Day trip from Florence Arezzo
A hill town in eastern Tuscany with Piero della Francesca's fresco cycle in the Basilica of San Francesco and the sloping Piazza Grande, an hour by train.
Is Arezzo worth a day trip from Florence?
Half a day. Not on Wednesdays.
Go for half a day, and check the weekday first. The reason to come is the Legend of the True Cross, the frescoes Piero della Francesca painted between 1452 and 1455 in the Basilica of San Francesco. Visits are by reservation, last 30 minutes and take 30 people at a time, at € 6 plus a € 3 booking charge. The chapel is closed on Wednesdays and opens at 13:00 on Sundays. Add Piazza Grande, the cathedral and the walk up to the fortress and you have 3 to 4 hours. Fast regional trains take about an hour and cost € 9.80.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 1 hfastest regional; slower trains take 1 h 30 to 1 h 40 · one way · Trenitalia
- Transport
- Regional train
- Self-guided cost
- € 28.60Regional train return (€ 9.80 each way) + Piero della Francesca frescoes in San Francesco (€ 6 + € 3 booking charge) · Ministero della Cultura, Basilica di San Francesco
- Tour price
- –
- Time needed
- 3–4 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- Wednesdays; on Sundays the frescoes open 13:00-17:00 only
- Best time
- All year; frescoes 9:00-17:30 Mon, Tue and Thu-SatDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth half a dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Arezzo
- 01
Piero della Francesca frescoes
The Legend of the True Cross, painted in the 1450s in the choir chapel of the Basilica of San Francesco. Entry is in groups of 30 for 30 minutes, so book a time.
- 02
Piazza Grande
A steeply sloping square closed on one side by Vasari's long loggia and on another by the round apse of Santa Maria della Pieve. Fifteen minutes, longer on market days.
- 03
Cathedral
At the top of the hill, with 16th-century stained glass by Guillaume de Marcillat and a small Mary Magdalene fresco by Piero beside the sacristy door. Free. Allow 20 minutes.
- 04
Fortezza Medicea and the Prato
A star-shaped Medici fortress beside the park behind the cathedral. Walk the ramparts for a view over the roofs and the Casentino hills. Half an hour, and a good picnic spot.
- 05
Antiques fair
On the first Sunday of each month and the Saturday before, hundreds of stalls of furniture, prints and bric-a-brac fill Piazza Grande and the streets around it. Free to browse.
Good forArt and museumsOld towns and villagesChurches and monasteries
How to spend the day
Take the 09:04 from Santa Maria Novella, in Arezzo at 10:06. Walk up Via Guido Monaco to the Basilica of San Francesco for a slot around 10:30 or 11:00. Continue uphill to Piazza Grande and the cathedral, then lunch around 13:00. Walk the park by the fortress after, and head down for the 15:43, in Florence at 16:48, or the 16:44, arriving 17:57. Fast trains also leave at 17:44 and 18:49. The last one goes at 22:50.
Arezzo in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustJune to August is hot, and the climb from the station to the cathedral is uphill all the way, so start early. The fresco chapel is open until 19:00 except on Wednesdays, when it is closed, and on Sundays it opens only at 13:00. The Saracen Joust takes over Piazza Grande on a Saturday night in June and on 6 September 2026.
Winter
December to FebruaryFrom November to March the fresco chapel closes at 18:00, and at 17:30 on Sundays. From 14 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 a large Christmas market fills Piazza Grande and the fortress, and weekend trains from Florence are crowded. Outside those weekends Arezzo is quiet, compact and a sound choice for a short winter day.
How crowded it gets
Quiet- Busiest
- Antiques fair weekends, joust days, Christmas market weekends
- Quietest
- Any ordinary weekday, all year
Arezzo sees a fraction of Siena's visitors. The only real limit is the fresco chapel, capped at 30 people per half hour. Book that slot online, avoid Wednesday, and decide whether you want the fair weekend or a calm town.
How do you get to Arezzo from Florence?
- Travel time
- 1 h to 1 h 40
- Frequency
- 1-2 trains an hour
- Cost
- € 9.80 each way
- Departs from
- Firenze Santa Maria Novella
Direct regional trains at a fixed price, no reservation. The Regionale Veloce at 08:02, 09:04 and 09:48 takes 60 to 70 minutes. The slower ones leaving around :22 past stop everywhere and take 1 h 30 to 1 h 40. An Intercity combination costs € 13.70 and saves no time.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Shoes with grip for the steep paved Corso Italia and the sloping bricks of Piazza Grande. Cover shoulders and knees for the basilica and the cathedral. The top of the hill is windy in winter, so bring a scarf.
What to eat
Arezzo is Chianina beef country, so steak and ragù are the house dishes, with thick hand-rolled pasta called pici or bringoli. Crostini with chicken liver open most meals. Trattorie sit along the lanes between Corso Italia and Piazza Grande, and the loggia has tables with a view of the square.
What you will spend
The regional train and the timed ticket for the fresco chapel are the only fixed costs. The cathedral, Piazza Grande, the fortress park and the antiques fair are free. Other museums, such as Vasari's house, are small optional extras.
How to get the most out of the day
- From the station walk straight up Corso Italia. San Francesco is 10 minutes away, Piazza Grande 15 and the cathedral about 20, all uphill.
- Book the fresco slot for late morning and leave a margin. Trains from Florence take between 1 hour and 1 h 30 depending on stops.
- Bring small binoculars or use your phone zoom in the chapel. The upper scenes are 10 metres above the floor and the visit is short.
- Escalators run from the Pietri car park on the north side up to the cathedral. Use them going down if your knees dislike slopes.
How long do you need in Arezzo?
Plan 3–4 h on site, plus 1 h of travel each way from Florence.
When is Arezzo closed?
Wednesdays; on Sundays the frescoes open 13:00-17:00 only. Best time: All year; frescoes 9:00-17:30 Mon, Tue and Thu-Sat.