Day Trip from Rome to Florence by Fast Train
Discover the marvels of Florence including Michelangelo's David on a day trip from Rome
Starts from 1345 €
(18 Reviews)
Day Trip from Rome to Florence by Fast Train
starting time 10.00
duration Approx. 9 hours including travel and a break
Tour Overview
Florence is just 90 minutes from Rome by train, but the cradle of the Italian Renaissance is a world away from the Eternal City. Take advantage of our specially designed day-trip itinerary including round-trip transportation from Rome by fast train, and discover why Florence might just be the world’s most beautiful city. Spectacular Florence is little changed since the Renaissance, when geniuses like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci roamed these very streets. From admiring their masterpieces in the Uffizi gallery and the Accademia to gazing on the breathtaking magnificence of the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio, our Florence day trip will get you up close and personal with all the highlights of the city of the Medici, leaving you with memories that will last as lifetime.
We must receive immediately upon booking full names and dates of birth for ticketing purposes.
Tour includes:
- Return high speed train tickets to Florence from Rome
- All the city highlights
- Expert English-speaking local guide
- Expedited tickets to the Uffizi and Accademia
Highlights:
- The Uffizi Gallery
- The Accademia with Michelangelo's David
- Piazza del Duomo and exterior of Cathedral
- Piazza della Signoria
- The Ponte Vecchio
Hidden Gems:
- The Baptistery with Gates of Paradise
- Renaissance back-streets of Florence
- The Fountain of Neptune
Tour Description
An unforgettable experience on our Florence tour
Discovering the beauty of Florence and learning about its history is easier than you might think. Florence is easy to reach on a high speed train. In 1.5 hours you get from the city center of Rome to the center of Florence, few steps away from the Duomo and the other main attractions. Our Florence day trip from Rome allows you to enjoy a leisurely day exploring the city before returning to Rome in the evening.
You’ll explore beautiful churches and magnificent art galleries, grand piazzas and atmospheric back streets. Accompanied by your personal guide, you’ll learn all about the art, history and culture of Florence, from its Roman origins to the present day. You’ll be amazed by how much you can see and learn in the course of a single day, as you stroll through the galleries of the Uffizi and gaze into the waters of the Arno from Ponte Vecchio.
Our office, staffed by native English speakers, will take care of all the practicalities, organising your day in Florence with a high speed train from Termini station in Rome to Santa Maria Novella station in Florence. When you arrive at the station in Florence, you’ll be met by your private guide. At the end of the day you’ll be escorted back to Santa Maria Novella station, to return to Rome by train.
Discover the treasures of the Uffizi
Your Florence day tour begins with skip-the-lines to the Uffizi Gallery, one of the greatest collections of art in the world. Florence was at the heart of the artistic revolution during the Renaissance, and a visit to the Uffizi is the perfect introduction to the city. Originally built as a complex of offices for Florentine magistrates in the 16th century, the Uffizi was later used to store the art collection of the Medici family. These vast galleries are now open to the public, and contain masterpieces such as the Birth of Venus by Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation. Botticelli’s paintings contain rich symbolism, and with your guide you’ll uncover the secret meaning of these mysterious masterpieces.
During your private tour of the Uffizi Gallery your personal guide will take you on a journey through the history of art, showing you the famous highlights of the gallery, including works by Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio, as well as some hidden gems. Come face to face with Raphael’s self-portrait and Caravaggio’s disturbing Medusa, while learning about the turbulent lives and times of the artists, and discovering what inspired them. You’ll gain a new perspective on the geniuses of the Renaissance, and a much deeper understanding of Renaissance culture and society.
Michelangelo’s David on our Accademia tour
After lunch your artistic journey continues at the Accademia, where you’ll come face to face with the most famous statue in the world - Michelangelo’s David. On your visit to the Accademia your experience will be further enriched by the explanations of your private guide, as you discover the fascinating story behind David’s creation, and learn about the remarkable life and career of the artist. You’ll also have the opportunity to see some other masterpieces by Michelangelo, which are overlooked by the majority of visitors. Michelangelo’s Slaves are some of the most moving examples of Renaissance sculpture, depicting larger-than-life men struggling to free themselves from their marble prisons.
