Tuscany in Italy has a lot of things to offer, accessible as day trips from Florence. The region has a wide range of Tuscan landscapes ranging from the more mountainous areas to soft, green hills, marshes and wetlands. Whether you are after breathtaking sceneries, vineyards and wine tasting, decorative cypresses, picturesque olive orchards and olive oil tasting at one of the rustic farms, you will find it in Tuscany.

Moreover, the region is everywhere full of intriguing history, spanning from ancient Roman or medieval culture to the influence of significant Italian families like the Medici dynasty.

Being based in Florence, you can easily plan one or more day trips to enticing places around Tuscany. Below, see our suggestions for 5 awesome day trips from Florence to charming small towns in the Tuscany region.

Just on the southern edge of the Apennine Range in the province of Pistoia in northern Tuscany, you arrive at the small municipality of Montecatini Terme. The place is renowned for and named after the thermal sources in the area. Their health effects have drawn people to this location for hundreds of years.

It is easy to go on day trips between the cities in Tuscany and get from Florence to Montecatini by train. There are frequent train connections (around every 30 minutes) from Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station.

After buying your ticket in the ticket machine in Florence, you will jump on the train towards Viareggio in western Tuscany – and 50 minutes later, you will arrive in Montecatini. There are notably two stations in Montecatini. Get off at the Montecatini Centro Station, nearer to central Montecatini than the Montecatini Terme-Monsummano Station.

Alternatively, you may go by bus from Florence on your day trip. Check out the timetable and fares for the busradar.com.

In many Tuscan shops you will find the enticing Limoncello together with other local products | Photo: Travel In Culture

Visit one of the thermal baths of Terme Excelsior, Terme Tettuccio, Terme Regina or Terme Redi. The water in the thermal baths comes from the earth’s depths of limestone, clay and jasper and has long been known to have treating effects. Still today, the therapeutic properties of the waters are being widely recognised. The thermal baths attract Italians and foreign tourists to the small Tuscan town, which, on top of the thermal wonders, features outstanding architecture around the fountains.

Photo: Travel In Culture

Treat yourself to a spa experience at one of the termes. To be a spa guest here is to enjoy a moment of physical and mental relaxation in a 33-degree centigrade (91 degrees Fahrenheit) hot bath. Allow yourself to get a hydroponic therapy massage, inhalation therapy or a thermal mud treatment. Moreover, you will find yourself amid amazing architectural heritage from Montecatini’s first heyday at the beginning of the last century.

Study amazing Italian architecture. Buildings worthy of a visit count the Teatro Verdi from 1829, renovated in 1981, and the Padiglioncino Tamerici from 1902 in a pronounced Art Nouveau style.

Notice also the Walk of Fame along the pavement of Viale Giuseppe Verdi. It shows the names of famous people who have visited Montecatini Terme throughout the years.

Indulge in shopping in the Montecatini designer stores full of iconic brands in the streets around Piazza del Popolo. Enter the local shops offering a wide range of alluring products from Tuscany and taste the specialities of the small villages and farms in the Florentine region. Whether you go for Tuscan wine, regional olive oil, olive wood kitchen utensils or Italian biscuits and cakes – the offer is immense!

Take the small funicular to Montecatini Alto above Montecatini Terme | Photo: Travel In Culture

Take the small funicular from Montecatini Terme up to Montecatini Alto on the top of the mountain. It is a spectacular steep ride up through the mountainous landscape with breathtaking views of Montecatini and its surrounding plain, olive orchards and occasional fruit trees. You may even stand outside at the back of the cable car to get even better views!

The old settlement in Montecatini Alto is an old fortress (Borgo Montecatini Alto) dating back to medieval times, with a strategic location way above the lower marshlands. Remains of the fortress walls still surround the old village and its churches. A few of the original 25 towers remain, including a clock tower.

Read more: The Thermal Hotspot Montecatini in Italy

Instead of making the trip one of your day trips from Florence, you may consider staying in a hotel here.

