My birthday adventure in Florence and Livorno, Italy.

If you’re planning the ultimate birthday adventure in Florence and Livorno, this guide will help you discover the best spots to explore, from iconic landmarks to hidden gems. Celebrating your special day in these beautiful cities is an unforgettable experience. Here’s how I spent mine…

My birthday adventure began at the crack of dawn, with our ship docking at 8:30 AM at the Port of Livorno. Determined to make every second count, we embraced our inner Amazing Race contestants and dashed to the first taxi headed to the Livorno Central train station. Luckily, a family was also heading there, so we shared the taxi (after negotiating a split fare, of course) and sped through the streets of Livorno.

My husband, quick on his feet, snagged our train tickets via the app for the 9:12 AM departure to Florence—missing this train would mean waiting another hour, an eternity in our race-against-time adventure.

As the taxi screeched to a halt at the station, we paid our fare and sprinted to the ticket counter to pick up our tickets. To our dismay, we discovered our tickets had been emailed to us. With just a minute to spare, we bolted towards the train, hearts pounding. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted another frantic traveler joining our sprint. Miraculously, a station employee waved us towards platform six, and we breathlessly made it aboard!

Upon boarding, we met a grandmother and her grandson, who were also heading to Florence to see the sights. We had a fun chat with them, sharing our adventures.

Florence Audio Tour

We arrived at Firenze S.M. Novella and made our way through the station. We walked through a street market with Rick Steves’ Florence audio tour playing softly in our ears and made our way to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. There’s a pretty cool story about the creator: legend has it he was the ugliest man in Florence, but his work was incredibly beautiful. We then made our way to The Baptistery. Although we didn’t have tickets to go inside, we admired the Florence Gates of Paradise (bronze doors) that depict many stories from the Old Testament.

Feeling a bit hungry, we grabbed a berry and mango gelato to curb our hunger and made our way to the Loggia dei Lanzi in the Piazza della Signoria to check out the Perseus with the Head of Medusa statue and others. Our audio tour continued to the Uffizi Gallery, where we admired the many faces of prominent figures from the Renaissance period. Our tour ended at the Arno river.

Lunch

Continuing our exploration, we stumbled upon Alimentari Uffizi, a quaint grocery store with walls covered in colorful post-it notes from appreciative customers. There, we enjoyed a delightful meat board. The owner and staff were incredibly kind, teaching us a few Italian phrases. We left appreciative notes about the wonderful service and delicious food. As we enjoyed our meal, the enchanting voice of an opera singer echoed from a nearby side street, adding a magical touch to our midday break. TIP: It’s best to make a reservation in advance. We didn’t have one, but the owner kindly fit us in.

With the day heating up and a 6 PM deadline to return to the cruise, we caught the 3:25 train back to Livorno. The hour-long journey gave us a chance to plan our next steps and take a quick nap.

Back in Livorno

Back in Livorno, we had limited time before returning to the ship, so we set out to explore. Our goal: find the castle. Wandering through narrow walkways and cobblestone alleys, each turn revealed new surprises. The city’s beauty and character were captivating. We were running out of time and luckily spotted a shuttle bus heading back towards the port. Although we never made it to the castle, we were able to see it from the bus. 

Despite the brevity of our adventure, racing through Florence and discovering the charm of Livorno’s hidden streets made for an unforgettable birthday celebration. My birthday adventure in Florence and Livorno was a dream come true, filled with art, history, and stunning views.

Check out this similar post: Navigating Rome to Set Sail.