Day Excursions in Tuscany

Food & Wine in Tuscany! Go for a relaxing day trip in the Tuscan countryside. Sample local wines and dine on regional specialties. Visit charming villages. Enjoy the exquisite panorama. Your driver will pick you up at your hotel, chauffeur you to each of your destinations and drop you back off at your hotel at the end of the excursion. These day trips can be taken from Florence and other Tuscan towns as well as from the Port of Livorno.

Doors to Italy can modify and personalize any excursion to tailor your day exactly how you’ve imagined! E-mail us to reserve your day excursion date, for more information, and current prices.

Siena, San Gimignano & Monteriggioni- Spend the day visiting charming Tuscan villages. You’re first stop is in picturesque San Gimignano. Stroll through its cobblestone streets, have gelato in Piazza Cisterna or enjoy a glass of the town’s famous white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Next head to medieval Siena in the heart of Tuscany. Visit its famous main square, Piazza del Campo, where the bi-annual horse race, Il Palio, is held. Take a look inside the city’s cathedral, filled with art treasures by masters of the Renaissance. After lunch you’ll stop for a view of the countryside in Monteriggioni, a hilltop fortress, where you can breath in Tuscany at its best! Recommended departure time: 8:30 am. Option: Substitute one of the three stops with a visit to a nearby winery for a wine tasting.

Cooking Lesson & Visit to San Gimignano- You’ll travel through the Tuscan countryside into the Chianti for a cooking demonstration. Sample local wines while learning the secrets to Tuscan cuisine. For lunch you'll feast on the food you’ve helped to prepare! Afterwards, take an afternoon stroll through the picturesque medieval village San Gimignano. Recommended departure time: 9:30 am

Chiantigiana Road to Greve for Wine Tasting- You'll take the scenic route on the famous Chiantigiana Road that winds through the hills of Tuscany. This morning stroll through Montefioralle, a tiny village and castle. Continue on to the town of Greve in the heart of Chianti for a visit and time for lunch. Afterwards, visit a Tuscan castle for a wine tasting. Recommended departure time: 9 am

Castles of Chianti- Spend the day driving through the vineyard-lined Chianti with stops in various castles for wine tastings, walks, and wonderful views. Sample fabulous food & wines while learning about Tuscany’s rich culture and tradition. Recommended departure time: 9 am

Shopping & Wine Tasting- Take a drive to the designer outlets of Valdarno for Prada, Gucci, D&G. Afterwards, go for an afternoon wine tasting. This way, you can forget how much you have spent shopping! Recommended departure time: 9 am

A Day Dedicated to Leonardo- Visit Leonardo’s home town of Vinci and see the house where he was born. Then go to the town’s 13th century castle housing the Museo Leonardiano, the Leonardo museum dedicated to the Renaissance master and his genius.  Recommended departure time: 9 am

Half Day in Pisa’s Field of Miracles- Visit Pisa's Campo dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles, including the beautiful Pisan Romanesque cathedral & baptistry, both exceptional examples of architecture from the 1000’s-1300’s and both housing exquisite sculpture by pre-Renaissance masters Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. Inspect the infamous Leaning Tower and take fun pictures holding it up! If time permits, you can also climb the Leaning Tower. Half-day Excursion time: 8 am - 12 pm or 2 pm - 6 pm

Full Day of Sightseeing  in Pisa- Start your day discovering the ruins of ancient Roman ships on a visit to one of Pisa’s most recent excavation sights. Here you’ll see the ancient galleys navigated into the port by the Romans and Etruscans. Afterwards, you’ll go to the center of town for lunch. Then you have the afternoon to visit the Campo dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles. You can climb the Leaning Tower and visit the cathedral and baptistry, as well as the Pinacoteca, the art museum. Recommended departure time: 8:30 am

Pisa & Lucca- This morning visit charming Lucca, a medieval town completely encircled by its 1500's ramparts, upon which you can walk or bike. Lucca’s quaint, pedestrian-friendly streets make it a fun place to stroll, see its Pisan-Romanesque churches, and visit the piazza which takes the shape of the once Roman amphitheatre. Lucca is the home of opera composer Giacomo Puccini. His birth house, now a museum, is visitable. It's also a great town for boutique shopping along Via Fillungo! After lunch in Lucca, continue on to Pisa to visit its Field of Miracles, including the beautiful Pisan-Romanesque cathedral, baptistry, and the Leaning Tower. Recommended departure time: 8:30 am

The Land of Piero- Spend the day trailing the works of Renaissance great Piero della Francesca. First, visit the small town of Monterchi to see Piero's famous painting of the pregnant Madonna, the Madonna del Parto. Next, stroll through medieval San Sepolcro and see two other influential works by Piero, the Resurrection and the Madonna della Misericordia, located in the town's art museum. Continue on to nearby Arezzo where you'll visit the Church of San Francesco which houses Piero's complete fresco cycle dedicated to The Legend of the True Cross. You'll have some time to wander through Arezzo before returning to Florence. No Sundays. Recommended departure time: 9 am

Piazzale Michelangelo, Church of San Miniato al Monte & Fiesole- Start your day with a captivating view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo which overlooks the Arno River, the Ponte Vecchio, and the city’s rooftops. From the piazzale walk up the road to the 1000’s Romanesque church San Miniato al Monte. Beautiful and crowd free, the church houses in its chapels original art from the 1400’s by Renaissance masters. Continue on by car to tiny Fiesole where you can visit the ancient Roman Theatre and museum, enjoy lunch in the main town square, Piazza Mino, or picnic at the lookout point with a view of Florence and the entire valley below. Half-day excursion time: 8 am - 12 pm or 2 pm - 6 pm.

Piazzale Michelangelo, Teatro Romano in Fiesole & Villa Demidoff- Take a drive to the town of Fiesole, which offers a fabulous view overlooking Florence and the entire valley. Visit the Teatro Romano, the ancient Roman Theatre and museum. Then continue on to Villa Demidoff to visit its large park, a great place to relax and picnic. Don’t miss the colossal figure of a barbarian man sculpted out of the rock among the park’s trees, created by 1500’s sculptor Giambologna. Excursion time: 6-8 hours.

Have something different in mind? Our excursions can be personalized and modified to meet your wishes. info@doors2italy.com