The buzz word of the year is overtourism and it’s difficult to not read about it. The good news is there are people out there like me who can show you how to navigate around these scary words and ensure your vacation is spot on. Let’s get to it!
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Best Hacks to Avoid the Crowds in Florence
I feel that there is always a right way and wrong way to visit a city. The problem is that if you have never been to the city before, how do you know the difference. Many turn to chatgpt or travel influencers to find the way. The problem with this method is that very often, they are just wrong. The best way to find out anything about a city is through locals. ILuckily, I own a tour company and have many locals in Florence at my disposal to mine info from.
Below you will find my list of insider hacks to avoid overtourism and over crowding in Florence. They are not in any particular order, just follow them all and you will thank me later.
Hack #1- Travel During Low Season
If you have flexibility to travel and are not tied to a child’s summer break, than I highly recommend it. The off-season would be considered from Nov. until end of february and while it gets it a bit chilly, it’s definitely not northeast cold. There are days even in January and February where you could find yourself with sun and a blue sky!
If you have been to Florence in the summertime, coming here in the off season will be a completely different city. A buddy of mine just got back from visiting in February and couldn’t believe how few people were there.
Not only are the streets emptier, but you will find yourself in major musuems without many people around. This makes an experience like the Accademia or Uffizi even more pleasurable.
Travelling this winter? Explore our top rated Florence tours with fewer crowds.
Hack #2-Enter Busy Museums Early or Late
If you are not able to make it during low season than it is what it is. That doesn’t mean you have to be jam-packed like sardines in a musuem. There are a few hacks to avoid the massive crowds of popular musuems.
Hitting a museum when it first opens is definitely an option. This requires you to get up early on vacation, but you are on a mission and can take a nap later if need be. Getting in and out early allows you more freedom as well to see other parts of the city and get more from your day.
Or
You decide that you prefer the nightlife and/ or sleeping in with your significant other. Both great options. However, if you do this, then don’t go to the musuem around 10am, because that is what almost everyone else is thinking. At this point, your option is to go inside as late as possible.
This way you can imitate your experience in the museum of being the really early riser, but without bags under your eyes. Generally, museums are set up with last entry to give people enough time to get through the museum without running. There might be the occassional guard asking you in a polite way to move on if you linger, but your experience will be less crowded.
Here is how to skip the line Want at the Uffizi or Accademia?
Hack # -3 Visit less ” Popular Museums”
Florence is the Renaissance capital of the world. Therefore it is chock full of museums with interesting artwork. While the most famous are definitely the Accademia and the Uffizi, there are other great options in the city. The reasoning behind this, is that at times you can find these almost empty and still witness great masterpieces.
Some other options are:
- Palazzo Pitti: Built for a Florentine banker, Luca Pitti, it was later purchased by the Medici family. As some of the best benefactors of the Renaissance world, you already know that there is some great artwork to be seen. Inside you can find works by:
- Raphael
- Titian
- Caravaggio
- Titian
- Boboli Gardens: This was the private garden of the famous Medici family. I love walking in gardens as they allow you to escape the craziness of the city. Enjoy the calm before heading back out to the real world
- Bargello Museum: This is a museum that is fairly quiet, but packs a punch as far as artwork. Some famous pieces are:
- Donatello’s famous David
- Michelangelo’s Bacchus
- Cellini’s bust of Cosimo !
- Museo Galileo: This is a small museum that is dedicated to the life and work of Galileo Galilei. His life story is pretty amazing and I am sure quite frustrating. Imagine today you had to try and convince someone that the sun doesn’t revolve around earth! It’s also right next to the Uffizi, but is usually empty!
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Hack #4- Go to the Oltrarno
Florence is not a big city by any means. Having said that, you will find that most tourists when they visit tend to stay on the one side of the river. They rarely venture across the ponte vecchio- Oltrarno ( without turning back around and coming back).
