Things to do in Florence, your guide to the cradle of the Renaissance

Florence has been defined in many ways, from birthplace of the Renaissance to the cradle of Western civilization. Fodor’s even claim that the Tuscan capital “changed the way we see the world”. In 1966 a terrible flood covered the city with mud and volunteers from all over the world came to help, even Ted Kennedy, brother of John Fitzgerald and Robert, appealed to everyone’s sensitivity for help and founded the CRIA, Committee to Rescue Italian Art, chaired by Jacqueline Kennedy. So, what is all the fuss about?

One of Italy’s most expensive travel destinations (Venice is still strong in the pole position, in our opinion), yet Florence is always packed with tourists. Is it really worth your time and money? While you can answer this question only by visiting and experiencing first-hand, with our Florence guide you can already start shaping your own idea and decide whether it’s your type of travel destination or not.

This guide aims at empowering you to plan and organize your trip your own including deciding when it’s better to rely on a professional tour leader or when you will manage to do everything by yourself. We will tell you what are the most important things to do in Florence, how it works and how to use the local transport, where to stay in Florence and even a mention of day trips from Florence that you can take if you have some little extra time.

While to get under the skin of a place like Florence probably a year is barely enough, we think if you can devote three full days of well-organized sightseeing, you will manage to take home some pretty good insight on the rich past and culture that exude around every corner.

Things to do in Florence, birthplace of Renaissance

Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Dome and Crypt

Located in Piazza del Duomo in the very heart of Florence, Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral bedazzles you with a breathtaking facade part of an astonishing complex. Giotto’s Bell Tower and the Baptistery of Saint John complete the scene of an art-soaked historic center.

As soon as you enter the basilica, you will be met by a much more austere interior where only the floor is there to suggest the magnificence of the original building. Alongside carrying away the life of many, the 1966 flood caused priceless damages to much of the city’s artistic heritage, including the artwork inside the main church. This is why the remaining pieces that once decorated the interior were transferred into the Museo dell’Opera of Santa Maria del Fiore museum (more on this below).

From inside the basilica you will be directed to its underground to visit the Crypt and the early-Christian basilica of Santa Reparata, former city’s cathedral, on the ruins of which it was built the modern church we see today. Some two meters and a half below modern street level, likely dates back to the 6th century and was built out of a vow made to give thanks for the Christian victory against the Goths in the early 5th century. Here you will see the ancient altar, relics from Roman and medieval times, the beautiful mosaic floor of the early basilica and the tomb of architect Filippo Brunelleschi.

If you haven’t reserved your tickets online before arriving, the first thing to do is to walk down to Piazza del Duomo and buy your tickets. You can do so from the ticket office or the ticket machines at the entrance. Once you have booked your ticket, you need to reserve your space if you want to climb up the Dome (Cupola). This is the only place in the Santa Maria del Fiore complex that requires a booking, but if you want to skip the queue, you can book your spot also for the bell tower, or Campanile di Giotto as it’s called in Italy.

If you are lucky, spaces for the Dome will be available within a couple of days, but if you are planning only two or three days in Florence during high season (spring and summer), we highly recommend you book your place online before coming.

Admittedly, it’s a bit confusing. We have seen many tourists with the wrong tickets and the wrong bookings coming to the entrance of the Dome and being sent away. This is why if you don’t feel confident and you absolutely don’t want to miss the Dome (which you don’t, we can bet on it), book a tour that will sort out everything for you and will make you skip the line. The city is packed with artwork and tourists that is why pre-organized tours are way less time consuming and more interesting.

Walks of Italy provides excellent and informative tours in Florence and many other cities in Italy. Use their services and get the most out of your trip. With their VIP David & Duomo Tour you will skip the line and have exclusive access to the dome terrace.
Click here for more information and current prices of Walks Of Italy’s VIP David & Duomo Tour.

Admission fee: 15 €, it’s valid for 48 hours from the time of the first validation and includes Santa Maria Del Fiore, the Dome (Cupola), Baptistery of St. John, Giotto’s Bell Tower and Museo Dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. You can buy the ticket from the ticket office located in the northern corner of the square, in front of the Baptistery. Official website for tickets and bookings if you are planning it your own: https://www.museumflorence.com/.
Note: After buying the ticket you HAVE TO book (it’s free) a date and a time for the Cupola (Dome). Your ticket has 48 hours window to visit all the 5 monuments in the square. Keep in mind that although in the same square, they are all different buildings and you need to queue for each one of them separately.
Dome opening hours: Daily 8.30 am-7 pm
Cathedral opening hours: Daily 10 am-5 pm
Crypt opening hours: Closed on Sundays
Dress code: Modest for the cathedral.
How to get there: On foot, 10 minutes from Santa Maria Novella train station.

