ITINERARIES, MUSEUMS AND PLACES NOT TO MISS
What to see in Florence: itineraries and tips for planning your visit
Florence can be explored in a few hours, over a weekend or with several days available. The best plan depends on your time, interests and preferred pace.
This page offers an essential guide to the historic centre, museums, churches, Oltrarno and panoramic viewpoints, with links to detailed information and private guided tours in Florence.
FIRST TIME IN FLORENCE
The heart of the city
The Cathedral, Dante’s quarter, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio and Oltrarno are the best starting points for understanding Florence’s history and urban form.
ART AND MASTERPIECES
Museums and great collections
The Uffizi, Accademia, Palazzo Pitti, Bargello and Palazzo Vecchio take you through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the history of the Medici.
BEYOND THE BEST-KNOWN SIGHTS
Neighbourhoods and lesser-known places
Santo Spirito, San Niccolò, San Miniato al Monte, artisan workshops and quieter squares reveal a more personal, everyday Florence.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE?
What to see in Florence in a few hours, one day or a weekend
These are flexible suggestions that can be adapted to your interests, reservations and the pace of the participants.
2–3 HOURS
Florence in half a day
An introductory route can link Santa Maria Novella, Piazza del Duomo, the medieval quarter, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio.
It is ideal for a first introduction to the city or for visitors arriving for the day.
ONE FULL DAY
Florence in one day
A walk through the historic centre can be combined with one museum, one basilica or Oltrarno, without trying to fit too much into the same day.
The choice depends above all on reservations and personal priorities.
TWO OR MORE DAYS
A weekend in Florence
The first day can focus on the historic centre; the second on a museum, Oltrarno or the basilicas, leaving time for breaks.
With more days, you can alternate famous masterpieces with quieter places or spend a few hours outside the historic centre with a guided tour of Fiesole.
THE ITINERARIES IN DETAIL
From a first walk to a full week in Florence
Discover Florence through its art, neighbourhoods and stories. Each itinerary can be adapted to the season, opening times, reservations and your interests.
Florence in half a day: a walking itinerary
From Santa Maria Novella to Ponte Vecchio, through the historic centre
For a first visit, allow around 2–3 hours for a guided walk through central Florence, with time to stop, look closely and hear the stories behind the buildings. This suggested route focuses on the streets, squares and exteriors; allow extra time for breaks or indoor visits.
The route, step by step
- Santa Maria Novella: begin in the square with the Dominican church and its neighbourhood.
- Piazza del Duomo: discover the Cathedral façade, the Baptistery, Giotto’s Bell Tower and Brunelleschi’s Dome from the square.
- Piazza della Repubblica and Dante’s quarter: follow the story of Roman Florence into the narrow streets of the medieval city.
- Piazza della Signoria: explore the open-air sculptures and the exterior of Palazzo Vecchio.
- The Uffizi courtyard and Ponte Vecchio: walk towards the Arno and finish with views of the city’s best-known bridge.
We begin at the Dominican complex of Santa Maria Novella, using the church and its neighbourhood to introduce the history of Florence and the arrival of the mendicant orders during the first half of the thirteenth century. The Dominicans settled near the earlier church of Santa Maria tra le Vigne in 1219 and played an important role in the religious and political life of the city.
If you are interested in the historic Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, we can discuss adding a stop there, subject to opening hours and access arrangements. We then continue to Piazza del Duomo and Piazza San Giovanni, Florence’s spiritual centre.
Outdoor walk or museum visit?
The walking route does not include going inside the Uffizi, the Accademia or climbing the Dome. If one of these is your priority, we can plan a shorter walk around that visit and arrange the itinerary around the required tickets and reservations. A half-day visit works best when we choose a clear focus.
A private half-day tour with Giulia
Tell me your date, where you will be starting, the number of participants and what interests you most. I can adapt the route and pace for a first visit, an interest in Renaissance art or a family outing. Use the Florence tourist map to locate the stops, or learn more about a private guided tour with Giulia.
