Florence Travel Guide: Plan Your Trip with Months of First-Hand Knowledge

This guide to planning a trip to Florence covers everything that actually shapes how the trip feels – when to go, how many days to take, where to stay, what to book early, and how to structure your time so you’re not rushing between things or leaving wishing you’d approached it differently.

It’s built from months in the city, including a month-long stay, and it’s written for the kind of traveller who wants to get Florence right on the first visit rather than figure it out on the second.

Planning a trip to Florence sounds straightforward on paper. It’s a compact city, easy to reach, and packed with well-known sights.

But in practice, it’s surprisingly easy to get wrong.

On my first visit, I thought I had it planned perfectly – a couple of days, all the main sights, a clear itinerary. In reality, I spent more time navigating crowds, queuing, and rushing between places than I had initially expected.

That’s the thing with Florence: small decisions make a much bigger difference than you expect. It’s easy to waste time on overhyped spots or miss what actually makes the city special.

If you’re the kind of traveller who wants to get it right – not just see everything, but experience it well – how you plan your trip matters.

When you visit, how long you stay, what you book in advance, where you base yourself, and how you structure your days all shape whether Florence feels seamless or slightly overwhelming, especially when planning a Florence itinerary for the first time.

I’ve been to Florence multiple times now, including a month-long stay, and what I’ve found is that most itineraries focus on seeing more, when the real difference comes from structuring your time properly.

This isn’t about fitting everything in. It’s about planning Florence in a way that feels considered, balanced, and actually enjoyable.

This travel guide breaks down exactly how to plan a trip to Florence step by step – from when to visit and how many days you need, to where to stay, what to book, and how to structure your time – so you can build a trip that actually works without wasting time, missing key sights, or feeling rushed the whole time.

Is Florence Worth Visiting?

Florence is one of those cities people think they already understand before they arrive. I certainly did – I’d seen the Duomo countless times in photos and had a vague sense of what to expect.

What I didn’t expect was how differently the city reveals itself once you’re actually there.

On my first visit, I remember feeling slightly overwhelmed at first – especially around the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio, where the crowds can make Florence feel more intense than you might imagine. And I’ve since heard the same from friends and family: busy, crowded, hard to take in properly.

But that’s only one version of Florence.

Once I slowed down – stepping into quieter churches, wandering beyond the main streets, lingering over a long lunch – the city started to open up in a completely different way. And that version is the one I’d go back for.

That said, Florence isn’t for everyone in the same way that somewhere like Rome might be. If you’re not particularly interested in art – and especially Renaissance art – you may find that you run out of things to actively do quite quickly. Or that the city feels crowded without enough payoff.

On the other hand, if you’re happy to approach it more loosely – browsing shops, sitting in piazzas, eating well, taking in viewpoints – there’s more than enough to fill a few days without rushing.

What I wouldn’t do is build your expectations around the viral version of Florence you see on social media. Long queues for sandwiches and packed streets aren’t really what the city is about, and they’re not what makes it memorable.

I also think Florence becomes a more rewarding place on a second visit – unless you’ve planned your first one very intentionally. It’s not always a city that immediately reveals itself.

If you prefer depth over ticking off sights, then yes – Florence is absolutely worth visiting.

If you’re still unsure, I’ve broken this down in more detail in my guide to is Florence worth visiting.

How to Plan Your Time in Florence

One of the easiest ways to get Florence wrong is in how you structure your days.

Most people naturally focus on the big names – the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Duomo – and build everything around those. And while they absolutely are worth seeing, they’re only one part of what Florence actually offers.

There is an enormous amount of art and history across the city beyond those headline sights – from places like the Bargello and the Medici Chapels to smaller museums like Palazzo Davanzati, as well as frescoes in churches and buildings you’ll simply walk into by chance. 

Even somewhere like Palazzo Vecchio, which is central to Florence’s political history, is often overlooked in favour of the more obvious choices.

What I wouldn’t do is try to stack the major sights too tightly together. 

The Uffizi, Accademia, and a Duomo climb all on the same day, for example, is something I would avoid where possible. Not just because of the queues, but because of how much you’re taking in. These are intense, visually dense experiences, and trying to push through too many of them at once takes away from all of them.

I’ve done that kind of day before, and by the afternoon everything started to blur – I was still seeing incredible things, but not really taking any of them in properly.

