We were buzzing with anticipation as our train pulled into Florence station – our itinerary was jam-packed and we knew the next 3 days were going to be so much fun. Looking back we think our expectations were unfairly high, but the City of Flowers more than lived up to its enormous hype.
Let’s clear a few things up. Yes, 3 days is enough time for a first trip to Florence. And yes, you will have to decide if you’ll spend all 3 days in the city or combine Florence’s top attractions into 2 days, so you have one full day remaining to soak up Tuscany’s gorgeous rolling hills.
Here we are at Terrazza San Miniato during sunset
In this guide we walk you step by step through the best way to spend 3 days exploring the charming city of Florence, Italy for the first time – exactly the same way we did it. Read more about us.
But be sure to stick around until after our itinerary to see exactly how you should do 2 days in the city with a full third day in Tuscany instead. Okay, let’s begin!
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Route Map
Click or touch the map of Florence below to activate, zoom in and out, and scroll around. If you’d like to see a bigger version, click the “view larger map” icon in the top right, and if you’d like to see the stops on each day, click the arrow and square icon in the top left.
Map key:
- Red – Day 1 attractions
- Purple – Day 2 attractions
- Orange – Day 3 attractions
Each day also has a walking route map you can use (blue lines). Remember, you don’t have to follow our route exactly, but it’s a great starting point for you to build from. Now, let’s get into the itinerary!
Day 1: Duomo + David
Okay, straight off the bat we wanted to get two of the “big 3” attractions done on the first day – Florence Cathedral (Duomo di Firenze) and the Accademia Gallery (statue of David).
We always tick off some of the must-do things early in our itinerary when we visit new places. Why? Because if anything goes wrong there’s plenty of time to figure it out.
Our hotel – the Palazzo della Stufa Residenza D’Epoca – was just a few minutes walk from a superb pastry shop called Antica Pasticceria Sieni, where we stood at the bar and devoured a quick breakfast of cappuccino and sfogia alla crema (puff pastry filled with flavored custard cream).
Duomo
We took this photo of the Duomo from the Palazzo Vecchio tower
It only took us 5 minutes to walk to the Duomo, and we found it so striking that it almost didn’t appear to be real – it honestly looked like a 3D model or a hologram. We took a slow walk around the massive structure, appreciating the intricate detail from all sides and enjoyed the early morning calm before the touristy storm.
We’d already pre-booked the Brunelleschi Pass (€30/adult) which gave us access to 5 sites around the Duomo. Our time slot to climb the Dome was at 8:15am right as it opened, which was an ideal time to beat the crowds and heat, and get the Dome out of the way because it’s the most popular site. Here’s the official site to book your Duomo tickets.
So we climbed 463 steps to reach the top of the Dome – and it was pretty awesome. Some of the climb was steep, narrow and enclosed so it might not be for everyone – but we got to see cool vantage points inside the church and of course excellent views over Florence.
After the Dome, we did the Bell Tower (the other climb), the museum, the baptistery and finally Santa Reparata (crypt). Then we went inside the cathedral itself to look up at a stunning dome ceiling depicting The Last Judgement, which was stunning.
Overall, we enjoyed exploring the different areas of the Duomo and thought they were well worth doing. But honestly, if you’d prefer to spend your time or money doing other things, we don’t think the 5 additional sites are important enough to make or break your trip.
Oh, and here’s a luxury alternative – if your travel budget is in good shape, take a look into this VIP after hours guided tour of the Duomo with Dome climb included. It’s more expensive than most tours but it gets you inside the Cathedral and Dome after they close to the public. You could then do the Accademia right as it opens in the morning and beat the crowds.
Important – If you don’t do the extra 5 sites with the Duomo, start with the Accademia instead to beat the crowds and then do the Cathedral much later in the day. It only makes sense to do the Duomo early in the morning if you do the extra sites.
Medici
This was one of many bust sculptures inside Palazzo Medici
The Duomo sites ate up most of our morning. So we hustled to Mercato Centrale for a quick look around small independent market stalls run by local vendors selling produce like olive oils and cheeses. Then we sat down in the food hall to eat pizza and more sfogliatella with a beer to wash it all down.
After lunch we had a Medici related choice to make – either do the Medici Chapels (inside Basilica di San Lorenzo) or the Palazzo Medici Riccardi.
We didn’t have time to do both, so we opted for the palace (€10/adult) and it was good but it didn’t blow us away. In hindsight, we should have done the chapels (€9/adult) because it looks beautiful and it contains prominent works by Michelangelo, so we think you should do that instead.
After leaving the Medici Palace, we got a fantastic gelato at Gelatarium which was conveniently located right outside the exit. Then we made our way northeast heading for the Accademia Gallery.
