After spending almost 3 weeks non-stop exploring the Amalfi Coast, Rome and Siena we were running on fumes but still buzzing with anticipation as our train slowly rolled into Santa Maria Novella train station. Our Florence itinerary was jam-packed and we knew the next 3 days were going to be so much fun. And honestly, the City of Flowers more than lived up to its enormous hype.
Let’s start by clearing a few important things up – yes, 3 days is enough time for a first trip to Florence and yes, you will have to decide if you’ll spend all 3 days in the city or combine Florence’s top attractions into 2 days so you have one full day remaining to soak up Tuscany’s gorgeous rolling hills.
We had to shuffle the order of our itinerary at the last minute because we didn’t book Duomo tickets in advance, but we still managed to squeeze everything in and some. In this guide we walk you step-by-step through the best way to spend 3 days exploring the charming city of Florence, based on what we learned, our mistakes, and how we would do it if it was our first time all over again. Read more about us.
But be sure to stick around until after our detailed 3-day itinerary to see exactly how we would do 2 days in Florence with a full third day in Tuscany. Okay, let’s begin!
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Route Map
Click or touch the map of Florence below to activate, zoom in and out, and scroll around. If you’d like to see a bigger version, click the “view larger map” icon in the top right, and if you’d like to see the stops on each day, click the arrow and square icon in the top left.
Map key:
- Red – Day 1 attractions
- Purple – Day 2 attractions
- Orange – Day 3 attractions
Each day also has a walking route map you can use (blue lines). Remember, you don’t have to follow our route exactly, but it’s a great starting point for you to build from. Now, let’s get into the itinerary!
Day 1: Duomo + David
Okay, straight off the bat we would get two of the “big 3” attractions done on the first day – Florence Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) and the Accademia Gallery (statue of David).
We always try to tick off at least some of the must-do attractions early in our itinerary when we visit new places because if anything goes wrong there’s plenty of time to figure it out.
And something did go wrong for us – Brunelleschi Pass tickets for the Duomo were sold out for two days after we arrived into Florence, but luckily we had a third day so we were able to buy tickets for our last day. Don’t make the same mistake we did, book your tickets in advance!
Duomo
Our hotel – the Palazzo della Stufa Residenza D’Epoca – was just a few minutes walk from a superb pastry shop called Antica Pasticceria Sieni, which served up a delicious sfogia alla crema (puff pastry filled with flavored custard cream) so we’d start there with an early breakfast.
But if you’re staying in a different part of town we’re sure there will be tons of great breakfast spots around. Here’s our helpful guide on where to stay in Florence if you’re not sure which neighborhood to book your hotel.
After filling up on coffee and pastry we’d walk to the Duomo, which we found so striking that it almost didn’t appear to be real – it honestly looked like a 3D model or a hologram. We’d take a slow walk around the massive structure, appreciating the intricate detail from all sides and enjoy the early morning calm before the touristy storm.
We would have already pre-booked the Brunelleschi Pass (€30/adult) to get access to the Cathedral and 5 additional monuments. By being organized, we’d book a time slot to climb the Dome at 8:15am right as it opened to beat the crowds and heat. Here’s our full guide on exactly how to visit the Florence Duomo if you want to see every monument in detail.
Next we’d climb 463 steps to reach the top of the Dome for awesome 360-degree panoramic views over Florence and Tuscany. Some of the climb was steep, narrow and enclosed so it might not be suitable for everyone. But it also includes flat sections walking along interior balconies with close-up views of the Last Judgement fresco.
After the Dome, we would go straight up to the Bell Tower (to get the other climb out of the way), then go to the museum, the Baptistery and finally the Crypt of Santa Reparata. Then we’d complete the Duomo complex by going inside the cathedral itself to look directly up at the Last Judgement, which was really was a stunning ceiling.
We ended up doing the Duomo sites in a completely different order because we had to book a time slot for the Dome at 6:00pm, but the order we explain above is how we would do it if we were more organized and booked our tickets in advance.
Here’s a luxury alternative – if your travel budget is in good shape, take a look into this VIP after hours guided tour of the Duomo with Dome climb included. It’s more expensive than most tours but it gets you inside the Cathedral and Dome after they close to the public. You could then do the Accademia right as it opens in the morning to beat the crowds.