The Baptistery of St. John (Battistero di San Giovanni)

The Baptistery is also located in Piazza del Duomo and faces the Cathedral. Even though sometimes neglected by tourists, its beauty and history make it one of the best things to do in Florence. Dedicated to saint John the Baptist, the Battistero di San Giovanni was built in the 11th century on the site of a Roman building, and is one of the oldest buildings in Florence.

The Arte di Calimala, the guild of cloth-merchants, supported the Baptistery for centuries and commissioned the gilded bronze doors and many other artworks of its interior. The southern door was built in the 14th century by Andrea Pisano, and in the 15th century Lorenzo Ghiberti built the northern door consisting of 28 square panels with scenes of the Life of the Christ, the Four Evangelists and the Doctors of the Church. The third door of the Baptistery was built by Ghiberti and was called by Michelangelo “The Gate of Paradise”, Ghiberti showed his great talent as a goldsmith and sculptor making this masterpiece in ten panels with scenes from the Old Testament, the meeting of Solomon and Queen of Sheba and the story of Adam and Eve.

The interior doesn’t let its visitors down either, the dome is entirely covered with Mosaic displaying scenes from Genesis, the Angelic Hierarchies, the life of Joseph the Patriarch, the life of Christ and Saint John the Baptist, mainly done by artists such as Cimabue, Coppo di Marcovaldo and Maestro della Maddalena.

In the Baptistery there are benches to sit and admire the amazing ceiling and beautiful mosaic work. The decorative details of St. John Baptistery are amazing but to go upstairs closer to the ceiling you need a guided tour.
Admission fee: 15 €, it’s valid for 48 hours from the time of the first validation and includes Santa Maria Del Fiore, the Dome (Cupola), Baptistery of St. John, Giotto’s Bell Tower and Museo Dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. You can buy the ticket from the ticket office located in the northern corner of the square, in front of the Baptistery. Official website for tickets and bookings if you are planning it your own: https://www.museumflorence.com/.
Hours: Daily 8.15-10.15 am and 11.15 am-7.30 pm. On Sundays 8.15 am-1.30 pm. Baptistery has limited hours during weekends.
How to get there: On foot, 10 minutes from Santa Maria Novella train station.

Giotto’s Bell Tower (Campanile di Giotto)

The works for the bell tower, 85-meter tall, started with the famous artists Giotto di Bondone in 1334, carried on with Andrea Pisano after Giotto’s death and ended with Francesco Talenti in 1359. The tower, finely decorated with statues, huge windows, and reliefs representing different stories, from the creation of men to men’s activities and professions, the planetary system, the arts, the Christian Sacraments and the human virtues, is no less than stunning.

Probably the most beautiful campanile in Italy, it’s worth climbing the 414 steps to enjoy a beautiful view of Florence historic center.
Admission Fee: 15 €, it’s valid for 48 hours from the time of the first validation and includes Santa Maria Del Fiore, the Dome (Cupola), Baptistery of St. John, Giotto’s Bell Tower and Museo Dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. You can buy the ticket from the ticket office located in the northern corner of the square, in front of the Baptistery. Official website for tickets and bookings if you are planning it your own: https://www.museumflorence.com/.
Note: The stairs are narrow and may not be easy for some to go all the way up. Not recommended if you are claustrophobic or have heart conditions. However, the climb is well worth the 360-degree view of Florence.
Hours: Daily 8.15 am-7 pm. Booking (free) is not mandatory but if you are going in high season it’s highly recommended to avoid spending hours in the line. If you didn’t book, we suggest you go early morning as the line becomes bigger after 10 am. The ticket is valid for 48 hours, so you can leave the bell tower to the second day after you have seen it all (and so you don’t climb dome and bell tower on the same day!).

Museum of Opera of Santa Maria of Fiore

The Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore is also located in Piazza del Duomo, right behind the Cupola. Founded in 1296, the “Fabbriceria della Cattedrale di Firenze” is the institution in charge of overseeing and protecting the artwork of the entire complex. In this context, the Museum display the masterpieces by Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghiberti, Arnolfo, Verrocchio, Antonio Pollaiolo, Luca della Robbia in a beguiling collection comprising of some 750 works created in the span of more than seven centuries, including the original door of the Baptistery “Gates of Paradise”.

