Florence Day Trips & Activities

Florence offers a wide variety of fascinating educational activities and short excursions for all ages. Here are a few suggestions to get you planning your Florence day trips and activities!

Activities & Museums

The Stibbert Museum houses an astounding collection of art and objects that once belonged to Frederick Stibbert, a 19th-century Anglo-Italian who collected extensively throughout his life. The Samurai armor collection and room of fully-armoured medieval knights on horseback are especially popular with visitors of all ages.

In addition to the world-famous exhibitions that draw thousands of visitors yearly, Palazzo Strozzi offers fun educational activities, such as family ‘kits’ thematically related to the concurrent exhibition, each catered to different developmental stages to involve young visitors in the museum experience.

The Galileo Museum holds an impressive collection of scientific documents and instruments, many astronomical in nature, along with an important photographic archive. Guided educational activities for children can be arranged with booking.

Star-gazers and astronomy buffs will enjoy the Arcetri Observatory in south Florence. Evening visits include a guided tour of the park and a chance to use the Amici telescope and other instruments.

Florence day trips

La Certosa is a well-preserved 14th-century Carthusian monastery, open to the public for group or individual visits. Here one can learn about the cloistered life of devotees in the Middle Ages, while admiring the monastic architecture and several art collections. From central Florence, you can reach La Certosa with a pleasant one-hour journey by foot, with sidewalks most of the way.

Nestled atop the foothills northeast of Florence, Etruscan-founded Fiesole dates to the 9th century BC. Today the small town square is lined with eateries and wine shops, and from here you can explore an array of sites and buildings spanning millennia. The Archaeological Museum complex takes visitors on a journey through the Etruscan, Ancient Roman, and early medieval period of the Lombard Invasion, and includes a visit to the Roman baths and amphitheatre. Fiesole also offers various vista points for breathtaking views of Florence.

One of the most popular Florence day trips is a Chianti wine tour, either guided or self-led excursions to enjoy and learn about world-renowned Tuscan wines. And opportunities to visit such prestigious wine-producing estates as Brolio, Verrazzano, Antinori abound! A typical wine tour might include a walk through the vineyard and villa or castle, to get to know the historical background of the (usually noble) families associated with the label, followed by tastings or meals. Popular towns in Chianti are Greve, Radda, and Panzano.

Need to unwind? Pamper yourself with a spa day! Two popular choices in Florence are the Asmana Wellness Center, located about 30 minutes outside Florence, and the smaller Soulspace in central Forence. Both offer a full menu of treatments and experiences.