If I had three days, I’d spread those bigger sights across separate mornings.

In practical terms, I would still structure your day around anything you’ve booked in advance – particularly the major museums or the dome climb – and then build everything else around that. 

That might mean filling in the gaps with smaller sites, wandering, or simply stopping for a proper meal rather than rushing between things. Balancing this will make Florence feel enjoyable rather than overwhelming.

Florence Itineraries by Trip Length

If you’re planning a multi-day trip, I’ve mapped this out in more detail in my itineraries:

➙ 2 days in Florence itinerary
➙ 3 days in Florence itinerary
➙ 4 days in Florence itinerary

Decide What Kind of Florence Trip You Want

Before you start locking in museums and building out a detailed itinerary, it’s worth stepping back and deciding what kind of Florence trip you actually want.

Because the experience can look very different depending on what you prioritise.

When I first started visiting Florence, I leaned more heavily into the cultural side – trying to see as much as possible, moving from one major site to the next. And while that can work, what I’ve learned over time is that it’s not necessarily what makes the city most enjoyable.

These are intense environments. You’re looking at a huge amount of detail, history, and visual information in a relatively short space of time, and it does build up.

What I’d do now – and what I’d recommend – is pull back slightly.

Not away from the culture, but into a more rounded, multi-faceted experience.

Florence isn’t just museums. A lot of what makes it special sits outside of them – in its food, its streets, its artisan culture, its piazzas, its viewpoints, and the general atmosphere of the city when you’re not moving between ticketed sites.

The mistake I see most often is people planning Florence like a checklist – trying to see everything, sticking rigidly to a minute-by-minute itinerary, and moving through the city without really taking time to consider how it all fits together.

It’s surprisingly easy to leave Florence feeling like you’ve seen everything, but have no real understanding of what it’s about at all – I’ve spoken to many friends and family members who had that experience. 

You don’t need to visit every museum to have a meaningful trip here. And there’s no real value in doing things you’re not genuinely interested in just to feel like you’ve “done Florence properly”.

If anything, I’d decide what matters most to you – whether that’s art, food, shopping, or simply spending time in the city – and weight your days around that.

I’ve pulled together a more detailed guide to the best things to do in Florence, including both the obvious sights and the other layers of the city that are just as worth your time.

What to Book in Advance in Florence

This is one of the areas where Florence can feel more complicated than it needs to be, and where people often either overbook or don’t book the right things.

On my first trip, I didn’t realise that I had to reserve the dome climb in advance (such a rookie error knowing what I know now!) and no surprises – I didn’t get to climb the dome! 

If I were planning a trip now, I’d be very clear about what actually needs to be booked in advance and what doesn’t.

The main priorities are:

• the Duomo complex (especially the dome climb)
• the Accademia (to see David)
• the Uffizi Gallery

All three are worth it – and all three are much better with a pre-booked time slot.

The dome climb in particular is one I’d plan early, as tickets are limited and sell out. And while you can technically enter the cathedral itself for free, I wouldn’t recommend queueing for that alone. 

It’s surprisingly underwhelming compared to the exterior unless you’re also visiting other parts of the complex, so it’s much more worthwhile to buy a ticket that includes multiple areas and skip the line altogether.

Beyond those, I wouldn’t rush to book everything else.

Most museums and sites don’t need to be locked in far in advance, and leaving some flexibility in your itinerary makes a noticeable difference to how the trip feels day-to-day.

That said, one thing I would book in advance – which people often overlook – is restaurants.

Florence has a lot of very good, traditional Tuscan restaurants that are popular for a reason. Not necessarily the viral places you see everywhere, but genuinely well-regarded spots that fill up quickly, particularly in the evenings and at weekends.

If there are specific places you really want to eat, I’d book those ahead of time rather than leaving it to chance.

In terms of things I’d prioritise now that I didn’t initially, Palazzo Vecchio stands out. I skipped it on my first trip, but it ended up being one of my favourite experiences later – particularly through the “secret itineraries” tour, which takes you through hidden rooms and Medici spaces in a small group setting. It adds a completely different layer of understanding to the city.

Overall, I wouldn’t overbook, but I’d lock in those key sights early and leave everything else flexible.

