Top 4 Day Trips from Florence

There’s no doubt about it- the city of Florence is one of the jewels of Italy, and it therefore attracts millions of visitors from all over the world. While there’s plenty to see and do in the city itself, including a few unusual and cool things, it’s also in the perfect location for all manner of day trips from Florence .

Whether you want to visit another of the many historic cities in the region, or simply explore the countryside with its many vineyards and gorgeous rolling hills, be sure to make some time in your vacation for a day trip or two. That way, you’ll be able to make the most of your visit, and appreciate everything that this part of Italy has to offer.

Discover the Spectacular Boboli Gardens

Image by Shaun Merritt via Flickr

While this one isn’t technically outside of Florence, we’ve included it on our list because you could easily spend a full day here, but it’s also close enough that you can include it in you itinerary even if you only have 2 days in Florence.

Sat just behind the Pitti Palace, these spectacular gardens were originally built for the legendary Medici family, who controlled by far the most prosperous bank in Europe, and controlled much of the money that passed through Italy.

The Boboli Gardens were one if not he very first built in the now-traditional Italian style, with wide open spaces dotted with grottoes, statues, and garden temples. The Medicis were extremely protective of their gardens, and outsiders were rarely allowed to enter them. Nowadays, though, visitors are welcome to explore at their leisure- and as we said above, you’ll want to spend a full day here to take it all in. The centerpiece of the gardens is the spectacular Fountain of Neptune, a huge bronze sculpture rooted in Roman myth.

READ ALSO: Off the Beaten Path: 5 Unusual Things to do in Florence

Take Funny Photos With The Tower in Pisa

One of the things you need to include in your Italy itinerary is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. However, there’s plenty more to discover in this historic city- which luckily for you is only an hour’s drive away from Florence! Of course, you’ll want to make a trip to the Tower, which is actually a freestanding bell tower for the nearby cathedral. It’s had its famous tilt since the 12th century, but work in recent years has helped to stabilize it somewhat.

There’s so much more historic architecture to discover, too, from the University of Pisa, one of the oldest in the world, to multiple medieval palaces that reflect the huge amounts of money that passed through the city when it was an independent republic. In addition, there are also many great restaurants in Pisa, so it’s the ideal spot to sample some authentic Italian food- after all, it wouldn’t be a trip to Italy without making food a key part!

Take A Chianti Vineyard Tour

Florence is located right in the heart of the Chianti region, which is famous around the world for its wines. That makes it the perfect place for wine-lovers to go out and explore!

There are plenty of wine tours from Florence available, where you’ll be able to take a trip through the quaint villages and rolling hills, and discover the incredible wine that’s produced here.

There are plenty of vineyard tours on offer, where you’ll be able to see for yourself just how this delicious wine is produced- and then sample a glass for yourself. In addition, the landscapes of Chianti are simply stunning, and have inspired countless generations of artists. An ideal place to take plenty of vacation photos!

Explore Beautiful Siena

Historically, Florence and Siena have been bitter rivals- so you might want to keep your day trip to Siena quiet around the locals! It’s around an hour away from Florence by bus, but you can really feel the history in these cobbled streets, so you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back in time through the centuries.

Make sure you swing by the magnificent Siena Cathedral, with its jaw-dropping exterior that rivals Paris’ Notre Dame in terms of architectural grandeur. Once you’ve taken it all in, be sure to head inside for a guided tour, where all manner of surprises and delights await you. In particular, the Biblioteca Piccolomini is very special indeed, decorated with beautiful frescoes and ancient books which have all been hand-decorated.

Florence is beautiful, but make sure not to miss its surroundings. These day trips from Florence are so worth it!