Us in front of the marble facade of Florence Cathedral

Italy · Tuscany & Emilia-Romagna

Florence, Bologna & Pisa

Renaissance Florence · foodie Bologna · the Leaning Tower of Pisa

The trip

Three of Italy's greatest hits, one easy train line.

Italy is one of those countries we could return to again and again, and this trip strung together three of its most iconic stops. Florence is the beating heart of the Renaissance — an open-air museum of duomos, David and golden-hour views over the Arno. A short train away, Bologna is the food capital of Italy, all terracotta porticoes, medieval towers and the best pasta we've ever eaten. And no first trip to Tuscany is complete without Pisa and its impossibly photogenic leaning tower. Getting between all three is quick and cheap by train, which makes this a brilliant multi-city route.

The Renaissance capital

Florence

The birthplace of the Renaissance and, for our money, one of the most beautiful cities on earth. Florence packs an unbelievable amount of art, architecture and food into a walkable centre — Michelangelo's David, Brunelleschi's dome, the Uffizi, and golden-hour views over the Arno.

Us in front of the Florence Duomo facade

Brunelleschi's terracotta dome of Florence Cathedral seen from above

Renaissance icon01

The Duomo — Santa Maria del Fiore

📍 Piazza del Duomo, Florence

Florence's cathedral is jaw-dropping in person — a mountain of pink, green and white marble crowned by Brunelleschi's dome, still the largest brick dome ever built. Book ahead to climb the dome (463 steps) for the city's best view, or take a terrace tour to get up among the marble. Go early; the queues and the heat both build fast.

Climb 463 stepsBook well ahead

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Florence: Duomo Skip-the-Line Tour with Rare Terrace Access

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Michelangelo's marble statue of David in the Galleria dell'Accademia

Andrew standing beside the towering David statue for scale

Not to miss02

Michelangelo's David

📍 Galleria dell'Accademia

Seeing the David in person is one of those travel moments that genuinely lives up to the hype — over five metres of flawless marble under a domed skylight. Photos never capture the scale. Reserve a skip-the-line slot in advance, because the standby line for the Accademia can eat half your day.

Reserve a time slotSkip-the-line worth it

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Florence: Michelangelo's David Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket

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Andrew in Piazza della Signoria in front of the tower of Palazzo Vecchio

The civic heart03

Piazza della Signoria & the Uffizi

📍 Piazza della Signoria, Florence

This open-air sculpture gallery in front of the fortress-like Palazzo Vecchio is free to wander and packed with masterpieces. Around the corner sit the Uffizi and, across the river, the Pitti Palace with its Palatine Gallery — a quieter but stunning collection if the Uffizi feels overwhelming.

Free to wanderGreat at golden hour

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Andrew by the Arno with the Ponte Vecchio and its overhanging shops behind

Melody sitting on a wall above the Arno with bridges reflected in the water

On the Arno04

Ponte Vecchio & the river

📍 Ponte Vecchio, Florence

The Ponte Vecchio — the medieval bridge lined with goldsmiths' shops — is prettiest in the soft early light before the crowds, with the whole scene mirrored in the still Arno. Walk the riverbanks in either direction for the classic reflection shots.

Best early morningFree

Us at Piazzale Michelangelo with the whole Florence skyline and Duomo behind

The view & the food05

Piazzale Michelangelo & Tuscan flavours

📍 Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence

For the postcard panorama of Florence — Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and all — walk (or bus) up to Piazzale Michelangelo, ideally near sunset. And you can't leave Tuscany without eating and drinking your way through it: a hands-on pasta class or a day trip into the Chianti vineyards were two of our favourite things we did.

Go for sunsetBring wine

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The foodie capital

Bologna

A short, cheap train from Florence, Bologna is Italy at its most underrated — a warm, terracotta-toned city of endless porticoes, leaning medieval towers, a huge student energy, and, above all, the finest food in the country.