I’ve broken down exactly how to approach each of the major sights in more detail here:

➙ Visiting the Florence Duomo complex
➙ Seeing the Statue of David in Florence

How to Understand Florence Before You Go

Florence is one of those cities that becomes far more interesting the moment you understand even a small amount of what you’re looking at.

Before I properly understood it, I appreciated Florence in a fairly surface-level way – beautiful buildings, impressive churches, incredible art – but a lot of it felt disconnected. Like moving from one significant place to another without fully grasping how it all fit together.

What changed that for me was understanding two things: the Renaissance, and the role of the Medici family.

Once you realise that Florence was at the centre of a movement that shaped so much of Western art, culture, and thought – and that much of that influence can be traced back to one family – the city starts to feel completely different. It’s not just a collection of landmarks anymore. It’s a place where an extraordinary amount of power, wealth, and influence was concentrated in a relatively small area.

And you start to see that everywhere.

The Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, the layout of the city, the churches, the art – it all begins to connect in a way that makes Florence feel much more cohesive and, honestly, more impressive.

You don’t need to go deep into academic history to get more out of Florence – even a basic understanding goes a long way.

Honestly, even something like a historical novel or a series like Medici: Masters of Florence on Netflix is enough to give you a feel for it. It’s not perfectly accurate, but that doesn’t really matter – it gives you a sense of the characters, the politics, and how everything connects.

That alone can completely change how you see the city. You start recognising names, places, power dynamics – and suddenly things like the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, or the Medici chapels feel far more significant than just “another beautiful building”.

What (and Where) to Eat in Florence

One of the biggest mistakes people make with food in Florence is assuming that the busiest places – the ones with queues down the street or all over social media – are automatically the best.

In my experience, they usually aren’t.

Places like All’Antico Vinaio are a good example of how distorted things have become. I know it’s everywhere on social media, but I really wouldn’t prioritise it.

It’s essentially turned into the McDonald’s of schiacciata at this point – they have multiple locations, kiosks where you order, branches in other cities and even internationally. There’s one near the Pantheon in Rome, one in London… it’s not really ‘authentic’ to Florence in the way people think it is anymore.

And for me, that takes away from what makes eating in Florence enjoyable in the first place. The whole experience of grabbing a sandwich from a small, local spot, chatting to the person behind the counter, eating it casually outside – that’s what I’d lean into instead.

Florence’s food scene isn’t about one “must-try” place. It’s about a mix of experiences.

For lunch, I would absolutely include schiacciata – it’s one of the best things to eat on the go, and something I personally came back to again and again. You don’t need to sit down for a full meal every time to eat well here. Some of my favourite lunches were just a really good sandwich, a drink, and somewhere to sit outside.

In the evenings, I’d shift into something more traditional – a trattoria for pasta, wine, and slower dining. Dishes like pici, ragù (including wild boar), and bistecca alla Fiorentina are all worth trying if they appeal to you.

I’d also build in a few different types of experiences across your trip:

• a casual lunch on the go
• a proper trattoria meal
• a wine bar with cheese or salumi
• good gelato from an artisanal place
• and, if it interests you, exploring the more modern coffee scene

One of the most memorable meals I had was at a small, no-frills trattoria near San Lorenzo – the pasta arrived simply plated, the wine was inexpensive, and the atmosphere felt completely unpretentious.

It wasn’t styled or curated in any way – just consistently good food in a relaxed setting – and it’s the kind of experience I’d prioritise over anything more hyped.

If anything, I’d focus less on chasing specific places and more on getting a range of experiences.

That will give you a much more accurate sense of what eating in Florence is actually like. I’ve pulled together a more detailed guide to what and where to eat in Florence, including the places I’d go back to and what I’d order.

Worth knowing

Take this superb sunset food and wine tour in Florence’s Oltarno to try Tuscan wines, regional cuisine and visit a wine window.

Where to Stay in Florence

In short: Florence is small enough that location matters less for logistics than for atmosphere. Staying a few streets outside the Duomo area – in Santa Croce, Sant’Ambrogio or across the river in Santo Spirito – makes the day-to-day experience noticeably calmer and more grounded without adding meaningful travel time to anything.

Where you stay in Florence makes less of a difference in terms of logistics – and more in terms of how the city feels day-to-day.

Florence is small, so you don’t need to worry too much about getting around. But a few streets can completely change your experience.

If I were choosing where to stay today, I wouldn’t stay right around the Duomo.

