3-Day Florence City Guide — Writefully Living

Wine, olives and old stuff. If you like these three things, you’ll like Tuscany. In my opinion, Florence is a must see if you’re in Italy and a no-brainer if you’re in Tuscany. You can choose to stay in Florence and use it as a base to visit the hilltop towns and vineyards scattering the countryside or you can day trip to it if you want to stay in one of those quiet, slow-paced rocky towns.

I think spring and early June are terrific times to visit Florence (and the only times I’ve gone in my three visits to this colourful city), although avoid the end of June when high season kicks into gear and the temperature rises. We experienced some extremely uncomfortable hot days in Florence at the end of June – the type of days where you go to museums and churches just to escape the midday heat.

How to get to Florence

We’ve approached Florence a few different ways and it depends on where Florence falls in your itinerary, how much time you have and your comfort level. I’ve never flown into Florence, so I don’t have experience with that, but I doubt it’s necessary if you’re already in Italy. Besides, you’d miss seeing the countryside, which is nice on the eyeballs. Here are a few ways we’ve travelled to Florence:

Via Rome, taking one of the 90-minute high-speed trains (en route to the Cinque Terre)
Renting a car from Sorrento and driving about 5.5 hours on excellent highways with crazy drivers
By bus from San Gimignano and it took about 2 hours to get there – depends on stops/if you need to change buses

Insider Tip #1: We only drove to the car rental drop off in Florence, and that was pretty hairy. We almost crashed the car. (Taking a taxi from the car rental place to the historical centre is about 25 euro.) I wouldn’t want to drive in Florence and there’s no need to either if you stay close to the sites. Some of the surrounding towns will have direct trains or buses to the city as well, so leave the car and your stress at home.

Where to stay

I would recommend staying in Florence’s historical centre – you’re close to the train station, the Duomo, the Uffizi, everything is within walking distance. We stayed just a block away from the train station at Hotel Berna. It wasn’t fancy, but it was safe, clean and comfortable. The staff were very welcoming. There are a lot of good restaurants off the main tourist areas and you could basically just eat at the Mercato Centrale and live your best life.

Insider Tip #2: The historical centre is closed off to traffic, so you’ll be walking regardless.

Insider Tip #3: If you’re crazy enough to ignore my warning to avoid Florence in the summer, just make sure you get a place with air conditioning. I’m serious. Your spouse doesn’t want to fan your stupid ass all night.

What to see

I’ve given you a three-day itinerary of Florence because I think this is a good amount of time if it’s your first or second visit to the city. There’s a lot to see, but like I mentioned before, it’s all within close walking distance. Here are some of the top things to see and do in Florence if it’s your first time:

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in the Piazza del Duomo: it seems like all streets in Florence lead to this massive cathedral complex, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like any major tourist attraction, try to go as early or as late as possible to avoid lineups to get in. The piazza is a nice place to people watch and if you get a vibrant blue sky, it almost looks like the cathedral has been painted on to it. Gets me every time.
Pointe Vecchio: crossing over the river Arno on this old bridge is basically a right of passage for any tourist. Peak into the little goldsmith shops that line the bridge and thank God that Hitler liked the view enough not to blow up this bridge in 1944. It’s a great stop on an evening stroll – when the setting sun hits the bridge, it shines like a polished gold coin.
San Lorenzo Market: get ready to barter and see a cow stomach – you can either escape the heat and check out the fish mongers, butchers, bakers, fruit and vegetable producers inside the Mercato Centrale (closed Sundays) or take a stroll down the surrounding streets where the outdoor market thrives on Tuesday to Saturday. You’ll meet a colourful cast of characters who want you to buy their goods – be an observant and cautious buyer. There’s quality leather and questionable leather. But it’s a great place to pick up souvenirs.
Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell'Accademia: He may be one of the most recognizable statues, but you’re probably wondering what the hype is. There’s something awe-inspiring about seeing this 17-foot marble statue’s pensive stare in person, the intricate carving lines, the disproportionate features. Carved from one single, flawed block of marble. If this doesn’t impress you already, maybe you can skip it. And that’s fine too. If you decide to go, book your ticket in advance (this is the official site, you can also phone), either early in the morning or late in the day if it’s high season, so you can stand in a shorter line (there’s always a line, it seems) and get some qt with David.
Uffizi Gallery: If art galleries make you yawn, skip it and go eat some gelato. But this art gallery is pretty damn cool because it houses a lot of paintings you’ll likely recognize – from The Birth of Venus by Botticelli to Caravaggio’s Medusa and of course da Vinci/Verrocchio’s Annunciation. I would recommend doing a bit of research in advance to decide what you’d like to see. You may get more out of the experience and you’ll impress your spouse with all your art fartsy history knowledge.
Piazzale Michelangelo: Your eyeballs will be rewarded with sweeping views of Florence when you get to Piazzale Michelangelo. I won’t say an uphill walk in the scorching heat is pleasant, but you certainly lose a bit of gelato weight. We started from the Ponte Vecchio, wound our way through the narrow Via de’ Bardi and Via di S. Niccolo (you can also walk along the Arno) to the Porta San Miniato (small arch in the wall). From there your walk uphill begins. It’s a great hike late in the day or early morning. You can also take a bus or drive, but what’s the fun in that?

If it’s your second time, check out the San Lorenzo Church, the Medici Chapel and Michelangelo’s Library. These places are less touristy, but worthy of a visit because they tell the history of Florence

Where to eat

We didn’t have one bad meal in Florence, but like any major tourist city, you need to ask the locals and/or check reviews. Here are some of our favourite places to eat in Florence:

Mercato Centrale: this massive indoor market is a great place to grab an inexpensive, quick breakfast or lunch and there are lots of places to sit down and eat (the mezzanine is a gourmet food court). We loved a particular food vendor at the far side of the market. I have it written as Panz in my travel diary, but I can’t find a reference for it online. They made amazing pesto and pasta salads. Da Nerbone has amazing sandwiches.
- Insider Tip #4: We also picked up a lot of foodie souvenirs to bring home – wine, preserves, spreads, oil, etc.
Trattoria Mario: Best. Ragu. Ever. Get here about a half hour before the place opens. You’ll likely stand in line. And it tends to fill up before it even opens. This restaurant is small and the food is lip-smacking good. They have massive steaks. Be prepared to share your table because no seat is without a bum. It was a fun experience. So fun, we went twice.
Mostodolce: Good, cheap beer on Via Nationale. We unintentionally ordered a paper bag of fried food (including vegetables, don’t judge). It was good. For balance, we ordered a Greek salad which was massive.
King Grizzly: Lively little pub with a great selection of beers on tap. We had some drinks here before going to the Uffizi, to escape the heat and the crowds.
La Proscuitteria: Great little snack spot in Florence. They have a large variety of meats and cheeses to build a charcuterie board with and great wine too. All for a decent price.

Mercato Centrale - Somewhere in this magical place is the world’s best pesto.

A place to go back to

Even though I’ve been to Florence a few times, I’d go back just to eat another dish of ragu at Trattoria Mario or to feel that rush of energy when the Duomo comes into view. I didn’t necessarily have this feeling the second time I visited, but each trip will have you in a different mental space.

It’s a busy, dusty city with a lot to see, so I’m sure to some travellers it can feel congested and overwhelming. That was how I felt when we day tripped there the second visit.

The cure for travellers’ overwhelm is balance. Pad a Florence visit with countryside adventures (aka wine tours!) and maybe a couple nights in the Cinque Terre. You’ll find you can relax a bit more and the energy of the city will be something you feel long after your trip is over.