There are a lot of ways to travel and if you don’t want to go it alone Walks of Italy offers a guided Tuscan day trip from Florence that includes city strolls, wine tastings, and an incredible lunch at a Tuscan vineyard. If you prefer to walk your own roads, read on!
Looking for a fantastic day trip from Florence? Luckily, you’ve got lots of options. Whether you’re looking for a day in the Tuscan countryside or the chance to explore a medieval town, it’s all reachable from Florence…
You can easily spend the entire day exploring any of these day trip options. Or, if you want to see as much as you can, you can combine them for a full, rewarding day in Tuscany. (Just don’t forget to schedule yourself time to relax over a glass of local wine!).
Lucca, Florence’s graceful neighbor
Lucca’s elaborate Duomo
Lovely Lucca offers up cobblestoned streets and elegant palaces, elaborate churches and a ring of Renaissance-era fortification walls that have been turned into biking and walking paths. For music aficionados, it also happens to be where the composer Giacomo Puccini was born.
To get to Lucca from Florence: The train takes 1 hour 20 minutes, and since the station is located right outside the city center and easily walkable, this is a very convenient option. By car, Lucca is located 1 hour 10 minutes west of Florence. If you want to spend the entire day in Lucca, check out our full blog on visiting the lovely city of Lucca.
Pisa, home to much more than the Leaning Tower
Lovely Pisa and its River Arno
If you want to get what must be the most iconic photo in Italy, Pisa’s your place. But there’s much more to Pisa than that. Yes, the Leaning Tower is spectacular—even more so in person than in pictures. But the medieval city also boasts an 11th-century Duomo chock-full of gorgeous art, the elaborate Baptistery, and beautiful palaces. The downside, of course, is all the crowds around the Leaning Tower here—which is why we recommend the below schedule. (And if you want to really experience the best of Pisa, our Pisa tour explores the Square of Miracles and includes skip-the-line access to the Leaning Tower).
To get to Pisa from Florence: The direct, high-speed train to Pisa takes just 50 minutes from Florence. It’s then a 20-minute walk from the train station to the Leaning Tower, or a 10-minute bus ride. Driving, Pisa is located 1 hour 20 minutes from Florence.
How to visit Lucca + Pisa in one day trip from Florence
Plan to be in Pisa in the evening, when the crowds are gone—even around the Leaning Tower!
You want to avoid the tour-bus crush of crowds that take over Pisa during the day. To do this, leave Florence on the train by 9am, putting you in Lucca around 10:30am. Enjoy a relaxing walk on the city walls, explore the churches, and have a late lunch around 1:30.
From there, Pisa’s just a 25-minute train ride from Lucca, so if you leave Lucca around 3:45, you’ll be standing at the Leaning Tower by 4:30… just as the tour buses are all leaving. (Be aware that the tower closes at 5pm from November to February and closing times vary throughout the year, so if you want to climb the tower, check the official Tower of Pisa website and adjust your schedule accordingly!). Take as much time as you need to marvel at Pisa’s beauty by dusk. Then grab the direct, high-speed train back to Florence, which takes just one hour.
The Chianti wine country
Vineyard in the Chianti countryside, a short drive from Florence
Tuscany has numerous wine regions and they are all world-class. For a full explanation of them, check out our Guide to Tuscan Wine Regions and Wine Tasting. But If you want to enjoy wine tastings and the Tuscan countryside without going too far from Florence, then your go-to is the region of Chianti, just a 30 minutes’ drive south of the city, is your best bet. (Just remember that it’s proximity to Florence makes it more crowded and touristy than, say, the Val d’Orcia region, below). Small towns like San Casciano, Montespertoli, Gaiole, and Panzano, are lovely, and you’ll see signs for one vineyard after another. Our guided tour also visits two of these stunning farms/vineyards for both wine and a full lunch.
To get to Chianti from Florence: This is definitely a day trip best done with a car! The SS22 heads south of Florence right through the heart of the Chianti region.
