After spending almost 3 weeks non-stop exploring the Amalfi Coast, Rome and Siena in May 2022, we were running on fumes but buzzing with anticipation as our train slowly rolled into Santa Maria Novella train station. Our Florence itinerary was jam-packed and we knew the next 3 days were going to be so much fun. We missed Florence during our first trip to Italy in 2018, so we couldn’t wait to get started. Our budget was mid-range, we ate at nice but not overly posh restaurants, and our only goal was to tick off Florence’s top attractions.
We almost made a huge mistake by not booking Brunelleschi Pass tickets for the Duomo in advance. Luckily, there were a few tickets left for our last day in Florence, so we reshuffle the order of our itinerary at the last minute. Learn from our near-miss and book yours in advance! We also saw David in the Accademia, Renaissance masterpieces in the Uffizi, sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo, and tons more lovely spots. And you know what? Florence instantly became one of our favorite European cities.
Hi, we’re Mark and Kristen Morgan. We left our scientific careers in 2018 to become travel writers and photographers, and since then our expert guides have helped millions of travel planners take better trips. Read more about us.
Why trust us with your Florence itinerary? During our trip we figured out what’s worth doing, what we’d skip, and how we’d do 3 days in Florence if it was our first time again. As always, every photo in this guide is ours.
We thought three days was ample time for our first trip to Florence. It allowed us to see everything on our list, soak up the city’s charming atmosphere, slowly explore the stunning cobbled historic center, eat far too much food, and drink delicious wine. But that didn’t include a day trip to Tuscany. If we wanted leave a day to enjoy Tuscany’s gorgeous rolling hills or we had limited time on longer destination-hopping Italy itinerary, we do think condensing the best of Florence into two days is totally doable, it would just be at a much quicker pace.
The meat of our guide explains how we’d do three full days in Florence, but afterwards we’ll also show you a summarized version of how we’d plan this trip with a day in Tuscany. Stick around until the end for a helpful map and our top tips for first-timers. Let’s dive in!
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Day 1: Accademia + Duomo
Straight off the bat we’d get two of the “big three” attractions done on the first day. We’d split the Accademia Gallery (statue of David) and Uffizi over days 1 and 2 because they’re quieter when they open at 8:15 AM. Leaving Florence Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) until day 3 is an option to split the big three over three days, but honestly, we’d rather get it out of the way one day 1 and it’s fine to do it later in the day.
Our hotel – the Palazzo della Stufa Residenza D’Epoca – was just a few minutes walk from a superb pastry shop called Antica Pasticceria Sieni, which served up a delicious sfogia alla crema (puff pastry filled with flavored custard cream) so we’d start there with an early breakfast. Here’s our helpful guide on where to stay in Florence if you’re not sure which neighborhood to book your hotel.
See David In The Accademia Gallery (8:15 AM)
We visited the Accademia at 12:30 PM and that was a mistake. It was genuinely utter chaos in the street outside the entrance. The pre-booked time slot lines were massive, and the no ticket line was even bigger. Then once we got inside, the room with David was swarming. So one thing we’d definitely change if it was our first time in Florence is pre-booking the 8:15 AM time slot for the Accademia well in advance.
Once inside we would beeline it for The Tribune and Michelangelo’s iconic statue of David, which is where almost every single other person will also be heading. Before long there would be far too many people crammed into the surprisingly small room, so we’d snap a few hasty photos, admire the genius craftsmanship for a fleeting moment, and swiftly move onto other areas of the museum.
It wasn’t a massive museum, we maybe spent a little over an hour exploring everything other than David. So we’d be on our way to the exit by no later than 10:00 AM. The key is to get in, see it, and be out before it gets too overwhelming.
Eat Brunch In Mercato Centrale (10:15 AM)
From Accademia, we’d walk less than 10 minutes to il Mercato Centrale to take a look around small independent market stalls run by local vendors selling produce like olive oils and cheeses. This is where we’d buy any souvenirs, food, snacks or anything else we wanted to keep in the fridge in our hotel room.
