Last updated on June 27th, 2023 at 03:36 pm

In the heart of Tuscany lies this medieval city, the birth town of the Renaissance. Florence knows how to charm a person. Hands down, it’s one of our favorite cities in Italy, and in this post, we want to share things that you should not miss in Florence.

We were fascinated by Florentine medieval cobbled streets boasting top retail brands of the 21st century. I couldn’t help but imagine Michelangelo walking past these streets as we pass by Michael Kors. To add to the charm, Florentine people were some of the friendliest we’d met in Italy, and the food was beyond delicious. 

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How many days to spend in Florence?

In our opinion, you need at least 2-3 days to see the top attractions in Florence. But add more days if you want to take a day trip from Florence to Bologna or Siena or the Tuscan countryside or perhaps a half-day trip from Florence to Pisa while you are there.

Click here for some suggested itineraries around Italy.

Related: Important travel tips you must know before going to Italy

Best time to Visit Florence?

As a norm, Europe gets flooded with tourists in the summer. We prefer to avoid summers in Europe for that reason. Ideally, shoulder seasons such as spring or fall makes for a perfect time to visit Florence.

We visited Florence and the rest of Itlay in the winter i.e. January. As apprehensive as we were in the beginning, we can certainly say that the non-peak season of winter also makes for a wonderful time to visit Florence. In fact, it’s a great time to visit Italy in general since it doesn’t get super cold unless you are in the mountains. 

Related: Learn basic Italian words and phrases 

How to Get to Florence?

Trains: Italian cities are very well connected by trains, Trenitalia is their official train website. Firenze Santa Maria Novella is the main train station in Florence We booked our tickets online but it’s not very difficult to get tickets at the train station if you are traveling in non-peak season. TIP: Keep an eye on your luggage at all times in Italy, there have been cases of stolen luggage in Italian trains.

On that note, train travel in Europe is very convenient to see multiple cities and countries.  

Cars: We’ve heard from a few friends that they’ve thoroughly enjoyed a road trip through Italy. Personally, we went with the trains to be efficient on time. In our 2 weeks in Italy, we wanted to see as much of the country as possible. Someday when we return we would love to drive a Fiat through Italy, or maybe an Alfa Romeo? 

What to see & do in Florence

Finally to our favorite part since we can’t stop raving about how amazing Florence is. PS: We both are big-time history buffs and Renaissance period have been our favorite from history lessons in school. TIP: Best way to see Florence is by walking since everything in the historic district of Florence is so close to each other.

So let’s jump into what to see in Florence starting with Cathedrals to Museums to famous landmarks/ picturesque spots and ending at shopping in Florence.

Piazza del Duomo

The most famous piazza or square in Florence is home to 3 very important structures which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site –

1. Cathedral de Santa Maria del Fiore a.k.a The Duomo 

Brunelleschi, a famous goldsmith at the time, won the competition to be the lead architect of the most sorted after Dome in Florence. It’s FREE to enter the cathedral. However, if you want to go inside the Baptistery or climb on top of the Duomo or Bell Tower then you will have to purchase the Museum ticket which includes all three entries. 

TIP: As any European tower climb, these stairs are extremely narrow and circular so keep that in mind in case you are claustrophobic.   

Did anyone watch Medici: Master of Florence on Netflix? It’s a great show if you like period drama. You’ll actually get to see how the city of Florence got built amongst other political things. Fun Fact: The dome of Pantheon in Rome is said to be an inspiration to Brunelleschi for his dome in Florence.

2. Baptistery di San Giovanni

Most people skip the Baptistery of San Giovanni which in our opinion was a hidden gem, just see the photos below.  Highly recommend seeing this for its brilliant golden ceiling fresco, also if you’ve read Inferno you’d want to check this out!

Another attraction is the golden door of the Baptistery facing the Cathedral. Fun Fact: It is said that Michaelangelo, the master himself, was so impressed by this door carving that he called them “the doors to Paradise”. What we see today is a replica of the original door. 

3. Campanile di Giotto a.k.a Giotto’s Bell Tower

The entrance fee for the top of Duomo, Baptistery, and Belltower is included in one ticket and costs €15. The best part is that this ticket is valid for 24 hrs so you can spread the two staircase climbs (Duomo and Bell Tower) in two days. 

La Basilica di Santa Croce

Santa Croce Basilica was a last minute addition to our itinerary and so glad we did. Why? This is where we saw the tombs of legends. Legends like Galileo, Michelangelo, and many other Renaissance artists. You have no reason to miss it, it’s a short walk from Duomo and Uffizi.

