Visiting Florence in 3 Days: The Ideal Itinerary, District by District

80 to 110 euros a day per person, excluding flights: that’s the budget for three days in Florence, the ideal length for a first visit. Day one, the Renaissance heart, from the Duomo to Piazza della Signoria, then the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio. Day two, Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia, the Mercato Centrale, Santa Croce, and sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo. Day three, the Oltrarno and its craftsmen’s workshops, with the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, or a day trip to Fiesole. Two bookings aren’t optional: the Uffizi and the Accademia, weeks ahead in high season. As for the car, leave it behind: everything here is done on foot.

Birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence packs more major works into two square kilometres than any other European city can match. Getting there from France is straightforward: direct flights from Paris take 1 hour 50 to Amerigo Vespucci airport (then tram T2 into the centre in 25 minutes, tickets cost 1.70 euros), or you can fly into Pisa and take a one hour train onward. The historic centre can be crossed on foot in half an hour: this is a city best savoured by walking, nose in the air. Here is a three day itinerary built district by district, with the real queues and the real prices factored in.

Day 1: The Renaissance Heart, from the Duomo to Ponte Vecchio

Morning: Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral and Its Dome

Start at Piazza del Duomo, ideally before 9am when the light rakes across the white, green and pink marble of the facade. Entry to the cathedral is free, but the queue builds fast: if you only want to see the interior (fairly plain, in truth), come at opening time. The real experience is the climb up Brunelleschi’s dome: 463 steps between the two shells of brick, a passage right alongside the Last Judgment fresco, and a 360 degree view over the ochre rooftops. It can only be booked through the Brunelleschi Pass (around 30 euros, valid for 3 days, with a compulsory time slot for the dome), which also covers Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery and the Museum of the Duomo Works. Morning slots go first: book as soon as your dates are set.

Head back down to the Baptistery for its bronze doors (the Gates of Paradise, by Ghiberti, are a copy; the restored originals are in the Museum of the Duomo Works, often deserted despite being remarkable).

Afternoon: Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi Gallery

Walk to Piazza della Signoria via Via dei Calzaiuoli. This square is a free open air museum: the Loggia dei Lanzi houses Cellini’s Perseus and Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women, and the David standing in front of the Palazzo Vecchio is a faithful copy (the original awaits you tomorrow). If the Medici’s history intrigues you, the Palazzo Vecchio can be visited (around 17.50 euros), but save your energy: the Uffizi is waiting.

The Uffizi Gallery deserves a full three hours: Botticelli (the Primavera and the Birth of Venus in newly renovated rooms), Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo, Caravaggio. Tickets run around 25 euros in high season (pricing varies), and booking online is essential: without a reserved slot, the queue commonly runs past two hours between May and September. Avoid Tuesdays, when the museum makes up for Monday’s closure and the crowds are at their worst. On your way out, Ponte Vecchio is two minutes away: the jewellers’ bridge, spared in 1944, photographs best from the neighbouring Santa Trinita bridge at sunset.

Day 2: The David, the Markets and Tuscany’s Finest View

Morning: The Galleria dell’Accademia, Then the Mercato Centrale

At opening time (8.15am), head straight for the Galleria dell’Accademia. The museum is small, an hour and a half is enough, but the impact is real: Michelangelo’s David, 5.17 metres of marble under a dome of natural light, preceded by the unfinished Prisoners that seem to be fighting their way out of the stone. Tickets run around 16 euros plus booking fee; as with the Uffizi, booking is the only way to avoid an endless queue. Closed on Mondays, like most of Florence’s state museums: build your schedule around that constraint.

Ten minutes’ walk away, the San Lorenzo district hums around its outdoor market (leather quality varies wildly: haggle, and check the stitching). Have lunch at the Mercato Centrale: the ground floor is a food market in the morning, the upper floor a gourmet food hall open until midnight. This is the place to try lampredotto, Florence’s tripe sandwich (around 5 to 6 euros), or a simple plate of fresh pasta.

Afternoon: Santa Croce, Then Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

In the afternoon, cross over to the Basilica of Santa Croce (around 10 euros): this is Italy’s pantheon, with the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini, and Giotto’s frescoes in the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels. The area around the square is also home to the historic leather workshops: the Scuola del Cuoio, housed in the former monks’ dormitory, can be visited freely.

Later in the day, climb up to Piazzale Michelangelo (a 20 minute walk up from the river, or bus 12/13). The esplanade offers THE postcard view over the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and the surrounding hills. Arrive 45 minutes before sunset to grab a spot on the steps; the wandering beer vendors take care of the rest. If you still have some energy left, climb five more minutes up to the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, a Romanesque gem where the monks sing Gregorian vespers in the late afternoon: free, and far less crowded.

Day 3: The Oltrarno Craftsmen’s Quarter, or a Day Trip to Fiesole

Option A: Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens and Santo Spirito

Cross the river into the Oltrarno, the left bank that has stayed working class and artisanal. The Pitti Palace, once the Medici’s residence, houses the Palatine Gallery and its Raphaels hung frame to frame as they were in the 18th century (around 16 euros). Behind it, the Boboli Gardens (around 10 euros) unfold cypresses, mannerist grottoes and views over the city: allow two hours and bring water in summer, shade is scarce.

Have lunch around Piazza Santo Spirito, the liveliest square in the district, facing the bare facade designed by Brunelleschi. In the afternoon, push open the doors of the San Frediano workshops (gilders, bookbinders, marbled paper makers) and finish with an aperitivo on a terrace: this is where Florentines go out, not on the right bank.

Option B: Fiesole, Florence’s Etruscan Balcony

If you would rather slow down, bus number 7 (from Piazza San Marco, 20 minutes, tickets cost 1.70 euros) climbs up to Fiesole, an Etruscan village perched on its hill. On the programme: the archaeological area with its Roman theatre, the San Francesco Monastery right at the top, and above all the sweeping view over Florence from the Via San Francesco terrace. Half a day is enough; head back down for one last ice cream in the city (avoid the neon coloured mounds piled up like volcanoes, look for the closed lids that serious gelato makers use).

Practical Tips for a Successful City Break in Florence

To turn this itinerary into an hour by hour plan tailored to your own pace, our guide on planning a city break with AI does the work in a few minutes. On the money side, our tips on estimating and tracking your travel budget will spare you nasty surprises when you get home. And if Italy is calling for other long weekends, take a look at our itineraries for visiting Venice in 3 days and visiting Rome in 3 days.