After browsing the stalls and soaking up the energetic early morning market vibe, we’d sit down in the food hall to eat sfogliatella with a coffee, or maybe even get ahead of it by starting early with pizza and beer. We enjoyed the market, it was a fun place to spend an hour before getting back on the tourist trail.
See The Medici Chapels (11:15 AM)
After brunch we’d have a Medici decision to make: Visit the Medici Chapels (inside Basilica di San Lorenzo) or visit the Palazzo Medici Riccardi? We didn’t want to do both, so we guessed and went for the palace (which cost us €10/adult). It was interesting and very quiet which was a nice respite from the ever-expanding morning crowds building in Florence’s historic center, but it didn’t blow us away.
In hindsight, we wished we’d done the Medici Chapels instead (which costs €9/adult) because it looks beautiful and contains prominent works by Michelangelo. For your first trip, we think you should do the Chapels instead (or do both, but prioritize the Chapels). After leaving Medici Palace or Chapels, we’d grab a tasty gelato at the nearby Gelatarium, then we’d make our way a few minutes walk southeast to Florence Duomo.
Tick Off All Six Florence Duomo Sites (12: 30 PM)
The first time we saw Florence Duomo we found it so striking that it almost didn’t look real. It honestly looked like a 3D model or a hologram. After arriving we’d take a slow walk all the way around the massive structure, appreciating the intricate detail from all sides. Then we’d get started with ticking off each of the six areas included with our pre-bought Brunelleschi Pass tickets (which cost €30/adult).
The important thing to note here is that we would book our Dome climb (this is what separates the more expensive Brunelleschi Pass from the cheaper and less desirable tickets) for much later in the day, around 5:30 PM to do it last when it’s quieter and cooler. It’s the only one of the six sites that requires a time slot. The rest of the sites can be visited the same day, no matter when the Dome climb is. Here’s our full guide on exactly how to visit the Florence Duomo to learn more about what’s included and how best to make it work.
For this itinerary, we’d start by going inside the Cathedral itself to look directly up at the Last Judgement, which blew us away when we visited. Then we’d go down below the church to see the Crypt of Santa Reparata, followed by taking a look around the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (which we thought was the most underrated site).
Before continuing, we’d grab a late lunch. We ate at Mister Pizza (on the north side facing the Duomo) and it was awesome, but there’s countless great pizza, pasta, Tuscan, steak, you name it, spots all around this popular touristy area. After lunch we’d visit the Baptistry of St. John to see the gold mosaic ceiling, the marble floor and the gates of paradise. A lot of the octagonal structure was closed when we visited due to construction work, so we’d like to see it again properly.
Then it would be time to climb. We’d head up the 414 steps of Giotto’s Bell Tower first, which has several landings to rest on, but there’s not much to see. It’s all about getting to the top for close up views of the Cathedral Dome. At 5:30 PM, we’d start climbing the 463 steps to reach the top of the Dome for awesome 360-degree panoramic views over Florence and Tuscany.
Some of the climb was steep, narrow and enclosed so it might not be suitable for everyone. But it also included flat sections walking along interior balconies with close-up views of the Last Judgement fresco. It’s one of the most memorable things we did in Florence, so make sure you get that Brunelleschi Pass in advance.
Kristen’s top tour suggestions: If you don’t want to deal with tickets, time slots, or lines on day 1 – there are three excellent tours with Walks of Italy (the company we book tours with ourselves in Italy) to consider. First, this affordable guided tour covers David and just the Cathedral. Second, this top rated VIP guided tour has early entry to Accademia and exclusive terrace access at the Duomo Dome. They’re both excellent options for first-timers with different budgets. Or for a luxury alternative, this after hours guided tour of the Duomo gets you inside after they close to the public. It’s more expensive but sells out very quickly.
Grab Dinner In San Lorenzo (7:00 PM)
There’s honestly so many amazing places to eat dinner in Florence – it’s almost like there’s too many good options. For the first evening, we’d stick to the north side of the historic center because we’ll go central on day 2 and south on day 3. That’s nice for balance.