What to see in Florence when time is limited
Quality matters more than quantity. Even with only a couple of hours, it is possible to gain a first sense of Florence, its character and its distinctive urban style.
We can start in Piazza della Repubblica, the site of the Roman forum, and use the bronze tactile map to understand the development of the city from Roman Florentia to modern Florence. From there, we walk through the area enclosed by the earliest city walls.
The route continues towards the Baptistery, Giotto’s Bell Tower and the Cathedral, then enters the irregular medieval streets among tower houses, the scents of lampredotto, Dante’s quarter and surviving traces of Roman Florence.
Passing the Badia Fiorentina and the Bargello, we follow part of the Roman walls along Via del Proconsolo, cross Piazza San Firenze, admire Palazzo Gondi and the former complex of San Filippo Neri, and finally reach Piazza della Signoria.
The last part of the walk is devoted to Palazzo Vecchio and the extraordinary open-air museum of Piazza della Signoria, before ending with a view of Ponte Vecchio.
What to see in Florence in one day
A full-day itinerary combining the historic centre with the Oltrarno.
After a morning walk through the city and a break in a traditional Oltrarno trattoria, we cross to the left bank of the Arno, known to Florentines as the Diladdarno.
The afternoon can begin at the Augustinian complex of Santo Spirito. Brunelleschi’s architecture, the cultural life of the convent and Michelangelo’s youthful wooden Crucifix make it one of the most meaningful places in the Oltrarno.
The complex also preserves works by Bernardino Poccetti, Filippino Lippi and Alessandro Allori, allowing the visit to connect architecture, spirituality and painting.
From Santo Spirito we continue to the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine and the Brancacci Chapel, whose frescoes by Masolino, Masaccio and Filippino Lippi became a fundamental school for generations of artists.
The route can end in Piazza Pitti, dominated by Palazzo Pitti, or follow an alternative panoramic itinerary from Piazzale Michelangelo to San Miniato al Monte, through the Rose Garden and San Niccolò, before returning towards Ponte Vecchio.
Another possibility is the green ring formed by the Rose Garden, Bardini Garden and Boboli Gardens, a beautiful walk above Florence with exceptional views.
Ideas for a full week in Florence
With a week available, Florence can be enjoyed slowly through art, architecture, food, colours and changing neighbourhoods.
First day: the historic centre and the Medici district
Begin in Piazza della Repubblica and continue to Piazza San Giovanni, the Baptistery, Giotto’s Bell Tower and the Cathedral. From there, enter the first Medici district and follow the history of the family that shaped Florence for more than three centuries.
Piazza San Lorenzo, the Basilica and the Canons’ Cloister introduce the religious heart of the quarter, while the courtyards of Palazzo Medici Riccardi reveal the rise of the dynasty.
The itinerary can then continue to Piazza Santa Maria Novella and its historic pharmacy, Piazza Santa Trinita, Borgo Santi Apostoli, the traces of the Second World War near Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria.
Second day: a walk through the Oltrarno
The second day is devoted to the left bank of the Arno: Santo Spirito and Michelangelo’s Crucifix, Palazzo Pitti and its museums, the Boboli Gardens, Santa Maria del Carmine and other places that reveal the character of the Florentine Diladdarno.
Third day: the Uffizi Galleries
The Uffizi are one of the essential stops in Florence. Designed by Giorgio Vasari, the museum presents a chronological journey from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and beyond, with works by Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio.
Fourth day: Palazzo Vecchio
Known over the centuries as Palazzo dei Priori, Palazzo della Signoria, the Ducal Palace and Palazzo Vecchio, this fortified building has been the political heart of Florence since the late thirteenth century.
The visit begins outside and continues through the Salone dei Cinquecento, transformed under Cosimo I de’ Medici and Giorgio Vasari, then through the Studiolo of Francesco I, Eleonora’s apartments, Bronzino’s chapel, the Hall of Lilies and the Map Room.
In every room, the history of the palace intertwines with the Medici and the development of the city.