Probably founded by the Etruscans, Lucca is an ancient city in northern Tuscany, west of Florence. It is a place rich in Roman and medieval history and worthy of a visit as one of the top Tuscan towns – a real gem. It is known as the city of a hundred churches due to the large number of religious buildings and is the birthplace of the composer Giacomo Puccini. You can not see everything in one day. Nevertheless, with a bit of planning, you can on a day trip (from Florence or somewhere else in Tuscany), get a good impression of what the remarkable walled town has to offer. You can walk through centuries of Tuscan history and culture and see some of Lucca’s prime churches and towers.

You must also consider Lucca for one of your day trips from Florence. If you continue by train from Montecatini in the direction of Viareggio, you will arrive in Lucca within half an hour. From Florence, the trip is 1 hour and 20 minutes if you catch the right train without any changes. From Lucca Station, you can easily walk to the old town of Lucca, situated within the massive stone walls.

You may alternatively want to take a bus from Florence to Lucca for your day trip. View timetable and fares for the busradar.com

Have a cup of coffee or lunch at the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro | Photo: Travel In Culture

Walk or bike on the old medieval town wall. You can easily rent a bicycle when arriving. Lucca has a uniquely conserved 4 km (2.5 miles) stretch of walkway on the rampart encircling the old town. The panoramic views from up there allow for a different perspective of Lucca, and it is a cherished place for a Sunday walk.

The town walls are 12 metres (40 feet) high and around 30 metres (100 feet) at their thickest points at the impressive town gates. You can enter the old town through the gates or amazing tunnels in the walls. The town walls were constructed by Flemish people between 1504 and 1645 to protect the citizens. During the 19th century, Napoleon’s sister, Maria Luigia of Bourbon, turned the fortifications into a public garden.

Enter the Duomo in the Piazza San Martino. The Cathedral was initiated in the 11th century and was again redesigned in the Gothic style during the 14th century Renaissance. It features stunning architecture, an only half-finished bell tower, the campanile, and a marble façade of white, red and green marble. All columns on the façade are different since it is the mix of all the contributions in an architectural competition back in time. The Cathedral has a beautiful inside and keeps in the nave a small shrine with the Holy Face of Lucca, the most precious relic in Lucca, in Italian: the Volto Santo di Lucca. The Cathedral is a real gem, which you definitely should find time to visit!

Photo: Travel In Culture

Once a Roman amphitheatre, the elliptical square is still surrounded by the original medieval buildings in the shades of yellow, cream and orange, dotted with green shutters. It used to be the scene of brutal gladiator games and cheerful spectacles.

Later on, it was fortified, and the arch openings were closed, so the square was no longer easily accessible. It also became a powder magazine, a salt store, and many other things.

Today, the ambience on the square is lively, with plentiful cafés and restaurants offering outdoor seating. It is the heart of Lucca and a must-see while you are here! Take in the square from one of the enticing restaurants or cafés.

One of the highlights in Lucca is the San Michele in Foro (in Foro means in the market) at the Piazza San Michele, a Roman basilica dating back to before 800. The first church was built over the ancient Roman forum. The current structure was initiated during the 11th century.

Today, the church appears in a combination of Romanesque and Gothic style. The façade is adorned with numerous sculptures, blind arcades and intriguing columns, which are all different. On the very top, you will find the statue of St. Michael, the Archangel.

San Michele in Foro | Photo: Travel In Culture

One of the unique places in Lucca is the Torre Guinigi, rising way above all surrounding buildings. It is one among numerous towers in Lucca – but it remarkably stands out, featuring a rooftop oak tree garden! Its 45-metre height (148 feet) makes it visible above the other roofs. It is one of the original medieval towers belonging to private families, which has not been destroyed. The Guinigi family initiated the construction of family towers in the 14th century – and today even a street in Lucca is named after the family – the Via Guinigi.

If you come to Lucca at the right time of the year, you may experience the summer festival in July or the Lucca Comics & Games in autumn (usually October/November). It is a major cosplaying event where people dress up in the costumes of their favourite comics characters and where cartoons surprisingly come to life in the quaint medieval setting.

Instead of taking the trip as one of your day trips from Florence, you may consider getting a hotel to stay a bit longer in this charming spot in Tuscany.

Il Duomo, the Cathedral, is the black-and-white icon of Siena. By the legend, black and white have always been the city’s colours. They symbolise the black and white horses belonging to Siena’s two founders, Senius and Aschius.