Siena, gem of a medieval city
Beautiful Siena, an easy day trip from Florence
Florence’s longtime rival, Siena is a gem of a medieval city. Just take its 13th-century Duomo: One of the most stunning cathedrals in all of Italy, it boasts pieces by Michelangelo, Donatello, Pisano, and Bernini, not to mention an incredible, frescoed library that sits alongside the Sistine Chapel as one of the best frescoed spaces in Italy! But that’s not to mention the city’s unique, scallop-shaped main piazza, dominated by a 14th-century tower even taller than the one in Florence. It’s also home to a treasure trove of important art, including Lorenzetti’s seminal frescoes of “Good and Bad Government”, relics like the head of St. Catherine, and the famous Palio horse races. You could happily stay in Siena for a few days or a week. For a comprehensive list on all the things to see and do in Siena, read our guest post for Art Trav on more of what to see in Siena.
To get to Siena from Florence: By car, Siena is 1 hour 15 minutes south of Florence. The direct SITA bus from Florence takes 1 hour 15 minutes; be sure to check the bus timetables. By train, Siena is located 1 hour 30 minutes from Florence, but be aware that the train station is almost 1.5 miles outside the city center and requires either a half-hour walk or a short local bus ride).
How to visit the Chianti countryside + Siena in one day trip from Florence
Stay in Siena into the evening to see the main square lit up
To do this, you need to rent a car. And be aware that you could also easily spend a whole day exploring Chianti’s vineyards and small towns or a whole day exploring Siena so this should be a combined day trip only for the energetic!
We’d recommend leaving Florence by 9 or 9:30am, making it to Chianti’s small towns and vineyards just as they “wake up” (and open), generally between 10am and noon. Enjoy wine and food tastings, and a relaxing lunch, before heading onto Siena by about 1:30pm. You’ll be there by mid-afternoon, which will give you time for two or three of Siena’s main sites (don’t miss the Duomo!), and perhaps dinner, before taking the 1 hour 15 minute drive back to Florence.
The Val d’Orcia, where all of those postcards of the Tuscan countryside come from
The Val d’Orcia, one of the most beautiful regions of Italy
Dreaming of cypress-lined roads, rolling hills, and rambling farms and vineyards? Then make your day trip from Florence one to the Val d’Orcia. Possibly the most stunning countryside in Italy (if not the world), it’s even been added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Landscapes. You could easily spend the day just rambling around here, exploring back streets and perhaps paying a visit to Montalcino, Pienza, or, just outside the valley, Montepulciano.
To get to the Val d’Orcia from Florence: Public transport is tough: There’s no train station right near the Val d’Orcia, and while the bus goes from Florence to Montalcino (with a switch at Siena), you can’t then explore the rest of the countryside. So the best way to visit the Val d’Orcia is either to rent a car (the area is located a 2-hour drive south of Florence) or hire a private driver, included in our “Tuscany in a Day” experience.
Montepulciano or Montalcino, perfect for wine lovers
Montepulciano… and its wine
These sleepy, medieval towns are two places to check out if you’re a big wine lover. Montalcino, which is slightly smaller and less visited, produces Brunello di Montalcino, often considered to be Italy’s best wine, while Montepulciano makes Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a DOCG-rated wine that’s been consumed since the Middle Ages and is considered one of Italy’s best. At either town, you can easily spend two or three hours wandering the medieval streets, gazing at the scenery, and, of course, sampling wines, meats, and cheeses. If you like the look of Montalcino and Montepulciano, check read our Guide to the best small towns in Tuscany.
To get to Montalcino or Montepulciano from Florence: Don’t be fooled by the “Montepulciano” listing on the Trenitalia site, as the train station of Montepulciano is actually a 20-minute drive from the medieval town itself! Instead, for either town, you can take the bus from Florence (switching at Siena). Or, especially if you want to explore both towns or other areas around, the best option is to rent a car or use a private driver.
How to visit the Val d’Orcia + Montepulciano or Montalcino in one day trip from Florence
Want to discover hidden gems like this cheese farm? One way is with our day-long Tuscan experience!
If you’re staying away from tours and private drivers you can still enjoy a fantastic day in the Val d’Orcia! We’d recommend renting a car, leaving Florence by 9am at the latest, and driving the 2 hours straight down to the valley. Have lunch at Pienza, Montepulciano, or Montalcino, and spend the afternoon exploring the towns and roads and tasting the local wines. Just make sure that you bring a lot of patience (along with your GPS), as you will probably get lost at least a few times. But, of course, that’s half the fun!
(Explore Tuscany with us in this fun, and beautiful, #TakeWalks video below!).
