A Weekend in Florence: 2-Day Itinerary & Budget for 2026

It’s just gone nine and the queue outside the Uffizi is already curling around the corner: exactly the scene a well planned weekend in Florence should let you skip. Two full days are enough, provided you stay within the historic centre and resist the urge to chase too many museums at once. Tight itinerary: the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria on Saturday morning, the Uffizi or Oltrarno in the afternoon, sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo in the evening, then the Galleria dell’Accademia and the San Lorenzo market on Sunday before heading to the airport. Budget between 250 and 350 EUR per person for the two days (hotel, meals, admissions), excluding flights. The tip that changes everything: book your Uffizi and Accademia tickets online at least two weeks ahead, the queues on site can eat up half a day.

Florence is one of the few Italian cultural capitals that genuinely works for a short round trip: two and a half hours’ flight from Paris, and a historic centre you can cross on foot in twenty minutes at its longest stretch. That’s what makes the weekend format realistic here, where it would feel rushed in Rome or Naples. The idea behind this itinerary: base yourself in a single neighbourhood, keep travel time to a minimum, and accept that you’ll have to choose rather than try to see everything at a run.

Day 1: the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and sunset over the city

Morning: the cathedral and the monumental heart

Start early, before 9am if you can: Piazza del Duomo fills up fast, and the morning light on the white and green marble of Santa Maria del Fiore is the best of the day. You can climb Brunelleschi’s dome (book the ticket online, slots are often full by the day before) or simply take in the ensemble from the square: the cathedral, Giotto’s bell tower and the baptistery with its gilded doors. Allow an hour and a half if you climb, thirty minutes if you don’t. From there, head to Piazza della Signoria, five minutes on foot.

Afternoon: the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio and Oltrarno

Piazza della Signoria, with its replica of the David standing in front of the Palazzo Vecchio and its open-air loggia, is worth a lunch stop on one of the surrounding terraces. If you’ve booked a slot at the Uffizi, this is the time to use it: two hours are enough to see the highlights (Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, the view over the Arno from the corridor windows). If you’d rather walk than queue for art, cross the Ponte Vecchio and its jewellers’ shops into the Oltrarno, the less touristy neighbourhood on the left bank, and wander around the Pitti Palace and its Boboli Gardens.

Evening: sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

Head up to Piazzale Michelangelo an hour before sunset (about twenty minutes on foot from the Ponte Vecchio, or take a bus if your legs are tired). The view over Florence, its terracotta roofs and the Duomo rising above everything, is the kind of moment that stays with you long after the weekend ends. Walk back down for dinner in the Oltrarno: this is where you’ll find the trattorias that aren’t built around passing tourists, especially around Piazza Santo Spirito.

Day 2: the David, San Lorenzo and last steps in the centre

Morning: the Galleria dell’Accademia

On Sunday, go see Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia right at opening, around 8:15am: it’s the only way to beat the crowds that build up by late morning. The visit is short, an hour is more than enough for the main gallery. Follow it up with the San Lorenzo market right next door, leather goods, souvenirs and food stalls, before heading to the nearby Mercato Centrale for a quick, hearty lunch upstairs.

Afternoon: last steps before the airport

Depending on your flight time, you’ll often have two to three hours left for a final stop at Santa Croce (the basilica and its cloister, quieter than the Duomo) or one more pass through the shops of the historic centre. Don’t plan anything ambitious for this Sunday afternoon: the trip to the airport and the safety margin for boarding eat up more time than you’d expect on a trip this short.

Planning your weekend in Florence: practical tips

How do you get to the centre from the airport?

Florence Airport (Amerigo Vespucci, code FLR) is connected to the centre by tram line T2, running direct to Santa Maria Novella station in about twenty minutes, for a ticket around 1.70 to 2 EUR. It’s by far the simplest option, and much faster than a taxi during rush hour. If your flight lands in Pisa instead, plan for about an hour by train to Florence, which changes things on a weekend this tight.

Which neighbourhood should you stay in?

For two days, one base makes sense: the centro storico, between the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, or just across the Arno in the Oltrarno if you’re after slightly gentler rates and a less touristy feel. Either way, everything connects on foot in under twenty minutes, which keeps you from losing time on transport during such a short stay.

What budget should you plan for a weekend?

Plan for between 250 and 350 EUR per person for the two days in 2026, excluding flights: a 3 star hotel in the centre (roughly 100 to 140 EUR a night for a double room), meals (30 to 45 EUR a day if you mix neighbourhood trattorias and markets), plus Uffizi and Accademia tickets (around 25 EUR each with booking). Accommodation is the line item that swings the total the most: prices climb noticeably on weekends and in high season.

What’s the best time to visit?

Spring (April to May) and early autumn (September to October) offer the best balance: pleasant temperatures for walking all day, soft light on the facades, and more manageable crowds than in midsummer. July and August are still workable for a weekend, but expect overwhelming heat in the afternoon and longer queues outside the museums.