According to the myth, the fabled duo Senius and Aschius were Siena’s founders. The myth is highly intertwined with the mythology related to the foundation of Rome by the siblings Romulus and Remus since Senius and Aschius are said to be sons of Remus. In this way, Siena’s emblem has become the famous wolf that suckled the two boys. A wolf statue stands on a column in front of the Cathedral.

The sloping Piazza del Campo is a favourite spot to absorb the ambience | Photo: Travel In Culture

It is easy to reach Siena from Florence on one of your day trips in Tuscany. You can go to Siena from Firenze Santa Maria Novella by train in 1 hour 30 minutes. The walk to Piazza del Campo is about 20-25 minutes from the train station – or you can jump on a city bus.

Alternatively, the day trip from Florence to Siena can be done by bus. In Florence, buses depart from the terminal, Via Santa Caterina da Siena, near the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station. Depending on taking a Rapida or an Ordinaria bus, it will take between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes.

The Piazza del Campo is Siena’s heart and the world-famous medieval square from before the 13th century, set on sloping ground at the meeting point of 3 hillside communities. Initially, it was a marketplace. It was designed in fishbone-patterned red brick, interrupted by eight lines of travertine dividing the shell-shaped square into nine sections. Each section would represent one of The Nine (Governo dei Nove) who ruled Siena in medieval times.

Moreover, this piazza flanked by the beautiful Palazzo Pubblico is the site for the biannual Palio di Siena, where riders and horses compete in a most spectacular discipline, doing three laps around the earth-filled square. The race is a real crowd-puller which attracts people from near and far. Ten horses and jockeys riding bareback symbolise 10 of Siena’s city wards and the competition between them.

Photo: Travel In Culture

At the side of the Piazza del Campo, you will find Fonte Gaia, inaugurated in 1346. There was great satisfaction that fresh water was conveyed to the piazza. As a result, the fountain was named ‘Gaia’ (meaning joyful). It was created in a style that had both Gothic and Renaissance elements. It was later decorated with reliefs by a local sculptor, Jacopo della Quercia (1374-1438).

The Sienese have always admired it as a work of art of rare beauty. However, the original piece of work by Jacopo della Quercia is now on display in the old Ospedale di St. Maria della Scala. Anyway, still today, people flock to see the beautiful fountain in the heart of Siena.

Meander through the narrow streets and discover fascinating details from the city’s medieval past. There is a reason why Siena is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Only a few places in Italy have such a uniqueness of medieval ambience and gems as Siena. On every new street corner, you get yet another glimpse of an authentic picture-postcard setting. It is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Tuscany – worthy of a day trip from Florence.

Find your way to the Duomo (completed in 1264) – the cathedral with the characteristic black and white campanile, Siena’s colours – a construction of paramount importance to Siena. The facade is an Italian Gothic masterpiece by Giovanni Pisano. The Cathedral is a construction of red, green and white marble inlay. As a symbol of Siena, the mythic she-wolf statue overlooks the square in front of the Cathedral.

In the Piccolómini Library, housing 15th-century musical manuscripts, impressive coloured frescoes adorn the walls and the ceiling painted at the beginning of the 16th century by Pinturicchio. Also, the Baptistery and the Crypt deserve a visit.

You may also find time to visit the Duomo Museum, with phenomenal cathedral art.

The city tower, Torre del Mangia, is the highest (102 m / 335 ft) in Tuscany, located in Siena’s Piazza del Campo, adjacent to the town hall, Palazzo Pubblico. It was built in 1338-1348 and was, at the time, one of the tallest secular towers in Italy. The tower was the same height as Siena Cathedral – a sign that the church and the state were equal! After climbing the 400 steps, the views of Siena are fabulous from the top!

Basilica Cateriniana di San Domenico rises over the city of Siena | Photo: Travel In Culture

The fascinating Basilica Cateriniana di San Domenico majestically rises over Siena city. As intended, the impressive construction can be seen from many places in town. Cateriniana di San Domenico was begun in 1226–1265 but was remodelled in the 14th century, giving it its Gothic appearance. It is shaped like an Egyptian Cross and was built for the Merchant Orders.