Accademia
This was one of our favorite photos we took of David in Accademia because it shows how busy it was
Ideally, we’d have done the Accademia Gallery at 8:15am right as it opened. But you can only be in one place at one time, right? So we pre-booked tickets to the Accademia with a 3:00pm time slot for our first afternoon, hoping it would be quieter after the morning and midday rush.
But as we waded through an ocean of tourists, we realized we probably should have booked the 4:00pm or even 5:00pm time slot instead because it was chaotic in the street outside the entrance.
The museum is open until 6:50pm and it doesn’t actually take too long to get around, plus it had seriously quietened down by the time we left, so you should consider going later than we did.
Once inside we obviously beelined it for The Tribune and Michelangelo’s iconic statue of David – and it was utter carnage! There were far too many people crammed into the surprisingly small room, so we snapped a few photos, admired the genius craftsmanship for a fleeting moment and swiftly moved onto other areas of the museum.
About an hour later we left the Accademia (which had lots more to see other than David by the way) and walked a few minutes along Via Guelfa to grab a fantastic Tuscan-style meaty pasta dinner at the highly rated Il Vezzo (it wasn’t cheap and we booked in advance). And right around the corner we stopped in at The Corner Bar for a quick cocktail before bed.
Tip: If you don’t want to deal with tickets, time slots, lines or figuring out where to go – you should consider taking this top rated guided tour of the Duomo and Accademia. It doesn’t go up to the Dome, but it does mean you get a professional guide explaining what you want to know about the Duomo and David – and it’s affordable. We’ve taken lots of tours with Take Walks around Europe and highly recommend them as a company.
Day 2: Churches + Towers
We stuck to the north side of Florence on the first day and on the third day we planned to do everything on the south side of the Arno – along with the Uffizi. So that left pretty much the rest of the historic center to explore on day 2.
Now, there are almost too many amazing museums with historical significance in Florence – and trust us when we tell you it doesn’t take long to get museum burnout.
So instead of trying to hustle around a dozen museums, galleries and palaces – we recommend spending the second day slowly ambling around the city’s stunning cobbled streets, filling up on lots of amazing food and drinks, and picking just a few attractions to visit.
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
We thought this was one of the city’s most attractive church facades
We started with delicious and affordable coffee and pastries at Gocce’s Bar (hidden gem!) on the way to going inside the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella to see Giotto’s “Crucifix” and Masaccio’s “Trinity” among other works. It cost €7.50/adult, and the church was so peaceful as it opened at 9:00am.
After the church, we walked down Via delle Belle Donne to see a temporary exhibit of a weird but intriguing 3D photo frame in the stunning Palazzo Strozzi courtyard, but we didn’t pay to go inside the art museum. Oh, and don’t forget to look up when you’re standing in the courtyard for one of our favorite photo spots in Florence.
Instead, we went to Caffe Concerto Paszkowski for a relaxing sit down coffee on the edges of Piazza della Repubblica for a bit of casual people watching. Then, after working up an appetite we walked to the famous I’ Girone De’ Ghiotti for a truly exceptional sandwich – the line was huge as it opened at 11:30am but it was worth the wait.
Basilica di Santa Croce
After leaving Santa Croce we got a glass of wine through a wine window at the place on the right side of this photo
We’d already reached the entrance to Museo Nazionale del Bargello before finishing our sandwiches, and we agreed how much we loved Florence’s walkability factor – especially when an itinerary is planned as well as this one!
We almost didn’t do this museum (due to burnout) but we’re so glad we did. The palace’s architecture was beautiful, the Renaissance sculptures inside included works by Michelangelo and Donatello, it was super quiet and it only cost us €10/adult.
An hour and a half later we left the museum, walked 4 minutes east, arrived into the attractive Piazza di Santa Croce and crossed it to reach the stunning Basilica di Santa Croce.
We paid €10/adult to go inside to see the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and other famous Florentine figures from history – along with frescoes and cloisters. This one was well worth paying for, so don’t miss it.
Palazzo Vecchio
We took this photo of the Palazzo Vecchio tower before going up it
Next, we walked back across the square to Borgo dei Greci and went into Osteria San Fiorenzo to try out one of Florence’s famous wine windows. Although it’s a bit overhyped on social media, we’ll admit it was fun to be served a glass of red through a small arch in a wall.
After our super quick vino pitstop we continued west for another minute and arrived into the impressive Piazza della Signoria – for us, this is the most photogenic square in Florence and the Palazzo Vecchio is by far its standout building (it looks like a castle with a tall and narrow tower).
We spent the next few minutes admiring giant statues of Cosimo Medici, Neptune, Perseus with the head of Medusa and a replica of David (which stands in the exact place the original used to be before it was moved to the Accademia) before going inside.
Looking back we should have paid €17.50/adult to go into the museum, but after spending 3 weeks in Italy we were getting to the end of our museum rope. It does look amazing inside though, so you should definitely do it at this point in the itinerary. And it only costs €5/adult extra to do a guided tour.
