Free companion to the Florence & Tuscany 8-Day Travel Itinerary
The parts of your trip that change after a book is printed: tickets, booking rules, transport and where to eat. Checked and kept current, so your copy never goes stale.
Florence · Siena · San Gimignano · Lucca · Pisa
Links last checked: October 17, 2026
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We’ll count down to day one and tell you what to book first. Your date stays on your phone; nothing is sent anywhere.
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Choose your day
Each day’s stops, tickets and a walking route you can open in Google Maps. Days 1 to 4 match the numbers on your Florence map.
Day 1
Orientation walk
Central Florence on foot. Get your bearings before the big museums.
Stops on your map
- 1Piazza del Duomo
- 2Orsanmichele
- 3Piazza della Signoria (Palazzo Vecchio)
- 4Mercato Nuovo (Il Porcellino)
- 5Ponte Vecchio and the Arno
Walking route
Open the Day 1 route in Google MapsOpens your stops in order, ready for walking directions.
Book ahead
Nothing to book today. Just walk.
Eat nearby
Day 2
Duomo, Santa Croce and Michelangelo
The Duomo complex in the morning, Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset.
Stops on your map
- 6Duomo complex: Cathedral, Baptistery, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Opera del Duomo Museum
- 7Via dei Neri (lunch area)
- 8Basilica di Santa Croce
- 9Ponte alle Grazie (cross the Arno)
- 10Piazzale Michelangelo (for sunset)
Walking route
Open the Day 2 route in Google MapsOpens your stops in order, ready for walking directions.
Book ahead
- Duomo complexOfficial
The Brunelleschi Pass includes the timed dome climb.
Eat nearby
Day 3
Uffizi and the Oltrarno
The Uffizi first, then across the river to the quieter side of Florence.
Stops on your map
- 11Uffizi Gallery
- 12Cross Ponte Vecchio
- 13Giardino Bardini
- 14Piazza della Passera
- 15Piazza Santo Spirito
Walking route
Open the Day 3 route in Google MapsOpens your stops in order, ready for walking directions.
Book ahead
- Uffizi GalleryOfficial
Timed entry is essential.
- Official slots sold out?Booking partner
Resellers such as Tiqets sometimes still have timed Uffizi tickets. Expect to pay more than the official price.
Eat nearby
Day 4
Accademia and the Medici district
Michelangelo’s David, the Medici Chapels and the market quarter.
Stops on your map
- 16Galleria dell’Accademia
- 17Cappelle Medicee (San Lorenzo)
- 18Mercato Centrale
- 19Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
- 20Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
Walking route
Open the Day 4 route in Google MapsOpens your stops in order, ready for walking directions.
Book ahead
- Accademia (David)Official
Timed entry. Book on the museum’s own site, not a look-alike.
- Official slots sold out?Booking partner
Resellers such as Tiqets sometimes still have timed Accademia tickets. Expect to pay more than the official price.
Eat nearby
Day 5
Siena
Take the direct 131R coach from Florence. It beats the train.
Getting there
Autolinee Toscane: routes and ticketsBook ahead
- Siena CathedralOfficial
Tickets through the Opera della Metropolitana. Check here for the weeks when the marble floor is uncovered.
Eat nearby
Day 6
San Gimignano
The town of towers. Regional buses are run by Autolinee Toscane.
Getting there
Autolinee Toscane: routes and ticketsEat nearby
Day 7
Lucca
Move to your second base by regional train from Florence. The walls are free and best on foot or by bike.
Getting there
Trenitalia: regional train times and ticketsMoving day: your bags
Store your luggage for a few hours, after checking out in Florence or before check-in in Lucca. Booking partner
Eat nearby
Day 8
Pisa
Regional train from Lucca, then back to Lucca for your last night. The square is free; the tower climb is optional and timed.
Getting there
Trenitalia: regional train times and ticketsBook ahead
- Leaning Tower climbOfficial
Opera della Primaziale Pisana, the official ticket office for the Square of Miracles.
- Official slots sold out?Booking partner
Resellers such as Tiqets sometimes still have timed tower climb tickets. Expect to pay more than the official price.
Eat nearby
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Prices and rules change, so these go straight to the official sources.
- Duomo complex, FlorenceOfficial
Brunelleschi Pass includes the timed dome climb.
- Uffizi GalleryOfficial
Timed entry is essential.
- Vasari CorridorOfficial
One-way and timed, booked together with the Uffizi.
- Accademia (David)Official
Timed entry. Several look-alike sites sell these tickets, so start from the museum’s own site.
- FirenzecardOfficial
Worth it only at an art-heavy pace. The Uffizi and Accademia still need a reserved slot, and the Duomo complex isn’t included.
- Siena CathedralOfficial
Opera della Metropolitana di Siena.
- Leaning Tower, PisaOfficial
Optional climb; the square itself is free.
Trains & buses
The whole itinerary works without a car.
- Florence ⇄ SienaGaby’s pick
The direct 131R coach beats the train.
- Florence → Lucca, Lucca ⇄ PisaOfficial
Regional trains.
- Rome airport to the cityOfficial
Leonardo Express from Fiumicino.
Eat & explore
The book gives you the rules for choosing. These maps show what’s open near you right now.
Practical help
- Transport strikesOfficial
Strikes are announced in advance on the Ministry of Transport’s register. Check your travel dates about two weeks out, then again the day before. They are often called off.
- Airport transfersBooking partner
A driver waiting with your name, booked at a fixed price before you fly.
- Staying connectedBooking partner
An eSIM gives you mobile data from the moment you land. Install it at home before you fly.
- Emergencies
Dial 112, the single emergency number in Italy and across the EU.
What’s changed?
Updates and corrections since the book went to print, newest first.
- October 17, 2026
Booking partners added: Tiqets as a backup when official museum slots sell out, plus airport transfers, luggage storage and eSIMs. Each one is labelled.
- October 17, 2026
Accademia tickets: the link now goes to the museum’s official site.
- October 17, 2026
Pisa tickets: the link now goes to the Opera della Primaziale Pisana’s official ticket office.
- Every year
Siena Palio: July 2 and August 16. Expect crowds, closed streets and full buses on those days.
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