Is Florence Worth Visiting?
Yes! Florence is a fascinating city in the heart of Tuscany that has a personality all its own. I’d highly recommend carving at least a few days into your Italy trip to explore this lovely city. Florence travel guide
Best Time to Visit Florence
We visited Florence in October and honestly it was a bit busier than we had expected. We experienced thinned crowds on the Amalfi Coast and in Venice and Rome, but Florence seemed to still be pretty busy. That being said, if it was busy in October I can’t even imagine how busy it would be during the peak season of summer. Florence travel guide
The perk of visiting in October was how beautiful Tuscany was and the fall lighting that added such a special touch to our experience.
How Many Days to Spend in Florence
Florence itself can be seen in about three days, but if you plan to fold Florence into an overall Tuscany trip, then adding a couple extra days would allow a little extra breathing room. Florence travel guide
Where to Stay in Florence
We stayed near Ponte Vecchio on the side of the river opposite the Uffizi Gallery. It was a great central location that made it easy to get to all the major attractions. FlorFlorence travel guideence travel guide
Best Things to Do in Florence
Pitti Palace
Next on the list is Pitti Palace. I actually found this to be even more charming than Uffizi. The crowds in Florence were intense, so inside Uffizi was nearly as overwhelming as being at the Louvre in the middle of the day in the summer in Paris. Pitti Palace was a breath of fresh air for us going from the shoulder-to-shoulder shuffles of Uffizi to the relaxed pacing of Pitti Palace. Florence travel guide
I adore architecture and Pitti Palace offers this beauty in spades, in addition to many works of art from paintings to sculptures. Florence travel guide
Piazzale Michelangelo
The main artwork to see at the Academic Gallery is the Statue of David. While it is magnificent, the barrier to entry is exhausting with long wait times and battling crowds. Then once you’re inside, it’s a mad dash to see the Statue of David and muscle your way through just to catch a glimpse before moving on to see the rest of, in my opinion, an underwhelming museum. Therefore, my recommendation is to skip the Academic Gallery and head to Piazzale Michelangelo where you will get to see the bronze version of the Statue of David. This takes you a bit off the beaten path and saves you time and headache. It is a bit of a walk up to the piazza, which is situated at the top of the hill. Once you are there, you are rewarded with the equivalently magnificent bronze Statue of David and sprawling views of the city of Florence. Florence travel guide
Pasta Making Class
A fun addition to our Italian vacation was a pasta cooking class. This is an absolute must to include in your two week Italy itinerary. These are offered in several cities, not just Florence, although it fits perfectly in this itinerary. We had so much fun learning how to make pasta, which is a skill we brought home with us and exercise frequently to make pasta at home! Florence travel guide
Add the class we took to your itinerary! Florence travel guide
Winery Tour
We elected to embark on a winery tour through the Chianti region to see a bit more of Tuscany, and of course, drink some wine. This was a wonderful tour where we got to learn about and taste Chianti wines. We actually learned a great deal from this experience and we have brought that knowledge home with us to help us identify true Chianti wines at our local liquor stores.
Overall, this tour was a fantastic start to our day and gave us a glimpse at the Tuscan countryside, which once again left us wanting more. Florence travel guide
I’d highly recommend the tour we took to get a taste of the Chianti region, literally and figuratively. Florence travel guide
Unexpected Gem: Galileo Museum
The Galileo Museum was a true hidden gem in Florence. We both have science educational backgrounds, so this museum appealed to both of us from that standpoint (my husband even more so as his career is as a scientist). But even if you are not a “sciencey” person, there is so much to appreciate in this museum to learn about how everyday items we take for granted were once industry breakthroughs. Not only that, it is not crowded at all. In fact, it was peaceful. We were able to actually walk through and digest everything on display, which is a lovely change of pace from the hecticness of the “popular” museums. Florence travel guideFlorence travel guide
Quite frankly, I’d prioritize the Galileo Museum over some of the others in Florence.