That said, we did pay €10/adult to climb 223 steps up the Torre di Arnolfo which was well worth doing for awesome views over Florence Duomo. You won’t get a better place to take photos anywhere else in the city, so don’t skip this. The climb wasn’t too bad but there were narrow and steep sections, so it might not be suitable for everyone.
After the tower we walked to the nearby Fontana del Porcellino to rub the snout of a bronze boar statue, which would apparently ensure our return to Florence. Let’s just say we didn’t need to rub anything – we already knew we’d be back again! Finally, we went for a fantastic pizza and more wine at Ciro and Sons.
Tip: One thing we wished we did instead of so many churches and museums on day 2 was a cooking class like this highly rated pasta making class which is super affordable and includes unlimited wine. Yes you read that right – unlimited! It lasts 3 hours, and you can start at 10:00am, 2:30pm or even 6:30pm which would work after Palazzo Vecchio in our itinerary.
Day 3: Uffizi, Pitti + Sunset
After 3 weeks of non-stop cappuccino’s and pastries for breakfast, we needed a change for our last day in Italy.
So we scanned our maps app and it took us less than 10 seconds to stumble across a highly rated American style brunch spot called the Rooster Cafe on Via Porta Rossa. Waffles, pancakes, bacon, eggs – we were sold!
Uffizi
This sculpture is Hercules grabbing the head of Nessus in a rage
The problem was the brunch spot didn’t open until 9:00am and our pre-booked Uffizi tickets were for 8:15am right as it opened (tickets usually cost €25/adult but if you book between 8:15am-8:55am they’re discounted to €19/adult). Make sure you book tickets well in advance because they sell out quickly.
So we got iced coffees from a corner shop to put us on, went out exploring Florence’s historic center with our cameras to get photos of the most popular buildings before the crowds arrived, and then we walked straight into the Uffizi Gallery at 8:15am with no line.
In the Accademia we felt it was all about David, but that wasn’t the case in the Uffizi. We thought it was a more balanced place to visit, with lots of Renaissance masterpieces by the likes of Botticelli, Michelangelo, da Vinci and Raphael spread out across various rooms and corridors.
Three of the most famous works we prioritized were the Birth of Venus (Botticelli), Annunciation (Da Vinci) and Medusa (Caravaggio) – but we also loved just looking up at the ceilings. Doing the early bird tickets wasn’t just cheaper, it was also quieter. Double win!
Ponte Vecchio
This was Kristen looking at the Ponte Vecchio at sunrise when we went out exploring at dawn
It’s important to know that you can pay an extra €18 on top of your Uffizi tickets to enter the Vasari Corridor from a gallery inside the museum and walk across the Ponte Vecchio to the Boboli Gardens. We didn’t do it because we wanted to walk across the bridge at ground level, but it would be a cool experience.
Before walking over to the famous Ponte Vecchio, we tracked back a few minutes to grab that much needed brunch at the Rooster Cafe! Fueled and recharged, we slowly walked across the bridge, stopping to window shop outside the many jewelry stores. It was pretty busy by 11:00am, so we got to see the contrast between empty and jam-packed.
If we’re being honest, we much preferred looking at the bridge rather than walking across it. We found tons of superb viewpoints to the east of the Ponte Vecchio, even as far as the next bridge along called the Ponte alle Grazie.
Pitti Palace
We took this photo as we approached the entrance to Pitti Palace
On the south side of the Arno, we walked along the narrow Via de’ Guicciardini past tons of shops and restaurants until reaching the massive Pitti Palace – which served as the Grand Ducal residence of the Medici (after Palazzo Vecchio).
We paid €22/adult for a combination ticket to the Pitti Palace and adjoining Boboli Gardens (the nearby Bardini Gardens was included with the Boboli Gardens).
In our opinion – the palace was awesome, Boboli Gardens were disappointing and Bardini Gardens were a lovely surprise. We preferred Bardini Gardens because it had lots of flowers and awesome city views, whereas Boboli Gardens were pretty dry and boring when we visited in May.
But you can visit the palace alone for €16/adult if you’re not interested in the gardens. It contains important sculptures, paintings, artworks and objects in lots of stunning galleries, and we do think it’s worth it.
Piazzale Michelangelo
This is our camera on a tripod taking a video of the sunset over Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo
After exploring the palace and Boboli Gardens, we walked along a connecting road to Bardini Gardens, exited at the bottom of the hill and walked to I’Pizzacchiere for a no-frills but super tasty pizza and beer. It was just what the doctor ordered.
Right outside we crossed the road, grabbed a delicious ice cream at Il Gelato di Filo and entered the rose gardens. We had no expectations at all, but the rose garden was actually a really nice way to walk up to the famous sunset spot at Piazzale Michelangelo.
