3 Days in Florence: Tuscany Day Trips
Three days bases you in Florence and covers three real Tuscany towns without ever needing a car: Siena on day two, then Pisa and Lucca stacked into a single day three, since the two sit just 25 to 30 minutes apart by train. Need more range? The 4 day , 5 day and 6 day versions extend this same spine with Chianti, Val d’Orcia and San Gimignano.
Book these before you go:
- Hotel near Santa Maria Novella station , the starting point for every train on this plan
- A Pisa Leaning Tower skip-the-line ticket , since the official opapisa.it slots for peak summer dates go within hours of release
- A guided Siena day tour if you would rather not juggle regional train times
Day 1: Base yourself in Florence
Check into your base near Santa Maria Novella station. Skip trying to squeeze the Uffizi and the Duomo into a rushed afternoon, today is about orientation: walk to Ponte Vecchio, cross Piazza della Signoria, and take in the Duomo’s facade from outside. The city’s museums deserve their own dedicated trip, our in-city itinerary covers that properly.
Have dinner away from the tourist-priced streets right by the Duomo, the Mercato Centrale area serves better food for less. Confirm tomorrow’s Siena train time before bed, regional departures from SMN run roughly hourly starting around 7:30am.
Day 2: Siena, the single best day trip from Florence
Take an early regional train to Siena, 1h20 to 1h30, no reservation needed but validate your paper ticket first. Spend the morning in Piazza del Campo, then head into the striped Duomo di Siena. Lunch just off the main piazza rather than on it, prices and crowds both improve a block or two away.
Wander Siena’s contrade in the afternoon before an evening train back, services run late enough that there is no need to rush the day.
Day 3: Pisa and Lucca, one ticket to two towns
Morning regional train to Pisa, under an hour, EUR 8 to 13.50 one way. Walk straight to the Piazza dei Miracoli: the cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Leaning Tower itself. Climbing it is optional, the view from the top is not dramatically different from the ground and the real photo op is the classic “holding it up” shot in the piazza, our Pisa places guide breaks down whether the climb is worth booking.
Midday, catch the short regional hop from Pisa Centrale to Lucca, 25 to 30 minutes. Spend the afternoon walking or biking the top of Lucca’s intact Renaissance ramparts, a gentler pace than either Pisa or Siena. Return to Florence by evening train.
| Day | Focus | Time from Florence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Settle into Florence, orientation walk | (base) |
| 2 | Siena | 1h20 to 1h30, regional train |
| 3 | Pisa, then Lucca | Pisa under 1h; Lucca +25 to 30min from Pisa |
None of these three days need a car, and that is deliberate. Siena, Pisa and Lucca all punish drivers with their own restricted zones or nonexistent center parking, save the rental for a longer trip that actually reaches Chianti.