Day trips from Florence- love your suggestions!

I always love a private guide . . .

But we did TWO tours with WalkAboutFlorence and LOVED them - we did their BEST OF TUSCANY TOUR and their CHIANTI WINE & FOOD SAFARI TOUR -- you can read reviews and see photos on TripAdvisor, but it's best to book directly on their website and not use a 3rd party like Viator.

I envy you all that time in Florence! I highly recommend Coral Sisk and her team at curiousappetitetravel.com as you think about tours in Florence itself and further afield. Even if you decide not to book a tour with her, Coral’s blog and travel tips are worth checking out. Buon viaggio!

Hi Corrie Ten,
Thank you for your sugestions!

There are day trips that can easily be done on your own by train or bus, while others, to more rural or smaller places not well served by public transportation, are best done by organized van tour.

I’ve never done an organized tour from Florence, so I can’t suggest tour companies, but below are places you can visit easily on a day trip by train or bus on your own (more or less in increasing time of travel):

Fiesole (by city bus)
Montelupo (ceramic crafts) (by train)
Pistoia (by train)
Bologna (by high speed train)
Certaldo (by train)
Arezzo (by train)
Pisa (by train)
Lucca (by train) (Lucca and Pisa can be done together since they are close by)
Siena (by bus or train, but bus is faster)
Cortona (by train+city bus)

All of the above are within 90 min from Florence.

Roberto has the right idea. There may be destinations that work better by tour. for example we are doing one to Volterra this fall because we no longer drive and it is not an easy destination from Florence by public transport -- but so many are. We will be doing Bologna by train and Siena by bus. Both are great day trips from Florence -- we particularly love Siena and sometimes spend a night there but will just be going by bus this year for the day. A guide is not needed for places like this and we don't like being part of a larger tour unless we can't manage easily otherwise.

Janet and Roberto,

Great ideas! We do not drive either! We dont even have a car living in NYC! We ussually use Rick Steve's guide recommnedations from his books on all our trips and love them all. I was looking at a tour to Cinque Terre from Florence earlier this week, that's why I decided to ask in the Forum. I appreciate all your advice!

You could also chat up the concierges at some nicer hotels once you're there for private guide references, they will obviously know people

Prato, by train, interesting textile museum

Hi!
I'll will be staying in Hotel Palazzo Guadagni, so I will ask them for ideas as well. Thank you all for all your comments! Very excited!

Just to clarify--for 50 days you will be in a hotel!

Every Tuesday I take an online art history class with Dr. Rocky Ruggerio, https://rockyruggiero.com/upcoming-webinars-events/. If you are going to be in Florence that long I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check his free webinar out. it will make your visit so much more memorable. I spent a month in Florence about 15 years ago but have to go back to view everything he has talked about since I was there.

The last time i was in Florence for a month, I took superb art history classes at the British Institute: https://www.britishinstitute.it/en/history-of-art/hoa-courses

And in a couple months, I'm about to go and take some more. Expensive but really good!

The British Institute also has free Wednesday lectures, many of which are about art or history: https://www.britishinstitute.it/en/whats-on/wednesday-lectures. These lectures are also on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBiflorence

I take Rocky's zoom classes, too, both the free ones and the ones you have to pay for, and also Elaine Ruffolo's free zoom classes on Sundays: https://www.elaineruffolo.com/virtual-art

Hi Janet,

LOVE your suggestion! I will check Dr. Rocky Ruggerio webinar out.
I have been taking lectures with Context and I have a 4 part lecture on Florence neighborhoods from Kate Bolton- Porciatti that is very thorough, plus of course videos and books.

We are staying in a hotel for 4 days before starting "Learning and Living in Florence" with Road Scholar from Apr 25 - Jun 8, 2025. I have a 2 bedroom apartment while in the program. On June 9th we will go to Padua to start Rick Steve's Village Italy in 14 Days Tour.

We love webinars, so I will be sure to look into your suggestions

Hi Nancy!

Thank you for your ideas! Noted!
I love Italy and Florence, being an art and design professional it's a dream!

Here are the day trips we are planning for our November Florence trip. Loved Pistoia on our previous trip.

Day trip to Prato —

Cattedrale di Santo Stefano Duomo, frescoes by Filippo Lippi, Paolo Uccello, & Agnolo Gaddi, external pulpit by Michelozzo and Donatello…always open

Palazzo Pretorio …closed Tues, otherwise 10:30–6, and Piazza del Comune

Palazzo Datini, medieval house museum of medieval.closed Tues & Thurs, other 10–1, 4–7

Church of San Domenico façade + convent with frescoes next door? No hours

Ancient city walls ……..http://www.theflorentine.net/travel/2013/04/things-to-do-in-prato/

Day trip to Lucca — (return visit)

**Basilica San Frediano facade & interior art

**National Museum of Villa Guinigi

**Cathedral of San Martino facade & interior
(inside=https://www.finestresullarte.info/en/works-and-artists/lucca-the-cathedral-of-san-martino-a-journey-through-architecture-painting-and-sculpture).

**San Michele in Foro

***International Puccini Festival: Puccini e la sua Lucca. It lasts until the end of October with daily concerts in the Church of San Giovanni in Lucca, at 7pm

Day trip to Fiesole —

Cathedral is Romanesque, works by Giovanni della Robbia, Bicci di Lorenzo and Mino da Fiesole, Salutati Chapel frescoes by Cosimo Rosseli.

Roman theater, seats for over 3000. baths, Roman temple, Etruscan walls

13th-century Church of San Francesco, 15th-century cloister next to the church, small park near the church has views of Florence

Bandini Museum 13th to 15th century Florentine paintings and Della Robbia. next to the Duomo, across the street from the archaeological area. Entry to the museum can be included as a combo ticket with the archaeological area and museum.

Main square, Piazza Mino = antiques market every first Sunday of the month. Also recurring markets of various kinds.

Badia Fiesolana = the ancient cathedral of Fiesole, Romanesque façade, white and green marble, many works of art, viewpoint reached from the Convent of San Domenico

Trip to the Mugello area — (we will have a car, but I think there's a train)

***Palazzo dei Vicari in Scarperia = VERY cool, contains knife museum

Eat the bread of the Mugello + raviggiolo, a soft, fresh cheese.

Visit workshops that produce "cutting irons" or knives, ceramics, wood carvings & wrought-iron

Events and demos

Borgo San Lorenzo — Pecchioli Ceramics Factory, tiles all colors, shapes, made by hand

Throughout Borgo San Lorenzo, art nouveau details on buildings & signs.

Chini Museo

Hi Nancy8
Fantastic itinerary, I will look into your suggestions with my husband!
Grazie mille

To go to Borgo San Lorenzo in the Mugello valley, there is a train which uses the old scenic Faentina railway (actually the train goes all the way to Faenza, in Emilia-Romagna. The trains depart from Firenze Santa Maria Novella, track 17 and 18, which are a little set back compared to the others (go to track no. 16 then walk along it till you arrive at 17). That train is used by commuters, but it's a nice scenic ride and at certain times of the year they have special rides also using historic steam locomotives. Scarperia is near Borgo San Lorenzo, and I'm sure there are buses or maybe even taxicabs from Borgo station to Scarperia.

Roberto,
Loved your suggestions! Grazie!

In April 2023, we made Florence our home base and we did not have a car either. We took the train for day trips to Pisa, Siena and Bologna. Highly recommend all three.