Read more: The Ten Top Towns of Tuscany
Show Comments
88 responses to “The Best Day Trips from Florence”
Leave a Reply
Book a Tour
Pristine Sistine - The Chapel at its Best
€89
1794 reviews
Premium Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum Palatine Hill
€56
850 reviews
Rome Food Tour with Pizza-Making, Local Market Tastings
€56
211 reviews
Crypts, Bones Catacombs: Underground Tour of Rome
€69
401 reviews
VIP Doge's Palace Secret Passages Tour
€79
18 reviews
Legendary Venice: St. Mark's Basilica, Terrace Doge's Palace
€69
286 reviews
Follow us
Stay up to date with travel tips, local insights and all things Italy on our social channels!
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get curated Italy travel tips delivered to your inbox!
i always dreamed about travelling to italy especially after watching godfather 1 and 2 😉 and the city did meet my expectations. the views in tuscan were just amazzing and the medieval city of Siena was just like going back in time. my kindle book really helped me aswel to communicate with the locals, you guys should check out their website http://www.eton-phrasebooks.com/
they have phrasebooks for upto 17 languages
would it be a good idea to visit tuscany in decmber first week? would wine tasting and places like montalcino be operational?
Hi there,
Yes—except for Dec. 8 (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception), everything should be open! Enjoy your trip!
Can we do a day trip from Florence to Pisa and take a train to Naples from Pisa ?
Where do we leave our luggage once we arrive in Pisa from Florence by train for the day as we go around the city?
Hi Bhaw,
Yes, you can take a day trip easily by train from Florence to Pisa. There is a left luggage area in the Pisa train station where you can pay a nominal fee to leave your bags for the day. From Pisa, you can go on to Naples, as well, although you’ll be switching trains in Florence anyway—so we would recommend leaving your bags at the *Florence* left luggage department at the Florence train station, instead, and picking them up at the end of the day to head on to Naples.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Can you recommend a driver in Lucca?
Hi Robyn,
Someone on our team will be emailing you shortly with recommendations.
Thanks for stopping by!
I am visiting Florence in early April next year.
As per your blog, I am planning a day trip to Pisa and Lucca but was going to do the opposite by visiting Pisa first.
Is there any merit in this? I thought if I got there early right on 8:30am when it opens we could take in the main attractions and then have the rest of the day to enjoy Lucca.
Would this work out as well as your suggestion?
Hi Shannon,
That sounds like a plan to us! In Pisa, what you have to watch out for (and what causes the lines and crowds around the Tower) are the tour buses that come in for the day; most tend to arrive by mid-morning. So the earlier, the better. And Lucca, in our opinion, definitely deserves at least a half-day to explore.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi, I’m leaving for florence and tuscany in 2 weeks. I’d like to know if it’s possible to make a day trip to Venice?
Is it realistic or should we put more time in Tuscany?
For now we are spending 3 days in Florence, we rent a car for 3 other days and then head to rome for 5.
thank you
Hi Marie-Helene,
We’re happy to help. From Florence, you can do a day trip to Venice; the fast train from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station to Venice’s Santa Lucia station takes 2 hours. It will be a long day, but doable if you want to make sure you don’t miss getting a glimpse of Venice on your trip.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
and is there any vineyards that have white wine? (good ones)
Hi Marie-Helene, we’re happy to help! There are plenty, of course, but one of our favorites is Felsina, in the Chianti area.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
So excited just booked a trip for us to Venice, Florence and then Rome for 11 days the end of next March. We don’t care for lines, crowds and love to go off the beaten path. What are your recommendations for us to see on such a short trip. I do think we want to see Lucca
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
Hi Tracy,
That sounds like a lovely trip! Remember that you could easily spend all 11 days in just those three cities, especially as you’ll need to transfer between them, so at most you’ll want to do 2, maybe 3 day trips, maximum. Lucca is a good idea; we’d also recommend checking out Verona and Orvieto. If you want to go even more off the beaten path, you might consider renting a car for your trip from Florence to Rome or Venice to Florence, which will afford you the flexibility to visit some smaller towns in the countryside of Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, or Umbria.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hello!
Mi and my partner are visiting florence on 22-26 dec. Would like to knoe whether train n bus transportation are available on christmas. Is day tours out of e question?
Hi Chloe,
Trains and buses will still run, but on more limited schedules. Check the trenitalia.com site for exact scheduling.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
I wonder in vinyard opens for tasting and business in janurary in Chanti / Tuscany area?
Is drving in winter there safe?
Hi Bill,
Some, but not all, vineyards should be open for tastings. In the towns, wine bars and shops where you can do tastings should almost all be open. If there’s a particular place you’re interested in, make sure to call in advance for hours (especially when it comes to vineyards).
The area can get snow, and is hilly, so follow the same precautions you would driving in similar weather elsewhere and you should be fine. Also be aware that more off the beaten path destinations (like vineyards and farms) often have narrow or dirt roads.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
any good recommendation for mid January visit regarding where to go around florence?
Hi Bill,
Of course! It will be quite cold, so we’d recommend places with lots of attractions you can duck in to—or, at least, trattorias and wine bars where you can warm up! We especially like Volterra, Siena, Lucca, and Pisa.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
I sent a question asking for the best way to travel in Italy stating the areas & the number of days that I will be staying in each place as well as the most cost effective a eurail pass or regular daily train but need to know where to look for answer.
Hi Brenda,
Usually, buying train tickets individually is the most cost effective, and much better than a Eurail pass, particularly if you book online in advance to take advantage of special fares.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi, I am looking for road trip ideas. We are renting a car in Florence and spending two days driving to Naples. Most of our 16 days in Italy are going to be very touristy so we would like this part to be off the beaten path! Any ideas on where to stay? Maybe family owned places? We could stay one night between Florence and Rome and one night between Rome and Naples. Thanks!!
Hi Suzanne, we’d like to suggest visiting and staying at agriturismi (family owned farmhouses) when traveling off the beaten path! Between Florence and Rome, we’d suggest Montepulciano and Orvieto, and Caserta and Latina for between Rome and Naples! Do let us know if you have any further questions.
We are planning a trip for. 7 days in June staying in Florence and want to do day trips if possibly stay 2 nights elsewhere! Tell us what you would do if you were planning this trip!!
Ciao Gina! Any of the day trips we mentioned would be great for an overnight trip, too. Do let us know what you’re looking for (a larger or smaller city, countryside, sea, etc.) and we can help you pick the perfect place!
Hi
My girlfriend and I will be visiting Italy from April 14 – April 25, We are spending our first 4 nights in Rome, and are looking at booking the rest of our time in Florence and doing day trips….
We are really keen on doing a quiet little wine region though stain over for one night perhaps??? Any suggestions on the best area/region to visit from Florence?
Thanks heaps
Michael
Hi Michael, you may be interested in our Wine Tasting in Tuscany: The Best Tuscan Wine Regions, and How to Get There article! We also offer a fabulous Cooking Class & Wine Tasting Tuscan Farmhouse experience and private full day excursions to the popular wine areas. Let us know if you have any questions!
Hi,
We are interested in visiting Assisi. We will be coming from Sorrento and heading towards Florence. Would it be best to stop there first? Can you recommend other sites to visit along the way. Which is better, train or bus for this destination?
Thanks,
Pam
Hi Pam, we think it would be best to visit Assisi on your way from Sorrento to Florence. Have you considered stopping in Rome? It is quite easy to get to the Assisi from there from both train and bus. Let us know if you have any questions!
We will be arriving by ship and would like to know the best way to see Florence area loretta
Ciao Loretta! Can you give us some more information about your trip like where you will be docking and how long you will have in Florence so we can get you some helpful information? 🙂
Buongiorno! In about 3 weeks we will be arriving in Rome. Our second stop is Florence for my birthday. We are looking for a day trip to some vineyards. We will be car-less, so preference for something accessible by bus/train. Our train gets in from Rome around midday 21/5. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
The more I read your posts the less I think I’ll come back! Grazie!
Ciao Andrew! Have you seen our Wine Tasting in Tuscany blog post? There you’ll find a comprehensive list of the wine regions near Florence that will help you pick the best destination for your birthday 🙂 We also offer a fabulous food tour in Florence in case you’re interested. Let us know if you have any questions!
We are planning a Tuscany day trip from Florence via Chianti , Siena , Val d’Orcia
Can you please suggest best route and English Speaking driver
Ciao Sanjay! Have you seen our selection of full and half day Tuscan private drives? We think they may be just what you’re looking for 🙂 https://walksofitaly.com/florence-tours/tuscany-day-trips-from-florence/
Hi , we are travelling to Venice 2 nights, Florence 2 nights and Rome 3 nights From June 15- 21 starting from Venice. What is the best way to see these places, best train to choose fro travel in between and best places to see on each destination. Thank u so much.