Insider Tip: If you don’t want to do the extra 5 sites with the Duomo, start with the Accademia instead to get ahead of the worst crowds. The Cathedral itself is free to go inside, but it doesn’t open until 10:15am (closed on Sundays).
Medici
The Duomo sites took us around 4 hours to see in total, so that would eat up most of the morning. Next, we’d hustle to Mercato Centrale for a quick look around small independent market stalls run by local vendors selling produce like olive oils and cheeses. Then we would sit down in the food hall to eat pizza and more sfogliatella with a beer to wash it all down.
After lunch we would have a Medici related choice to make – either do the Medici Chapels (inside Basilica di San Lorenzo) or the Palazzo Medici Riccardi.
We didn’t have time to do both, so we opted for the palace (€10/adult). It was interesting and very quiet which was a nice respite, but it didn’t blow us away. In hindsight, we should have done the Chapels (€9/adult) because it looks beautiful and contains prominent works by Michelangelo, so we think you should do that instead.
After leaving the Medici Palace or Chapels, we would grab a fantastic gelato at Gelatarium which is conveniently located close by. Then we would make our way northeast heading for the Accademia Gallery.
Accademia
In an ideal world we’d do both the Duomo and Accademia Gallery at 8:15am right as they open. But you can only be in one place at one time, right? So we would pre-book tickets to the Accademia with a 3:00pm time slot for our first afternoon, hoping it would be quieter after the morning and midday rush.
Once inside we would of course beeline it for The Tribune and Michelangelo’s iconic statue of David, which is where almost every single other person will also be. There will no doubt be far too many people crammed into the surprisingly small room, so we would snap a few photos, admire the genius craftsmanship for a fleeting moment and swiftly move onto other areas of the museum.
About an hour later we’d leave the Accademia (which has lots more to see other than David by the way) and walk a few minutes along Via Guelfa to grab a fantastic Tuscan-style meaty pasta dinner at the highly rated Il Vezzo (it isn’t cheap and we booked in advance). And right around the corner we’d stop in at The Corner Bar for a quick cocktail before bed.
We did the Accademia Gallery at 12:30pm and it was honestly utter chaos in the street outside the entrance. In hindsight we would have definitely left it until much later in the day, so following this itinerary should help you avoid the worst of the overcrowding. The museum is open until 6:50pm and it didn’t take too long for us to get around, plus it had seriously quietened down by the time we left.
Insider Tip: If you don’t want to deal with tickets, time slots, lines or figuring out where to go – consider taking this affordable guided tour or this top rated VIP guided tour of the Duomo and Accademia. The tours we’ve taken with Walks of Italy have been fantastic, and we highly recommend them. Next time we’re in Florence we’ll take the VIP guided tour so we can learn from local guides and get into special access areas.
Day 2: Churches + Towers
After sticking to the north side of Florence on the first day, and knowing the third day will include everything on the south side of the Arno along with the Uffizi, that leaves pretty much the rest of the historic center to explore on day 2.
Now, there are almost too many amazing museums with historical significance in Florence – and trust us when we tell you it doesn’t take long to get museum burnout.
So instead of trying to hustle around a dozen museums, galleries and palaces – we recommend spending the second day slowly ambling around the city’s stunning cobbled streets, filling up on lots of amazing food and drinks, and picking just a few attractions to visit.
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
We’d start with delicious and affordable coffee and pastries at Gocce’s Bar (hidden gem!) on the way to going inside the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella to see Giotto’s “Crucifix” and Masaccio’s “Trinity” among other works. It costs €7.50/adult, and the church will be so peaceful when it opens at 9:00am.
After the church, we’d walk down Via delle Belle Donne to see a temporary exhibit of a weird but intriguing 3D photo frame in the stunning Palazzo Strozzi courtyard, but we wouldn’t pay to go inside the art museum. Oh, and don’t forget to look up when you’re standing in the courtyard for one of our favorite photo spots in Florence.
