10 Best Tours and Day trips from Florence

In Florence, you can enjoy its architectural, artistic and historical gems, but you can also lose yourself in the Tuscan countryside, villages and vineyards of Siena, Pisa, Assisi, Chianti and San Gimignano. Here are the best tours and excursions in Florence and its surroundings.

The best introduction to a city like Florence, especially if it is your first time in the capital of Tuscany, is a guided walking tour of its historic centre focusing on the Renaissance and the Medici. This way, you will soak up the majesty, architecture and history of essential places such as its cathedral, the Duomo.

You will cross the Ponte Vecchio, one of the most famous bridges in the world, now lined with jewellery shops but originally occupied by the city's butchers, and the bustling Piazza della Signoria, a veritable open-air museum full of sculptures.

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Travelling to Florence and not exploring the beautiful Tuscan countryside is a real sin. If you are also a wine lover or curious to learn the secrets of one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world, this is the tour for you.

This guided excursion to Tuscany with a visit to a winery will transport you to vineyards, forests and olive groves, with a horizon dotted with Romanesque parish churches, villas and castles. You will visit a family-run winery, where you will taste their prized Chianti wine, and picturesque hilltop villages such as medieval Greve, where the region's most important wine fair is held every year, and Castellina, known for its great fortress and Etruscan settlements.

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To get a comprehensive yet in-depth overview of everything beautiful Florence has to offer in the most personalised and comfortable way, choose a private walking tour of its old town. Thanks to your guide, you will learn first-hand everything you want to know about its main attractions, such as the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici family church.

You will visit the important Piazza del Duomo, with the Cathedral, Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's Bell Tower and the Baptistery of San Giovanni, as well as the Casa di Dante Museum in the medieval quarter, where Dante Alighieri and Beatrice, among others, lived.

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If there's one thing you shouldn't miss on a longer visit to Florence, it's taking the opportunity to visit the nearby town of Pisa and see one of the most famous monuments on the planet, its Leaning Tower, a World Heritage Site originally designed to be the bell tower of the Duomo.

Pisa is a small city, but highly recommended. It can be explored in a few hours, so going from Florence on this guided afternoon excursion to Pisa is a great plan. During your visit, you will see all the sights of Pisa, starting with one of the world's main centres of medieval art, Pisa's Duomo Square, called 'Piazza dei Miracoli' because of the monuments it encompasses: the Tower, the Baptistery and the Duomo, known in the past as true miracles of architecture.

You will also visit the oldest church in Pisa, the Church of San Sisto, and Piazza dei Cavalieri, the political epicentre of medieval Pisa and home to one of the most famous universities in the world, the Scuola Normale di Pisa.

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Here is a comprehensive article with the best excursions to Pisa from Florence so you can see the most recommended ones.

How about seeing Florence on a pleasant bike ride? With this guided bike tour, you'll also explore the historic centre of this fascinating city, but pedalling leisurely through its charming cobbled streets. Or perhaps you're one of those who prefer the guided electric bike tour, which also lasts two hours but is a little more comfortable.

You will see areas such as the artisan district of Oltrarno; Piazza della Repubblica, in the heart of the city; the most beautiful bridges, Ponte Vecchio, Ponte Santa Trinita and Ponte alle Grazie; and the last residence of the Medici dynasty, the Pitti Palace.

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One of the advantages of Florence's geographical location is that it allows you to visit charming nearby towns and villages. For example, if you are in Florence and feel like visiting Pisa and the small village of Lucca, another dream location that boasts an impressive collection of Etruscan ruins and Renaissance architecture, you can do so in the same day.

Lucca is notable for its enormous circular Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, the Guinigi Tower and the Cathedral, as well as its charming narrow streets. You can also try one of its most iconic sweets, buccellato, a delicious ring-shaped cake.

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Want to make your tour of Florence as authentic as possible? Do it aboard an iconic Vespa. A comfortable, exciting and very Italian way to lose yourself in the narrow streets of Florence's historic centre and admire the best panoramic views of the city.

Accompanied by a guide, you will climb to the most important viewpoints in Florence, such as its highest observation point with picture-postcard views, Piazzale Michelangelo, or the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in the entire region and another of its highest points, to capture your best memories in photos.

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To discover the three most iconic destinations in Tuscany, choose this comprehensive guided day tour to Pisa, San Gimignano and Siena. You will discover the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Piazza dei Miracoli; the medieval streets of beautiful San Gimignano, a World Heritage Site; and Siena, with its magnificent cathedral and Piazza del Campo, where the famous Palio di Siena horse race takes place.

You will also enjoy a traditional Tuscan lunch in a wonderful winery in the Tuscan hills, consisting of bruschetta, salami and fresh cheese, a plate of tagliatelle with ragù sauce and a typical dessert, accompanied by a Chianti wine tasting.

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Here is another article on the best excursions to Siena from Florence, which will be very useful if you are particularly interested in visiting Siena.

This is the most comprehensive excursion, as it includes trips to Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano. For a very reasonable price considering everything it includes, you will take home the most unforgettable and complete memories of southern Tuscany, thanks to visits to some of the region's greatest treasures.

You will travel through the Tuscan countryside, dotted with vineyards and bucolic fields; stroll through the medieval town of San Gimignano, known for its impressive towers and frescoes; and discover the charming historic village of Monteriggioni, an incredible medieval town enclosed by walls.

You will tour the village of Chianti to visit a charming winery on top of its hill where you will taste three excellent local wines and a traditional lunch, and you will end your trip in Siena, strolling through its narrow medieval streets flanked by splendid palaces and visiting the Basilica of San Domenico, a marvel of Renaissance art erected in the 13th century in honour of Saint Catherine of Siena, and the 12th-century Cathedral of Siena.

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Did you see the film 'Under the Tuscan Sun' and fall in love with its landscapes? Now you can discover them in person thanks to this day trip to Assisi and Cortona, the beautiful village where it was filmed, which you can explore on your own.

You will also visit the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi, who turned his back on his family's wealth in the 13th century to preach in the streets of Assisi, and one of his first followers, St. Clare.

In Assisi, you will take a guided walking tour of its main historical buildings, such as the Basilica of Saint Francis, one of the most beautiful churches in Italy with impressive frescoes by Giotto, and the interior of Santa Maria degli Angeli, dating from the 9th century and believed to have been Saint Francis' favourite place of worship.

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If you would like to continue planning your trip, I recommend reading my detailed guides on Florence Uffizi Gallery Tickets and Tours, Florence Accademia Gallery Tickets and Tours and Florence Cathedral Tickets and Tours; which, in my opinion, are the city's must-see attractions.

If, on the other hand, you're looking for the most comfortable and fastest way to get around the city, you should consider taking the tourist bus. Although it may seem overly touristy (pardon the redundancy), it also has its advantages. Find out all about them here: Florence Hop-On Hop-Off Bus.