Ciao! We suggest traveling by train and booking in advance if possible to reserve your seat and ensure the lowest price possible. Depending on your budget, we recommend the faster trains (Frecciarossa via Trenitalia and Italo) which usually cost more but save a substantial amount of time when traveling between cities. We invite you to take a look at our articles on Venice, Rome and Florence and we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have 🙂
Thank u very much we will await your suggestion , I hope we can maximize our short trip and make it easier for us. Thanks
Is the Tower of Pisa open on Sundays as we will be visiting Pisa on a Sunday during the first week of July?
Hi Richie, yes it is open on Sundays. Buon viaggio!
We are renting a car for our trip from Rome to Florence. We will have our 20yo son, 15 yo son and 13 yo daughter. Our daughter wants to go to the chocolate factory and our son wants to see the ocean. What route would you suggest for exploring from Rome to Florence with teenagers? Thanks in advance:)
Hi Cora! We would suggest going a bit off route which will take more time, but promises great views of the sea. You can take the highway along the coast to Livorno and, from there, you can drive 1.5 hours to Florence. Let us know if you have any questions!
Hi, we plan to visit Rome, Florence & Tuscany in mid December. Our initial schedule is travel via train from Rome to Florence. Would 2 days in each city sufficient? Also, what would you recommend the best mode of transport – car or train? Any specific locations in Florence to visit other than the wine cellars & cheese factory? If train is suitable, should I buy it now. Thanks
Ciao Azman, two days in each town should be sufficient to see the main sights and attractions, and get a feel for the city. We suggest traveling by train, however tickets are only available up to 4 months before your departure, so it’s a bit too early right now. We invite you to have a look at our articles about what to do in and around Florence to help you plan your trip. Let us know if you have any questions!
Hi, I am trying to organize 2 sightseeing day trips from Florence but I am not sure how feasable they are… We will be driving it.
1. San Gimignano + Siena + Montepulciano
2. Santa Marguerita + Cinque Terre + Lucca + Pisa
Please advise if roads are ok to travel for my plan #2. Should I revise anything, any recommendations are welcome. Thank you
Ciao Maria, day trip #2 may be a bit too packed because you will be spending lots of time driving between cities, not leaving you very much time to explore. We’d suggest Lucca & Pisa for a day trip from Florence. Let us know if you have any questions!
We are staying in Vinci and would like to take a day trip to Cinque Terre. We have 2 cars and if we leave early would we have time to go to a few towns and also take a boat/ferry out on the ocean as we’re told the veiws are fabulous?
Hi Ray, the trip is 2 hours each way from Vinci, but you should have enough time to explore the towns. You can find information regarding boat excursions on this website. Let us know if you have any questions!
thank you for your answer. Actually the stop at Pisa would only be for the picture, not climbing the tower. If I drop out Lucca would it still be reasonable for day #2?
Ciao Maria, we think you could fit Pisa and Cinque Terre into one day, but adding on Santa Margherita would be a bit too much because you would have to add an extra 3 hours of driving (there and back) from Cinque Terre. Let us know if you have any questions!
Thank you sooooo much for your kind advice and responding to my concerns. Best wishes.
what places can we reach by train from montecatini for a daytrip?
Hi Patrick, which cities you are interested in visiting from Montecatini? Florence is accessible by train (approximately 1 hour, 5.30 euro).
Are Bologna and Venice also a possibility?
Hi Patrick, there are no direct trains to Bologna and Venice. We suggest having a look at the timetables on the TrenItalia website to plan your trip: it will take about two hours to get to Bologna and three and a half hours to Venice.
Hi, we will have 6 nights in Rome over New Year, then travel by train for 2 nights in Florence 2-4 January. We have 3 nights available before we have to be in Bologna on 7/1/15 and were thinking of a farm/winery stay in Tuscany somewhere and doing day trips to Pisa, Lucca, and Siena. We will be hiring a car (2 adults and kids 18,16 & 10). Any recommendations for where we should base ourselves? we expect to pick up the hire car on 4 January in Florence and return it in Bologna on 8 January.