At the top of the garden, we walked up a sloping ramp and that brought us up to the massive square. What we saw next surprised us – a dozen or so souvenir stalls, lots of tour buses and swarms of people. We knew it would be a popular place but it was a bit tackier than we expected.
We had a good two hours before sunset (check Florence’s sunset time) so we escaped the crowds and continued walking uphill to a spot we’d pegged on the map called Terrazza San Miniato, which was right outside the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte. And guess what? We had this amazing higher up viewpoint all to ourselves.
But we wanted to do sunset in the famous square, so we hustled back down to set our tripod up at Belvedere Franco Zeffirelli and took some amazing photos over Florence as the sun serenely set over the city.
After a collective gasp and cheer, the crowds quickly cleared out and we walked back across the Ponte alle Grazie to take a night photo of Ponte Vecchio. Then we ended our trip with a tasty pasta dinner at Vini e Vecchi Sapori.
Tip: If you’re not too bothered by sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo, we highly recommend looking at both this sunset food and wine tour and this sunset wine and food tour near Pitti Palace instead. Both have sky high ratings and look amazing – we’ll definitely do one of them next time we’re in Florence.
Tuscany Alternative
Okay, but what if you simply can’t miss those dreamy Tuscan rolling hills, cypress trees, wineries and rural farms you’ve seen in the movies or read about in books?
We hear you – in our opinion, experiencing Tuscany in some way should be a top priority when you visit Florence. The city is beautiful and there’s tons to do, but it would be a shame to come all this way and miss out on what has to be one of the best places in the world for cooking classes and winery tours.
Of course, the ideal solution would be to simply add another day to your trip. But what if you can’t do any more than 3 days?
Well, there are plenty of ways to do Tuscany in a day – and it’s easy enough to condense Florence’s top attractions into 2 action packed days (our three day itinerary above is pretty slow and easy going).
Here’s how we’d do two days in Florence:
Day 1
- Start with the Accademia as it opens
- Walk around Mercato Centrale
- See Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
- Go inside the Duomo (skip extra sites)
- Visit the Basilica di Santa Croce
- Go up the Palazzo Vecchio tower
Day 2
- Start with the Uffizi as it opens
- Walk across the Ponte Vecchio
- See Pitti Palace and both gardens
- Do sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
- Or do a sunset food and wine tour
Here we are standing outside Siena Duomo
Now, when it comes to exploring Tuscany, the main thing you need to decide is whether you’ll hire a car or not.
With a hire car you can take your time, be flexible and go wherever you want. But it’s not cheap, you have to figure out where to go, and you can’t drink much wine!
Whereas if you don’t hire a car, you can spend the same amount of money on a guided food or wine tour instead. And there’s a bunch of fantastic stress free tour options that include all the driving, explaining and feeding.
So for us it’s a no brainer – we’d much rather kick back, relax and let someone else do the work while we learn, eat and drink. Especially when it’s going to cost a similar amount of money as a hire car would.
Here are some of the top rated food and wine tours that we’d definitely consider doing in Tuscany:
Pizza/Pasta Class at Tuscan Farm – 6 hour tour including 3 course meal, wine or beer, transport and recipes to take home. It has near perfect reviews and looks amazing.
Tuscany full day trip – This top rated small group full day guided tour focuses on the core Tuscan areas of Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti.
Tuscany Wine Tasting Experience – 4 hour tour to 2 wineries in Chianti. Tour cellars, eat cheese and bruschetta, drink wine. Top rated and has morning or afternoon start times.
Essence of Chianti – 8 hour tour to 3 wineries in Chianti. Includes lunch, Tuscan specialties and a stop in Greve. This one is a bit more expensive but it looks fantastic.
Food being prepared in a kitchen in Mercato Centrale
Tips
There’s a few super important things you absolutely need to remember if you want to make the most of your trip to Florence. Here are our top tips:
- Attraction closures – The Duomo is closed on Sundays, and both the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery are closed on Mondays. Other attractions also close on different days of the week so make sure you check and plan accordingly.
- Tickets – You must book tickets to those same three top attractions well in advance before you arrive in Florence. If you don’t, best case is you’ll wait in a long line and worst case is you won’t be able to do them at all.
- Crowds – Early mornings and late afternoons are better times to do the major attractions. We would actively avoid arriving any time between 10:00am-3:00pm.
- Museum pass – It might be worth considering a FirenzeCard museum pass if you plan to visit tons of museums, palaces and churches. It costs a hefty €85/adult but it lasts for 3 days and could save you money overall.
Next Steps
We he hope our itinerary helps with planning your trip to Florence, but please let us know if you have any other questions in the comments box a little further below.
Still figuring out your plans for Italy?
Finally, if you’ll be visiting more places on the same trip, we recommend reading our Italy travel guide for helpful tips and advice.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.
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