7 days in Florence

Day by day

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

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

   1. Morning

      Florence Cathedral (Duomo)

      Piazza del Duomo · Half a day with the climbs · mid-priced. Dome climbs need a timed reservation that sells out days ahead in spring and summer; book on the official Duomo site.

   2. Late morning

      Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

      Piazza del Duomo · 1.5–2 hours · mid-priced.

   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. 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: Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Vecchio

   Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Vecchio, then Piazza Santo Spirito in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Uffizi Gallery

      Piazza della Signoria · 3–4 hours · mid-priced. Timed tickets are strongly advised from spring to autumn; buy them on the official Uffizi site rather than from resellers.

   2. Late morning

      Palazzo Vecchio

      Piazza della Signoria · 1.5–2 hours · mid-priced.

   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. 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.

3. Day 3: Galleria dell'Accademia and Museo di San Marco

   Galleria dell'Accademia and Museo di San Marco, then Santa Croce and Sant'Ambrogio in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Galleria dell'Accademia

      San Marco · 1–1.5 hours · mid-priced. Timed tickets avoid queues that stretch along Via Ricasoli for an hour or more in high season.

   2. Late morning

      Museo di San Marco

      San Marco · 1 hour · low cost.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ribollita

      Family-run trattorias from about October to March, especially in Santa Croce, Sant'Ambrogio and San Frediano.

   4. Evening

      Santa Croce and Sant'Ambrogio

      Cocktail bars and pubs along Via de' Benci and Via Ghibellina, and wine bars around Piazza Sant'Ambrogio.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Siena

   About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus each way. Getting there: Express bus or regional train from Florence.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Siena

      About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus (Express bus or regional train from Florence); about 75 km.

   2. Day

      Siena

      The Palio horse race takes over the Campo on 2 July and 16 August, when the town is packed.

   3. Evening

      Back in Florence

      Dinner: try Schiacciata.

5. Day 5: Ponte Vecchio and Piazzale Michelangelo

   Ponte Vecchio and Piazzale Michelangelo, then San Niccolò in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Ponte Vecchio

      Arno riverfront · 30 minutes · free.

   2. Late morning

      Piazzale Michelangelo

      San Niccolò · 1 hour · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Schiacciata

      Bakeries (forni) across the city; the sandwich shops on Via dei Neri behind the Uffizi draw long lunchtime queues.

   4. Evening

      San Niccolò

      A string of small bars and restaurants below Piazzale Michelangelo, busy on summer nights.

6. Day 6: Day trip to Pisa

   About 1 hour by train each way. Getting there: Regional train from Santa Maria Novella to Pisa San Rossore or Pisa Centrale.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Pisa

      About 1 hour by train (Regional train from Santa Maria Novella to Pisa San Rossore or Pisa Centrale); about 85 km.

   2. Day

      Pisa

      The tower climb is by timed ticket; the rest of the city, along the Arno and around Borgo Stretto, is quieter and pleasant for lunch.

   3. Evening

      Back in Florence

      Dinner: try Crostini di fegatini.

7. Day 7: San Miniato al Monte and Bardini Garden

   San Miniato al Monte and Bardini Garden, then San Frediano in the evening.

   1. Morning

      San Miniato al Monte

      San Niccolò · 45 minutes · free.

   2. Late morning

      Bardini Garden

      San Niccolò · 1 hour · low cost.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Crostini di fegatini

      Any traditional trattoria, usually as part of an antipasto toscano.

   4. Evening

      San Frediano

      Natural-wine bars and craft-beer pubs in the western Oltrarno with a local, unhurried crowd.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Florence Cathedral (Duomo), Uffizi Gallery and Galleria dell'Accademia before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 7 nights, Duomo and Piazza della Signoria keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Oltrarno and Santo Spirito ($$$) suits couples, food lovers, nightlife and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–19 hours of visiting over 7 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.

More or fewer days

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

Questions travellers ask