Off the beaten path · Private day trips from Florence

Secret Tuscany: the hidden gems one day from Florence

You have seen the towers of San Gimignano and the cypress roads of the Val d'Orcia. This is the Tuscany locals keep for themselves: ancient beech forests, a hillside where friars rebuilt Jerusalem, warm waterfalls in the Maremma and castles where the family still pours the wine.

Find your secret day Compare the four trips ↓

01CasentinoForests, abbeys & Dante's valley 02Castelfalfi & San VivaldoA borgo reborn & Tuscany's Jerusalem 03Saturnia & the MaremmaHot springs & a wild coast 04Chianti RufinaCastles, villas & noble cellars

Choose by mood

Which secret Tuscany are you after?

🌲Silence & forestsCasentino 🕯️History & mysteryCastelfalfi & San Vivaldo ♨️Thermal water & sea airSaturnia & the Maremma 🏰Castles & wineChianti Rufina

A road through the golden beech forests of the Casentino in autumn

01 · Casentino · about 1h15 from Florence

Casentino day trip from Florence: ancient forests, abbeys and Dante's valley

East of Florence, beyond the Consuma pass, the hills turn into mountains and the vineyards give way to some of the oldest beech and fir forests in Italy.

The Casentino is the upper valley of the Arno, protected by the Foreste Casentinesi National Park. Here monks and friars chose silence centuries ago, castles still watch over the valley and Dante walked these roads in exile. We take you through the forest on an easy walk, stop at one of the valley's medieval abbeys and leave you time in a mountain village where the Divine Comedy feels close. It is the slow, green side of Tuscany, and the one that surprises second-time visitors the most.

Why it stays secret No vineyards, no famous towers: most tours simply never drive this way.

⏱️ 8 hours
🚐 Private, from your door in Florence
🌿 Beautiful in every season
💶 From €220 / person, group of 8 · €400 for 2

See the Casentino tour Ask for a quote

Cypresses and rolling hills in the countryside west of Florence

02 · Castelfalfi & San Vivaldo · about 1 hour from Florence

Castelfalfi and San Vivaldo, the Jerusalem of Tuscany

A medieval borgo brought back to life, a long lunch with outstanding local produce, and a wooded hillside where Franciscan friars rebuilt Jerusalem for pilgrims who could never reach it.

The day starts at Castelfalfi, a hilltop village between Florence, Pisa and Siena, restored stone by stone and surrounded by open views. Lunch is at Casa Masi, chosen for the quality of its ingredients. In the afternoon we reach the Sacro Monte of San Vivaldo: in the early 1500s the friars built a sequence of chapels in the woods reproducing the holy places of Jerusalem, each one telling a moment of the Passion with painted terracotta scenes. It is one of the most unusual and least visited places in Tuscany, as moving for believers as it is fascinating for lovers of art and history.

Why it stays secret San Vivaldo sits on a back road in the woods near Montaione: you have to know it is there.

⏱️ 7 hours
🍽️ Lunch at Casa Masi included
🌸 Lovely all year round
💶 From €200 / person, group of 8 · €320 for 2

See the San Vivaldo tour Ask for a quote

Steam rising from the thermal waterfalls of Saturnia at dawn

03 · Saturnia & the Maremma · about 2h30 from Florence

Saturnia hot springs day trip from Florence, with the wild Maremma coast

Bring a swimsuit: this is the day that ends with you floating in warm, natural waterfalls.

Southern Tuscany is a different country: the Maremma, with its untamed coastline, tufa stone and hill towns that guidebooks barely mention. We drive along the coast, stop in a village almost nobody asks about, then spend the afternoon at the Cascate del Mulino of Saturnia, the open-air thermal pools where sulphur water flows out of the ground at around 37 °C all year round, as it did for the Romans. Free, natural and unforgettable, especially in spring, autumn and on a crisp winter day.

Why it stays secret It is a long drive for a day trip, so almost nobody offers it from Florence. We do, privately and at your pace.