Fifth day: Santa Croce and the Bargello Museum
Behind Palazzo Vecchio stands the older Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, now the Bargello Museum. From there, Borgo dei Greci and Via della Vigna Vecchia lead to Piazza Santa Croce and the great Franciscan basilica, one of the places most closely connected with Florence’s civic memory.
Sixth day: the Florence Cathedral complex
Piazza San Giovanni and Piazza del Duomo open onto the sacred heart of Florence. The Baptistery, the remains of Santa Reparata, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower and the Opera del Duomo Museum form one of the most extraordinary monumental complexes in Europe.
From Arnolfo di Cambio and Giotto to Brunelleschi, Donatello, Luca della Robbia, Michelangelo and Vasari, more than six centuries of art and architecture are concentrated here.
The museum preserves original sculptures and reliefs from the Baptistery and Bell Tower, Arnolfo’s early façade, Michelangelo’s Bandini Pietà, Donatello’s Mary Magdalene, the choir lofts and precious liturgical objects.
Seventh day: San Marco, the Accademia and Santissima Annunziata
The Dominican convent of San Marco is central to the Medici patronage of Cosimo the Elder and preserves Fra Angelico’s frescoes, Michelozzo’s architecture, the library and the cells associated with Cosimo and Savonarola.
The visit continues to the Accademia Gallery and Michelangelo’s David, then to Piazza Santissima Annunziata, one of Florence’s most harmonious squares.
The Basilica of Santissima Annunziata contains works connected with Michelozzo, Andrea del Sarto, Pontormo, Rosso Fiorentino, Bronzino and the Florentine Baroque.
Across the square, Brunelleschi’s Ospedale degli Innocenti tells the history of care for abandoned children and offers a panoramic terrace over the city. The square is completed by the Loggia dei Serviti, Palazzo Grifoni and Pietro Tacca’s bronze fountains.
A weekend in Florence: what to see
For a weekend, I suggest beginning with an outdoor walk through the history and development of the city, then dedicating the second day to the Oltrarno, the Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio or one of Florence’s great basilicas.
For further information, explore these pages:
EXPLORE ACCORDING TO YOUR INTERESTS
Museums, churches, families, exhibitions and the Firenze Card
The thematic pages bring together practical information and ideas for creating a more precise programme.
Florence museums
Uffizi, Accademia, Palazzo Pitti, Bargello, Palazzo Vecchio and other collections.
Churches and basilicas
The Cathedral, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, Santo Spirito and lesser-known places.
Florence with children
Family tours adapted to the children’s ages, interests and pace.
Current exhibitions
A selection of temporary exhibitions in the city’s museums and exhibition spaces.
Firenze Card
Information on price, validity, included museums and required reservations.
Guided tours
Browse the complete collection of personalised itineraries, museums and churches.
BEFORE YOU GO
Frequently asked questions about what to see in Florence
Is half a day enough to see Florence?
Half a day is enough for a first walk through the historic centre, from Santa Maria Novella to the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio. It gives you an introduction to the city; museums and longer indoor visits need additional time or a more focused itinerary.
Can I visit the Uffizi or the Accademia in half a day?
Yes, if you make one museum the focus of your visit and keep the walk short. Tell me which works you most want to see so that we can plan the route around your available time and the museum reservation.
How many days do you need to visit Florence?
In one day you can explore the historic centre and choose one museum or neighbourhood. Two or three days allow a more balanced visit; with more time you can add museums, basilicas and lesser-known places.
Which museums should be booked in advance?
It is generally advisable to organise Uffizi and Accademia tickets in advance, especially during busy periods. Always check the official websites before purchasing.
Can Florence be visited with children?
Yes. It is best to choose a limited number of places, allow time for breaks and adapt the language and duration to the children’s ages.
Is the Firenze Card worth buying?
It depends on how many museums you wish to visit and the time available. Compare individual admission prices and always check which reservations are required.
Plan your itinerary in Florence
Write to me with your preferred dates, number of participants, time available and what interests you most. I will suggest an itinerary tailored to your needs.
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