Learn about the genius of Brunelleschi at the Duomo
The most iconic building in Florence is undoubtedly the Duomo, dominating the city’s skyline. On your tour you’ll admire the magnificent of Florence, richly decorated facade of the cathedral and hear the incredible story of the dome’s construction. The architect of the dome, Brunelleschi, took 16 years to achieve this feat of engineering, silencing the sceptics who thought he would never be able to do it.
The interior of the Duomo is no less impressive, as you’ll discover when you gaze up at the enormous frescoes covering the interior of the dome. Your guide will also show you the famous Gates of Paradise at the nearby octagonal Baptistery. These extraordinary doors were designed by the precociously talented Lorenzo Ghiberti, and their ornate beauty never fails to impress.
Explore a world of art and politics in Piazza della Signoria
The beautiful Piazza della Signoria resembles an open-air art gallery, filled with Renaissance sculptures and the impressive Fountain of Neptune. As you explore the square, your guide will show you another side of the piazza, telling you the story of the extremist preacher Savonarola as you stand at the spot where he was burned to death. You’ll also visit the 14th century Palazzo Vecchio, the centre of Florentine power, and learn how the Medici dynasty came to control the city. A visit to Piazza della Signoria will enrich your understanding of how art, religion and politics were all interconnected in Renaissance Florence.
Admire the view from Ponte Vecchio
This ancient bridge across the Arno is now dominated by jewellery shops, but it was once famous for its butchers. During your journey to Florence you’ll find out how and why this change came about, and learn about daily life and commerce in the city. A walk across Ponte Vecchio is the perfect end to your day in Florence, as you enjoy the splendid views of the river in the historical heart of the city.
meeting point
Your guide will meet you inside the Santa Maria Novella Florence Train Station. Exact meeting point will be emailed after purchase.Tour Reviews
5.0 (18 reviews)
Wow. Our guide was amazing. The things we saw were incredible (statue of David, etc) but our guide's immense knowledge of the art, the history of the people who made the art and their relationships with the popes and power structures, his knowledge of how art changed over time, his knowledge of art techniques and architecture, really enhanced our experience in this amazing city. It would have been incredible even if we had gone on our own, just the sheer beauty of it all, but being escorted by someone who put it all in context made it unforgettable. I went with my sons, aged 17 and 21. Before this tour, we toured Pompeii, Rome on Segway, an food (walking) tour of Rome, the Colleseum, the Vatican, and St. Peter's Bascillica, all with small groups of personal escorts. All three of us thought this tour was fantastic, and for sure on the short list of the best ones. (The Pompeii tour was also extraordinary - and we would do all of these, except St. Peter's and the Vatican, again.) On a technical note, we traveled from Rome by train to get to Florence, which was included in the price. On our other tour from Rome by train (to Pompeii), a tour guide met us at the train station. On the Florence tour, the guide met us in Florence. It was a little confusing. So be advised, you will need to navigate the train from Rome yourself. It's not a big deal - the train ticket is booked for you, and it has a train number on it. At the train station, you look on the "departures" screen for the train number. About 10 minutes before the train departs, it will display the platform number from which you board the train. The trains in Italy are very fast (150 - 185 mph) clean and efficient - it's not like a subway or Amtrak or light rail or regional transit system like the SF Bay Area's BART or the Paris Metro. It's more like an airplane on the ground, except more spacious and comfortable.
We only had time for a day trip from Rome, and the train took only 1.5 hours. There is so much to see in Florence we were fortunate to have an amazing guide who was able to take us through the museums and a walking tour of the city without ever feeling rushed. Clearly proud of her city, she was able to provide a historical context and background we would have missed out on if we had just gone ourselves. It’s expensive but includes round trip train travel, tickets for two amazing museums and an amazing personal tour guide for roughly six hours. Worth every penny and highly recommend. Through Eternity did a great job arranging the trip, including sending the train tickets to my phone. One final thought, wear your most comfortable shoes.
1345 €