osteria del Maremmamo or Ristorante la Taverna di Julio: delicious local food.
You can also visit the Castiglione del Lago in Isola Maggiore to explore this 19th-century castle. Not only can you walk through the ancient corridors, but the view of the lake and the surrounding nature makes it worth the visit.
8. Visit the Italian Riviera and the Cinque Terre
- Distance from Florence: 124.28 miles (200.01 km)
- How to reach Cinque Terre: A 2:30-hour drive on the A11/E76 and A12/E80 autostrada or a 1:20-hour train from Firenze Rifredi station to La Spezia Centrale.
- Time required: Full day
Did you know you can spend €5 (~$5.40 USD) exploring the villages in this UNESCO World Heritage Site? If not, now you can go on a day trip from Florence on a budget.
You can visit the towns of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore with the Cinque Terre Express train. The fresh air and beautiful scenery will calm you down after the Florence hustle and bustle.
For a calmer day trip, simply, hop on and off the train at each stop, walking around each town in a leisurely manner. If you feel more adventurous, you can dive and practice snorkeling in the clear waters of the Cinque Terre.
9. Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano
- Distance from Florence: 37.03 miles (59.60 km)
- How to reach San Gimignano: A 1-hour drive on the Raccordo Autostradale Firenze – Siena Autostrada or a 1:05-hour train from the Firenze Rifredi station to Poggibonsi-S. Gimignano.
- Time required: Half-day or full day
Feel like the Tuscan city of Siena wasn’t enough? You can take a whole day to visit San Gimignano.
From the 11th to 15th century, there were over 70 fortified tower houses within the historic center, and even though just a few remain, you have to visit what’s left of them.
While walking through the cobblestone streets, make sure to duck into the Palazzo Comunale, the Piazza della Cisterna, and the Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta.
For a longer visit, you can explore the surrounding countryside and local vineyards.
10. Spend a day in Bologna
- Distance from Florence: 73.94 miles (119 km)
- How to reach Bologna: A 1-hour drive on the E35 and A1 var – Variante di Valico or a 35-minute train from Santa Maria Novella station to Bologna Centrale.
- Time required: Full day
Thanks to the high-speed Italian rail network, visiting Bologna takes just 35 minutes from Florence.
Bologna is known as “la dotta, la rossa, la grassa.” It directly translates to “the learned, the fat, the red,” and is an ode to the city’s university heritage, culinary importance, and left-leaning political stance.
Spend the day wandering the city’s Medieval streets, covered by 38.5 miles (62 km) of porticoes – themselves a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Dip in and out of old university buildings, stroll through Piazza Maggiore and Piazza Santo Stefano, and take in the extraordinary lean of the Due Torri (Two Towers), all before settling down for a heartwarming plate of tagliatelle al ragù or lasagna verde.
Travel tip: While a full day can take you to the most popular destinations in Bologna, it’s better to stay for two or three days to explore the city and its surroundings – with the walk to the monastery at San Luca a must-do.
Plan your day trips from Florence with Holafly
You’ll ned mobile internet in Italy to buy train and museum tickets online or use Google Maps to move around when visiting a lovely local town.
Choosing the best eSIM for Italy can help you with all this, especially when options like data roaming in Italy can cost you over $100 when using Instagram for five minutes.
The Holafly eSIM for Italy is your best call, as it gives you unlimited data, 500 MB data sharing per day, 24/7 customer support, and up to 5G connectivity. All of this for as low as $1.55/day – that’s the price of a local cappuccino!
But what if you’re a digital nomad in Italy or studying in Florence? With our Holafly Connect subscription, you say goodbye to expensive data plans that require a local ID or residency.
For $64.90 per month, you’ll get the following benefits:
- Unlimited data sharing
- Unlimited monthly data plan
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So, whether you’re staying in Florence or taking a bus to a small town, your Holafly eSIM will be your best companion.
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I first started my content creation journey as a freelancer in 2019, before connecting with Holafly in 2021. At Holafly, my travel and tech interests come together in one place as I craft high-quality articles about the eSIM and related markets. My content aims to help travelers stay connected, wherever they are.
