Free things to do · Florence · Italy
5 free things to do in Florence
Florence without the ticket prices: sights, walks and views that cost nothing.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
You can fill at least 2 days in Florence without paying an entry fee: Ponte Vecchio, Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza della Signoria and Loggia dei Lanzi and San Miniato al Monte are all free. Italian state museums, including the Uffizi and the Accademia, usually take part in free-entry days such as the first Sunday of the month; expect very long queues.
Key facts
- Free sights in this guide
- 5
- Low-cost extras
- 9
- Cost level
- Expensive
- Lowest hotel prices
- January–February and November
Free sights and experiences
Landmark · Arno riverfront
1.Ponte Vecchio
Photograph it from the Ponte Santa Trinita one bridge downstream at sunset, and cross it early in the morning before the shutters open.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Photo spot
- Shopping
- History
Viewpoint · San Niccolò
2.Piazzale Michelangelo
Continue five minutes uphill to San Miniato al Monte for the same view with far fewer people.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Iconic
- Kids
Historic site · Piazza della Signoria
3.Piazza della Signoria and Loggia dei Lanzi
Come back after dinner, when the statues are floodlit and the tour groups have gone.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- History
- After dark
- Iconic
Religious site · San Niccolò
4.San Miniato al Monte
Arrive for the late-afternoon chant, then walk down to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Couples
Religious site · Oltrarno
5.Basilica of Santo Spirito
Visit in the morning, then browse the stalls on the piazza and have coffee on its benches.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- Art
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Free sights by area
| Area | Free sights | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Arno riverfront | Ponte Vecchio | 30 minutes |
| San Niccolò | Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte | 1 hour + 45 minutes |
| Piazza della Signoria | Piazza della Signoria and Loggia dei Lanzi | 30–45 minutes |
| Oltrarno | Basilica of Santo Spirito | 30–45 minutes |
Worth a small ticket
Garden · Oltrarno
Boboli Gardens
Wear proper shoes for the steep gravel paths and head for the top terrace by the Porcelain Museum for the widest view.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Views
- Couples
Religious site · Santa Croce
Basilica of 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.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Museum · Santa Croce
Bargello National Museum
Go when the Uffizi and Accademia queues are at their longest; the Bargello is rarely crowded and sits between the Duomo and Santa Croce.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · San Lorenzo
Medici Chapels
Visit at opening, then step across to the Mercato Centrale for an early lunch.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Religious site · Santa Maria Novella
Santa Maria Novella
Around the corner on Via della Scala, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, founded by Dominican friars, is worth a look for its frescoed sales rooms.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Uffizi riverfront
Museo Galileo
Use it as the rainy-afternoon option near the Uffizi, then walk the Lungarno to the Ponte Vecchio.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Off the beaten path
Market · San Lorenzo
Mercato Centrale
Shop downstairs in the morning when the traders are busiest, then eat upstairs, which stays open into the evening.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · San Marco
Museo di San Marco
Combine it with the Accademia in one morning; the two are a short walk apart on Piazza San Marco.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Garden · San Niccolò
Bardini Garden
Time a spring visit for the wisteria, usually late April to early May, and come early on a weekday for some quiet.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
More ways to save
- Italian state museums, including the Uffizi and the Accademia, usually take part in free-entry days such as the first Sunday of the month; expect very long queues.
- Make one meal a day a lampredotto or schiacciata from a cart or bakery and save the sit-down meal for the other.
- Standing at the bar for coffee costs less than table service, especially on Piazza della Signoria and Piazza della Repubblica.
- Stay in San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella or Sant'Ambrogio for better-value rooms within a 15-minute walk of the Duomo.
- Florence charges a nightly tourist tax per person on top of the room rate, payable at the hotel; include it in your budget.
- Many highlights cost nothing: the Duomo nave, San Miniato, Santo Spirito, Piazza della Signoria and Piazzale Michelangelo.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Florence expensive to visit?
Florence is expensive for most visitors, but 5 of its best-known sights are free, which makes a tight budget workable.
+What is the best free thing to do in Florence?
Ponte Vecchio: Photograph it from the Ponte Santa Trinita one bridge downstream at sunset, and cross it early in the morning before the shutters open.