Small city, enormous art. Walk slow, look up, eat truffle at 11am.
Three days in Florence. Unlike Rome, you don't need a metro map — the whole historic centre is a 20-minute walk end to end. The hard part is not the distance; it's looking up often enough.
Day 1 is the Duomo complex. Climb it once. The view of Giotto's Campanile from inside Brunelleschi's dome is why you're here.
Day 2 is the big art. Uffizi in the morning, Accademia in the afternoon — both timed-entry, both booked 48 hours in advance. Bring water, wear comfortable shoes, don't rush the Botticelli room.
Day 3 is Oltrarno, the left bank. Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens in the morning; Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset; dinner in the San Niccolò neighbourhood where locals actually eat.
Florence closes on Mondays. Many museums shut — so stack day 1 (mostly outdoor) on a Monday if your trip starts early-week.
Cathedral, dome climb, baptistery, campanile. All before lunch if you're quick.
Church in Tuscany, Italy.
Church in Tuscany, Italy.
Baptistery in Florence, Italy.
Baptistery in Florence, Italy.
Bell tower in Florence, Italy.
Bell tower in Florence, Italy.
Art museum in Florence, Italy.
Art museum in Florence, Italy.
Public square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
Public square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
Town hall of Florence, Italy.
Town hall of Florence, Italy.
Bridge in Florence, Italy.
Bridge in Florence, Italy.
Tuscan food is protein-forward and unpretentious. Olive oil is its own ingredient. Bread has no salt (there's a 13th-century feud about it). Dinner starts at 20:00.
1.2kg T-bone steak from Chianina cattle, grilled on charcoal, seasoned with nothing but salt and olive oil. Served rare. Priced by the kilogram.
Slow-cooked tripe sandwich from Florence's street carts, dipped in broth and topped with salsa verde. Florentine workers' lunch since the 1400s.
Thick soup of bread, cannellini beans, cavolo nero, and Tuscan vegetables. Peasant food turned iconic. Thickens to near-solid when reheated.
Wide ribbon pasta with wild boar ragù. The ragù braises for 4+ hours. Pairs with a Chianti that's older than the last reality TV season.
Toasted bread with chicken liver pâté. The bread has no salt because Tuscans prefer it that way — the pâté does the seasoning.
Bread-and-tomato porridge, fresh basil, good olive oil, lots of black pepper. Summer dish. Looks like mush, tastes like a vacation.
Almond biscotti dunked in sweet Vin Santo wine. The classic end-of-meal combo. Ask for it post-dessert — many places won't offer it by default.
Florence invented the art. Don Nino and Vivoli both claim originator status. Look for metal-tin storage, not heaped pyramids.
Florence's answer to fast food — thick bread, Tuscan cured meats, pecorino, truffle oil. All'Antico Vinaio has the famous schiacciata.
Florence's flatbread — crispy outside, fluffy inside, olive-oiled and salted. Eat plain or stuffed. Gets its name from 'pressed'.
Lunch-only, no reservations, shared tables, menu on a chalkboard. The Florentine lunch counter since 1953. Line starts at 11:45.
Famous enough to be parodied. Schiacciata stuffed with anything. The line looks terrible, it moves fast.
No ATM, reservations by phone only, communal tables, bare tile floors. The butter-chicken ('petto di pollo al burro') is legendary.
Huge menu, outdoor seating, touristy but genuinely good. Hit the beans and the Florentine steak.
Ground floor — the old produce market, lampredotto, cheese, cured meat. First floor — modern food hall with pizza, sushi, pasta. Open late.
Tiny slow-food deli near Ponte Vecchio. Organic, mostly vegetarian, excellent focaccia. Eat standing or carry it to the Arno.
Polished Oltrarno room. Modern Tuscan cooking, serious wine list. Book two weeks out for dinner.
Florence's longest-running vegetarian (since 1981). Self-service counter, seasonal menu, always a few vegan choices. Locals-heavy.
Operating since 1930. Minimal flavors, maximum care. Cash-only. The rice gelato alone is worth the queue.
€1.50 small cone, best cheap gelato in the city, always a line out the door. Cheesecake flavor is famous.
Florence's oldest café (1733). Stand at the counter like a local. The schiacciata alla fiorentina (sweet bread with orange) is here.
Deep Chianti list, short menu, natural wood room. The place locals take dates. Small, book ahead.
Did Florence in 3 days and honestly that's enough for the old town. After the Uffizi, the Accademia, and the Duomo complex you've seen the highlight reel. If you want more, add a day trip to Siena or Chianti instead of padding the city.
The Uffizi is massive. If you don't pre-book a 'reserved entrance' ticket, you'll stand in line for 2+ hours in July. The online ticket adds €4 and saves you half your day.
Pickpockets are heavy on Via dei Calzaiuoli and around Ponte Vecchio at peak tourist hours. Not violent, just quick. Front pocket wallet, cross-body bag, you're fine.
Climb the dome even if stairs scare you a bit. The cathedral from the inside + the Last Judgment fresco is something I'll think about for the rest of my life. Worth every one of the 463 steps.
Eat in Oltrarno (left bank of the Arno) at night. It's where Florentines actually go. San Niccolò is my favourite neighbourhood — small trattorias, wine bars, no tour groups.
Don't book a hotel near the Duomo. It looks convenient but you'll be bar-crawled by stag parties at 2am. Stay in San Marco or Oltrarno — quieter, same walking distance.
Both museums are timed-entry. Walk-up lines in spring/summer are 2+ hours. Book at uffizi.it and galleriaaccademiafirenze.it at least 48 hours out. Mornings are quieter than afternoons.
Brunelleschi's cupola has no elevator and no break lounges. If you have knees/claustrophobia concerns, climb Giotto's Tower instead — 414 steps but with rest landings and windows.
Uffizi, Accademia, Bargello, Palazzo Vecchio museum — all closed on most Mondays. The Duomo complex stays open. Plan Day 1 for Monday if your trip aligns that way.
Bistecca alla fiorentina is a 1.2kg T-bone cooked rare. Single portion, meant to share. If it's under 500g or cooked past medium-rare, that's not it — walk.
The old centre is a Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) — only residents and taxis. Walk everywhere. Distances are short. An Uber costs more than it's worth.
€85 for 72 hours. Worth it if you visit Uffizi + Accademia + Palazzo Vecchio + Bargello + Cathedral complex. Below that, pay per entry. Skip-the-line is the real value.
Tell me your pace, dietary, days, budget — and I'll rebuild Florence to match.