Admission fee: 15 €, it’s valid for 48 hours from the time of the first validation and includes Santa Maria Del Fiore, the Dome (Cupola), Baptistery of St. John, Giotto’s Bell Tower and Museo Dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. You can buy the ticket from the ticket office located in the northern corner of the square, in front of the Baptistery. Official website for tickets and bookings if you are planning it your own: https://www.museumflorence.com/.
Opening hours: 9 am-7.30 pm. Closed every first Tuesday of the month.

Basilica Di San Lorenzo

Even though Santa Maria del Fiore is the city’s main cathedral, San Lorenzo Basilica, Florence’s oldest, was the place the Medici family wanted to be their personal temple. The first church on this site was built in 393, blessed by Sant’Ambrogio and devoted already back then to San Lorenzo. Very little has remained from that first project, as it was renovated once at the beginning of the 11th century and once early 1400 by the Brunelleschi commissioned by the same Medici family. Brunelleschi worked on it from 1418 to 1421 and after his death, Antonio Manetti completed the project in 1461. The facade, even though Michelangelo Buonarroti himself designed the project, was never concluded.

By visiting the underground of the basilica, where the Museum of the Treasure of San Lorenzo is hosted, it appears pretty clear that this was meant to be the personal chapel of a powerful family. You will see on displays the precious donations made to the church mainly by the same Medici in an aim to make it stand out in the crowd, and also a big reliquary with the relics of saints and bishops.

Paying an extra amount for as little as 2 € you can access the Laurentian Medici Library, collection of rare books and pieces belonging to the important family. The Medici were not simple rulers, they were the “Signori” (Lords) of Florence, and under their leadership the city knew one of its most uplifting period in both art and politics.

If you are visiting this fascinating basilica, don’t miss the Cappelle Medicee, some of the most fascinating places to see in Florence, the burial chapels where all members of the Medici dynasty are resting, including Lorenzo “il Magnifico” and his brother Giuliano. Much of the inside designs and decorations were made by Michelangelo: he knew the family so the projects had a personal value to him.
Admission fee: 8.50€ for the basilica, the library and the underground Treasure Museum. For the Cappelle Medicee is another 8€ to be bought at a separate entrance behind the church.
Opening hours: Daily 8.15 am-4.30 pm.

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, located in its namesake of Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, very close to the city’s main train station, is one of the must things to do in Florence. The Dominican basilica, built and decorated in an eclectic style that mixes Romanesque and Gothic elements, has many beautiful chapels and paintings, a big garden, a cloister and a small museum. The exterior is the work of Fra Jacopo Talenti and Leon battista Alberti, while inside you can admire artwork from some of the most important artists of the city, from Giotto, Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio, the owner of a workshop that had Michelangelo as a pupil.
Admission fee: 5€. Note: The ticket office is at the entrance to the church, in the yard
Dress code: Modest
Opening hours: 9 am-7 pm. Sundays and religious holidays 1-6 pm.

Piazza Della Repubblica

Former main square of Florence, Piazza della Repubblica is now framed with outdoor bistro-style cafes and restaurants (a little pricey). Here you can also find small eco-cars to rent to go around the city. It’s a good place to take a break after visiting some monuments, especially if you are with kids as there is a nice carousel. Surrounded by brand shops, it’s not unusual to see here some street art performance.

Uffizi Gallery

Being the birthplace of Renaissance, museums in Florence are brimming with immortal masterpieces by the most famous artists. At the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world’s oldest museums opened to the public in 1591, on display are the works of painters such as Raphael, Leonardo Da Vinci, Lippi, Botticelli, Titian, Giotto, Cimabue, Caravaggio and Piero della Francesca. It is one of the most amazing artwork galleries in the world, filled with precious statues and paintings that display the progression of art from the 12th through the 20th century. It’s here that you can admire the world-famous Spring and Birth of Venus by Botticelli, both commissioned by the Medici.

To understand the political significance art had for the Medici family and not to miss the most important artworks in the gallery, it’s better to go with a tour guide who can explain the important details. We recommend Walks of Italy’s Uffizi tour to skip the line and have a thorough explanation of the art and the historical context where it was produced.
Click here for more information and the current prices for Walks of Italy’s Uffizi tour.

On the terrace of the top floor there is a nice cafe with a beautiful view of the Cupola and adjacent Palazzo Vecchio.

Admission fee: 13€+4€ for pre-booking from their official website http://www.b-ticket.com/b-ticket/uffizi/default.aspx. Note: Once booked, you can collect your ticket at the office n. 3 10/15 minutes before your time.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 8.15 am-6.50 pm. Closed: on Mondays, 1st January, 1st May, 25th December. You will have to leave the backpack in the cloakroom or carry it on your chest instead of your back, as long as it is not too big.

Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace)

Located on Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, former Palazzo della Signoria, was built in the 13th century on the ruins of Palazzo di Fanti and Palazzo dell’Esecutore di Giustizia. The entire palace rests on the site of an ancient Roman theater dating back to the 1st century. In front of the entrance stand two big statues, one is the copy of Michelangelo’s David (the original was moved to the Accademia Gallery) and the other is Hercules and Cacus by Baccio Bandinelli.
Admission fee: Palazzo Vecchio ticket costs 10 € and additional 4 € if you want to go up the tower
Hours: From April to September: 9 am-11 pm, on Thursday 9am-2 pm (the tower closes at 9 pm). Note: If you have a backpack, you need to leave it in the cloakroom.

Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace) and Giardini Di Boboli (Gardens of Boboli)

Florence is crammed with wonders on both sides of the river. Pitti Palace is a complex of galleries and huge gardens. The palace was built in the 15th century with an original design by Brunelleschi and completed by his pupil Luca Francelli. It has been used as residence by several royal families and in 1549 was bought by the Medici following the decline of the Pitti dynasty. It currently houses several impressive museums, among which are the Palatine Gallery and the Royal Apartments, and is adjacent to the elegant Boboli Gardens.

If you want to feel how the royal families lived, this is the place, just like how you see it in the movies, huge and beautiful. Both Palazzo Pitti and Giardini di Boboli are a must to be included among the things to do in Florence.
Admission fee for the Palace and Boboli Gardens: 23 € (10 € for the Gardens, 13 € for Palace, you can also buy them separately)
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 8.15 am-6.50 pm. Consider spending some four hours between the museums and gardens.
Note: You need to leave your backpack in cloakroom when you enter the museums and you can take it when you are off the palace and go to the gardens.

Piazzale Michelangelo

If you are still wondering what are some other things to do in Florence, head to Piazzale Michelangelo. It was designed by Giuseppe Poggi and built in 1869 on a hill with one of the most beautiful views over the city through the day, especially during the sunset. This is your go-to place for your postcard picture. From the city center, you can both walk up there or you can go with the bus n. 12. Walking up the stairs and seeing the view is definitely one of the fun things to do in Florence.

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If your time is limited but you still want to make the most out of your Florence trip, you can book yourself for a Florence in a day tour that includes the city’s main landmarks.
Click here for more details on timetables and current prices for Walks of Italy’s Florence Day Tour.

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Where to eat: restaurants in Florence

Sadly, in Italy often tourist area equals with not-so great food. It’s pretty frustrating as these restaurants don’t do justice to the quality and diversity of Italian culinary tradition.

Here are some of the best restaurants in Florence that we liked and can recommend.

Trattoria Sergio Gozzi. Like every other city, also here you will find a traditional local cuisine. One of the most famous foods in Florence is the bistecca alla Fiorentina (T-bone Florentine steak), a big steak (from 1 to 1.2 kg) strictly from a Tuscan breed of cattle, the Chianina. Prices are anywhere from 40-80 € per kg, at Trattoria Gozzi is 40 €.
Open: Only lunch Monday-Saturday 12-3.45 pm. Closed on Sunday
Note: Walk in and reserve a place, otherwise, you may not be able to grab a table and have to queue. The Fiorentina steak is cooked rare, if you wish medium/well-done, you can ask them to place it a couple of more minutes on the BBQ again.
Google map address: Piazza di San Lorenzo 8R, 50123 Firenze.
Phone: +39 055 281941

Burro & Acciughe. Bistecca alla Fiorentina is not the only famous food in Florence. Here also the seafood is delicious, so at least once do try some fish restaurant. A lovely (and affordable) place is Burro & Acciughe located in Via dell’Orto and serving exquisite first courses of pasta and rice and second courses such as fried anchovies with sage or tuna steak with green pepper-flavored olive oil, rosemary and baked potatoes. It’s located 10 minutes walk from the Ponte alla Carraia (Carraia bridge). In this area you can find also other nice places and less “touristy” than those right on the river.
Open: Tuesday-Thursday only dinner, 7.30 pm-12 am. Friday-Sunday lunch 12-2 pm, dinner 7.30 pm-12 am. Closed on Monday
Google map address: Via dell’Orto 35, 50124 Firenze
Phone: +39 055 045 7286; website: http://www.burroeacciughe.com/.