Boboli Gardens
Directly by Pitti Palace are the Boboli Gardens, which are sprawling grounds with lush plants and stunning views. This relaxed spot does not require a great deal of time; just enough to wander, snap some photos, and take a deep breath. Florence travel guide
Duomo
The Duomo is stunning and I highly recommend at least taking the time to view its beauty from the outside. Florence travel guide
Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery is a vast museum with so much to see that it is impossible to see in one day. A challenge I always find with large museums like this is that it can be so overwhelming to navigate the crowds, identify the iconic pieces, and figure out how much time to spend before being “arted out”.
While exploring Uffizi can be a lot to take on, I would still recommend spending a couple hours here to admire the art and architecture.
Best Tuscany Day Trips from Florence
Chianti Region Day Trip
If you only have time for a day trip, we took a fantastic tour that allowed us to see the highlights of the Chianti Region including Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano.
I would 1000% recommend dedicating a whole trip to just Tuscany, if you’re trying to see the highlights in a short amount of time, I would highly recommend this tour we took from Florence. While it is a very touristy way to see the Tuscan countryside, it is absolutely effective in enabling you to see and experience so much that it opens your eyes to realizing how beautiful this region is and leaves you wanting more. Florence travel guide
In this tour, we explored Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, and Chianti. This is the tour we booked and we had a lovely time and I would highly recommend it.
Pisa
Our first stop was Pisa, which was very quick. However, it was sufficient to allow time to see the leaning tower and grab a coffee. Truthfully, it’s a pretty touristy area so you do not really need much more time than an hour or so from what I observed. Florence travel guide
San Gimignano
The next stop was San Gimignano, which was my husband and I’s favorite location on this tour. This quaint, medieval town offers stunning views and fascinating history.
We wandered the narrow streets just soaking in the sites and then decided to splurge by buying beautiful leather coats, for which Florence is known. Since we had a limited time in San Gimignano, we concluded our sojourn by enjoying a lunch at Le Vecchie Mura which offered beautiful views of the Tuscan countryside. For our next trip to Italy, my husband and I fully intended to spend at least a week exploring the countryside and absolutely return to San Gimignano to explore more deeply. Florence travel guide
Siena
The last stop on this whirlwind tour was Siena. There was an option to add a tour of the city and the cathedral, which we opted out of. However, looking back I wish we had opted into the tour so that we could maximize our time in this city. That being said, we did thoroughly enjoy leisurely meandering while admiring the architecture. Florence Travel guide
By the time we returned to Florence, it was pretty late as this was a true full-day tour.
We decided to eat at this cute restaurant we had passed a few times while walking around Florence. Il Borro is situated right by the river and I was able to get us a reservation where we sat inside with the windows fully open, so we had a perfect indoor/outdoor dining experience. The ambiance combined with the delicious food perfectly wrapped up a long day of exploring.
What First-Time Visitors Often Miss About Florence
There is so much to see that it can be easy to stack your schedule with all the must-sees and race all around the city. However, Florence offers so much more than just the main attractions. Florence offers beautiful architecture and fantastic food, both unique to the region. Indulging in Florentine steak and admiring the winding streets are just a few aspects of Florence that can be overlooked by first-time visitors. Florence travel guide
What We Loved Most About Florence
We woke up early a few mornings just to see the city before it became bustling with tourists and honestly this was such an amazing decision. The fall sun just started to rise and the light slowly fell over the city. As we wandered around we were able to absorb some really special moments. One that stands out the most is an early morning where we got to see the duomo without the crowds. It was so peaceful and is a moment I’ll always remember.
Planning your trip to Italy? Here is my comprehensive ecosystem to plan your trip:
How to Plan a Trip to Italy: A Step-by-Step Guide for First-Time Visitors
A Realistic 2 Week Italy Itinerary for First Time Visitors
Best Time to Visit Italy: Why October is Perfect
Packing for Italy in October: What to Wear & What You Actually Need
A First-Timer’s Guide to Eating in Rome: Food Culture, Etiquette & What to Expect
What Coffee Culture in Italy Reveals About Everyday Life
PFlorence travel guide
