Two days, sorted not chronological. Build the weekend around four buckets and slot them around your dinner reservation.
Museums (book ahead): the Uffizi and Accademia (Michelangelo's David) are the non-negotiables and both need timed tickets weeks ahead[60].
Landmarks: climb the Duomo cupola (reserve a slot — it sells out) or just walk the free cathedral and Piazza della Signoria[13][29].
Neighbourhoods & views: cross the Arno into the Oltrarno for artisans and aperitivo, and climb to San Miniato al Monte at sunset (higher and quieter than Piazzale Michelangelo)[22].
Day-trip (≤30 km): Fiesole by bus #7 is the easy half-day; the Chianti hills if you want wine[43]. Skip the Firenze Card (€85) for a weekend — it only pays off at 7-8 museums[56].
⚠ Book before you fly. Reserve the Accademia ~2 months and the Uffizi ~1 month ahead; the Duomo cupola climb always needs an advance timed slot[60][61]. Best months are the shoulder seasons (March–April, late Sep–Oct: 60–72°F, thinner crowds, hotels 20–30% cheaper than summer)[62].
1. Museums & galleries
Two are essential, the rest are taste. The Uffizi holds Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera plus Leonardo, Raphael and Caravaggio; the Accademia exists for Michelangelo's David. There is no separate "skip-the-line" door at the Uffizi — everyone enters via Door 1 — but pre-booking cuts the wait from 60–90 min to 15–25 min[2]. The Accademia enforces a strict 15-minute arrival window[4].
| Museum | Don't-miss | 2026 price | Time needed | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uffizi | Botticelli Birth of Venus, Primavera; Leonardo, Caravaggio | €25 same-day / €29 pre-booked; +Vasari Corridor €43/€47[1] | Half morning (2.5–3h) | ~1 month ahead; new Jan-2026 afternoon (after 16:00) & Prima Mattina early discounts[3] |
| Accademia | Michelangelo's David; Prisoners | €16 + €4 booking = €20[4] | David-only 45–60 min; full 75–90 min[6] | ~2 months ahead; same-day sells out by mid-morning[6] |
| Bargello | Donatello's bronze David; Michelangelo's Bacchus — world's largest Tuscan Renaissance sculpture collection[9] | €12[8] | 45 min–2h[9] | Rarely queues; closed Mon[7] |
| Palazzo Pitti | Palatine Gallery, royal apartments (+Boboli Gardens behind) | €16/€19; opens 8:15–18:30, closed Mon[7] | 2h+ | Walk-up usually fine |
| Museo dell'Opera del Duomo | Michelangelo's Pietà; Ghiberti's original Gates of Paradise — 28 rooms[10] | Inside the €30 Brunelleschi Pass[10] | ~90 min[10] | Covered by Duomo pass |
From 15 March 2026 a combined Accademia + Bargello ticket is €26 (48h) and a six-museum pass €38 (72h)[5]. State museums (Uffizi, Accademia, Bargello, Pitti) are free the first Sunday of each month, but the Uffizi and Accademia still need a timed booking[11].
2. Landmarks, churches & architecture
The cathedral interior is free and ticketless[13]; the monuments around it are sold as tiered passes. Only the top pass includes the dome climb, and that climb demands a fixed timed slot that sells out weeks ahead[61].
| Duomo pass (2026) | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Brunelleschi | €30 | Cupola climb + Bell Tower + Baptistery + Opera Museum + Santa Reparata crypt[12] |
| Giotto | €20 | Everything except the dome climb[12] |
| Ghiberti | €15 | Museum + Baptistery + crypt only[12] |
Brunelleschi's Dome
The 15th-century cupola climb is 463 steps with no lift, and late arrival can forfeit your timed slot. Giotto's Bell Tower next door is 414 steps to 84 m[13].
Palazzo Vecchio
The fortress town hall on Piazza della Signoria; the Salone dei Cinquecento (54 × 23 m) is frescoed floor-to-ceiling by Vasari, 1563–65[15]. Climb the Arnolfo Tower for a close-up rooftop view[14].
Santa Croce
The "pantheon of Florence" — nearly 300 tombs including Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli, plus cloisters and museum[16][17].
Medici Chapels & San Lorenzo
Michelangelo built the New Sacristy from 1519 for the tombs of Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici, carving the sculptures himself; entered separately behind San Lorenzo[18][19].
Ponte Vecchio
The c.1339–45 bridge, the only one in Florence spared in WWII. Ferdinando I evicted the butchers for goldsmiths in 1593 — shops still run by the same families — and the Vasari Corridor above reopened in 2024[20][21].
Piazza della Signoria
The civic heart, an open-air gallery anchored by Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi (Cellini's Perseus, Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women)[29].
3. Neighbourhoods, piazzas & viewpoints
Florence's compact UNESCO core is walkable end-to-end[63], so "neighbourhoods" here means a couple of deliberate crossings of the Arno and one climb for sunset.
Oltrarno & Santo Spirito
The artisan quarter, worked by craftspeople since the Middle Ages — leather, jewellery, ceramics, shoes[26]. Piazza Santo Spirito is its social heart; from 7pm bars run the aperitivo ritual (a drink buys complimentary snacks). San Niccolò and San Frediano are the other nightlife pockets[27][28].
