Florence has more Renaissance art in one small centre than almost anywhere else on earth. So, working out what to do in Florence isn’t hard. Fitting it in without losing half your day to queues is.
This guide covers the landmarks and museums worth booking, the churches and buildings to see, where to eat, the best markets, and the viewpoints and day trips that round off a holiday in Florence, with prices and timings to help you plan.
What are the best things to do in Florence?
The historic centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, and almost everything you’ll want to see sits within a 20-minute walk of the cathedral. If you only have a day or two, this shortlist covers the essentials.
Must-do checklist:
- Climb Brunelleschi’s dome or Giotto’s bell tower
- See Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia
- Spend a morning in the Uffizi
- Walk across the Ponte Vecchio, then explore the Oltrarno
- Watch the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo
- Eat your way around the Mercato Centrale
Florence’s top museums and landmarks: the Uffizi, Accademia and more
Florence’s big museums run on timed tickets, and in spring and summer the “best slots” are booked well in advance.
We suggest you book online, and aim for the first entry of the morning or the last couple of hours before closing.
| Museum | Highlights | Approx. full price (2026) | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uffizi Gallery | Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo, Caravaggio | About €22 online | 3 hours |
| Galleria dell’Accademia | Michelangelo’s David, 5.17 m tall, carved 1501 to 1504 | About €19 online | 1 hour |
| Palazzo Pitti | Medici royal apartments and the Palatine Gallery | About €19 online | 2 to 3 hours |
| Palazzo Vecchio | The Salone dei Cinquecento and tower views over Piazza della Signoria | About €15.50 online | 2 hours |
| Museo del Bargello | Donatello’s bronze David and Renaissance sculpture | About €11 online | 1 to 1.5 hours |
Prices change with the season, so check the official sites before you book. Alternatively, if you’re planning to visit several museums over three days, the €85 Firenzecard covers most of them for 72 hours. For two or three sites, single tickets usually work out cheaper.
Florence’s most famous churches and architecture
The cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore dominates the skyline. Work started in 1296, but it took until 1436 for Filippo Brunelleschi to finish the dome, still the largest brick dome ever built.
- Basilica di Santa Croce: the burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli, with frescoes by Giotto.
- Santa Maria Novella: across from the station, home to Masaccio’s Trinity, an early masterpiece of perspective.
- San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels: the Medici family church, with tombs sculpted by Michelangelo.
- Ponte Vecchio: rebuilt in 1345 and lined with goldsmiths since the 1590s. The Vasari Corridor above it reopened at the end of 2024 after years of restoration.
- San Miniato al Monte: a Romanesque church on the hill above the city, with far fewer crowds.
Where to eat and drink in Florence: food and wine experiences
Part of what to do in Florence is simply eating well. Tuscan cooking is plain, seasonal and built around good bread, beans, olive oil and meat.
- Bistecca alla fiorentina: a thick T-bone steak, cooked rare and sold by weight, usually over 1 kg to share.
- Lampredotto: slow-cooked tripe in a bread roll, sold from street carts. It’s the city’s classic working lunch.
- Schiacciata: flat, salty bread split and filled with cured meats and cheese.
- Ribollita and pappa al pomodoro: hearty bread and vegetable soups, best in cooler months.
- Gelato: local legend credits its invention to Bernardo Buontalenti at the 16th-century Medici court.
For wine, look for the small buchette del vino, the wine windows built into palace walls in the 1600s, a few of which still serve a glass today. Chianti Classico country starts just south of the city, so a half-day tasting is easy to arrange. If wine is the main reason for your trip, Tuscan wine holidays let you build a whole week around it.
Best markets and shopping streets in Florence
| Where | What you’ll find | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Mercato Centrale | Fresh produce downstairs, a food hall upstairs | The iron-and-glass hall opened in 1874 |
| San Lorenzo stalls | Leather jackets, bags and belts | Quality varies, so check stitching and haggle politely |
| Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio | A local food market, cheaper and quieter | Mornings only, closed Sundays |
| Oltrarno | Artisan workshops: paper, frames, leather, jewellery | Best for handmade gifts |
| Via de’ Tornabuoni | Gucci, Ferragamo and other high-end fashion houses | Gucci was founded here in 1921, and Ferragamo has been based in Florence since the 1920s |
Best viewpoints and day trips from Florence
Some of the best things to do in Florence are a little way out of the centre.
Piazzale Michelangelo is free, about a 20-minute walk uphill from the Ponte Vecchio, and has the classic view over the dome and river. Keep climbing to San Miniato al Monte for the same view with fewer people. Bus 7 from San Marco takes you up to Fiesole, a hill town about 8 km away with a Roman theatre and cooler evening air.
Florence is also a good starting point for the rest of Tuscany:
- Siena, for the Piazza del Campo and its striped cathedral
- Pisa, about an hour by train, for the Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli
- Pistoia, a quieter medieval town on the Lucca line
- The Chianti hills, for vineyards and villages like Greve and Radda
| Staying in Florence | Staying outside and visiting for the day |
|---|---|
| Walk everywhere, evenings in the city | More space and lower prices |
| Higher prices and a city tourist tax | Easy train links, no car needed in the city |
| Crowds right outside your door | Quieter evenings and countryside on your doorstep |
Plan your Florence trip from a base in Lucca
There are so many things to do in Florence, Italy, and that’s exactly why it’s so important to plan.
Lucca makes a calmer base. The train from Lucca to Florence takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, runs roughly every half hour and costs around €7 to €10. That means you can spend the day in the Uffizi and be back inside Lucca’s walls for dinner.
Lucca Apartments and Villas has apartments, villas and farmhouses across Tuscany, from apartments in and around Lucca to countryside homes with a pool.
Book your Tuscan holiday today!
