The best day trips from Florence compared: Pisa, Lucca, Siena and San Gimignano, the Val d’Orcia, the Cinque Terre and Assisi, with tour lengths, what each trip suits and when to go on your own.
Which Siena Cathedral ticket to buy: the OPA SI Pass, the Gate of Heaven roof walk, guided tours and early access, plus 2026 dates for the uncovered marble floor and a perfect day in Siena.
If Florence is Tuscany’s Renaissance showcase, Siena is its medieval one, and the two cities have spent the better part of eight centuries defining themselves in opposition to each other.