10 best day trips from Florence

23.08.2023 - 05:49 / roughguides.com

Travel beyond the cobbled streets of Florence and discover an enchanted world. Check out our 10 best day trips from Florence, each revealing breathtaking scenery, rich history and unforgettable experiences.

Pisa © Shutterstock

A day trip from Florence to Pisa is a delightful adventure that never loses its appeal throughout the year. The centre of attention is inevitably the remarkable Piazza del Campo dei Miracoli, home to the legendary Leaning Tower of Pisa, the undisputed emblem of the city's glory.

Also amongst this splendour, the vast Romanesque Campo Cathedral stands out, while Camposanto beckons with its treasure trove of Italy's most extraordinary tombs and frescoes. Naturally, Pisa is buzzing with activity during the summer months. As with any other famous destination, summer sees an influx of tourists, so it's a good time to explore alternatives to Italy's famous sights.

Rough Guides tip: do you want to get the best out of your trip? Check our Italy itineraries.

Siena © Shutterstock

Tasting the local wines is a major pleasure on any Italian trip and the vineyards between Florence and Siena offer a wide choice of the most exquisite grape varieties, thanks to a temperate climate that is favourable at any time of year.

Siena is the perfect counterpoint to Florence. It remains self-contained behind its medieval walls, its chief attraction is its cityscape, a majestic Gothic whole that can be enjoyed without venturing into a single museum.

In its great piazza, Il Campo, it has one of the loveliest of all Italian public squares. In its zebra-striped Duomo, a religious focus to match; and the city’s whole construction, on three ridges, presents a succession of beautiful vistas over medieval rooftops to the bucolic Tuscan countryside on all sides.

Chianti vineyard in autumn, Tuscany, Italy © Shutterstock

Chianti, the territory of vineyards and hill towns that stretches between Florence and Siena can seem like a place where every aspect of life is in perfect balance. The undulating landscape is harmoniously varied; the climate for most of the year is balmy; and on top of all this, there’s the wine, the one Italian vintage that’s familiar to just about everyone.

The English and others from similarly unfavourable areas have long noticed the delights of Chianti as one of the best destinations for day trips from Florence, and tourism has become the region's most important cash crop.

Bologna © Shutterstock

Nestled within the heart of the captivating Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna stands as an exceptional day trip from Florence. It is a thriving city whose light engineering and high-tech industries have brought conspicuous wealth to the old brick palaces and porticoed streets. It’s also well known for its food –