Piazzale Michelangelo
The best-known terrace, with the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio and the Arno lined up — and the most crowded spot at golden hour[23].
San Miniato al Monte
A five-minute climb higher than the Piazzale: a working Romanesque church from 1018, far quieter, nearly the same view — the local's pick[22].
Boboli Gardens
The Medici's terraced garden behind Palazzo Pitti. Combined Boboli + Bardini ticket €15, sold only at the ticket office on the day from 3 March 2026; closing is seasonal (16:30 winter to 19:10 summer)[24].
Bardini Garden
A baroque staircase up to a terrace over the city, with a wisteria pergola that blooms purple in mid-April–early May. Open daily from 10am, closed the first and last Monday monthly[25].
4. Markets, street food & artisan crafts
The Florentine things to do that aren't museums — eat standing up, watch a craftsperson work, and drink through a hole in a wall. (Fine dining is covered separately in this series.)
| Experience | What & where | Hours / price |
|---|---|---|
| Mercato Centrale | 1874 cast-iron hall: ground-floor working market (butchers, lampredotto carts) + upstairs food hall with 24+ artisan counters[31] | Food hall daily 9:00–23:00; ground floor closes early afternoon & Sundays[30] |
| Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio | The more local market — produce, cheese, trattorie, fewer tourists[32] | 07:00–14:00, closed Sun[32] |
| Lampredotto (tripe) | Cow's fourth stomach on a broth-dipped bun — the city's street food. Bambi (Mercato Centrale, since 1890; "best 2025") and Trippaio del Porcellino[37] | ~€3–4[38] |
| Gelato | Vivoli (oldest, est. 1930, cups only, new 2025 Affogato Bar); Gelateria dei Neri; Perché No! (since 1939, vegan options)[35][36] | Cone/cup a few € |
| Buchette del vino (wine windows) | 180+ documented, 161 inside the old walls (Feb 2025), concentrated around Santo Spirito. Active: Babae (Via Santo Spirito 21R, first to reopen 2019); Vivoli serves gelato through its window[33][34] | Glass of wine, a few € |
| Oltrarno workshops | 50+ artisan studios — paper marbling at Cozzi, hand-bound books & marbled paper at Giulio Giannini (since 1856)[39][40] | Free to watch |
| Scuola del Cuoio | 1950 leather school inside the Santa Croce monastery; watch artisans or take a half-day book-cover course[41] | Mon–Sat ~10:00–17:00 |
| San Lorenzo leather market | Outdoor stalls by the basilica — bags, belts, jackets. Haggling expected, start politely at ~60–70% of asking[42] | Daytime, daily |
5. Day trips within ~30 km
Scoped to a short hop so you're back for dinner. Fiesole is the no-car standout; Chianti if you want a half-day of wine.
Fiesole
Hilltop town reached by ATAF/AT bus #7 from Piazza San Marco[43]. A compact archaeological area (Roman theatre still used for performances, baths, Etruscan walls) opens 9:00–19:00 Apr–Sep for ~€5–6, plus sweeping Florence views from the San Francesco monastery at the top[44].
Settignano
The quiet alternative — Michelangelo's childhood village. AT bus #10 from Santa Maria Novella every 20 min; panoramic vista at Piazza Desiderio and the Renaissance gardens of Villa Gamberaia (~€15)[48][49].
Greve in Chianti
Gateway to the Chianti wine hills, by Autolinee Toscane bus near SMN station (hourly, no reservation) or the scenic SR222 by car[45][46]. Taste at Le Cantine di Greve's self-serve dispensers or tour the nearby Castello di Verrazzano winery[47].
Sesto Fiorentino
Porcelain heritage — the Doccia/Richard Ginori manufacture, Italy's oldest still active (1737)[50]. ⚠ Its museum has been shut since 2014; reopening was planned for 2025 (verify before going)[51]. The town is on the ceramics-making side of Florence, with Medici villas nearby[52]. A direct tram is only expected ~2029[54].
Out of scope: Vinci (Leonardo's birthplace), Siena, Pisa and San Gimignano are all well beyond 30 km — Vinci alone is ~50 km / ~1h west[53]. Save them for a longer trip.
6. Plan your visit
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the Firenze Card worth it? | For a weekend, no. It's €85 / 72h for 60+ museums but only pays off at ~7–8 major visits, and the Duomo is excluded (separate ~€30 pass)[55][56]. The new Uffizi + Accademia combo (€26 / 48h, from March 2026) beats it for the two must-sees[57]. |
| When to go? | Shoulder season — March–April and especially late Sep–Oct: 60–72°F, thinner crowds, hotels 20–30% cheaper. Avoid July–August (38–40°C, peak crowds)[62]. |
| What must I pre-book? | Accademia (~2 months), Uffizi (~1 month), and the Duomo cupola climb (always a timed slot)[60][61]. |
| Tourist tax? | Per person per night, tiered by accommodation: €4 (1-star) up to €10 (5-star), capped at 10 nights, under-10s exempt; short-term rentals ~€5.50 flat and must show a CIN code[58][59]. |
| Getting around? | Walk — the historic core is compact and largely pedestrianised[63]. ⚠ Don't drive in: the camera-enforced ZTL runs Mon–Fri 07:30–20:00, Sat to 16:00, with €83 fines per camera and no tourist permit (free Sundays)[64]. |