One day 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)

      If the dome slots are gone, climb Giotto's bell tower instead: it has 414 steps, landings to rest on and a view that includes the dome itself. Allow Half a day with the climbs.

   2. Late morning

      Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

      It is included in every Duomo combined pass and is the calmest part of the complex, so give it as much time as the climbs. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   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

      Take the first entry slot, go straight to the Botticelli rooms on the second floor, then work through the later collections as the crowds build. Allow 3–4 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Galleria dell'Accademia

      Book the first or last slot of the day; the gallery is small, and an hour is enough once you are inside. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   6. Evening

      Piazza della Signoria and Loggia dei Lanzi

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

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 Palazzo Pitti (Oltrarno): Pair it with the Boboli Gardens on the same visit; the garden entrance is through the palace courtyard.
• 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.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–12 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Florence
• 3 days in Florence
• 4 days in Florence
• 5 days in Florence
• 7 days in Florence

Questions travellers ask