What to See in Florence

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You're going to fall in love with Florence, we promise. The list of things to love here is endless, from the Uffizi Gallery to Michelangelo's marble at the Accademia, and numerous palaces, squares, sculptures and much more.

So if you’re ready to set your heart alight, here are the best things to do in Florence right now. 

1. Piazza della Signoria (with Palazzo Vecchio)

You can't miss the Piazza della Signoria, the most beautiful square of Florence. You'll stumble upon it when walking from the Duomo towards the Ponte Vecchio or when reaching the Uffizi Gallery.

This is a place where you can spend lots of time, just admiring the sculptures, capturing the photos or just people watching from the marble seats of Loggia dei Lanzi (next to Palazzo Vecchio).

Here you'll find the Neptune Fountain (one of the most photographed spots in Florence), a copy of Michelangelo’s David statue, the statues of Hercules and Cacus and much more.

Go inside the Palazzo Vecchio and admire the beautiful courtyard (it's free), but if you want to visit the museum that houses an amazing collection of art from 13-19th centuries, you'll need to buy a ticket.

We suggest this guided tour that takes you to visit off-beaten corners of Palazzo Vecchio Museum including the mysterious stairway (skip-the-line; lasts for 75 minutes).

2. The Duomo complex

If visiting Florence, be sure to reach Piazza del Duomo with Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (known as the Duomo). 

What many people don’t realize is that the Duomo complex is more than just the church—there’s also the Baptistery of Saint John, Giotto’s Bell Tower, and, inside the church itself, there’s also a museum and the iconic dome high above (there are 463 steps). It’s possible to visit them all.

You may love the Baptistery of Saint John, which pre-dates even the cathedral, and is both amazing inside and has these carved bronze doors showing scenes from the bible. It’s directly opposite the cathedral doors, so you can’t miss it.

The Opera del Duomo Museum (just behind the Duomo) is a fascinating museum that explores history of the Duomo with huge selection of artifacts, artwork, relics, antiques, religious items and statues to see (the main attraction and certainly a must see are the original Gates of Paradise). You may also want to visit it!

You can visit the Florence cathedral for free, but you’ll have to buy one of the combined tickets or passes to see the other areas (see all available options here!). For finding out more about these sights, join one of many guided tours (it's definitely worth!)

All these is in the very center of Florence, less than a 10-minute walk from the train station.

3. The Uffizi Gallery

Visiting the Uffizi Gallery (it's extremely easy to find; it's located near Piazza della Signoria) is a must when visiting Florence. This museum houses a huge collection of paintings and sculptures of the most famous Italian painters such as Raphael, Botticelli, Giotto, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and others.

It's necessary to plan ahead and book tickets online to avoid waiting in the long ticket lines (note that the museum is closed on Mondays). Depending on your interest in art, you may just want to spend an entire afternoon there or visit in only 2 hours.

If you want to see the best of the Uffizi in a short time (1.5 hour), we suggest taking this small-group tour (no more than 9 people), guided by locals who know stories behind each masterpiece. We recommend taking morning departure - at 10am. Visiting the Uffizi is one of the best ideas when it's raining in Florence!

4. Bargello Museum (one of our favourite ones)

The Bargello Museum in Florence

Even if you are not art lover, you'll love the Bargello Museum, situated in beautiful Palazzo del Podestà (in Via del Proconsolo, 4), a short walk from Piazza della Signoria. This small museum is great for escaping crowds of Florence streets and spending hour or two in the peaceful atmosphere.

The building itself is magnificent with the internal courtyard, exterior staircase and the loggia housing wonderful sculptures. The Bargello Museum houses a great collection of sculptures, including works of Donatello, Verrocchio, Michelangelo, Benvenuto Cellini, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi.

Additional gallery rooms are setup with impressive porcelain, goldworks, jewels, ivory and glazed terracota works. It is fantastic collection and place you can easily spend a couple of hours sightseeing.

The entry ticket costs €10 per person. You can buy tickets online or at the museum on the day you intend to visit. The museum is set on 3 floors of the building. You can have a rest on the benches in the courtyard or chairs in the outside area of first floor. Museum has different opening times every day, so be sure to check before visiting.

Enjoy strolling through the medieval walls of the museum and hearing the details behind each artwork from your guide on this great private tour.

5. Ponte Vecchio (unique Florence's bridge)

The Ponte Vecchio in FlorenceThe Ponte Vecchio is one of the most visited spots by tourists

From Piazza della Signoria, you can walk to Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge of Florence. The bridge is lined with jewellery and souvenirs shops, so it's great opportunity for some shopping. Take photos of the Arno River or the bridge itself. Note that it's always packed with tourists (except early in the morning).

While there, take a scenic stroll along the Arno River - particularly stunning at the sunset.

6. Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo is for sure the place for enjoying a gorgeous sunset. It’s a perfect spot for sitting and watching the city turn from day to night. It'll take you around 30 minute to walk there from Ponte Vecchio, but it's well worth it for the views. Just remember to visit around an hour before sundown as the area fills up quiet quickly.

Very close to Piazzale Michelangelo is San Miniato al Monte, a beautiful church that is so deserving of a visit.

7. Mercato Centrale (covered food market)

Traditional food products in Mercato Centrale in Florence

While in Florence, don't skip visiting Mercato Centrale, central food market, situated a short walk from Piazza del Duomo (take Borgo St. Lorenzo, then turn left to Piazza di San Lorenzo and continue to walk through Via dell'Ariento). 

You can spend time here walking through the stalls and viewing amazing food offer. Vendors will be happy to offer you to taste salami, prosciutto and cheeses, so you can easily decide which one to buy. Buy a piece of schiacciatta (Tuscan-style focaccia) to pair with your salami. Or opt for a ready-to-eat lampredotto sandwich - truly unique!

If you are more into sweets, we recommend cantucci - Italian dry cookies or panforte - a chewy sweets containing fruit and nuts. You'll also find here a huge choice of fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, dry and fresh pasta, gnocchi, Tuscan wines, quality olive-oils, truffle products and much more. This is a great place for buying a foodie souvenir from Florence!

In Via dell'Ariento 21R (in the street leading to Mercato Centrale), you'll find 'Forno Canapa' - traditional bakery with a range of quality baked goods. We adore their coccoli - fried dough balls, so soft and delicious. You can grab coccoli filled with cheese and prosciutto or the plain one to nibble with anything you can imagine. See what to taste in Florence!

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