The bell tower next to the church has its history.  In 1798, its height was reduced due to an earthquake.

Instead of planning the trip as one of your day trips from Florence, you could also book a hotel here for a couple of days to have more time to explore Siena and this part of Tuscany.

From the walled town of San Gimignano, 14 medieval towers rise towards the sky. They were raised by prominent families to show their wealth and position in society. The town obtained status as independent in 1199. Merchants and noble families competed to build the tallest tower houses in San Gimignano. However, the Bishop and Town Council had to enforce a law restricting the height of the towers. No tower could exceed the Town Hall tower in height.

San Gimignano has always been conveniently located along the pilgrim trail, Via Francigena, to Rome. Therefore, a plethora of pilgrims came to the small hillside community. San Gimignano was a thriving place for many years – until the plague arrived in 1348 and drastically reduced the population. It weakened the small town and its economy – and eventually, after 1353, it came under Florentine control.

Photo: Travel In Culture

You must also consider San Gimignano in Tuscany for one of your day trips from Florence. There is a direct train connection from Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Poggibonsi-San Gimignano, which takes slightly more than an hour if you catch the connection without any changes. You can take the bus or a taxi from the station to San Gimignano.

Alternatively, you could consider a bus for your day trip to San Gimignano. You can travel from Florence to San Gimignano by taking the bus from Florence bus station (next to the train station, Via Santa Caterina da Siena) to Poggibonsi, where you will again change bus (likely the bus # 130 – but check up on it just to be sure) for the last stretch of road to San Gimignano. The advantage of taking the bus is that you will not need to buy both a train and a bus ticket, but will do with a bus ticket.

Take a self-guided walking tour around the walled city. It is unique with preserved medieval urban structures of streets, squares, fountains, palaces and a collection of towers against the horizon. Since 1990, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the two central squares, Piazza del Duomo, with three towers directly located on the square and Piazza della Cisterna. The latter is a fine triangular plaza with an ancient octagonal well (the word Cisterna comes from this well) and towers like the Tower of Pellari Palace and Ardighelli Tower (Devil Tower).

Absorb the medieval ambience and get tempted by the local Vernaccia di San Gimignano white wine (unique to San Gimignano), olive oil, leatherwork, olive wood bowls and other products in the shops. You will probably also come across a Tuscan restaurant or two where you would like to have lunch or dinner – maybe you will try food specialities like truffles or wild boar.

Visit the Pinacoteca inside the Town Hall, which is part of the Civic Museum (together with Palazzo Comunale and Torre Grossa). It displays masterpieces from the artistic history of San Gimignano – everything from the Florentine style and Sienese period to Renaissance works.

The Town Hall is a fascinating and beautiful construction from the end of the 13th century.

Torre Grossa is the highest tower in San Gimignano (54 m / 177 ft) from around 1300. It is on the Piazza del Duomo next to the Town Hall. You will get the most spectacular views of the surrounding Elsa Valley and the landscape from the top.

Torre dei Cugnanesi is also centrally located just behind the Piazza della Cisterna at the intersection of Via di San Giovanni and Via del Quercecchio. It is one of the highest towers in San Gimignano from the 13th century. It had, in combination with the impressive Palazzo Cugnanesi, a defending function and was part of the old gate, the Becci Arch. In this way, it slightly differs from the other towers in town.

No visit to San Gimignano without visiting the Duomo with three naves and outstanding artwork. The Cathedral, the Duomo or Basilica Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta from 1148 features magnificent and impressive frescoes in Florentine style. It was remodelled in its present form in the 13th century. As also known from the Duomo in Siena, the interior decor is alternating black and white marble. These are the colours of Siena. There is gold, red and white as well in the decoration of the arches.

Try the world champion ice cream in Gelateria Dondoli | Photo: Travel In Culture

You will need to stop at Gelateria Dondoli, which has a master gelato maker who is an award-winning world champion in gelato! Don’t just restrict yourself to the ordinary flavours – try something as exotic as ‘cream with saffron and pine nuts’, ‘pink grapefruit and sparkling wine’ or some of the other delicious flavours. Everything is homemade – and the line is often long! Sit at the historic well and enjoy your treat!

