Florence - birth of Renaissance

Beautiful, a small city that possesses the elegant architecture and rich art collection of the Renaissance, definitely one of the most visited cities in Italy.


High Level Itinerary

I did all the various attractions in a packed schedule of 2 days, which is based on this recommendation: https://www.visitflorence.com/itineraries-in-florence/two-days-in-florence.html

But if you are really into art, then take your time and spend 3-4 days!

Day 1:
  • Piazza del Duomo,  Piazza della Signora
  • Uffizi Gallery
  • Ponte Vecchio, Boboli Gardens, Holy Spirit

Day 2:
  • Santa Maria Novella Church, Santa Croce Church
  • Academia Gallery
  • Piazzale Michelangelo 

Tips

  • Check the "Tips" on the city of Rome.

Transportation

  • The city is small so everything is within walking distance (the farthest you have to walk is ~30min). There is some local bus that you can take.
  • If you are coming from Rome, it's about 1h 40min high speed train
  • There is a ~30min bus to/from the FLR airport to/from Santa Maria Novella train station (costs about 6 euros each way)

Where to stay

  • near Santa Maria Novella train station: since you can walk to most attractions, it's probably a good idea to stay near the main train station so that when you arrive to the city, you can access your accommodation easily with your luggage, and also you can exit it easily.

Things to do

Important Attractions

Piazza del Duomo

A very beautiful plaza that includes a church, a dome, a baptistery and a bell tower.

  • Entrance to the church is free, but to go inside the other areas you need to buy a pass (~15 euros) that can be sold in a office right in the plaza. This pass has a 48 hours expiry and allows you to climb the dome, go to baptistery, climb the bell tower, and go a museum.
    • I prioritized going to the John's Baptistery because the "ceiling" is gorgeous, and I climbed the dome (which is quite a workout walking up few hundred stairs) and got a very nice view on the sunset.




Accademia Gallery

It's a museum that displays various important sculptures and paintings, and its most famous item is Michelangelo's David.

  • Depending on your appreciation of art, you can spend 1.5-2 hours
  • Recommend buying tickets online to avoid lineups if you go on high season.




Ponte Vecchio

 "Old Bridge" that is iconic and has many expensive stores. You can walk on it on your way to Boboli Gardens.



 Boboli Gardens

Nice large garden for a relaxing walk which also displays a few pieces of art.

  • There is a museum on same complex, so you have the option to just visit the garden or both (you pay more if you go to both)
  • Entrance to the garden is not allowed 1 hour before it closes, so make to arrive at a right time.
Piazzale Michelangelo

It's a bit of a walk, but this place is right across the river of the main part of Florence, so you can get a nice view of the city, especially during sunset.
Santa Croce Church

This is another pretty church, and it is famous because Michelangelo and Galileo are buried there. There is an entrance fee of ~5-6 euros.

Optional Attractions

  • Uffizi Gallery: an art gallery that has hallways of nice sculptures and Christian paintings. Recommend buying tickets online.
  • Various pretty churches (costs around ~5 euros to enter to each)
    • Santa Maria Novella
    • Holy spirit
    • San Lorenzo

What to eat

  • eat a sandwich at "Da Vinattieri", it's a hole in the wall, but it is economical and good.
  • try a dish from Tuscan cuisine.

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