On paper, it sounds ideal – central, iconic, everything on your doorstep. But in reality, it’s one of the busiest parts of the city from early morning until late at night. There’s a constant flow of people, street activity, and noise, and it can feel quite intense the moment you step outside.

I’ve found that staying just slightly outside that immediate area makes a noticeable difference.

Areas like Santa Croce and Sant’Ambrogio, or across the river in Santo Spirito, offer a much better balance. You’re still within easy walking distance of everything, but you also get quieter streets, more local atmosphere, and a bit of breathing room.

It’s also where you start to see more of the everyday side of Florence – people going about their mornings, small shops opening, cafés filling up – rather than just the main tourist flow.

If you prefer something more lively, closer to restaurants and nightlife, Santo Spirito is a good option. If you want something a bit calmer but still central, Santa Croce and Sant’Ambrogio work very well.

For me, that slight shift away from the very centre changes the entire feel of your stay.

You’re still right in Florence – just experiencing a version of it that feels a bit more grounded and less overwhelming.

I’ve broken this down further – including specific areas and places I’d consider – in my guide to where to stay in Florence, as well as more focused round-ups of design-led hotels and hotels with a pool.

Should You Take a Day Trip from Florence?

Florence is one of the best bases in Italy for day trips, but that doesn’t mean every popular option is automatically worth your time.

This is one of those areas where it’s very easy to overdo it. Once you realise how many places are “within reach”, it becomes tempting to start adding them in without thinking about what that actually does to your time in Florence.

If I were planning a shorter trip, I would limit it to one day trip maximum. Anything more than that and it starts to feel less like a Florence trip and more like a Tuscany trip – which really needs its own separate planning and priorities.

In terms of what I’d prioritise, a Chianti wine tour is probably the easiest, most universally enjoyable option. It’s very accessible, often organised for you, and can even be done in an afternoon without taking over your entire day. A cooking class in the Tuscan countryside would fall into a similar category.

Siena would be my personal standout. It’s slightly more involved to get to – usually involving a train to Empoli and then a connection – but it’s one of the few cases where I’d make an exception to that. It’s straightforward once you know how, and Siena is genuinely fascinating in its own right.

Bologna is another strong option, particularly if you’re interested in food. It’s very easy to reach by train, and the food culture feels noticeably different to Florence despite being so close. It also lets you dip into another Italian region, Emilia Romagna, very easily. 

I’m also more selective than most about some of the classic suggestions. 

Pisa, for example, is more worthwhile than people sometimes give it credit for – but mostly if you’re genuinely interested in seeing the Campo dei Miracoli and are willing to look beyond the tower afterwards. If what you want is a slower, more atmospheric day, Lucca is often the better choice.

If anything, the key thing to think about in regards to day trips from Florence is how much time you’re actually spending in transit. That adds up quickly, and it’s where a lot of day trips lose their appeal.

And if you find yourself planning more days out of Florence than in it, I’d genuinely reconsider your base. At that point, it often makes more sense to stay in the Tuscan countryside and approach Florence differently, even though I’m not generally a huge fan of visiting Florence as a day trip itself.

I’ve broken down which day trips are actually worth considering – and which I’d be more cautious about – in my guide to the best day trips from Florence.

How to Get to Florence and Get Around

How you get to Florence – and how you move around once you’re there – really depends on how it fits into your wider trip.

If Florence Airport is an option for you, it’s by far the most straightforward. It’s very close to the city, and getting into the centre is quick and easy.

Personally, I usually fly into Pisa or Bologna. Pisa tends to have more international connections, and the setup is simple – a short train (the Pisa Mover) to Pisa Centrale, then a train into Florence. Bologna works in a very similar way, with a monorail connection into the main station before continuing on to Florence, and it can actually be slightly quicker overall.

If you’re travelling between Italian cities, I would always take the train. It’s reliable, relatively fast, and brings you straight into Santa Maria Novella, which is right in the centre.

Where things get more nuanced is if you’re combining Florence with a wider Tuscany trip.

I’ve done this a couple of different ways – flying in, taking the train to Florence, and then picking up a rental car afterwards – and that’s the approach I’d take again.

I really wouldn’t plan on having a car while you’re staying in Florence itself unless you absolutely have to.