Instead, we’d go to Caffe Concerto Paszkowski for a relaxing sit down coffee on the edges of Piazza della Repubblica and a bit of casual people watching. Then, after working up an appetite we would walk to the famous I’ Girone De’ Ghiotti for a truly exceptional sandwich – we had to stand in a huge line when it opened at 11:30am but it was worth the wait.
Basilica di Santa Croce
Next, we’d walk to the Museo Nazionale del Bargello and we’d arrive before even finishing our sandwiches. We loved Florence’s walkability factor – especially when the itinerary is planned as well as this one!
We’ll admit we almost didn’t do this museum (due to intense burnout) but we’re so glad we did. The palace’s architecture was beautiful, the Renaissance sculptures inside included works by Michelangelo and Donatello, it was super quiet and it only cost us €10/adult.
An hour and a half later we’d leave the museum, walk 4 minutes east, arrive into the attractive Piazza di Santa Croce and cross it to reach the stunning Basilica di Santa Croce.
We’d pay €10/adult to go inside and see the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and other famous Florentine figures from history – along with frescoes and cloisters. This one was well worth paying for, so don’t miss it.
Palazzo Vecchio
Next, we would head back across the square to Borgo dei Greci and go into Osteria San Fiorenzo to try out one of Florence’s famous wine windows. Although it’s a bit overhyped on social media, we’ll admit it was fun to be served a glass of red through a small arch in a wall.
After a super quick vino pitstop we’d continue west for another minute and arrive into the impressive Piazza della Signoria – for us, this was the most photogenic square in Florence and the Palazzo Vecchio is by far its standout building (it looks like a castle with a tall and narrow tower).
We’d spend the next few minutes admiring giant statues of Cosimo Medici, Neptune, Perseus with the head of Medusa and a replica of David (which stands in the exact place the original used to be before it was moved to the Accademia) before going inside.
Looking back we should have paid €17.50/adult to go into the museum, but after spending 3 weeks in Italy we were getting to the end of our museum rope. It does look amazing inside though, so you should definitely do it at this point in the itinerary. And it only costs €5/adult extra to do a guided tour.
That said, we did pay €10/adult to climb 223 steps up the Torre di Arnolfo which was well worth doing for awesome views over Florence Duomo. You won’t get a better place to take photos anywhere else in the city, so don’t skip this. The climb wasn’t too bad but there were narrow and steep sections, so it might not be suitable for everyone.
After the tower we’d walk to the nearby Fontana del Porcellino to rub the snout of a bronze boar statue, which would apparently ensure our return to Florence. Let’s just say we didn’t need to rub anything – we already knew we’d be back again! Finally, we’d end the day with a fantastic pizza and more wine at Ciro and Sons.
Insider Tip: One thing we wished we did instead of so many churches and museums on day 2 was a cooking class like this highly rated pasta making class which is super affordable and includes unlimited wine. Yes you read that right – unlimited! It lasts 3 hours, and you can start at 10:00am, 2:30pm or even 6:30pm which would work after Palazzo Vecchio in our itinerary.
Day 3: Uffizi, Pitti + Sunset
After 3 weeks of non-stop cappuccino’s and pastries for breakfast, we needed a change for our last day in Italy. So we scrolled around our maps app and it took us less than 10 seconds to stumble across a highly rated American style brunch spot called the Rooster Cafe on Via Porta Rossa. Waffles, pancakes, bacon, eggs – we were sold!
But of course you can begin your final day with any type of delicious Italian style breakfast foods if you’re only in town a few days.
Uffizi
The brunch spot doesn’t open until 9:00am and we’d definitely pre-book Uffizi tickets for 8:15am right as it opened (tickets usually cost €25/adult but if you book between 8:15am-8:55am they’re discounted to €19/adult).
So instead we’d grab iced coffees from a corner shop to put us on, head out exploring Florence’s historic center with our cameras at dawn to get photos of the most popular buildings before the crowds arrived, and then walk straight into the Uffizi Gallery at 8:15am with no line.
During our trip we actually did go out before sunrise and it was well worth the effort. We also did book the 8:15am Uffizi time slot and we’d do it again for sure. By the time we left a few hours later the place was swarming with tourists. Make sure you pre-book tickets in advance to get the early bird special.
In the Accademia we felt it was all about David, but that wasn’t the case in the Uffizi. We thought it was a more balanced place to visit, with lots of Renaissance masterpieces by the likes of Botticelli, Michelangelo, da Vinci and Raphael spread out across various rooms and corridors.
Three of the most famous works we prioritized were the Birth of Venus (Botticelli), Annunciation (Da Vinci) and Medusa (Caravaggio) – but we also loved just looking up at the ceilings. Doing the early bird tickets wasn’t just cheaper, it was also quieter. Double win!
Insider Tip: If you’re short on time or you’d prefer to get the top tourist spots ticked off together, we highly recommend this Uffizi, Accademia and Duomo tour with Walks of Italy. It’s the complete Florence package in just 5 hours.
Ponte Vecchio
It’s important to know that you can pay an extra €18 on top of your Uffizi tickets to enter the Vasari Corridor from a gallery inside the museum and walk across the Ponte Vecchio to the Boboli Gardens. We didn’t do it because we wanted to walk across the bridge at ground level, but it would be a cool experience.
Before walking over to the famous Ponte Vecchio, we’d track back a few minutes to grab that much needed brunch at the Rooster Cafe! Fueled and recharged, we’d slowly walk across the bridge, stopping to window-shop outside the many jewelry stores.
It was pretty busy when we walked across at 11:00am, so we got to see the contrast between empty from our sunrise walk around the city and jam-packed at lunch time.
If we’re being honest, we much preferred looking at the bridge rather than walking across it. We found tons of superb viewpoints to the east of the Ponte Vecchio, even as far as the next bridge along called the Ponte alle Grazie.
Pitti Palace
On the south side of the Arno, we’d walk along the narrow Via de’Guicciardini past tons of shops and restaurants until reaching the massive Pitti Palace, which served as the Grand Ducal residence of the Medici (after Palazzo Vecchio).
We’d pay €22/adult for a combination ticket to the Pitti Palace and adjoining Boboli Gardens (the nearby Bardini Gardens is included with the Boboli Gardens).
In our opinion – the palace was awesome, Boboli Gardens were disappointing and Bardini Gardens were a lovely surprise. We preferred Bardini Gardens because it had lots of flowers and awesome city views, whereas Boboli Gardens were pretty dry and boring when we visited in May.
Before heading up to Piazzale Michelangelo, we’d walk further into Santo Spirito to soak up the fun and bustling vibe in Florence’s trendiest neighborhood. We would grab snacks and drinks in Piazza Santo Spirito, keeping a close eye on the time so we didn’t miss the sunset.
Insider Tip: You can just visit the palace alone for €16/adult if you’re not interested in the gardens. The Palace contains important sculptures, paintings, artworks and objects in lots of stunning galleries, and we do think it’s worth it.
Piazzale Michelangelo
After leaving Santo Spirito we’d grab a delicious ice cream at Il Gelato di Filo on the way up to the famous sunset spot. But instead of going straight up the main road, we’d go through the Giardino delle Rose. We did it and it was a really nice way to walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo.
At the top of the garden, we’d walk up a sloping ramp to the massive square which is filled with a dozen or so souvenir stalls, lots of tour buses and swarms of people. We knew it would be a popular place but it was a bit tackier than we expected.
We’d make sure we arrived well before sunset (check Florence’s sunset time), so we had time to escape the crowds and continue walking uphill to a spot we’d pegged on the map called Terrazza San Miniato, which was right outside the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte. And guess what? We had this amazing higher up viewpoint all to ourselves.
But we would want to do sunset in the famous square, so we’d hustle back down to set our tripod up at Belvedere Franco Zeffirelli and take some amazing photos of Florence as the sun serenely set over the city.
After a collective gasp and cheer, the crowds will quickly clear out and we’d walked back across the Ponte alle Grazie to take a night photo of the Ponte Vecchio. Then we’d end our trip with a tasty late pasta dinner at Vini e Vecchi Sapori.
Tip: If you’re not too bothered by sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo, we highly recommend looking at this sunset food and wine tour or this sunset wine and food tour near Pitti Palace as the perfect alternatives. Both have sky high ratings and look amazing – we’ll definitely do one of them next time we’re in Florence.
Tuscany Alternative
Okay, but what if you simply can’t miss those dreamy Tuscan rolling hills, cypress trees, wineries and rural farms you’ve seen in the movies or read about in books?
We hear you – in our opinion, experiencing Tuscany in some way should be a top priority when you visit Florence. The city is beautiful and there’s tons to do, but it would be a shame to come all this way and miss out on what has to be one of the best places in the world for cooking classes and winery tours.
Of course, the ideal solution would be to simply add another day to your trip. But what if you can’t do any more than 3 days?
Well, there are plenty of ways to do Tuscany in a day – and it’s easy enough to condense Florence’s top attractions into 2 action packed days (our three day itinerary above is pretty slow and easy going).
Here’s how we’d do two days in Florence:
Day 1
- Start with the Accademia as it opens
- Walk around Mercato Centrale
- See Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
- Go inside the Duomo (skip extra sites)
- Visit the Basilica di Santa Croce
- Go up the Palazzo Vecchio tower
Day 2
- Start with the Uffizi as it opens
- Walk across the Ponte Vecchio
- See Pitti Palace and both gardens
- Do sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
- Or do a sunset food and wine tour
Now, when it comes to exploring Tuscany, the main thing you need to decide is whether you’ll hire a car or not.
With a hire car you can take your time, be flexible and go wherever you want. But it’s not cheap, you have to figure out where to go, and you can’t drink much wine!
Whereas if you don’t hire a car, you can spend the same amount of money on a guided food or wine tour instead. And there’s a bunch of fantastic stress free tour options that include all the driving, explaining and feeding.
So for us it’s a no brainer – we’d much rather kick back, relax and let someone else do the work while we learn, eat and drink. Especially when it’s going to cost a similar amount of money as a hire car would.
Here are some of the top rated food and wine tours that we’d definitely consider doing in Tuscany:
Pizza/Pasta Class at Tuscan Farm – 6 hour tour including 3 course meal, wine or beer, transport and recipes to take home. It has near perfect reviews and looks amazing.
Tuscany full day trip – This top rated small group full day guided tour with Walks of Italy focuses on the core Tuscan areas of Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti. It looks brilliant.
Tuscany Wine Tasting Experience – 4 hour tour to 2 wineries in Chianti. Tour cellars, eat cheese and bruschetta, drink wine. Top rated and has morning or afternoon start times.
Essence of Chianti – 8 hour tour to 3 wineries in Chianti. Includes lunch, Tuscan specialties and a stop in Greve. This one is a bit more expensive but it looks fantastic.
Our Top Tips
There’s a few important things you absolutely need to remember if you want to make the most of your trip to Florence. Here are our top tips:
Attraction closures: The Duomo is closed on Sundays, and both the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery are closed on Mondays. Other attractions also close on different days of the week so make sure you check and plan accordingly.
Tickets: You must book tickets to those same three top attractions well in advance before you arrive in Florence. If you don’t, best case is you’ll wait in a long line and worst case is you won’t be able to do them at all. We almost missed out on seeing the Duomo because we weren’t organized enough.
Crowds: Early mornings and late afternoons are better times to do the major attractions. We would actively avoid arriving any time between 10:00am-3:00pm.
Museum pass: It might be worth considering a FirenzeCard museum pass if you plan to visit tons of museums, palaces and churches. It costs a hefty €85/adult but it lasts for 3 days and could save you money overall.
Next Steps
We he hope our itinerary helps with planning your trip to Florence.
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments box below, and don’t forget you can book a call with us for expert help planning your visit to Florence and Italy.
Still researching for your trip?
- Here are the top things to do in Florence.
- These are the best places to stay in Florence.
- Here’s how to see Florence Cathedral.
- How to spend 2 weeks in Italy.
- These are the places you can’t miss in Italy.
- Here’s how to spend 10 days on the Amalfi Coast.
- Don’t miss these top attractions in Rome.
- Read our action packed 4 days in Rome itinerary.
- Here’s what to do in Capri.
Finally, if you’ll be visiting more places on the same trip, we recommend reading our Italy travel guide for helpful tips and advice.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.