We ate a fantastic Tuscan-style meaty pasta dinner at the highly rated Il Vezzo (it wasn’t cheap and we booked in advance). And right around the corner we actually stopped in at The Corner Bar for a quick cocktail before going to bed.
How to change day 1: We’d happily do this day in reverse, with an early morning climb up Florence Cathedral Dome, the next few hours ticking off the rest of the Duomo, Mercato Centrale for lunch, Medici Chapel and then ending much later in the day at the Accademia. The museum is open until 6:50 PM and it only took us an hour and a half to get around, so this “reverse” route is totally doable. We can’t see any real advantage to doing it in reverse, but it keeps options open.
Day 2: Basilicas + Palazzo Vecchio
After sticking to the north side of Florence on the first day, and knowing the third day would be exploring the south side of the Arno (along with the Uffizi), that leaves us the rest of the historic center to explore on day 2. This would be a nice and easy day, all on foot, with a few churches and attractions while avoiding museum burnout. But mostly, today is about enjoying Florence’s fantastic food and drinks scene.
Visit The Basilica di Santa Maria Novella (9:00 AM)
We’d start the morning with delicious and affordable coffee and pastries at Gocce’s Bar (a hidden gem we found) on the way to the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella to see Giotto’s Crucifix and Masaccio’s Trinity, among other works. It costs €7.50/adult, and the church would be super peaceful when it opens at 9:00 AM. The grounds are lovely, but the inside is even better so it’s worth paying to go in.
After the church, we’d walk down Via delle Belle Donne to see the stunning Palazzo Strozzi courtyard (there was a temporary exhibit of a massive 3D photo frame when we visited), but we wouldn’t pay to go inside the art museum unless we were especially interested in ever-changing art installations. There’s enough museum action in our itinerary, so you have to pick your battles. One thing we must mention is don’t forget to look up when you’re standing in Palazzo Strozzi courtyard – it’s one of our favorite architecture photo spots in Florence.
Instead of losing more hours inside the art museum, we’d go to Caffe Concerto Paszkowski for a relaxing sit down coffee on the edges of Piazza della Repubblica and a bit of casual people watching. Then, after working up an appetite we’d walk a few minutes to the famous I’ Girone De’ Ghiotti for a truly exceptional sandwich. We had to stand in a huge line when it opened at 11:30 AM but it was worth the wait and the hype.
Explore The Museo Nazionale del Bargello (12:00 PM)
After eating our sandwiches, we’d walk a few more minutes along picturesque cobbled streets to the Museo Nazionale del Bargello. We’ll admit we almost didn’t do this museum (due to intense museum burnout from 3 weeks in Italy) but we’re so glad we powered through.
The palace housing the museum had beautiful architecture, the Renaissance sculptures inside included key works by Michelangelo and Donatello, it was super quiet, and it only cost us €10/adult. Basically any museum that isn’t called Accademia or Uffizi is quiet, regardless of the works inside.
Find Tombs In The Basilica di Santa Croce (2:00 PM)
Around an hour and a half later we’d leave the museum, walk a minutes east (Florence’s walkability factor is one of our favorite parts of visiting), arrive into the attractive Piazza di Santa Croce, and cross it to reach the striking Basilica di Santa Croce.
We’d pay €10/adult to go inside the church, then we’d find the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini, and other famous Florentine figures from history, like Dante Alighieri who we learned has a memorial inside the church but was actually buried in Ravenna. Next, we’d locate Giotto’s frescoes in the side chapels, and then we’d take a look around the cloisters and courtyards. This one was well worth paying for, so don’t miss it.
After leaving the basilica, we’d walk back across the square to Borgo dei Greci and go into Osteria San Fiorenzo to try out one of Florence’s famous wine windows (see our photo above). Although it’s overhyped on social media, we did think it was fun and unique to be served a glass of red through a small arch in a wall.
