Day Trips from Lucca: The Best Excursions in Tuscany and Beyond

Lucca sits at a crossroads of northern Tuscany that makes it one of the most practical bases in the region. Within two hours by public transport or car, you can reach Pisa, Florence, the Cinque Terre coast, the mountain valleys of the Garfagnana, and several excellent wine-producing areas. The day trips listed here are ranked by how easy they are to do without a car — though having a vehicle opens up the slower, more rewarding routes through the countryside.

Pisa is the easiest and most rewarding day trip from Lucca — 30 minutes by train, with Piazza dei Miracoli fully walkable from the station. For cruise visitors based at La Spezia who want to visit Pisa with a guide and without the logistics, our Pisa shore excursion from La Spezia includes private transport and a guided food walking tour — cecina, pappa al pomodoro, cold cuts, and Vin Santo — in a single half-day.

Pisa (30 minutes by train)

The most obvious excursion, and deservedly so. Pisa is just 30 minutes from Lucca by direct train, with departures roughly every half hour. Beyond the Leaning Tower — which remains as compelling in person as its cliché suggests — the Piazza dei Miracoli contains the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Camposanto Monumentale, one of Italy’s most atmospheric medieval cemeteries. Pisa’s own city walls, recently restored with extended opening hours, offer a fine walk with river views. The town centre, largely overlooked by day-trippers, has good restaurants and a lively university atmosphere. A morning in Pisa combined with an afternoon in Lucca (or vice versa) is one of the best single-day itineraries in Tuscany.

Florence (1 hour 20 minutes by train)

The case for Florence as a day trip from Lucca is obvious: it is the greatest concentration of Renaissance art in the world and easily reachable by direct train. The practical reality is that Florence demands time — the Uffizi alone justifies a full day — so a day trip works best if you have seen Florence before and want to revisit specific museums, or if you are happy to focus on one neighbourhood rather than attempting everything. The Oltrarno (the south bank of the Arno, less visited than the historic centre) is an excellent focus for a relaxed day trip: Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens, and the artisan workshops of Via Maggio.

The Garfagnana Valley (45 minutes by car)

North of Lucca, the Garfagnana valley cuts between the Apuan Alps and the Apennines — a landscape of forests, rivers, chestnut groves, and stone villages that feels entirely separate from the tourist Tuscany of cypress trees and rolling hills. The valley is the source of Garfagnana IGP farro (emmer wheat), chestnut flour, and several excellent local cheeses. Barga is the most rewarding village: compact, beautifully preserved, with a Romanesque cathedral offering views across the valley. Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is the valley’s main town and a good base for hiking into the Apuan Alps. A car is effectively required for this trip.

Montecarlo Wine Town (20 minutes by car)

Not to be confused with Monaco, Montecarlo is a small hilltop town 15 kilometres east of Lucca producing DOC wines that are almost entirely consumed locally. The town itself is quietly charming — medieval walls, a central piazza, a handful of good restaurants, and several wine estates offering tastings. A half-day excursion combining a cellar visit, lunch, and a walk through the vineyards is one of the most pleasurable low-key experiences available from Lucca. The drive through the hills on secondary roads is itself beautiful in spring and autumn.

Viareggio (30 minutes by train)

Viareggio is the main beach resort of northern Tuscany — a long seafront of Liberty (Art Nouveau) architecture, wide sandy beaches, pine forests, and excellent seafood restaurants. In summer it is busy and animated; in spring or autumn it is calm and pleasant. The famous Carnevale di Viareggio, held in February, is one of Italy’s most spectacular carnival events, with elaborate allegorical floats and masked processions along the seafront. The seafood here, particularly the cacciucco (thick fish stew), is among the best on the Tuscan coast.

Forte dei Marmi (40 minutes by train)

Forte dei Marmi is one of Italy’s most exclusive seaside resorts — a discreet, well-maintained town behind a long beach of fine white sand, historically the summer destination of choice for wealthy Milanese and Florentine families. It is not cheap, but for a day trip it offers beautiful beaches, a pleasant town centre, and some of the best seafood restaurants on the Versilia coast. The famous weekly Forte dei Marmi market (Wednesdays and Saturdays) draws visitors from across the region for its food, fashion, and antiques.

Cinque Terre (1 hour 45 minutes by train)

The five cliffside fishing villages of the Cinque Terre are reachable from Lucca in under two hours by train, changing at La Spezia. The journey from Lucca to La Spezia takes around 1 hour 15 minutes, then the Cinque Terre Express adds 5–25 minutes depending on your village of choice. A day trip is feasible — arrive by 10 AM, walk one or two sections of the coastal trail, eat lunch in Vernazza or Monterosso, and return by early evening. Given the distance, an overnight stay in the villages or in La Spezia is strongly recommended if you want a more complete experience.

Pistoia (45 minutes by train)

Pistoia is one of Tuscany’s most underrated cities — a compact medieval centre with a magnificent Romanesque cathedral, a vibrant daily market in Piazza della Sala, excellent food, and almost no tourist crowds. It is significantly quieter than Lucca itself and offers a similar quality of Romanesque architecture and local cuisine. The journey by train takes around 45 minutes with a change. Pistoia’s Ospedale del Ceppo, with its remarkable 16th-century glazed terracotta frieze, is one of the most overlooked great works of Renaissance art in Tuscany.