2 days in Florence

Day by day

1. Day 1: Florence Cathedral (Duomo) and Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

   Florence Cathedral (Duomo), Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Uffizi Gallery and Galleria dell'Accademia, then Piazza della Signoria and Loggia dei Lanzi in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Florence Cathedral (Duomo)

      The nave is free to enter; the dome climb (463 steps, passing close to Vasari's Last Judgement frescoes), Giotto's bell tower, the Baptistery and the cathedral museum are covered by combined passes.

   2. Late morning

      Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

      A full-height reconstruction of the cathedral's medieval facade fills the main hall.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bistecca alla fiorentina

      Traditional trattorias and steakhouses across the centre and the Oltrarno; check the price per etto (100 g) or per kilo before ordering.

   4. Afternoon

      Uffizi Gallery

      The corridor windows frame views of the Ponte Vecchio and the Arno.

   5. Late afternoon

      Galleria dell'Accademia

      The approach is lined with Michelangelo's unfinished Prisoners, figures half-emerging from the stone, and the gallery also holds a collection of historic musical instruments.

   6. Evening

      Piazza della Signoria and Loggia dei Lanzi

      Come back after dinner, when the statues are floodlit and the tour groups have gone.

2. Day 2: Ponte Vecchio and Piazzale Michelangelo

   Ponte Vecchio, Piazzale Michelangelo, Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti, then Piazza Santo Spirito in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Ponte Vecchio

      The Vasari Corridor, the Medici's private passage between the Palazzo Vecchio and the Pitti Palace, runs along its upper level. It was the only Florentine bridge left standing by retreating German troops in 1944.

   2. Late morning

      Piazzale Michelangelo

      It is free and busiest at sunset. Walk up from San Niccolò by the Rampe del Poggi stairs, or take bus 12 or 13.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Lampredotto

      Tripe carts (trippai) around the city, including near the Mercato Centrale, Sant'Ambrogio market and the Mercato Nuovo loggia; ask for the bun dipped in broth ('bagnato').

   4. Afternoon

      Palazzo Vecchio

      Inside, the vast Salone dei Cinquecento is lined with Vasari's battle scenes, and the Medici apartments include the Hall of Geographical Maps with its painted map cabinets and huge globe. The Arnolfo Tower climb gives a close-up view of the cathedral dome.

   5. Late afternoon

      Palazzo Pitti

      It is usually far less crowded than the Uffizi, and multi-day combined tickets cover the Uffizi, the Pitti and the Boboli Gardens.

   6. Evening

      Piazza Santo Spirito

      The church steps and surrounding bars fill on warm evenings with students, locals and visitors; one of the liveliest squares in the city.

Before you go

• Florence Cathedral (Duomo): Dome climbs need a timed reservation that sells out days ahead in spring and summer; book on the official Duomo site.
• Uffizi Gallery: Timed tickets are strongly advised from spring to autumn; buy them on the official Uffizi site rather than from resellers.
• Galleria dell'Accademia: Timed tickets avoid queues that stretch along Via Ricasoli for an hour or more in high season.

If it rains

• Swap in Basilica of Santa Croce (Santa Croce): Leave time for the museum off the cloister, where Cimabue's Crucifix, badly damaged in the 1966 flood, shows how high the Arno rose.
• Swap in Bargello National Museum (Santa Croce): Go when the Uffizi and Accademia queues are at their longest; the Bargello is rarely crowded and sits between the Duomo and Santa Croce.
• Swap in Medici Chapels (San Lorenzo): Visit at opening, then step across to the Mercato Centrale for an early lunch.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 14–19 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.9 hours in December to 15.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Almost every sight in the centre is within a 25-minute walk, and the riverside Lungarni link the bridges.

More or fewer days

• One day in Florence
• 3 days in Florence
• 4 days in Florence
• 5 days in Florence
• 7 days in Florence

Questions travellers ask