Italy has some of the BEST places to visit that you could squeeze into one day! All you have to do is hop on the train (and wake up early if you really want to get a full day out of your trip). The majority of these day trips are from Florence with some special appearance trips that you can take from the Amalfi Coast. Here are some of my favorite day trips that you can go on when you are traveling to Italy!
1.) Cinque Terre, Italy
Cinque Terre was one of my favorite day trips where I wish I spent an entire weekend there! It’s 5 villages located on the Italian Riviera coastline in the Liguria region. You can take a train or bus here from Florence. Cinque Terre is the perfect beach/hiking day trip! You can hop on a quick train and see all 5 beautiful, coastal cities in a day: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. I stopped at Manarola first to see the colorful houses on the iconic hill. We then took a train to Vernazza and walked a long (VERY LONG…seriously make sure you have sneakers) hiking trip to the beaches at Monterosso. The hike’s views were unreal, but if you took one wrong step, you could fall off the cliff! When we finally made it to the beach, we all got drinks and food. Liguria is the region known for its pesto…so obviously, Cinque Terre has the BEST PESTO I have ever eaten. I would recommend pesto drizzled on freshly made focaccia bread by the beach, giant frozen margaritas, or a seafood cone filled with fresh calamari. I was not able to make it to Riomaggiore or Corniglia, but anyone can easily visit all 5 cities in a day!
2.) FICO Eataly World in Bologna, Italy
Have you ever heard of the Disney World of Food? Well, here it is! FICO Eataly World is the ultimate Eataly located in Bologna and only a 30-minute train ride from Florence. Learn about all 20 regions in Italy. Try the BEST food you will ever eat. You will spend the entire day walking around the giant convention center sampling different products and learning about where the most iconic Italian products come from. Some of my favorite foods included the Napoletano pizza, fresh pasta Bolognese in a box, and of course, homemade gelato. Nothing you eat in Eataly will disappoint, just make sure you come hungry!
3.) Capri, Italy
Capri is an island off the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy and probably my favorite Italian destination (besides Florence of course). I have been to Capri twice (when I was 11 years old and then when I was 21 years old). With seeing it 10 years apart, it still is breathtaking. Capri is a must-do day trip if you are traveling around the Amalfi Coast. You have to take a boat from Sorrento to get to the island. Some highlights from the day were a boat cruise around the entire island to see popular sights like the Faraglioni Rocks and the Blue Grotto, a hike up to Anacapri to get a better view of the entire island, and shopping for handmade custom sandals like the ones I bought in my previous blog Did Someone Say Shopping? Capri is also known for its delicious after dessert drink, limoncello!
4.) Pompeii, Italy
The ancient ruins of the city of Pompeii are located near Naples, Italy. I visited Pompeii for the day during my weekend excursion to the Amalfi Coast. You take a trip back in time when you walk around the remains of this city that were buried under volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. They even have ancient bodies preserved in clay on display that were uncovered from the destruction. I would recommend doing a guided walking tour around Pompeii to understand the full history behind this extraordinary city.
5.) Wine Tours around Tuscany
When in Florence, you need to tour the Tuscan vineyards. It’s a great escape from the city and you get to enjoy some high-quality Italian wine. Most wine tour companies offer tours to multiple wineries too! (So you may be coming back home a little tipsy). I went on one wine tour with my family and we visited three different wineries. Most tours even provide a delicious lunch along with the tasting! Wine tours are a great way to explore Tuscany and enjoy some authentic Chianti Classico. Check out Under the Tuscan Sun for another wine tour recommendation with the Fun in Tuscany tour group.
6.) Lucca, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano
These cities are all located in the Tuscan region surrounding Florence so they are a very easy day trip to do when you want to see something new. I took the train to Lucca and Pisa. I took a bus to Siena on a class trip. San Gimignano was actually included as a location on one of my Tuscan wine tours. Pisa is obviously all about taking a picture with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You need to see Piazza del Campo and the stunning Cathedral in Siena. Climb the Guinigi Tower to get a beautiful view of the city of Lucca. Eat at the world champion of gelato, Gelateria Dondoli, in San Gimignano. You can read more about my experiences in these cities in my blog post, Roaming around Italy!
7.) Firenze Soccer Games
FIORENTINA! FIORENTINA! Soccer games are an all-day event that you can go to in Florence. Artemio Franchi Stadium is located on the outskirts of the city, but a fairly easy walk from the Duomo. Just make sure you leave early enough and do not miss the opening ceremony because it is about a 30-minute walk to the stadium. You have never seen a soccer game like the ones in Europe! The locals are the craziest and most passionate sports fans that I have ever seen. I went to two games while I was studying abroad (a day game and a night game) and they were so much fun. I suggest purchasing a Fiorentina shirt or scarf from the San Lorenzo market so you can fit in properly with the crowd.
If you want a change of scenery, sometimes quick day trips are the way to go (especially if you are trying to save some cash!) I highly recommend taking the time to stop at all of these destinations in Italy if you can, especially Cinque Terre and Capri. If you have any more recommendations for day trip adventures, let me know in the comment section!
Ciao for now,
JMar
JMar's Journey 
Also Vesuvius, is must visit place!
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I totally agree!
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