Travel guide · Italy
Florence travel guide
Renaissance masterpieces, Brunelleschi's dome and Tuscan food on foot
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Giorgio Galeotti, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
Florence fits the Duomo, the Uffizi, Michelangelo's David and the Ponte Vecchio into a historic centre you can cross on foot in about 25 minutes. Most visitors stay between Santa Maria Novella station and Santa Croce, with the Oltrarno across the Arno for artisan workshops, the bars of Piazza Santo Spirito and the Pitti Palace. The big Renaissance collections reward booking ahead, while San Miniato, Fiesole and the Chianti hills are a short bus ride or drive away. Plan 4 days for a first visit; the best months are April–May and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- Italy
- Best time to visit
- April–May and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 4 days
- Main airports
- FLR, PSA, BLQ
- Mid-range daily budget
- $180–$320 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Renaissance art, Brunelleschi's dome, Michelangelo's David and Ponte Vecchio
Why visit Florence
- The Uffizi, the Accademia and the Bargello hold Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's David and Donatello's bronze David within a 15-minute walk of each other.
- Brunelleschi's dome, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery stand together on Piazza del Duomo, and you can climb both the dome and the campanile.
- Tuscan food is simple and seasonal: lampredotto from street carts, ribollita in winter and bistecca alla fiorentina shared between two or more.
- Siena, Pisa, Lucca and the Chianti wine country are all day trips by train, bus or car.
- Some of the best moments are free: Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset, San Miniato al Monte and the open-air sculpture of the Loggia dei Lanzi.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 20 things to do.
Religious site · Piazza del Duomo
Florence Cathedral (Duomo)
Santa Maria del Fiore's red-brick dome, engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi and completed in the 1430s, is still the largest masonry dome ever built.
- Time needed
- Half a day with the climbs
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Views
- History
- Kids
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Museum · Piazza della Signoria
Uffizi Gallery
The Medici's former government offices hold one of the world's great collections of Italian Renaissance painting: Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo's Annunciation, Michelangelo's Doni Tondo, Titian's Venus of Urbino and a room of Caravaggios.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
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Museum · San Marco
Galleria dell'Accademia
Michelangelo's David, carved from a single block of marble between 1501 and 1504, stands more than five metres tall beneath a skylit tribune designed for it in the late 19th century.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
Landmark · Arno riverfront
Ponte Vecchio
Florence's oldest bridge, rebuilt after a flood in 1345, has been lined with goldsmiths' and jewellers' shops since the Medici evicted the butchers in the 1590s.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Photo spot
- Shopping
- History
Viewpoint · San Niccolò
Piazzale Michelangelo
This terrace above the south bank looks across the whole city, from the dome and the Palazzo Vecchio tower to the hills of Fiesole, with a bronze copy of David in the middle.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Iconic
- Kids
Historic site · Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria and Loggia dei Lanzi
Florence's civic square is an open-air sculpture gallery: a copy of Michelangelo's David at the Palazzo Vecchio door, Ammannati's Neptune Fountain and, under the arches of the Loggia dei Lanzi, Cellini's bronze Perseus and Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- After dark
- Iconic
Where to stay
Duomo and Piazza della Signoria is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples and culture
Duomo and Piazza della Signoria
The historic core between the cathedral, the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, food lovers and solo travellers
Santa Croce
Franciscan basilica, leather workshops and late-opening bars east of the centre
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, nightlife and culture
Oltrarno and Santo Spirito
Artisan workshops, a church square full of bars and the Pitti Palace across the river
$$ · Best for food lovers, couples, quiet stays and budget
San Frediano
Old working-class streets turned wine bars and craft shops near Porta San Frediano
What to eat
- Bistecca alla fiorentina — A thick T-bone steak, traditionally from Chianina or other Tuscan cattle, grilled over wood or charcoal, served very rare and seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil.
- Lampredotto — The fourth stomach of the cow, slow-cooked in broth with tomato, onion and celery, sliced into a crusty roll and topped with salsa verde and chilli oil.