Andrew in front of the half-finished marble-and-brick facade of San Petronio

Aerial view over Bologna's red rooftops with San Petronio and the San Luca sanctuary on the hill

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Piazza Maggiore & Basilica di San Petronio

📍 Piazza Maggiore, Bologna

Bologna's grand central square is anchored by San Petronio, one of the largest churches in the world — its facade still half-clad in marble, half in bare brick. Climb the nearby Asinelli Tower for a sea of red rooftops and the San Luca sanctuary crowning the hill beyond. A walking tour is a great way to unpick all the history.

Climb Asinelli TowerFree to enter

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Melody under one of Bologna's grand porticoed arcades with a coffered ceiling

Andrew in a warm-toned Bologna square by the Corte Isolani arcade

Under the arches02

The porticoes & Piazza Santo Stefano

📍 Strada Maggiore / Santo Stefano, Bologna

Bologna has almost 40km of porticoes — UNESCO-listed covered walkways that let you wander the whole city in the shade (or the rain). The prettiest stretches wrap around Piazza Santo Stefano and the medieval Corte Isolani. Just strolling them, coffee in hand, is one of the city's great free pleasures.

UNESCO porticoesGreat in any weather

Melody in front of the bronze Fountain of Neptune in Bologna

The photo spot03

Fontana del Nettuno

📍 Piazza del Nettuno, Bologna

The 16th-century bronze Fountain of Neptune presides over the square right next to Piazza Maggiore — one of Bologna's most photographed corners and an easy meeting point in the heart of the old city.

Central & freePhoto favourite

Andrew on a rooftop terrace over Bologna with an Italian flag and the hills behind

Us on a rooftop with Bologna's rooftops and hills spread out behind

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The towers, rooftops & the food

📍 Around the old city, Bologna

Bologna is nicknamed la Grassa — 'the fat one' — and it earns it: this is the home of tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini and mortadella. The single best thing we did here was a walking food tour, ducking into delis and trattorias with a local. Come hungry.

Food capital of ItalyDo a food tour

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The famous lean

Pisa

An easy hour from Florence, Pisa is worth the trip for one very good reason — the Leaning Tower is even more fun in person than you'd expect. The whole Piazza dei Miracoli is a stunner, and it's an easy half-day or sunset stop.

Looking straight up the tilting columns of the Leaning Tower at golden hour

The icon01

The Leaning Tower

📍 Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa

It really does lean — dramatically — and seeing it in person is genuinely fun. The Torre di Pisa is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral, and you can climb its 251 tilting steps for a wonky walk to the top. Book a timed tower ticket in advance, as entry slots are limited and sell out.

Climb 251 stepsTimed tickets

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The Pisa Cathedral and Leaning Tower glowing at golden hour across the green lawn

Us in front of the round Pisa Baptistery with the sun setting behind

The whole square02

Piazza dei Miracoli — Cathedral & Baptistery

📍 Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa

The tower is only one of four monuments on the Piazza dei Miracoli (the 'Square of Miracles'). The striped Duomo and the round Baptistery are just as beautiful, all set on an emerald lawn. It's especially magical at golden hour, when the marble turns warm and the crowds thin out.

Best at golden hourEmerald lawn

View framed through a tower window down onto the Pisa cathedral rooftops

Sunset view from the top of the Leaning Tower over the cathedral and Tuscan plain

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Climbing the tower — the views

📍 Torre di Pisa, Pisa

If you do climb the tower, the reward is a lovely view over the cathedral's roofs and out across the Tuscan plain — and the strange sensation of walking a floor that visibly tilts under your feet. We timed our climb for late afternoon and caught the sunset from the top.

Climb for sunsetFloors visibly tilt

Andrew doing the classic pose pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower

Us sharing a kiss in front of the Leaning Tower and cathedral

Us in front of the Leaning Tower bathed in golden-hour light

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The classic photo ops

📍 Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa

Yes, everyone does the cheesy 'holding up the tower' photo — and honestly, you should too. The wide lawn gives you loads of room to line up the shot, and it's one of those silly travel traditions that's just good fun. Late in the day the light here is gorgeous.

Do the poseGolden hour light

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