Instead of planning the trip as one of several day trips from Florence, why not stay in a hotel here to get more time?

< Volterra is an ancient Etruscan town, probably the first Etruscan metropolis, located in the core of Tuscany on top of a naturally defended hilltop. It is an important Tuscan town, having medieval, Medicean and Grand-ducal local history - and unarguably one of the most intriguing and beautiful Tuscan towns today. Volterra is surprisingly free of the hoards of tourists to be found in the nearby San Gimignano.

Going from Florence to Volterra is most easily done by car, and if you aren’t already travelling by car, a rental car is the best option for the day trip. You will be driving through an amazingly scenic hillside landscape on your way to the Etruscan hilltop town of medieval military architecture and Roman rule.

Alternatively, take a bus from Florence to Volterra for your day trip. View the timetable.

You have a fabulous view of the surrounding landscape from the hilltop village Volterra | Photo: Travel In Culture

Enjoy the stunning views from the 7 km (4.5 miles) long and unapproachable fortification walls of the valleys of Era and Cecina. From the peak, you have a scenic view of the surrounding landscape, and you might even be as lucky as to catch a surprising glimpse of the Mediterranean on the horizon.

Enter the ancient town on the other side of the enclosure. The Etruscan gate at Via Porta all’Arco is probably considered the most important historical site in Volterra. You enter the town of Volterra through the old town wall at this gate. The Roman arch is rich in history since there are also medieval remains around it and three sculpted heads (notably lion-heads) dating back to the fourth or third centuries BC.

Photo: Travel In Culture

Continue to the Piazza dei Priori with the town hall of the same name (Palazzo dei Priori) from 1208. It is the oldest civic building in Tuscany and probably an example for the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence! It was the residence of the presiding priors right until the Medici conquered Volterra in 1472. You may even climb the Palazzo tower to get a magnificent view of Volterra.

Right behind the Palazzo dei Priori, you will find the Duomo, the delightful Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. It is a 12th-century Romanesque church, characterised by a beautiful portal, an impressive rose window, and intriguing interior decorations. The Cathedral was rebuilt in 1117 after an earthquake, destroying large parts of Volterra.

Just in front of the Cathedral, you will spot the fine octagonal Baptistery of San Giovanni from the 13th century, also a landmark in Volterra.

The ingenious Etruscans produced decorative works of art, exploiting the abundant natural mineral resources in the area. They used the alabaster to make sarcophagi and cinerary urns to bury their dead.

Still today, the craftsmen are creative in their use of the minerals and produce all kinds of alabaster products sold in the local shops. Pop into the small shops to find an alabaster souvenir – among olive wood products, Tuscan wine and truffles. You may even visit one of the artists working in his studio to see the creation process, for instance, the alabaster workshop ‘The Alab’Arte’ at Via Orti Sant’Agostino.

Medieval street in Volterra | Photo: Travel In Culture

(closes earlier in winter, check the hours)

As a real gem, Volterra features an outstanding museum. The Etruscan Guarnacci Museum contains a magnificent collection of tombs, urns and alabaster sarcophagi found in Volterra from the Etruscan era. A burial tradition was to place the ashes in a cinerary urn inside a sarcophagus. The museum presents phenomenal examples of such tombs and sarcophagi on the ground floor.

The museum is brilliant to get an impression of ancient Etruscan life!

(closes early in winter. Check the hours)
A fine Roman Theatre, dating from the first century AD, can be accessed via Porta San Francesco. You will see 19 tiers of seating ingeniously built into the hill and an orchestra pit. Moreover, two stories, supported by marble columns, still stand.

(Only open during weekends in winter)

Volterra has many traces from the early Etruscan settlements and the later Roman rule. From the 9th century BC, Etruscan settlements dominated the area. An authentic Etruscan acropolis is inside the local Enrico Fiumi Archaeological Park. The excavations of the acropolis began in 1926 and revealed both baths, a cistern, a plumbing system and two temples with a podium and a colonnade.

Instead of planning the trip to Volterra as one of your day trips from Florence, you could also opt to stay longer and book a hotel here.

Read more about day trips in Tuscany: 3 Tuscan Towns in a day and Lucca – Tuscany’s picture-postcard medieval town

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