- Ribollita — A thick 'reboiled' soup of bread, cannellini beans, cavolo nero and vegetables, made the day before and reheated.
- Schiacciata — Florence's flat, olive-oil-rich bread, salty and crisp at the edges, is split and filled with finocchiona, pecorino, truffle cream or grilled vegetables to make the city's favourite sandwich.
- Crostini di fegatini — Toasted bread spread with a coarse pâté of chicken livers, capers, anchovy and Vin Santo, the standard opening to a Tuscan meal alongside salumi and pecorino.
- Finocchiona and Tuscan salumi — Finocchiona is a soft pork salami flavoured with wild fennel seed, served with prosciutto toscano, pecorino and Tuscany's traditional unsalted bread.
When to go
The best months for Florence are April, May, September and October, when days are warm enough for the viewpoints and gardens and the summer heat has not yet set in or has eased. June to August is hot and crowded; November to February is cool, damp and much quieter, with the shortest museum queues and lowest hotel prices.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Blossom, wisteria and irises in the gardens, comfortable walking temperatures and the Easter Scoppio del Carro; busy from Easter onwards. |
| Summer | June–August | Long, hot evenings, Calcio Storico and open-air events, but peak crowds, the highest prices and heat that makes midday sightseeing hard. |
| Autumn | September–November | Grape and olive harvests, mushrooms and truffles on menus and settled September weather; November is the wettest month. |
| Winter | December–February | Cold, sometimes frosty days, the lowest hotel prices and the easiest access to the Uffizi and the Accademia, plus Christmas lights in December. |
Getting there and around
Florence Airport (Peretola) is about 5 km north-west of the centre; the T2 tram reaches Piazza dell'Unità beside Santa Maria Novella in about 20 minutes, and a taxi takes 20–25 minutes. Pisa Airport, about 85 km away, has more international flights: take the Pisa Mover to Pisa Centrale and then a train to Florence (about an hour), or a direct coach. Bologna Airport is roughly an hour away by airport shuttle and high-speed train.
The historic centre is compact and flat, so walking is the main way to get around: Santa Maria Novella station to the Duomo takes about 10 minutes, and the Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio about 7. Buses and two tram lines cover the airport, the outskirts and the hills, and most of the centre is a limited traffic zone (ZTL) closed to visitors' cars.
Plan your days
Two full days covers the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Accademia and an evening at Piazzale Michelangelo. Four days adds the Pitti Palace, the Oltrarno and a day trip to Siena or Pisa; a week lets you use Florence as a base for Chianti, Lucca and San Gimignano.
Practical information
- Currency
- EUR
- Language
- Italian
- Plugs
- Type C, F and L sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink, and public fontanelli fountains dispense free chilled still and sparkling water.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected in Italy.
Florence is generally safe for visitors, but pickpockets work the buses, the station, the Duomo square and the Ponte Vecchio. Watch for petition and friendship-bracelet tricks around the major sights, and in summer take the heat seriously: carry water and avoid long walks at midday.
Flights to Florence
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Florence?
Two full days covers the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Accademia and an evening at Piazzale Michelangelo. Four days adds the Pitti Palace, the Oltrarno and a day trip to Siena or Pisa; a week lets you use Florence as a base for Chianti, Lucca and San Gimignano. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Florence?
The best months for Florence are April, May, September and October, when days are warm enough for the viewpoints and gardens and the summer heat has not yet set in or has eased. June to August is hot and crowded; November to February is cool, damp and much quieter, with the shortest museum queues and lowest hotel prices.
+What is Florence known for?
Renaissance art, Brunelleschi's dome, Michelangelo's David, Ponte Vecchio, Bistecca alla fiorentina, Leather goods and Chianti wine. The Uffizi, the Accademia and the Bargello hold Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's David and Donatello's bronze David within a 15-minute walk of each other.
+Is Florence expensive?
Florence is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $180–$320 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Florence?
No. Cars are barred from the historic-centre ZTL without a permit and cameras issue fines automatically. Hire a car only for Chianti and the Tuscan countryside, and collect it at the airport or on the edge of the city.