Go Up The Torre Di Arnolfo At Palazzo Vecchio (4:30 PM)
After our vino pitstop we’d continue west for another minute and arrive into the impressive Piazza della Signoria – for us, this was the most photogenic square in Florence and the Palazzo Vecchio is by far its standout building (it looks like a castle with a tall and narrow tower).
We’d spend the next few minutes admiring giant statues of Cosimo Medici, Neptune, Perseus with the head of Medusa, and a replica of David (which stands in the exact place the original used to be before it was moved to the Accademia) before going inside Palazzo Vecchio.
Looking back we should have paid €17.50/adult to actually go into the museum to see the historic rooms of Florence’s old government palace, but after spending 3 weeks in Italy we were getting to the end of our museum rope. It does look amazing inside though, so we would definitely do it at this point in the itinerary next time. And we’d pay €5/adult extra to do a guided tour.
So we skipped the museum during our visit, but we did pay €10/adult to climb 223 steps up the Torre di Arnolfo. This was from the same entrance as the museum, but we bought tickets separately online, and the tower was well worth doing for truly awesome views over Florence Duomo. We didn’t find a better place to take photos anywhere else in the city, so don’t skip this. The climb wasn’t too bad but there were narrow and steep sections, so it might not be suitable for everyone.
Eat Dinner In San Giovanni (7:00 PM)
After the tower we’d walk to the nearby Fontana del Porcellino to rub the snout of a bronze boar statue, which would apparently ensure our return to Florence. Let’s just say we didn’t need to rub anything – we already know we’ll be back again!
If our hotel was in the heart of Florence (like Hotel Calimala where we’ll likely stay next time), we’d head back for a quick change of clothes and then go straight back out for dinner somewhere super close by in San Giovanni – which is effectively the most central part of the historic center. Again, there’s tons of options but we like Ristorante Il Caminetto, Ristorante Steakhouse Auditore or La Tenda Rossa.
Mark’s top foodie tour: One thing we wish we did in Florence was a cooking class like this highly rated pasta making class which is super affordable and includes unlimited wine. Yes you read that right – unlimited wine! It lasts 3 hours, and has start times at 10:00 AM, 2:30 PM or even 6:30 PM which would work perfectly after Palazzo Vecchio in our itinerary.
Day 3: Uffizi, Pitti + Sunset
Our final day in Florence would be concentrated on the banks of the Arno and attractions on its trendy south side. This is yet another nice, easy, and slow walking-only day with just one major museum first thing in the morning.
See Renaissance Masterpieces In The Uffizi Gallery (8:15 AM)
After weeks of non-stop cappuccinos and pastries for breakfast, we needed a change for our last day in Italy back in 2022. So we scrolled around our Google Maps app and it took us less than 10 seconds to stumble across a highly rated American-style brunch spot called the Rooster Cafe on Via Porta Rossa. Waffles, pancakes, bacon, eggs – we were sold! It was exactly what we needed, so we’d go there again next time on our final morning in Florence.
But the brunch spot doesn’t open until 9:00 AM and we’d definitely pre-book Uffizi tickets for 8:15 AM right as it opened (tickets usually cost €25/adult but booking between 8:15 AM – 8:55 AM meant we got them discounted to €19/adult). Easy savings and fewer crowds, it’s a no brainer.
So instead we’d grab iced coffees from a corner shop to put us on, head out exploring Florence’s historic center with our cameras at dawn to get photos of the most popular buildings before anyone woke up, and then walk straight into the Uffizi Gallery at 8:15 AM with no line. This is exactly what we did in 2022 and we’d do it again. Seeing the city empty at dawn was so cool.
In the Accademia we felt it was all about David, but that wasn’t the case in the Uffizi Gallery. We thought it was a more balanced place to visit, with tons of Renaissance masterpieces by the likes of Botticelli, Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Raphael spread out across various rooms and corridors.