FUN FACT: This is also where you’ll find a strikingly similar Statue of Liberty, perhaps the first ever Lady Liberty. The only thing missing here is the tomb of their very own Firenze born Dante. The entrance fee is about €6. Since this was a last minute addition, we bought the ticket in person but if you want to reserve online you can do it at their official site.

Uffizi Gallery

Uffizi Gallery holds some of the best of Renaissance artwork which you cannot and should not miss. I recommend booking your time slot in advance. The entrance fee is €12 for full entry. For online ticket reservations, go to B-ticket website which is the official museum ticket site. Once you make the payment you will get an email, save that email as a proof to collect tickets at the entrance.

Uffizi is closed on Mondays so plan accordingly.

Galleria dell’ Accademia

Go to Galleria to see “The David”, as there isn’t much besides that. We honestly underestimated Michelangelo’s statue of David from the David and Goliath story. It is much larger and detailed than we imagined.

This masterpiece is so close to a real human if it wasn’t for the white marble. We recommend booking this time slot also in advance. The entrance fee for full ticket is €16.50. Galleria is closed on Mondays so plan accordingly. For online ticket reservations, go to B-ticket website which is the official museum ticket site. Once you make the payment you will get an email, save that email as a proof to collect tickets at the entrance.

FUN FACT: David’s right hand is larger than the rest of his body as it was carved by Michelangelo out of a single block of flawed unwanted marble. 

Museo Casa di Dante

Have you read Dan Brown’s Inferno? No, have you heard the old poem The Divine Comedy? Yes, then you have heard of Dante Alighieri, the famous Italian poet active in the early Renaissance period. FUN FACT: Florence was the birthplace and home of Dante until unfortunate political events got him exiled from his beloved city forever.

The house where Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 is now turned into a Museum. Dante’s House Museum is closed on Mondays so plan accordingly.

Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Garden

Pitti Palace was the official residence of Florence’s famous banker family – The Medici’s in the 16th and 17th century. Pitti Palace has four museums and the entrance fee is €16 for a full ticket. 

Behind the Pitti Palace is the Boboli Garden whose entrance fee is €10 for a full ticket. For online ticket reservations, go to B-ticket website which is the official museum ticket site. Once you make the payment you will get an email, save that email as a proof to collect tickets at the entrance. We missed seeing these two because we only had 2 days! 

Palazzo Vecchio at Piazza Della Signoria 

Palazzo Vecchio is an actual working government office town hall of Florence which also holds a small museum and is famous for its hall of 500 exhibiting some of the finest work of artist Vasari. FUN FACT: Piazza della Signoria was where Michaelangelo’s famous David was originally inaugurated in 1504.

At Palazzo Vecchio’s entrance is a replica of David’s statue where the original use to reside many years ago. The original David statue has now been moved to Academia Galleria. 

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio, the oldest standing bridge from medieval times over Arno river, makes for a romantic walk. For a picturesque view of Ponte Vecchio walk to one of the adjacent bridges. A perfect spot to capture a beautiful sunset. It’s FREE to walk across the bridge.

Piazzale Michelangelo

You cannot return from Florence without seeing this postcard view of Florence at Piazzale Michelangelo. Located on top of a hill providing an aerial view of the city, another great sunset spot! If you are in a mood to hike then take the park stairs up to Pizzale Michelangelo.

SHOPPING AT San Lorenzo Leather Market

This famous leather shopping market in Florence is open 9am to 7pm from Tuesday to Saturday. If you are not a supporter of real leather then prepare yourself since you will see a lot of it in Florence.

We went to San Lorenzo market to buy souvenirs or small gifts but for quality leather shopping, I’d not recommend this local market. We ended up buying leather passport covers, a cross body purse as you see hanging in the 2nd photo (I quite like that) and leather belts. Bargaining was common in this market.

For premium quality leather stuff go to one of the many local boutique leather showrooms in old town Florence and be ready to pay a premium price as well. 

Where to Stay in Florence?

We stayed at Stanze del David Place, a lovely boutique hotel which is just 5 minutes walk from Piazza del Duomo. In fact, everything was within 10-15 minutes walk from where we stayed.  Wherever you choose to stay in Florence, make sure you stay in the historical center or old town of Florence which is easily walkable.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post.

Where to Eat?

• Ristorante Paoli
• La Giostra Florence
• Taverna Divina Commedia
• Ristorante il Caminetto
• Gelato where ever possible!

FUN FACT: Did you know the famous cartoon character Pinnochio was born in Italy. Carlo Collodi, the creator of Pinnochio was a Florentine 🙂

We really hope this comprehensive guide comes handy in your Florentine trip planning. If you liked this post then do share with family and friends!

Happy Traveling!