Ciao Charmaine, we think Lucca would be a great base for exploring the Tuscan countryside! Let us know if you have any questions 🙂
Hello, my husband and I are attending the world championship dragonboat races end of August in Cesenatico, I’d like to figure out some great touring options as we are coming a week earlier. I am blind, my husband can drive if needed, however I am unable to read maps and support him in getting around. We can fly into any airport, but need to end up at Balonia airport to meet up with other’s getting in on August 28th 2014 to get shuttled. We are not interested in big busy cities, love white wine, amazing food, off the beat and path, the ocian, mountains anything seenic . I hope you can offer some direction and insight as I’m the planner of this entire trip.
Ciao Orly, thanks so much for your message! Please get in touch with our customer care team for more information about our tours: info@walksofitaly.com. Buon viaggio 🙂
Hello,
I plan to travel to Tuscany for around one week in September, 3 nights in Florenze, train drive to Lucca and stay in Pisa for 3 nights to enjoy the see (Marina di Pisa ?), 1 night in Sienna , Volterra…
Are there any other recommendations ? Is there a possibility to enjoy one day Tuscany countryside without driving ?
Ciao Zaneta, we think you’d be interested in our private tours of the Tuscan countryside, complete with a driver. Let us know if you have any questions!
We are planning a 10 – 12 day trip to Rome, Florence and Venice. We have been to Rome and Milan before so we are more interested in Florence and Venice with Rome being our arrival and departure destination. we would be travelling with a five month old infant. Could you recommend few children friendly destinations (day tour) from forence. Also would a day tour to Venice be sufficient.
Hi Swati,
A day in Venice is enough, though the haul over there from Florence and back will be quite tiring. In the end, the train takes roughly two and a half hours from Florence to Venice. Check out our day tours in and around Florence here.
Hello, We will be in Venice, Florence and Rome for 15 days in May. We are considering adding in Cinque Terre, Siena, or something else that you might recommend. Since Venice, Florence and Rome are going to be big, heavily touristy and crowded, we thought something for a couple days which is smaller and beautiful might hit the spot. We will not have a car, by the way, so need to use the trains and buses.
Florence is a great base for day trips into the smaller Tuscan towns nearby! It’s well connected by train, too. You can visit Siena, Pisa or Lucca or head further into hill country to Montepulciano or Pienza with a tour!
Hai! We’re heading to Florence in early April. These insights of yours are very helpful. Now we’ve made up our mind to visit Lucca and Pisa. Do we need to buy the train tickets now (online) or only upon arrival at Florence? Also, since we have three kids in tow (infant, 4 years old and 6 years old), do you think missing the climb in the Leaning Tower would be a bad idea?
Hi Yasmin,
You can easily buy the tickets from the train station once you’re already in Florence. We definitely suggest it to leave you more flexibility during your trip. As for the Leaning Tower of Pisa, many people skip the climb, as lines can be very long (sometimes you’ll have to wait hours). With the kids in tow, we suggest enjoying the view, the park and skipping the climb for some gelato instead! 🙂
Perhaps you can help. We are preparing for a trip to visit Florence with our family of 8.
Of course everyone has different interest. In our group 5 have never been to Europe.
What suggestions do you have of places to visit and cities to see. Many are not into
Museums and hate crowds…
Thank you!
Hi Marilyn,
Hi Marilyn,
Florence is a beautiful city and a great starting point or base for your trip to Italy. Though Florence has some of the top museums in the world, you can try the Boboli Gardens instead for those who don’t care for museums. The huge, sprawling gardens are located in Florence Oltrarno (across the arno) and are beautiful year round. Outside of Florence we always recommend the beautiful cities on this list – all of which have wonderful sights to see outside without visiting indoor museums, but if you hate crowds try a bike tour in the Chianti region or even a Tuscan cooking class!
I will be in Rome sometime in November and want to know what day trips can I take from there?