Three of the most famous works we prioritized seeing across our 2-hour visit to the Uffizi Gallery were the Birth of Venus by Botticelli, Annunciation by Da Vinci, and Medusa by Caravaggio. But the rest of the museum was just as great to see, and we also loved looking up at the decorated ceilings. If we had to choose between just one of Accademia or Uffizi next time, we’d probably do Uffizi.
Kristen’s short-on-time tip: If we only had one day in Florence and we wanted to see the top tourist sites, we would 100% book this Florence in a day tour with Walks of Italy. It takes in the Uffizi, Accademia, Duomo and tons more spots in 5 hours.
Walk Across The Famous Ponte Vecchio (11:30 AM)
Since our 2022 visit to Florence, the Vasari Corridor reopened to the public. It’s a private corridor that you can enter from inside the Uffizi Gallery and use to walk across the top of the Ponte Vecchio all the way to Boboli Gardens. It costs an extra €18 euros/adult on top of the Uffizi entry price, and we wouldn’t say it’s essential but it would be cool to walk where Florentine rulers once did for privacy and security.
Let’s assume we didn’t pay for the Vasari Corridor, we’d get back to ground level, exit Uffizi and track back a few minutes to grab that much needed brunch at Rooster Cafe. Fueled and recharged, we’d then slowly walk across the Ponte Vecchio, stopping to window-shop outside the many small jewelry stores. We felt a little bit conscious about watching our valuables more closely on the bridge, but gladly didn’t have any issues.
It was swarming with tourists and locals when we walked across at 11:30 AM, so we got to see the sharp contrast between empty from our sunrise walk around the city and jam-packed a little before lunch time. If we’re being honest, we preferred looking at the bridge rather than walking across it. We found tons of superb viewpoints to the east of the Ponte Vecchio, even as far as the next bridge along called the Ponte alle Grazie.
See Royal Apartments Inside Pitti Palace (12:30 PM)
After crossing to the south side of the Arno, we’d walk along the narrow Via de’Guicciardini past tons of shops and restaurants until reaching the massive Pitti Palace, which served as the Grand Ducal residence of the Medici (after Palazzo Vecchio). The Palazzo Pitti houses royal apartments and opulent rooms with paintings by Raphael, Titian and many more – but nothing that we’d call “unmissable”.
At this point we’d consider if we actually wanted to see more Renaissance paintings or not. Museum fatigue is real, and this is a classic place to “hit the wall” after already doing the Uffizi Gallery earlier in the morning. That said, we do think it was worth paying €22/adult for combination tickets to the Pitti Palace and adjoining Boboli Gardens (the nearby Bardini Gardens is included with the Boboli Gardens).
We found palace to be interesting from a historical standpoint more so than being blown away by artwork (we’d already seen so many paintings), and Boboli Gardens were relaxing to walk around but a little bit underwhelming. That said, we thought Bardini Gardens was a lovely surprise because it had lots of flowers and awesome city views – whereas Boboli Gardens were pretty dry and boring when we visited in May.
Mark’s insider tip: You can visit Pitti Palace alone for €16/adult if you’re not interested in the gardens. Skipping the gardens isn’t about saving €6/adult, it’s more about saving time for the next part of our itinerary.
Soak Up The Fun Vibe In Santo Spirito (3:00 PM)
After the palace, we’d walk a few minutes to Piazza Santo Spirito to soak up the lively atmosphere in Florence’s trendiest neighborhood. We’d find a spot in the piazza to sit down at a small table, order Aperol Spritz and snacks, and take a minute to relax or strike up a conversation with others on nearby tables. If we skipped the Pitti Palace, we’d come straight here instead and spend longer chilling out.
Next time we go to Florence we plan to spend more time eating and drinking in Santo Spirito. It’s a cool spot that gets very lively at night, but we’d be more interested in the daytime fun and then booking either this sunset food and wine tour with Viator or this sunset wine and food tour with Devour Tours closer to Pitti Palace – both have sky high ratings and look amazing.