Giotto Pizzeria Bistrot. If you feel like having pizza, head slightly away from the very city center and grab a table at the excellent Giotto Pizzeria Bistrot, arguably the best pizza in Florence Naples-style. One of their pizzas, “Est e Ovest” was awarded with 1 Michelin star. It’s always very crowded, if you are going during the weekend booking is highly recommended.
Hours: Wednesday-Friday and Monday only dinner from 19:00-21:00. Saturday-Sunday lunch from 12:00-14:00, dinner from 19:00-21:00. Closed on Tuesday.
Note: Strongly recommended to reserve a place or you might need to queue for a bit.
Google map address: Via Veracini 22/d, 50144 Firenze. To get there take the bus 17 and get off at the station Toselli Veracini (Stop ID: 2916), then walk back few meters and turn left on Via Francesco Veracini, walk 100 meters and you will see the restaurant.
Phone: +39 055 332332; website: http://www.pizzeriagiotto.it/.

Mercato Centrale. At least once (or more) in Florence you should have lunch at the Mercato Centrale (Central Market). Not only it’s a lovely place to visit, here you can find truly delicious food from different Italian regions, from pizza to cannoli and arancini, a vegetarian and vegan place, a huge variety of pasta dishes and obviously the Fiorentina steak. It’s always pretty packed, so if you are tired why not take your favorite dishes or fresh produce and enjoy it at your hotel? The ground floor of the Mercato offers all sorts of fresh fruits and veggies while the two upper floors are crammed with restaurants, cafes and pastry shops.
Open: 365 days, 8 am-0.01 am.
Google map address: Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Via dell’Ariento, 50123 Firenze.

Practical tips for planning a trip to Florence

How to get to Florence

Florence has an international airport 30 minutes drive from the city center and it’s very well connected through public transport.

Depending on where you are, how you get to Florence varies. For us it was less than 90 minutes high-speed train ride from Rome (either Roma Termini or Roma Tiburtina train stations) to Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station. The tickets can vary between 15-45 € per person depending on how long in advance you book or if it’s high or low season. If you go with regional trains it’s cheaper, some 20-25 €, but it takes around 4 hours to arrive in Florence as they stop at every small station. To book your ticket or find out about the offers check out the official websites of Trenitalia.com or Italotreno.it.

Luggage deposit in Florence

If you arrive to Florence early and can’t check into the hotel yet, or you are leaving late and don’t want to carry your luggage around, you can leave it at the Santa Maria Novella Station luggage deposit (FedEx). It is on platform 16, they charge 6€ for the first 5 hours and after that 1€ each hour. They also provide the service to bring your luggage to your platform (12€) or ship it abroad.

Where to stay in Florence

In Florence, the most important monuments are within walking distance from Santa Maria Novella train station. Obviously the ideal area to stay in Florence is around Santa Maria Novella station to Piazza di Porta Romana, but this is also the most expensive option. Consider Ponte Vecchio bridge as the center of all the monuments you want to visit and it becomes easier for you to know how far from the city center you are booking the hotel.

The different neighborhoods in Florence are very well connected with buses and trams and many of them have a stop around Santa Maria Novella. Our hotel, The Little Garden, was not in the immediate city center and although we didn’t really love it, we did like the area, quiet, well served with shops, eateries, a bank, a pharmacy and even close to Giotto Pizzeria Bistrot!

Click here for more options and prices of hotels in Florence.

Best time to visit Florence

If you are wondering when is the best time to visit Florence, you need to consider that although always a popular tourist destination, spring and summer are the highest seasons, landmarks can get super packed and prices soar. From June to August it gets very crowded, and unless you have everything very well organized either by yourself or with tour agencies, you risk to waste a lot of time. Therefore, if you can choose your vacation time, any season of the year but from summer is the best time to visit Florence, Rome, and Venice.

Public transport in Florence

Buses and trams connect the city and are very organized. If you are staying for a couple of days and your hotel is not right in the city center, you might want to buy yourself a 10-ride ticket for 10 €. Single ride tickets have a 90-minute validity and cost 1.20 €, so if you buy the cumulative ticket you save 2 € and you only need to swipe it when you board the bus. You can purchase the ticket from the newsagent stand on the northern exit of Santa Maria Novella train station.

Tuscany Tours

Among the best things to do in Florence are also the day trips around Tuscany. The region is breathtakingly beautiful, so there are many Florence day trips you can take. Tuscany tours can take you to cities like Siena, Pisa or Lucca, or, if you prefer some relax, you can enjoy the famous countryside with a day out around Montepulciano or Chianti.
Click here for more information on Walks of Italy’s Tuscany Day Trip from Florence with Chianti, Siena and San Gimignano.