Day Trips to Florence from Rome

Florence is an essential stop on that trip to Italy you've been promising yourself for so long. Strolling through its Cathedral, its squares, its markets and other charming corners that you won't find in Rome makes this excursion a great plan. If you feel like visiting on an organized tour so you don't have to deal with the logistics and waiting for public transportation, read on:

The best option

Florence and Pisa Day Trip from Rome

Visit Florence and Pisa on an organized tour.

Perfect if you are looking forward to visiting these emblematic cities of Italy without having to worry about organizing the trip. You will be accompanied at all times by a specialized guide.

From $186 at Hellotickets

This tour to Florence and Pisa not only takes you to see the most unforgettable sites of Florence, but also passes through Pisa to see the iconic leaning tower that has made the city so famous.

A local guide, an expert in the history of both cities, will take you to see everything you can't miss: Florence's Duomo square, the Palazzo Strozzi, the Ponte Vecchio, which has survived natural disasters and wars and is therefore one of the symbols of the city, the Galleria dell'Accademia, home of Michelangelo's famous David, and in the visit to Pisa, the famous tower.

To visit the Galleria dell'Accademia, you must select the option that includes entrance tickets. Otherwise, the tour includes round-trip air-conditioned coach travel, but not lunch.

When you make your reservation, you will receive a confirmation e-mail at the address you provided. You will not need to print anything, just show up at the meeting point, greet your guide and show him/her the voucher included in the email from your cell phone.

The guides will do the narration bilingually, that is, simultaneously in English and Spanish. The most important thing is that the guide will make sure you do not miss any of the highlights of the city.

Enjoy the views along the way

Whichever method of transportation you choose to travel to Florence from Rome, the views you will enjoy are unparalleled. You will be able to see the mountains of Tuscany and you will pass through some of the main cities of the region such as Assisi and Orvieto.

Climb the Dome of the Duomo if you have the time

If you have the chance, I recommend climbing the dome of the Florence Cathedral. Not only are the views breathtaking from the top, but also during the ascent you will find frescoes and paintings of great beauty resulting in a very complete experience.

Taste the local cuisine

Florence also elevates gastronomy to the status of art, so keep your eyes peeled as you pass through the city's markets and restaurants. Florentine bread, and in particular the Schiacciata, a kind of focaccia, are amazing. And you've probably heard of Florentine steak, a dish you won't want to miss with a good Tuscan wine.

Taste the best coffee in Florence

If you want to have a coffee after lunch or at sunset, visit the Caffetteria delle Oblate: it's a rooftop cafe on the roof of a public library with a beautiful view of the Cathedral.

Get around on foot

Don't even bother to use public transport: Florence is a perfect city to walk around, especially if the walk ends at the Ponte Vecchio from where you can see a wonderful sunset over the Arno river. Since you are going to walk, remember to wear comfortable shoes: you will be thankful you wore sneakers.

Visit the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens

If you have time to spare in Florence, I recommend a visit to the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens behind the palace, where you will see an open-air theater, a fountain dedicated to Neptune and numerous statues.

Wear warm clothes in winter

I recommend you bring warm layers especially if you visit Florence in winter (between November and April) and although in summer the weather is very warm it can get a bit chilly in the evenings. In general, the temperature in the city is not usually very changeable.

Florence 's grandiose cathedral is a proud symbol of the city and its dome, a testament to the artistic and technical greatness of Brunelleschi, who devised a new architectural structure to create a double vault, which can be visited on a tour of the Duomo.

The interior of the Cathedral is a place like no other, and conveys a sense of infinity as you lose yourself in the stunning fresco of the dome.

The entire Duomo is the most important visit you can make in Florence, to admire the whole cathedral, baptistery and bell tower.

Visiting the Palazzo Vecchio is an activity worthwhile only for the famous Salone dei Cinquecento, a spectacular art gallery where paintings by Vasari are preserved and you can admire the grandeur of Florence in the Medici era. This salon would host the court of Duke Cosimo I, his Council, made up of five hundred members.

Not only in the Salone dei Cinquecento you will find works of art that will leave you open-mouthed, the entire Palazzo contains an overwhelming artistic collection and rooms of great interest such as the Hall of Geographical Maps, and you can find unique artifacts in the world, such as the death mask of the poet Dante Alighieri.

Of course the exterior of the Palazzo Vecchio and its surroundings offer an unforgettable walk, especially the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge that throughout its history has been an important commercial hub in the city of Florence, and that during World War II was left intact by the German artillery, according to legend, on the express orders of Adolf Hitler.

I don't know anyone who has traveled to Florence without visiting Michelangelo's David. Not only is it one of the most important sculptural works of the Renaissance, it is also a very good excuse to visit an impressive museum dedicated to this historical period. That's why you can book an excursion to Florence and Pisa from Rome with tickets to the Accademia Gallery included.

In this gallery you can see numerous works of art such as religious triptychs, a lush sculpture room full of busts and even admire original musical instruments of the time.

This is the most important square in Florence, the center of the city's public life, where you will find a multitude of stores, bars and restaurants, and sculptures (including a copy of Michelangelo's David, right where the original sculpture was originally located).

The Fountain of Neptune is another architectural marvel located in the square, along with major buildings such as the Court of Goods, the Uguccioni Palace or the Loggia della Signoria, a Gothic-style portico that today serves as an open-air museum sheltering the sculptures in the square.

This Latin cross church concentrates much of its beauty in its facade, one of the most important architectural works of the Florentine Renaissance. Inspired by one of the oldest basilicas in Tuscany, San Miniato al Monte, the church of Santa Maria Novella elevates the two-color marble motif to unparalleled beauty.

Inside the church, you can admire a number of Renaissance paintings and visit the Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella, the oldest in Europe, built in the early 13th century.

Taking advantage of your stay in Rome, you can make a number of excursions to other cities and regions. Before deciding on one, I recommend you read our tips here: Day Trips from Rome.

And if you are a person who likes to have things clear, I recommend you not to look around and take an excursion to Pompeii, where you can see the ravages of Vesuvius and peek through a window to Ancient Rome. Read all about this experience here: Day Trips to Pompeii from Rome.

Now, let's enjoy Florence! It's a city that has a lot to add to your trip to Italy and the perfect complement to Rome, and walking its charming streets will leave you with some memories you won't forget.