2 Days in Florence: Tuscany Day Trips
Two days is tight, so this plan does one thing well: it bases you in Florence near Santa Maria Novella, then sends you out to Siena, the single strongest Tuscany hill town within reach, on a 90 minute regional train. Want more towns? The 3 day , 4 day , 5 day and 6 day versions of this itinerary build outward from the same Day 1 and Day 2.
Book these before you go:
- Hotel near Santa Maria Novella station , so both your arrival and your Siena train start with a short walk
- A guided Siena day tour if you would rather skip managing regional train times yourself
Day 1: Base yourself in Florence
Check into your base near Santa Maria Novella station. Rather than trying to cram the Uffizi and the Duomo into a rushed afternoon, use today to get oriented: walk to Ponte Vecchio, cut through Piazza della Signoria, and stand in front of the Duomo’s facade without going inside. Save the actual museum going for a dedicated Florence trip, our in-city itinerary covers that ground properly.
Grab dinner somewhere near the Mercato Centrale rather than the tourist-priced streets right by the Duomo, and confirm tomorrow’s train time before you turn in. Siena-bound regional trains from SMN run roughly hourly, with the first useful departure around 7:30 to 8am.
Day 2: Siena, the single best day trip from Florence
Catch an early regional train to Siena, 1h20 to 1h30 depending on the service, no reservation required but validate your paper ticket before boarding. Spend the morning in Piazza del Campo, the shell shaped square where the Palio horse race runs twice a year, then head into the striped Duomo di Siena.
Lunch in Siena rather than rushing back, the trattorias just off the main piazza are calmer and cheaper than anything near the Campo itself. Spend the afternoon wandering the contrade, Siena’s historic neighborhoods, before catching an evening train back to Florence. Trains run into the evening, so there is no need to cut the day short.
| Day | Focus | Time from Florence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Settle into Florence, orientation walk | (base) |
| 2 | Siena | 1h20 to 1h30, regional train |
One tip that saves a scramble: buy your Siena train ticket the night before through the Trenitalia app rather than at the station kiosk the morning of, Italian regional trains sell standing room tickets right up to departure but the line at SMN’s ticket machines during summer mornings can eat 20 minutes you do not have.