The city of Florence is small but full of wonders. How many days should you spend in Florence? The answer will vary depending on your interests, budget, and flexibility. We’ve put together a few different multi-day itineraries to choose from based on how you’d prefer to spend your time. Then, you can decide how many days to dedicate to this lovely city.
Pro Tip: It’s easier to organize your trip when you have all your resources in one place. Create a browser folder and bookmark this post along with our dedicated guide to Florence for more planning resources, our best Florence tours for a memorable trip, and how to see Florence in a day if that’s all the time you have.
How Many Days Should You Spend in Florence?
There are countless ways to spend your vacation in Florence. How you’ll spend your time and what you’ll do will depend on your interests.
With these itineraries, we hope to provide a basic itinerary of the top sights and activities for your vacation based on what you’d most like to enjoy in Florence. Here’s how many days to spend in Florence for history and art lovers, foodies, and shopping enthusiasts.
For history and art lovers, Florence is the place to be! Three days in the city is perfect to check out all the Florentine wonders. Here’s how we recommend you spend three days seeing the city’s top art and historical sights.
Day 1: Santa Maria del Fiore and the Baptistery
The first monument you should visit is Brunelleschi’s Dome and the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, also referred to as the Duomo.
Climb up the dome and discover the brilliant work of the Italian architect. Once at the top of the 463-step climb, you’ll be able to admire Vasari’s fresco, which mainly depicts the Last Judgement. You can then walk out and enjoy an incredible view of the city.
We then recommend taking time to explore the Baptistery, located right in front of the dome. Don’t forget to admire the three sets of bronze doors, carefully and artfully designed.
As these sites are some of the most popular in the world, they can get crowded and lines can get long. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance and allowing a few hours to properly see the sites.
If you’d be interested in climbing the dome and getting skip-the-line tickets, check out our 1.5-hour Florence Duomo tour with VIP dome climb and access to secret terraces for breathtaking views. For history and art lovers on a tight schedule, this guided tour makes seeing the Duomo easy. You’ll enjoy an expert guide to enliven your visit with stories of history and intrigue and you’ll get a VIP experience.
As an art lover, you can’t travel to Florence without visiting the Uffizi Gallery or entering the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David.
Step inside a beautiful historical museum that served as the offices of Florentine magistrates in the 16th century. Today, the Uffizi Gallery is filled with timeless pieces from the stars of the Italian Renaissance: Botticelli, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and more.
The second museum in Florence that you must visit is the Accademia Gallery. The Galleria dell’Accademia houses one of the most acclaimed statues to date: the David. Take your time and marvel at this incredible and gigantic piece of art.
Although the David might be one of the gallery’s most celebrated masterpieces, there are many more works of art to explore in the halls of this gallery.
Lines can get long for these museums, so we recommend reserving your tickets in advance, or booking a skip-the-line guided tour. Check out our Uffizi Gallery and Accademia tour options.
On your final day in Florence, check out some wonders on the other side of the Arno river. We recommend heading to the beautiful Boboli Gardens. This place still maintains its old charm and beauty and, of course, architecture. Take a stroll and admire wonderful fountains and manicured gardens. To explore more of the city’s green spaces, check out the best gardens and parks in Florence perfect for an afternoon picnic.
Once you’ve explored the Boboli Gardens, you might want to take a look at Palazzo Pitti. This palace, where you can still admire ancient decor and artworks, has been the main residence for members of the Medici family. Today, it can be considered a melting pot of ancient and modern art.
You can buy an entrance ticket to visit just the Palazzo Pitti and its various galleries or you can get a combined Pitti and Boboli ticket to visit both. The palace and gardens were bought by the Medici in 1550. They extended the palace and created the gardens to create a residence worthy of the Grand Duchy. The Medici were behind many Florence’s monuments and great patrons of the arts, so this is a must for Lovers of art and history.
When in Italy, one thing not to miss is food. Tuscany is a region where quality products are always available. If your trip to Florence revolves around food, we recommend spending at least two full days to get a full foodie experience of the city.
Day 1: Florentine Bistros and City Exploration
Wandering around the city center, you may notice something: the city is filled with small bistros where you can enjoy good wine, meats, and local cheese.
Take a moment for yourself, appreciate these products from the Florentine countryside, and don’t forget to order a glass of red wine to accompany them!
Visiting All’antico Vinaio is practically mandatory while in Florence and you can try it both for lunch and dinner. Try the renowned schiacciata for lunch or enjoy the restaurant in the evening, but don’t forget to make a reservation for dinner.
If you want to try the best that Tuscan wine has to offer, you’re in the right place. Many vineyards surround the city and you can visit some for an inside look at how wine is made. Transportation out to the rolling hills of Tuscany can get a little tricky, so check out our wine tour from Florence for wine tastings, lunch, and transportation all included.
Are you a fan of steak? Then you must try Florentine steak. This plate requires bravery, but you have to try it once in the city. Served in almost every restaurant in Florence, it’s just slightly cooked, very soft, and simply delicious!
You can share it or eat it on your own, but don’t try to ask for it prepared in a different way—the tradition has to be respected. Of course, don’t forget to enjoy a good glass of Tuscan red wine with your steak, then you’ll really be eating like a Florentine local.
If you want to full Florentine food experience, check out our Florence food tour. The best restaurants are waiting for you!
Not ready to book a tour? Check out our Florence Guide for more info.
Shopping Enthusiasts
If your vacation is about treating yourself, we recommend two days in Florence. This way, you can dedicate an entire day to shopping, as well as another day to exploring the city.
Leather is Florence’s most popular commodity. So, you should spend some time getting familiar with its smell and texture. The Leather Market, otherwise known as the outdoor part of the San Lorenzo Market, houses hundreds of shops and authentic Florence leather designs.
Enjoy shopping and learning more about the creation of leather. Many small shops hide wonders and unique pieces. Don’t hesitate, go check them out!
Ready to visit Florence? If you want to enjoy some art, fashion, and good food, you can’t miss this city. Take a look at all our Florence tour options to discover great and easy ways to see the best of Florence with local guides in the know!
Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region in Italy, and it’s a positively enchanting city to visit. Find out the best neighborhoods and hotels we recommend!
Sean is a co-founder and owner of The Tour Guy and its subsidiary The Roman Guy. He studied finance and statistics, but that is his "Dr. Jekyll" side! His "Mr. Hyde" is in love with travel, art, history, and culture. Sean has read libraries of historical text and believes that all internet content should come from books. A practice he follows!
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Comments (2)
Charles
Hay dude, Im really liking the posts on your site. They are made properly, easy to read and remember, in spite of English being my third language. Have you considered becoming writer?
Hay dude, Im really liking the posts on your site. They are made properly, easy to read and remember, in spite of English being my third language. Have you considered becoming writer?
Thanks Charles! Our blogs are written by local experts, so English is often their second or third language as well!