Therefore this is a perfect opportunity for those adventurous souls like yourself to enjoy less crowds! I personally enjoy this side better as there are less tourists and a few more authentic places to eat and drink. Go to Santo Spirito for an aperitivo at night to people watch and you won’t be disappointed.
Craving an authentic Florentine food experience in the Oltrarno? Discover our local food and wine tour!
Hack #5- Visit the Tuscan Countryside
You might be wondering why you would want to leave the city if you came to visit Florence? The second you leave the city, you are almost immediately find yourself in the countryside. By going outside, you will avoid the crowds and get to see a different side of life in this area. You need to visit the Tuscan countryside. Why? Because it is beautiful.
If you are a lover of wine or beautiful countryside, than Chianti is a great option that is not far away. Travelling a bit farther away will bring you to historic towns such as San Gimignano and also Siena.
To see these on your own, I recommend renting a car. If you are worried about driving in the countryside, it’s actually very beautiful and surprisedly not that many cars on the road. If you prefer not to have to think while on vacation, then I highly recommend booking a tour so that you can turn your brain off, drink all the wine you want and just relax.
Ready to sip wine and soak in the Tuscan countryside? Check out our Tuscany day trip. We got you covered. If you are thinking about staying over in the countryside, here is a great article about dreamy vineyards in Tuscany.
Hack #6- Avoid the restaurant hype
Over the last few years, I have seen a troubling trend start in Italy. One or two influencers highlight a restaurant or gelateria and suddenly thousands of people are flocking there to eat!
I always walk by shaking my head since almost all of these places are not really that good. Please do me a favor when you go to Florence and if you see a line out the door to eat, just go somewhere else. It is rarely worth it. Florence is full of amazing places to eat where you won’t have to wait in line.
Luckily for you, we have awesome restaurant recommendations for eating in Florence. Be sure to check them out and make the most of your free time without the hassle of waiting in line.
Hack #7- Take a Tour
As an official tour guide in Italy, I’ll admit I’m a bit biased, but for good reason. Taking a tour gives you freedoms and insights you simply wouldn’t get on your own. This counts for both in musuems and on a walking city tour.
Museum tour: In a crowded musuem, the best situation you can have is to be with a tour guide. They know the musuem well and also know the less crowded rooms, so usually for the majority of the time, you will not be surrounded by the multitudes.
City Walking Tour: The same goes here for the city itself. Tourists in general tend to be sheep and follow each other around. A guide might show you the same sights that everyone else is seeing, but knows different streets and vias to get you there. You won’t be disappointed.
I obviously own a tour company so I would be remiss not to share with you our Best Tours in Florence!
Hack # 8- City Wandering Before or After hours
This hack is probably the most unorthodox, however the fact of the matter is that it will save you from crowds. As above with visiting museums you have two options. For those of you who enjoy getting up early, get up a bit earlier and go take a stroll around town just as the sun is coming up. Go to a bar and have a morning coffee in a major piazza and watch as the town comes to life and fills up with crowds.
If you are more a night person, then have a really late dinner ( totally acceptable in Italy in general). Afterwards, plan on strolling through the city as everyone is going to sleep. The city is very safe, especially in the city center, so you should not encounter any problems in that regard.
Even in high season, this is a great way to avoid the crowds and see the city the same as you would see it in low season.
Love exploring cities without the crowds? Check out our guide to off-the-beaten-path experiences in Florence!
Hack # 9- Go to the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte
I saved my favorite for last—Piazzale Michelangelo. Not far from the city center, this iconic viewpoint offers breathtaking sunsets, and if you’re here in May, the rose garden is absolutely spectacular
However, most people go the piazzale and then leave, but they are missing out on a fantastic church complex that is rarely visited. Dating its roots back to the 8th century, it is a place of perfect peace.
It is free to enter and I highly recommend it. Follow the crowds to Piazzale Michelangelo, then quietly slip away to soak in history and enjoy a moment of private reflection.
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