Flight time
2h 20m
Best season
April–May & October
Budget
Mid-range to splurge
Best for
Renaissance art, food, wine, architecture
Overview
Why Florence for a city break?
Florence is the city that invented the Renaissance — and it shows. Brunelleschi's dome still dominates the skyline as it has since 1436. The Uffizi holds Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo's Annunciation, and more masterpieces per square metre than almost any building on earth. Michelangelo's David stands in the Accademia as he has since 1873 — still the most extraordinary individual artwork most people will ever stand in front of. The city is compact, walkable, and rewards the visitor who moves slowly.
From London and most UK airports, Florence is about two and a quarter hours. The city is best in April, May and the first half of October — warm but not oppressive, and before or after the summer peak that sees the Uffizi queues stretching around the block. Book the Uffizi, David and the Duomo complex (including the dome climb) before you go; all require timed entry and sell out. The Chianti wine country begins immediately south of the city walls — a car or a day trip for a different Florence experience.
Where to stay & explore
Florence's best neighbourhoods
Oltrarno
The south bank of the Arno — more local, more artisan, less tourist than the north side. The Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens, and the best neighbourhood restaurants and wine bars are all here. Cross the Ponte Vecchio to get here.
Santa Croce
The neighbourhood around the great Franciscan basilica — the Leather School in the church basement, the Piazza dei Ciompi antiques market, and the best concentration of independent restaurants and wine bars in the city.
San Marco & Accademia
The university neighbourhood north of the Duomo — quieter than the Centro Storico, excellent neighbourhood trattorias, and home to the Accademia (David) and the Fra Angelico frescoes of San Marco.
Things to do
What to see in Florence
1
Uffizi Gallery
The most important collection of Italian Renaissance art in the world — Botticelli's Primavera and Birth of Venus (rooms 10-14), Leonardo's Annunciation, Michelangelo's Doni Tondo, Raphael's portraits, Titian, Caravaggio. Book timed entry weeks in advance. Give it three hours; try not to do it when exhausted — the collection deserves proper attention. The terrace overlooking the Arno is a good halfway rest point.
2
Michelangelo's David (Accademia)
The most famous sculpture in the world — and still surprising in person. At 5.17 metres, carved from a single block of Carrara marble, the scale and perfection of David is genuinely shocking even for those who think they know what to expect. Book timed entry; the queue without a ticket is hours long. The unfinished Prisoners in the corridor approaching the rotunda are almost as extraordinary — Michelangelo leaving figures half-emerged from the stone.
3
Duomo, Baptistery & Dome Climb
Brunelleschi's dome — completed in 1436 without scaffolding, using a technique he invented — is still the largest brick dome in the world. The 463-step climb between the inner and outer shells, emerging onto the lantern with the city spread below, is one of the great architectural experiences in Europe. Book the Duomo complex ticket (which covers the dome, cathedral, baptistery, bell tower and museum) online; timed entry is required for the dome climb.
4
Boboli Gardens & Palazzo Pitti
The Medici's hillside garden — terraced fountains, grottoes, an amphitheatre and extraordinary views over Florence and the surrounding hills. The Palazzo Pitti houses several museums including the Palatine Gallery (Raphael, Titian, Rubens). Best visited in late afternoon when the light turns golden and the garden crowds thin. The Piazzale Michelangelo is a 20-minute walk up the hill for the classic postcard panorama.
Food & drink
Where to eat in Florence
Buca Mario
Traditional Florentine
Florence's oldest restaurant (1886) — the bistecca alla Fiorentina (T-bone steak, served rare on the bone, minimum 600g) is the reason to go. Order it for two, drink a Chianti Classico, and don't touch the steak with any sauce. A genuine Florentine institution.
All'Antico Vinaio
Schiacciata sandwiches / street food
The most famous sandwich shop in Florence — a tiny counter on Via dei Neri with a queue that stretches down the street. Schiacciata (Tuscan flatbread) stuffed with cured meats, cheeses and condiments. €5 for something extraordinary. Join the queue, it moves fast.
Enoteca Pinchiorri
Three Michelin stars / Tuscan haute cuisine
Italy's most decorated restaurant and the finest dining experience in Tuscany — the wine cellar alone contains 150,000 bottles, and the Tuscan-influenced tasting menu is one of the great meals in European gastronomy. For a very special occasion. Book months ahead.
Itinerary
3 days in Florence — a suggested itinerary
Day 1
Uffizi in the morning, Ponte Vecchio, Oltrarno at dusk
Florence's Peretola airport is small — many visitors fly into Pisa (1hr by train) or Bologna (35 mins). Timed entry at the Uffizi is for 9am: go straight to Botticelli (rooms 10-14), then Leonardo, then Michelangelo's Tondo Doni. Three hours is the right amount of time. Cross the Piazzale degli Uffizi to the Arno and walk to the Ponte Vecchio — the medieval bridge lined with goldsmiths' shops, built in 1345. Cross into Oltrarno and spend the afternoon exploring: the Santo Spirito square (best aperitivo in Florence at Bar Ricchi), the artisan workshops of the Borgo San Jacopo, the excellent leather shops off Piazza del Carmine. Dinner in Oltrarno — the trattorias around the Piazza Santo Spirito are good value and largely local.
Day 2
David, the Duomo dome, Chianti afternoon
Accademia opens at 8.15am — go for the first slot and you'll have David largely to yourself for 20 minutes before the tour groups arrive. Walk south to the Duomo complex: the cathedral interior is free, the dome climb (booked in advance) takes about 45 minutes up and through the shell of the structure. The view from the lantern is the finest in Tuscany. Lunch at All'Antico Vinaio — join the queue on Via dei Neri. Afternoon: either the Bargello (the finest collection of Renaissance sculpture after the Accademia, almost always empty) or a drive into the Chianti hills for wine tasting at one of the estates along the SS222 (Greve in Chianti is the main hub). Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset — the taxi or the 12 steps.
Day 3
Boboli, the leather market, a final bistecca
Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens open at 8.15am — go early for the Raphael rooms in the Palatine Gallery, then up through the terraced gardens as the day warms. The Piazzale Michelangelo is a 20-minute walk further up for the panorama if you haven't done it. Come back through the Mercato Centrale for lunch — the upstairs food hall (Lorenzo de' Medici) has excellent Florentine street food. The San Lorenzo leather market on the street level below is the best leather shopping in the city (negotiate firmly). Final dinner: Buca Mario for the bistecca alla Fiorentina — book ahead, order it for two, drink the house Chianti. The perfect Florentine ending.
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