Arezzo & Cortona Day Trip from Florence
Piero della Francesca's frescoes and a hill town over the Valdichiana
A one-day drive from Florence to Arezzo & Cortona — 154 km round trip, about 2h 16m behind the wheel, with stops, timings and where to eat already worked out.
Piero della Francesca's frescoes and a hill town over the Valdichiana. It's a day out of Florence: 154 km of driving in total, about 2h 16m behind the wheel, and the rest of the day on your feet.
The plan below is paced so the driving doesn't eat the day: leave after breakfast, be back for the evening. Every stop can be swapped for one of three alternatives if it isn't your kind of thing.
You wander a Renaissance hill town by day — frescoed chapel, sloping square, fortress views — then drive home to Florence by evening.
Park near the historic centre and walk straight into the square that anchors old Arezzo.
Piazza Grande · Arezzo
Arezzo's sloping, medieval square ringed by loggias and towers, famous as a filming location and antiques market venue.
💡 Come on a weekday morning to see it quiet — first Sunday of the month brings a huge antiques fair and crowds.
Piazza Grande, Arezzo
A short walk from Piazza Grande through the old streets brings you to the basilica.
Basilica di San Francesco · Arezzo
Home to Piero della Francesca's Legend of the True Cross frescoes, one of the great cycles of the Renaissance.
💡 Book the timed slot online in advance — visits to the fresco chapel are limited and often sell out.
Piazza S. Francesco, Arezzo
From the basilica, settle into a midday table back in the centre before continuing uphill.
Trattoria Il Saraceno · Arezzo
A well-regarded local trattoria for honest Tuscan cooking in the old centre.
💡 Try the pici pasta, a house specialty of the area.
Via Giuseppe Mazzini, 6, Arezzo
After lunch, climb toward the highest point of town, where the cathedral overlooks the rooftops.
Arezzo Cathedral · Arezzo
Hilltop cathedral with stained glass by Guillaume de Marcillat and a fine Piero della Francesca fresco fragment.
Piazza Del Duomo, 1, Arezzo
From the Duomo, continue up to the green fortress park crowning the hill.
Medici Fortress (Arezzo) · Arezzo
Medici fortress ramparts with sweeping views over the Tuscan countryside surrounding Arezzo.
💡 Free public park on the walls — good for a quiet look at the view without crowds.
Cimitero, Viale Bruno Buozzi, 1, Arezzo
- Arezzo's historic centre has limited traffic access — use a paid car park just outside the old walls.
- Book Basilica di San Francesco fresco tickets online days ahead, they sell out fast.
- No tolls on the Florence–Arezzo route via the SS73/A1 corridor, just standard fuel cost.
- Florence's ZTL zone is active in the centre — avoid driving in if your hotel is inside it.
- Cortona+30 km
Picture-perfect walled hill town with Etruscan roots and panoramic views, made famous by Under the Tuscan Sun.
- Monte San Savino+25 km
Quiet Renaissance town with a Sangallo-designed loggia, far from the tour buses.
- Abbazia di San Salvatore a Vaiano+15 km
Peaceful rural abbey ruins near the Arezzo–Florence road, rarely visited.
Make this trip your own
Plan your own road trip →This route was drafted with AI. Please double-check roads, opening hours and local conditions before you go.
Made with Roadanza
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Work it out for this route →Questions, answered
- How do I avoid a ZTL fine in Tuscany?
- Assume every walled town centre is restricted, and park outside the walls. Look for the round white sign with a red border: that is the zone boundary. If your hotel is inside a ZTL it can register your plate for the nights you stay, but only if you give them the number in advance.
- Can I do Siena and San Gimignano in one day?
- You can, and plenty of tours do, but it makes for a rushed day: roughly two hours of driving plus two hurried towns. Doing one properly, with a Chianti stop on the way back, is a better day.
- Is Cinque Terre a day trip from Florence?
- Not comfortably by car: the villages are closed to traffic and the coastal road is slow, so you'd park at La Spezia and take the local train anyway. If Cinque Terre is a priority, go by train from Florence, or stay overnight.
- When is the wine country worth it?
- September and October for harvest, May for the countryside. Most small Chianti cellars want a booking a day or two ahead: walking in works at the larger estates only. And whoever drives tastes little; plan for that.
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