It’s not impossible, but it adds an extra layer of complexity – parking, ZTL permits, navigating restricted areas – and it’s just not necessary in a city that’s so walkable. You’ll also likely be paying €25+ per night for parking, which adds up quickly.

Once you’re in Florence, you’ll end up walking most places.

One thing that can catch people off guard, though, is how slow taxis can be for short distances. There’s a fairly protracted one-way system in parts of the city, so even somewhere that looks nearby can take longer than you’d expect to reach by car.

What to Pack for Florence

What you pack for Florence makes more of a difference than you might expect – particularly once you’re actually on the ground.

The biggest mistake I made on my first trip was footwear. I brought thin-soled pumps, and they just don’t cut it for long days on cobblestones. My poor feet were aching at the end of the day, and there may have been a blister or two! 

What I’ve found works best is having a proper, supportive pair of shoes for during the day – and then something lighter or different to change into in the evening. After a full day walking on uneven streets, even switching shoes can make a noticeable difference.

In terms of clothing, Florence is a more stylish city than people often expect.

This is, after all, the home of brands like Gucci and Ferragamo, with entire streets like Via de’ Tornabuoni dedicated to high-end fashion, alongside artisan leather shops, independent makers, and beautifully presented boutiques. There’s a real sense of style running through the city.

If you’re someone who cares about what you wear, it’s worth bearing that in mind. You don’t need to dress up constantly, but you may find yourself wishing you’d brought slightly more considered outfits rather than defaulting entirely to “tourist comfort”.

That said, Florence is also full of tourists dressed in every possible way,  so there’s no pressure if that’s not your focus.

One practical thing that is easy to overlook is church dress codes. I’ve seen plenty of people queueing for the Duomo in strappy tops or very short outfits, only to realise they can’t enter without covering up. It’s worth having something with you – a scarf, a layer, or just choosing outfits that meet the requirements – so you’re not caught out.

More than anything, I’d pack with the reality of the day in mind: long stretches on your feet, changing temperatures, and a mix of walking, sitting, and stopping throughout the day.

What to Know Before You Go

A few things about Florence are much easier to understand once you’ve actually been, and knowing them in advance can make a noticeable difference to your trip.

• It’s busy, even when you don’t expect it to be.
  I’ve been there in what should have been quieter periods (like early May) and still found the area around the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio very crowded. It’s not just a summer issue anymore.
• Time of day matters more than you think.
  The same places can feel completely different depending on when you visit. Mornings and evenings are noticeably calmer; midday is when everything peaks.
• You don’t need to see everything.
  It’s very easy to try to fit in every major sight, but Florence is dense – visually and culturally. After a couple of museums or churches, it does start to blur if you don’t give yourself a break.
• Some of the best parts aren’t planned.
  Walking into a smaller church, wandering into a quieter neighbourhood, or stopping somewhere you hadn’t earmarked often ends up being more memorable than something you booked weeks in advance.
• Queues don’t always equal quality.
  This applies especially to food. Some of the most visible places on social media come with long waits, but they’re not necessarily the best way to experience Florence.
• It’s worth having a rough plan, but not a rigid one.
  Booking a couple of key things in advance helps, but leaving space in your day makes the experience much more enjoyable.

I’ve pulled together my most useful, experience-led advice – including what I’d do differently, what I’d skip, and the things that genuinely made a difference to my trips – in my Florence Travel Tips guide.

Download the planning guide

Florence for the Cultured Traveller

How long the city really deserves, when to come, and how to shape your days so Florence unfolds rather than rushes past — with the missteps to avoid along the way.

Plan the Rest of Your Florence Trip

Once you have a clear sense of how you want to approach Florence, the next step is making sure the practical decisions – where to stay, how to structure your days, and where to eat – are all working together.

For choosing the right base, which makes more difference in Florence than most cities:
➙ Where to stay in Florence: best areas for first-timers and beyond

For the day-by-day structure, start with the itinerary that matches your trip length:
➙ 2 days in Florence
➙ 3 days in Florence
➙ 4 days in Florence

For where to eat – which is as important as any of the above:
➙ Best restaurants in Florence: personal picks from months of eating there

And if you’re thinking about using Florence as a base for Tuscany:
➙ Best day trips from Florence

Or, if you’d prefer to explore everything in one place, you can browse all of my Florence content here:
➙ Florence travel hub