Day Trips from Florence

Discover three of Tuscany’s most iconic destinations on a full-day tour from Florence Italy. Visit the famous Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa and get your picture to show your family and friends. Then step back in time as you discover the UNESCO-listed hill town of San Gimignano and Siena’s cathedral. Enjoy a drive through the Tuscany countryside and vineyard and top for a traditional Tuscan lunch in Piazza del Campo.

Visiting Florence? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to take a day trip to explore the stunning sights of Tuscany! Our full-day tour takes you to three iconic destinations, starting with the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. From there, we will journey to the medieval hilltop town of San Gimignano, known for its beautiful architecture and delicious gelato. Finally, we will visit the breathtaking Siena Cathedral, with its stunning views of the Tuscan countryside. Make the most of your time in Italy and experience the beauty and history of Tuscany with our unforgettable day trip.

Florence Day Tours

Visitng the major citiies in Italy like Rome, Florence, and Venice helps you to see lots of must-see sights, but getting out into the countryside allows you to see more of the beautiful country and its people. Today is really neat because it allows you to see three really cool and unique sights all in one florence day tours. We booked this tour and loved it!

florence day trip

This is a LONG tour, but it has to be to squeeze in all these amazing stops. It took us just shy of 13 hours. Would I do it again, absolutely in a heartbeat! It was such a fun day and we saw so much of beautiful Italy’s countryside! First stop, was Pisa where they gave us an hour to visit Piazza dei Miracoli – home of the Baptistery, the Cathedral and, of course, the famous Leaning Tower. WIth only an hour, and tickets not included, you will not be able to do everything. The tickets are timed entry so by the time you get there they could be sold out of tickets for the time you are there. We were lucky and able to grab tickest to the Baptistery which included the Cathedral.

kids in front of leaning tower of pisa in italy

Visit leaning tower of pisa

The famous monument has an interesting history beginning with its construction in the 12th century. The tower was suppose to stand vertically, instead the structure gradually began to tilt to one side as it was being constructed. Despite this alarming development, construction continued and the monument was \completed in the 14th century. They tried unsucessfully to fix the leaning tower over the years. Thankfully in the late 20th century engineers were at least able to stabilize the structure so it wouldn’t collapse. Ironically, the lean is what makes this tower one of the most famous landmarks in the world. Each year millions of tourists visit to marvel at this unique building and its precarious tilt.

Inside of Sienna Baptistry has amazing accousitcs

pulpit where pastor preaches from in siena

Baptistry doors with stories like florence

beautiful paintings on dome of siena cathedral

Piazza dei Miracoli Baptistery and Cathedral

The Baptistery, with its unique hexagonal shape and intricate details, is a true testament to the skill of the craftsmen of the time. Step inside and marvel at the stunning acoustics that have made it a popular spot for musical performances. And then there is the Cathedral, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, with its stunning marble facade and breathtaking interiors. Be sure to take some time to admire the intricate sculptures and artwork that adorn this sacred space.

beautiful italian countryside in tuscany

day trips from florence italy

Next we traveled through the lovely region of Tuscany, seeing many vineyards along the way. Wine tasting and a light lunch was included with our package. I was worried about this part with our 6 kids, but it was a nice experience and the food was good and the atmosphere even better! We were encouraged to buy wine, balsamic vinegrette, etc. – but never felt pressured.

Piazza del Campo town square in siena italy

day tours from florence

Our next stop was Palazzo Siena Here we took a walking tour of the city including Piazza del Campo, a beautiful square known for its unique shell shape and the magnificent Palazzo Pubblico. Here, you can also find the Fonte Gaia, a 15th-century fountain adorned with intricate sculptures.

We learned about medieval toilets. I the picture above can you see how part of the side comes out. That is where the toilet was during medieval times. The toilets were located above the city streets with openings that allowed waste to simply fall onto the streets below. Pigs were left on the streets to clean up the mess. In medieval times, when sanitation methods were limited, such pigs were often relied upon to help clean up waste and reduce the spread of disease. While it may seem surprising, Sienna pigs’ ability to process waste can be quite useful in certain contexts.

Siena Horse Races

Every summer, the picturesque city of Siena comes alive with the thrilling tradition of the Palio di Siena horse race. Dating back to the medieval times, this historic event showcases the competitive spirit and rich history of the city. The Palio is not just a race, but a symbol of Sienese pride and identity, with neighborhoods (contrade) competing against each other for glory and bragging rights. The tension and excitement build as the horses thunder around the iconic Piazza del Campo, with jockeys risking life and limb to win.

Duomo di Siena

Another must-see in Siena is the Duomo di Siena, a stunning cathedral with a striking facade and breathtaking interior. The ticket to go inside was not included in the tour, but I think it was well worth it.

inside of siena cathedral with striped marble

Inside of siena cathedral the exquisite striped marble floors and frescoes by famous artists such as Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini was were beatufiul; I can see why this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I think this was one of the prettiest insides of any cathedral I’ve seen!

My musical son really enjoyed the books filled with medieval music. Medieval music was primarily written using a system known as chant notation, which looked quite different from modern musical notation. Instead of using the familiar staff and note symbols we use today, chants were written using neumes, which were small notational symbols placed above the text to indicate the direction of the melody. These neumes gave a general idea of the pitch and rhythm of the music, but left much room for interpretation by the performers.

The ceiling in the music room of the siena cathedral was quite remarkable.

day tours from florence italy

We actually ran into crazy traffic and almost didn’t get to visit San Gimignano. I’m so glad we did because it was absolutley charming. San Gimignano is a charming hilltop town in Tuscany, Italy, renowned for its well-preserved medieval architecture and picturesque views. Known as the “Town of Fine Towers,” San Gimignano is famous for its skyline dotted with towering stone structures that once belonged to noble families vying for status and power. THis was another well-deserved UNESCO World Heritage site.

wander through charming San Gimignano italy

The streets reminded me of an old Medieval town. We only had about an hour, but we soaked up every second as we strolled through the cobblestone streets while licking up our gelato we got at a local gelataria! I think this FLorence day tour is a must to really explore more of Italy. I’m so glad we did! We were tired when we got back, but that’s okay. We got a nap in on the train to Venice the next morning. Don’t miss the rest of our 7 day Family Trip to Italy here! Including: