I got tons of questions about the things we did while in Italy so decided to put together a little city guide with some photos and suggestions on things to do while in Florence. We flew into Milan for our trip, but took the slightly less than 2 hour train ride down to the Tuscany region and spent two days there. We found a cute little Airbnb to stay at for the night that was in the heart of Firenze right near the Duomo. The entire city is pretty much walkable but I recommend staying in a central location. I also asked people I knew and posted several tweets about the locations I was going for recommendation on what to do, where to eat, etc. The recommendations ended up being some of my favorite spots from the trip! See the list below – these are by no means the only things to do but some of the ones I covered or know are worth it during your visit!
THINGS TO DO IN FIRENZE
1. Stay the night.
You can easily make this a day trip and fit a few things in, but I highly recommend staying over at least one night. The city is so beautiful at night, and in the town square there was live music (hello fun!).
2. Walk along the Ponte Vecchio.
This one is a given. It was top of my list on things to do in Italy and didn’t disappoint. It’s just beautiful!
3. Get gelato and circle the Duomo.
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is massive and the architecture is incredible. There is so much detailing and it isn’t one large square/rectangle shape. Start at the front steps and make your way around with a large cone of gelato in one hand and your camera in the other. If you’re up for standing in line, you can also go inside.
4. Walk in the side streets.
Kait and I decided to venture a little out of the ‘touristy way’ into some of the side streets of Florence. We got to see a bit more of a local vibe and I loved looking at all the different buildings with balconies, little shops, and eateries we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. You’ll also see some other old churches with huge courtyards and beautiful gated gardens.
5. Visit the Gucci Museum.
In case you weren’t aware, Gucci was founded in Firenze back in 1921. There’s the Gucci store, but also a Gucci Museum. We didn’t get to this, but if I ever get back to Firenze, I would love to visit!
6. Eat at Ciro and Sons.
This was by far our favorite meal from the trip. This little eatery is owned by a family, now run by Ciro’s Sons. We had the best food, best wine, and best service. If you can, sit out on their terrace – but the inside is just as beautiful with a sparkling chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Also, I highly recommend ordering several dishes from the menu and sharing them all with whoever you’re with! We did this at every restaurant and it was the perfect way to try lots of different dishes (pastas, pizzas, salads, and more).
7. Visit the Grand Hotel Baglioni rooftop.
As I mentioned here, this is the best rooftop in the city. I heard the Hotel Continentale has great views, but they sadly close incredibly early. The bar atop the Baglioni rooftop closes by 12, but you can still sit outside and enjoy the views til wee hours of the night (and if you’re swift.. sneak up a bottle or two of your own!)
8. Book a tour.
There’s countless tours available in every city you visit for just about anything. We did a wine tour through Tuscany on our second day and it was one of the best days of my life. We had an amazing tour guide (Hillary) who was so informative but also a ton of fun. You learn so much about the history, culture, and life of Italy that you wouldn’t know otherwise. The tours range anywhere from an hour or two to all day. Our wine tour was 9-6, but SO worth it. We booked our tour here, and did the Chianti and Supertuscan tour – you can request Hillary!
9. Hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo.
You can walk, take a bus, or this may be part of one of your tours. We ended up heading up here as part of our wine tour (#bonus). Prepared to be blown away with the most incredible, panoramic views of the city below! There’s also a replica of Michelangelo’s David statue.
10. Visit the leather markets.
This is definitely a bit more of a touristy activity, but Florence is known for it’s leather and it’s worth a little walk through. There’s several scattered throughout the city so if you walk by one, definitely take a look!
I narrowed this down to some of the tops spots to hit, but here’s a more comprehensive list of things you can do in Florence, along with tours, locations and more. If you have any specific questions or want to know more about any of the above, feel free to email me!
See what I wore for our day in Florence and dinner at Ciro and Sons. I also included tips on what to wear in Florence.
Your photos are beautiful! I went when I was younger, but your post(s) have me wanting to return on a grown up trip! Looks like you had a great time!