Hi Celia,
There are a ton of great places near Rome that are possible to visit in a day. Some of our favorites are Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast or if that takes too much time, stay closer to home with our private tour to Ostia Antica, once Rome’s principal port town. You can even head into Tuscany! You might like our Hilltowns, Castles and Vineyards tour into the heart of Tuscan wine country, or spend the day learning to cook Italian food at a traditional Tuscan farm with a traditional Tuscan Mamma and her daughter on our Tuscan Cooking Class tour! Let us know what you decide 🙂
Hi we are travelling to Tuscany in September. We fly into Pisa on a Tuesday afternoon where we will pick up a car and hopefully stop quickly at the leaning tower of Pisa to show the kids before driving to our accommodation in Panzano. From here we will do day trips either by bus or car. Would it be possible to visit Venice for a day? Many thanks Alison
Hi Alison,
Yes it is possible. With the fast train (frecciarossa or Italo) you can get to Venice from Florence in 2-2.5 hours. Check out our Venice in a Day tour to be sure you see all the highlights on your day trip. From St. Mark’s to a gondola ride, see Venice from the eyes of our expert local tour guides!
Visiting Italy for the first time for 6 days. want to pack in the maximum. 2 days Rome, 2 days Florence, wine tasting and what else can we see or do? would you suggest a day trip to Venice, Milan or Pisa? We are extremely energetic at 55 and enjoy travelling!
Hi Mukesh,
Actually, we suggest you use your six days to see Rome and Florence as best as possible. Packing too much into a short time is a big mistake when it comes to travel in Italy. That said, if you’re set on exploring outside these cities, we suggest considering day tours to get the most out of your short time. You might like our Pompeii Tour from Rome with Amalfi Coast Drive or our exclusive Cinque Terre day trip from Rome tour.
hi there, we are planning a trip to Italy in Sept, 11th & 12th in Venice, 13th & 14th in Florence & 15th & 16th Rome, can you give us some suggestion what to do, I love to visit some off beat locations as well..
both in Florenace and Rome, rome was thinking of doing CINQUE TERRE
I two days in Venice a lot or shoudl be re-arrange the days
Hello,
We definitely don’t think there is time to add Cinque Terre into your itinerary as well (see: the biggest mistake travelers to Italy make) But we encourage you to click through our blog to find other great suggestions of things to do and see in Rome and beyond.
Hello!
My husband and I are traveling to Italy for our 35th wedding anniversary in April. We are interested in your private tour of Montalcino and Montepulciano for $664. Could you please send more information regarding the places we will be visiting for wine tasting?
Hi Kim,
You can read the itinerary and sign up for that tour on our website, or email info@walksofitaly.com for more information on the tours!
Hi,
I am planning for a trip to Florence for 3 days in Oct with my and daughter. I am not a kind of a museum person but more of culture and food (vegetarian). I am not sure how can i get the flavor of Florence. I was thinking to rent a car to move around different villages like Siena, Montepulciono (hope spelling is correct), Pisa, etc. On renting a car as well, i am not sure as scared about the road rules. Can you please let me know the best way to get some flavor of Florence
Thanks,
Sumit
Hi Sumit,
If you have just three days, we’d suggest staying in Florence and maybe doing a day trip or a half day to another town by train. You can get inexpensive tickets from the Florence train station to great towns such as Siena, Lucca and Pisa! As for Florence, you can definitely find vegetarian options but this article on eating vegetarian in Italy might help! The best way to get the flavor of Florence is to stroll around the city and take it all in. There’s plenty to see and do!
Hi,
I am planning to visit Florence with mya family(wife and two teenagers son and daughter) in This coming December for 3-4 days. Beside Pisa’s leaning tower, I would also love to visit picturesque places like in Tuscany’s postcards as I live photography and Inwant to frame those beautiful places by myself. Do you thing December is the right time to so that? Where do you ghing should I go in particular to get beautiful winter scenery of Tuscany? Please I need the recommendation of transportqtion and so on as we will be based in Florence.
Thanks for your help.
Heri
Hi Heri,
Most photographs of Tuscany are in the summer with the green hills and amber light, but we’re sure you can find beautiful shots with a photographer’s eye! If you’re there in December then that’s a fine time to go, but if you go to the small towns you’re better off renting a car. The trains are great but they only run to the main towns: Pisa, Siena, Lucca etc.
Hi,
how much would it cost to hire a car with driver for one day tour to Val D’Orcia from Florence? There will be 4 people of our family. We’ plan to visit Florence in the middle of December 2018.
Thanks for the info.
Cheers,
Heri
Hi Heri,
For specific info on Walks of Italy services, please email info@walksofitaly.com. We don’t have pricing information for other tour companies.