⏱️ 9 hours
🩱 Swimsuit, towel, water shoes
♨️ Good all year round
💶 From €220 / person, group of 8 · €400 for 2

See the Saturnia tour Ask for a quote

Villa Gondi, a historic villa and wine estate in Chianti Rufina, with its stone steps and box hedges

04 · Chianti Rufina · about 45 minutes from Florence

Chianti Rufina wine tour: castles, villas and the families who own them

Three wine estates in historic villas and castles, where the marchesi and conti whose families have owned them for generations pour their own wine.

Chianti Rufina is the smallest Chianti sub-zone, in the Sieve valley just east of Florence: higher, cooler hills that give fresh, long-lived Sangiovese, and a fraction of the visitors you meet in Chianti Classico. We visit three estates, walk through centuries-old cellars and taste with the people who make the wine, often the owners themselves. The closest of our secret days to Florence, and the perfect one for anyone who loves history as much as wine.

Why it stays secret Everyone books "Chianti" and heads south. The noble estates of Rufina are to the east, and they are quiet.

⏱️ 7.5 hours
🍷 Tastings at three estates
🍇 Harvest in Sept–Oct
💶 From €200 / person, group of 8 · €320 for 2

See the Chianti Rufina tour Ask for a quote

At a glance

Secret Tuscany day trips compared

Day trip	From Florence	Duration	Best for	Best season	From
Casentino	about 1h15	8 h	Nature, walking, silence	All year	€220
Castelfalfi & San Vivaldo	about 1h	7 h	History, art, food	All year	€200
Saturnia & the Maremma	about 2h30	9 h	Relaxing, couples, families	All year	€220
Chianti Rufina	about 45 min	7.5 h	Wine lovers, history	All year	€200

Prices are per person for a private group of eight; smaller groups are listed on each tour page. Every Secret Tuscany day is private, with pick-up at your hotel or apartment in Florence.

How we travel off the beaten path

What makes a day "secret"

Private, alwaysThe van, the driver and the day are yours. No fixed departures, no strangers, no rush.

Places we go on our days offEvery stop is somewhere we would take our own friends, chosen by people who live in Tuscany.

Built around youPace, lunch, walking and stops are shaped on your group, from couples to families with kids.

Questions

Secret Tuscany: frequently asked questions

What is Secret Tuscany?

It is our collection of private day trips from Florence to places most visitors never reach: the Casentino forests, Castelfalfi and the Sacro Monte of San Vivaldo, the Saturnia hot springs in the Maremma and the noble wine estates of Chianti Rufina. It is designed for travellers who already know Chianti, Siena and San Gimignano, or simply prefer quiet places to famous ones.

Are these tours private?

Yes. Every Secret Tuscany day is private only, with door-to-door transport from your hotel or apartment in Florence and an English-speaking local guide.

Which Secret Tuscany day trip is closest to Florence?

Chianti Rufina, about 45 minutes away. Castelfalfi and San Vivaldo take about an hour, the Casentino about 1h15, and Saturnia about two and a half hours.

Are the Saturnia hot springs free?

Yes. The natural waterfalls of the Cascate del Mulino are open-air and free, with warm sulphur water all year round. Bring a swimsuit, a towel and water shoes.

When is the best time to visit?

Every tour on this page runs all year round. The Casentino is beautiful in every season, from the cool green forests of summer to the golden beeches of autumn. Chianti Rufina and its estates welcome guests all year, Castelfalfi and San Vivaldo are lovely in every season, and Saturnia can be enjoyed in every season.

Can children come?

Yes. The Casentino, San Vivaldo and Saturnia are great with kids. For Chianti Rufina, children are welcome and we arrange non-alcoholic tastings for them. Tell us their ages when you ask for a quote.

Not sure which secret to choose?

Tell us what you love and how many you are: we will suggest the right day and reply personally, usually within 24 hours.

Ask for a quote WhatsApp us