Florence is widely regarded as the Italian city of art. And truthfully, the art is spectacular.
However, I must be honest about how I felt about the city as a whole. And while I know my opinion is not a universal one, I also know of many others who have shared similar sentiments: I didn't love Florence.
It felt like some sort of theme park, where everything was designed purely for tourists and not in a welcoming, endearing way, but more of an in-your-face tacky one. While I genuinely loved seeing the highlights and attractions of Florence, something everyone should have on their Italian itineraries, the rest of the city can happily be skipped.
For this reason, I have opted not to share a complete guide to Florence, as I have done for other cities I have explored in Italy, but just to highlight the attractions that are worth seeing. You can see these all in a day if you book your tickets in advance and time them well. I have seen them in the order of timing that I recommend, so you can follow this itinerary for one full day in Florence, too:
See David at Galleria dell'Accademia
8:15am
Get the first slot of the day to visit the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze. It's a small art gallery, with just a few rooms. Most importantly, of course, is that it is home to Michelangelo's David, one of the most famous statues in the world. Created by the Renaissance artist between 1501 and 1504, David was the first colossal marble statue made in the High Renaissance.
I bought skip-the-line tickets through Get Your Guide to be sure I could be in the gallery with as few people as possible; it gets really, really busy.
You can also buy tickets from the Galleria's website, but then you will need to join the queue which can be long, unless you arrive early.
Stop for a mid-morning gelato
10:00am
After you've hung out with David for a while, it's time for a mid-morning fuel up the best way in Italy: with a gelato and an espresso. I can recommend the delicious Venchi Cioccolato e Gelato - especially their new mandarin passion fruit flavour.
Take a guided tour of the Duomo Area and climb the Brunelleschi Dome
11:00am
Head over to the most famous plaza in Florence, the Piazza di San Giovanni, for the 10:15 or 11:00am tour, depending on how long you want with David. When you arrive, take a moment to admire the gorgeous exterior of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
This brilliant tour will give you so much information about the history of the Duomo, when it was designed, how it was built and funded and what all the various exterior elements mean. Then, you'll be lined up at the entrance to the stairs to the Brunelleschi Dome.
Climb up the Campanile di Giotto Bell Tower
3:00pm
Next door to the Cathedral, line up to climb the 414 stairs of the Campanile di Giotto Bell Tower. It will give you the best view of the Brunelleschi Dome of the Cathedral just opposite and a panoramic look over the entire city of Florence.
I did a guided tour with Get Your Guide of the Duomo Area which included tickets to climb both the Bell Tower and Brunelleschi's Dome. The tickets were valid for two days, so I could climb the Bell Tower at any time after the timed tour of the Duomo and Domo.
You can also buy tickets from the Campanile's website. No matter what ticket you have purchased, you will need to join the queue.
Visit the Baptistery of St. John
4:00pm
In the same piazza as the Cathedral and the Bell Tower, and with the same ticket for these attractions, you can visit the Baptistery. It's a beautiful octagonal building with famous golden doors. It's just one room so is a quick visit, but absolutely worth seeing.
I did a guided tour with Get Your Guide of the Duomo Area which included tickets to climb both the Bell Tower and Brunelleschi's Dome. The tickets were valid for two days, so I could visit the Baptistery at any time after the timed tour of the Duomo and Domo.
You can also buy tickets from the Campanile's website.
Walk through Florence and cross the Ponte Vecchio
5:00pm
Head south towards the Arno, wandering through the busy streets of Florence. As I mentioned at the top of this post, I didn't enjoy Florence, but this is a good moment to see some of the city as you head towards to the river.
Cross the Ponte Vecchio, packed with jewellery shops and other tourist merchandise. It is the most famous bridge in Florence, best seen from along the banks of the Arno.
Piazza della Repubblica
Piazza della Signoria
Via Por Santa Maria (notice the crowds...)
Ponte Vecchio
Walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo for Sunset
6:00pm
About a half hour walk along the Arno, you'll reach the Piazzale Michelangelo. Do the short hike up to the top where you'll find the best view of Florence, just in time for golden hour and sunset with the Duomo smack dab in the middle of the shot. It's really busy here... felt like the whole city was up here! So come a bit early to make sure you nab a good viewing spot.
Cross back into Florence and have dinner
8:00pm
Head back into Florence by the lights of the city and find a spot for dinner. Having been in Italy for three weeks at this point, I was craving a break from Italian food and Pho Fi served up some of the best Vietnamese food. Highly recommend if you want to change up your menu a bit!
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This post includes affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and buy something I have recommended. It won't cost you any extra money, but helps keep this blog going! This post includes content sponsored by Get Your Guide. All opinions and ideas, as always, are completely my own.
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