Watch Sunset From Piazzale Michelangelo (6:00 PM)
After leaving Santo Spirito we’d grab a delicious ice cream at Il Gelato di Filo on the way up to Florence’s most famous sunset spot. Most people go straight up the main road and zig-zag steps but that’s a mistake. We walked through the Giardino delle Rose to reach Piazzale Michelangelo in 2022 and it was a really nice way to walk up to the square.
At the top of the garden, we’d walk up a sloping ramp to access the grand plaza which would be filled with a dozen or so souvenir stalls, lots of tour buses and swarms of people. We knew it would be a popular place, but it was a bit tackier than we expected to be honest.
We’d make sure we arrived well before sunset (check Florence’s sunset time), so we had time to escape the crowds and continue walking uphill to a spot we’d pegged on the map called Terrazza San Miniato, which was right outside the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte. And you know what? We had this amazing higher up viewpoint all to ourselves.
But we would want to do the actual sunset in the famous square, so we’d hustle back down to set our tripod up at Belvedere Franco Zeffirelli and capture serene photos of Florence as the sun slowly set over the city.
After a collective gasp and cheer, the crowds would quickly clear out and we’d walk back across the Ponte alle Grazie to take a night photo of the Ponte Vecchio. Then we’d end our trip with a tasty dinner and bottle of red at Bisteccheria Santa Croce in the lively Piazza Santa Croce. That would be dinner and drinks in three different Florence neighborhoods for variety.
Florence Itinerary Map
Map key:
- Red – Day 1
- Purple – Day 2
- Orange – Day 3
How to use this map: Click the map above to activate, zoom in and out, and tap any icon to see more information. See a list of all attractions by clicking the arrow icon in the top left, or see a full version of the map by clicking the “view larger map” icon in the top right. When you’re in Florence you can open the map, tap the next place you want to visit and get directions. Stops for each day on the map are listed in order, so you can easily follow the route.
How to save this map: Click the small star next to the map title – this will add the map to your Google account. Open your Google Maps app, tap “saved”, then tap “maps” and open this map.
Tuscany Day 3: The Alternative Itinerary
Okay, but what if we only had three days in Florence and simply couldn’t miss those dreamy Tuscan rolling hills, cypress trees, wineries and rural farms from the movies. Well, we think it’s easy enough to condense our very slow 3-day itinerary above into two longer, more action packed days with a few cuts that wouldn’t be the end of the world. That would free up a third day for Tuscany.
Now, in an ideal world we’d leave Rome, rent a car and drive through Tuscany ourselves on the way to Florence. That would be the most efficient way to do it, and it would allow us to stop at all the places we wanted to see like Montepulciano, Pienza, Val d’Orcia, Montalcino, Siena, Monterigioni, Chianti, San Gimignano and Panzano. But if our trip was just to Florence, or we were only traveling through Italy by train, we’d have to figure out a way to see Tuscany from our Florence hotel in one day.
First, here’s how we’d condense Florence’s top attractions into 2 action-packed days (effectively combining attractions from days 1 and 2 in our main 3 day itinerary above, then leaving day 3 the same):
Day 1:
- Start with the Accademia as it opens
- Walk around Mercato Centrale
- See the Medici Chapels
- Go inside the Duomo (skip extra sites)
- Visit the Basilica di Santa Croce
- Go up the Palazzo Vecchio tower
Day 2:
- Start with the Uffizi as it opens
- Walk across the Ponte Vecchio
- See Pitti Palace and both gardens
- Do sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
- Or do a sunset food and wine tour
Now, as for exploring Tuscany from Florence, the main thing we’d need to decide is whether we’d hire a car or not. If we decided to rent a car, we wouldn’t pick it up at Santa Maria Novella station because there’s a risk of getting fines from driving in the ZTL (historic center). Instead we’d hire a car in Novoli where there’s no risk of fines. And to reach Novoli we’d take a quick tram or taxi from our hotel.
With the car, we’d drive to Panzano, Chianti, Siena, Monterigioni and San Gimignano for a nice, easy and short loop with potential for stops at wineries and farmhouses with cooking classes. This would give us flexibility, but one of us wouldn’t be able to drink much wine and we’d have to figure out where to go and which wineries to visit so there’d be more planning involved.
