Blog

I had no idea that Florence was such a big tourist spot! I didn’t have a lot of expectations going in but it caught me off guard when we got there and the sights were just as crowded as Rome. Here are 11 things to do to make the most of your 3 days in Florence, Italy.

Since we didn’t realize this we didn’t buy any of our tickets in advance unlike the rest of our trip. On top of this many of the museums and the Duomo have sporadic hours and random days they’re closed. Combined, these facts ended up causing a lot of problems for us. We weren’t able to grab tickets to the top of the Duomo and missed out seeing Michelangelo’s David.

Learn from our mistakes and book tickets well in advance. They recommend as much as 2-3 weeks before you arrive.

Everything in Florence is within easy walking distance. We did’t purchase bus or local transport because it would have been unnecessary. Which is great news because it cuts down on costs for you! Let’s go!

This post may contain some affiliate links. This means I make a small profit from your purchase but at no increased cost to you. I only recommend products that I love and would purchase myself! Full disclaimer here.

1. Visit Michelangelo’s David

The museum that holds David, Galleria dell’ Accedemia, is closed every Monday and they close at 6:30 every evening. So keep those hours in mind when planning. Try to buy a ticket in advance because if you do not get a ticket in advance, then the lines can often be long and you could be waiting for a couple hours.

Galleria dell’ Accedemia is closed on Monday’s.

2. Santa Maria del Fiore – The Duomo

The Duomo is a gorgeous cathedral made from white, green and pink marble. It is very stunning and large with one of the biggest domes ever built. To go inside is free but to climb to the top of the dome, the bell tower, the crypts and the baptistry costs 18 euro per ticket.

The Duomo is closed on the first day of every month and every Sunday. If you are visiting over a weekend make sure to account for that in your planning.

Please be sure to book your tickets well in advance!! They only let in a certain number of people a day and they are often sold out up to two weeks in advance

3. Piazzale Michelangelo at Sunset

This hill top, Piazzale Michelangelo, is across the river from the city proper of Florence and offers the most beautiful view of the city! Head on up here to watch the sunset over the city with some gelato. It is about a 20-30 minute walk from the Duomo and it is up hill but it isn’t that bad.

There are some steps that are perfect to watch from or several places to sit along the stone wall that you can watch from as well.

4. Ponte Vecchio

There are several bridges that span the river Arno offering ways across. The oldest bridge however is the only surviving bridge from WW2 called Ponte Vecchio. This bridge is unique with small “houses” lining it that used to be owned by merchants. Now a days the bridge is lined by shops selling silver and gold.

All the other bridges were destroyed by retreating Nazi’s towards the end of WW2. One Nazi general, perhaps a history buff, made this one impassable but left it largely intact.

5. Picnic by the Arno

Grab some yummy Italian sandwiches (I have a GREAT recommendation below) and then head to the grassy riverbank of the Arno to eat them. So calm, so relaxing it is the perfect place to talk and laugh while eating a yummy picnic. For a complete meal I recommend getting some gelato after of course.

Related Posts:

• Things to do in Rome, Italy
• What to See and Do in Venice for 48 Hours

6. Rick Steves Walking Tour

I had never heard of Rick Steves before this trip but SEVERAL travelers we had conversations with mentioned him. Apparently he has really great travel advice in Europe, so we decided to check him out. He has an app that offer free walking tour guides and we tried it out here in Florence! We loved getting facts and history of places we were visiting without paying an arm and a leg for a guided tour.

The app is called Rick Steves Audio Europe and we listened to “Florence: A Renaissance Walk”. I will definitely be using these more often when I travel.

7. Shopping

There are several really great outdoor markets where you can get souvineers and leather goods. Mercato Nuovo is really close to the Duomo and is where Robin bought a great leather duffle bag! Another good market is Mercato San Lorenzo which is further out. They both have similar options and you can negotiate.

8. Rooftop Views of the Duomo

If you have a little downtime between all of your adventures and want to get a new view of the Duomo I recommend going to La Terrazza to grab a snack or some drinks. It is not the cheapest place to go, you’re definitely paying for the view. But I think it is still a great place to visit and soak it all in.

9. Take a Day Trip

Saturnia Hot Springs

I really wanted to visit the Saturnia hot springs because I had heard good things, so we made it happen. A day trip is very possible from Florence and you’ll get a great look at the Tuscan country side. You should plan to leave about 9 am and you can expect to get back to Florence around 7 pm depending on how long you stay.

The hot springs are about 2.5 hours away from Florence and the easiest way to get there is by car rental. For a more in depth explanation and cost I go into it all in its own post.

Day Trip to Pisa

We did not go to Pisa but we talked to several travelers who said the only thing to do in Pisa, is see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Pisa is only a 1 hour train ride from Florence and trains leave regularly so you won’t have a problem catching one.

You’ll only need about a half day to get there and back so this ends up being less of a day trip and more of a quick excursion. Not a bad option if you really want to see Pisa.

10. Eat World Class Food

All’Antico Vinaio

Sandwiches are a huge staple in the Italian diet as you will see as you are traveling. This sandwich shop in Florence, All’Antico Vinaio, is the best and definitely a must have while you are here.

This shop has been so popular that they opened FOUR shops on the same street! And there is still a line down the street for their sandwiches. The good news is, thanks to the 4 locations and the fact that they are some of the most efficient sandwich makers I have ever seen, the line moves very quickly.

Gustarium

This is a one of a kind pizza place only two blocks from the Duomo. Gustarium opens at noon everyday and they only stay open until they sell out of inventory. And they do sell out, usually within 3 hours or less! So get there early for the widest variety. The flavors are incredibly unique. I had one that was cheese, sausage and pumpkin. Spoiler: It was delicious!!

Trattoria Sabatino

This was my favorite place we ate in all of Italy. The food was delicious but more than that it is a family owned and operated restaurant that made you feel like you were eating with an Italian family.

It is homestyle eating where they seat you with other people. They are friendly and loud and it was really just a great all around experience. It doesn’t hurt that the food starts at 4.60 euro for a plate of pasta and 5.40 euro for plates with meat. It was one of the most affordable meals we ate our entire trip. 

11. Eat Gelato

Gelato is its own food group in Italian cuisine and we ate a lot this trip! We added it up and for two people over 15 days we spent an estimated 100 euros on just this yummy treat. Both of these locations were winners in Florence and offer real, authentic, homemade gelato. They also happen to be on the same street and very close together. So make sure you try both and let me know which one was your favorite. It is a hot topic of debate for us.

Cantina del Gelato

My personal favorite, this gelato shop has a vide variety of delicious flavors to try. The pink salt caramel is yummy although the salt flavor is strong. And my favorite gelato flavor of all time, a classic in any shop, stracciotella, was great.

La Strega Nocciola

La Strega Nocciola translates loosely into The Hazelnut Witch. We traveled through Italy with two friends and this was their favorite shop by far. This shop sticks to the more classic flavors and will definitely satisfy your cravings. The reason it lost my vote was because their stracciotella was my least favorite. However, I would definitely eat here again.

Visiting Florence

Florence, home of the Renaissance and the birthplace of many of the greats has so much to see and explore. The number of art museums is astounding (we didn’t do a single one though) and the history is rich and fun to learn about.

Everything on this list we did in 3 days and was the perfect amount of time to spend in Florence. Especially since we saw so much during our trip! We saw 5 Italian cities in two weeks, which was a whirlwind but so much fun.

Do you have any favorite things to do when you’re in Florence? Tell me below!