The alternative would be saving the money we’d spend on a hire car and spending it on a guided food or wine tour instead. There’s a bunch of fantastic stress-free tour options that take car of all the driving, explaining and feeding. It would depend on the sort of trip we were taking or the goals we had, but we do like the sound of kicking back, relaxing and letting someone else do the work while we learn, eat and drink. Especially when it’s going to cost a similar amount of money as a hire car would.
Here are some of the top rated food and wine tours that we’d definitely consider doing in Tuscany:
Pizza/Pasta Class at Tuscan Farm – 6 hour tour including 3 course meal, wine or beer, transport and recipes to take home. It has near perfect reviews and looks amazing.
Tuscany full day trip – This top rated small group full day guided tour with Walks of Italy focuses on the core Tuscan areas of Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti. It looks brilliant.
Tuscany Wine Tasting Experience – 4 hour tour to 2 wineries in Chianti. Tour cellars, eat cheese and bruschetta, drink wine. Top rated and has morning or afternoon start times.
Essence of Chianti – 8 hour tour to 3 wineries in Chianti. Includes lunch, Tuscan specialties and a stop in Greve. This one is a bit more expensive but it looks fantastic.
Any of these tours would be the perfect way to combine a condensed Florence itinerary with a day spent in Tuscany’s rolling hills. A lot of the travel planning calls Mark does with people heading to Italy end up with long discussions on how best to fit Tuscany in. It’s logistically awkward, while having a kind of dreamy aura that few other places have in Italy. Will you try to see Tuscany or stick with the city of Florence?
What You Need To Know
Attraction closures: The Duomo is closed on Sundays, and both the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery are closed on Mondays. Other attractions also close on different days of the week so make sure you check and plan accordingly. Ideally, don’t plan to visit Florence on a Monday, but if you do, remember that it could be a good day to take your Tuscany day trip.
Buying tickets in advance: You must book tickets to those same three top attractions well in advance before you arrive in Florence. If you don’t, best case is you’ll wait in a long line and worst case is you won’t be able to do them at all. We almost missed out on seeing the Duomo because we weren’t organized enough.
Crowds: Early mornings and late afternoons are better times to do Uffizi and Accademia. We would actively avoid arriving any time between 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. The Duomo is different because it has six different sites and limited daily tickets.
Museum pass: It might be worth considering a FirenzeCard museum pass if you plan to visit tons of museums, palaces and churches. It costs a hefty €85/adult but it lasts for 3 days and could save you money overall, but only if you really want to go to town on museums.
Physical demands: Florence’s historic center is small, walkable and totally achievable. It’s one of our absolute favorite things about the city. There’s no need to get a single train, bus, tram or taxi as long as you’re happy with short walks. We didn’t even get a taxi from the train station to our hotel because it was only 10 minutes walk away.
Dining: We usually recommend booking restaurants in advance – and we still do for Florence – but it’s not as important here because there are genuinely so many fantastic eateries with high ratings and reviews. Next time, we’ll maybe plan and reserve half our meals, then walk the streets and stumble into a place that looks lively and full of locals for the other half.
Next Steps
We he hope our itinerary helps with planning your trip to Florence.
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments box below, and don’t forget we create personalized Italy itineraries with travelers who want to make the most of their time. See our reviews and packages.
Still researching for your trip?
- Here are the top things to do in Florence.
- These are the best places to stay in Florence.
- Here’s how to see Florence Cathedral.
- How to spend 2 weeks in Italy.
- These are the places you can’t miss in Italy.
- Here’s how to spend 10 days on the Amalfi Coast.
- Don’t miss these top attractions in Rome.
- Read our action packed 4 days in Rome itinerary.
- Here’s what to do in Capri.
Finally, if you’ll be visiting more places on the same trip, we recommend reading our Italy travel guide for helpful tips and advice.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.