How To Spend 3 Days in Florence: Itinerary & Guide
Florence is a culture-rich city where some of the most famous artworks in the world were created. For my fellow art history lovers, Florence is a dream destination.
With world-renowned museums, gardens, and architecture, your three days in Florence will be filled with exciting and new experiences!
There is no shortage of things to see and do in this city, which is why I recommend spending at least three days in Florence. We spent 4 nights in Florence, which gave us three full days to explore, with a travel day on either end.
You may not be able to do it all in just three days, but you can check off a good amount of things on your itinerary!
I structured this itinerary around specific areas and activities for the smoothest, most fun Florence trip. While you can skip activities or move things around (it’s your trip, after all!), the order of activities each day flows from one to the next without bouncing all over the place.
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Know Before You Go
Some places require booking time slots: Places like the Uffizi Museum require you to book a specific day and time to visit and arrive within that window of time. Be sure to book these before your trip to ensure you get the day/time you want to visit!
No car needed: You can easily get around Florence on foot as it’s a small city. Renting a car is not ideal since many areas are off-limits for tourists to drive (ZTLs) and the traffic can be a bit crazy.
You cannot hail a taxi: Florence has a rule against hailing taxis. The only way to get a taxi is to go to one of the taxi stands around the city or contact a taxi company via a phone call or their mobile app.
Get the Passepartout 5-Day Pass (Combo Ticket): This pass will give you access to Uffizi, Boboli Gardens, Pitti Palace, and Opificio delle Pietre Dure. This itinerary includes the first three places and getting the pass will save you money if you plan to visit all three.
Day 1: Museums & Gardens
Your first day in Florence will be a packed one that includes taking a self-guided tour of the Uffizi Museum, finding the best views in the city, and exploring the attractions in the Santo Spirito district.
If you want to have a less-packed day, you can skip Fort Belvedere and Piazzale Michelangelo. They’re both free and worth a visit, but you don't have to do either of them on this day or at all.
Coffee & Pastries
Grab your morning coffee (or tea) at a cafe near your accommodation. If you’re staying in the San Niccolò or Michelangelo neighborhoods, I recommend Vivaldi.
They have delicious homemade pastries and even have chai lattes! The dirty chai latte is incredible.
Uffizi Museum
Start your day with a visit to the Uffizi Museum. I recommend getting the Combo Ticket as it will be used for entry to the Uffizi, Boboli Gardens, and Pitti Palace. The Uffizi must be the first attraction you visit with this ticket and a time slot reservation is required.
The Uffizi Museum is massive with its most popular work of art being The Birth of Venus by Botticelli. This is one of my favorite museums I’ve visited in Europe! Their extensive collection of paintings and sculptures can easily keep you here for hours.
I was surprised to learn that the Uffizi is the most-visited art museum in Italy, with about 5 million visitors in 2023!
Ponte Vecchio to Piazzale Michelangelo
After a morning at the Uffizi, walk across Ponte Vecchio through the Oltrano district. Make your way through the rose garden to reach Piazzale Michelangelo where you’ll have the best views of Florence.
Sunrise is my favorite time to visit Piazzale Michelangelo, but the colors of the city are most vibrant at midday when the sun is shining!
Get a panino from Chalet il Boschetto at the top of Piazzale Michelangelo. This is a cart with the best panino I had in Florence and reviews to back it up! They also have salads, pasta, and other dishes if you don’t want a panino (sandwich).
Gelato
Get some gelato at Sbrino or Il Gelato di filo in the nearby San Niccolò district. Both gelato shops have amazing gelato and delicious flavors to choose from.
We even went back multiple times a day to get gelato before/after lunch and dinner. It was by far the best gelato we had during our two weeks in Italy!
Fort Belvedere
With gelato in hand, walk to Fort Belvedere for even more gorgeous views of Florence. Fort Belvedere was built in the early 1590s to defend Florence from any attacks, though it never needed to be used.
It’s completely free to visit unless you want a full guided tour, which is 5€ per person.
Boboli Gardens & Pitti Palace
These two attractions are included with your Combo Ticket! They are right next to Fort Belvedere; the entrance to Boboli Gardens is just around the corner down Via del Forte di S. Giorgio.
Boboli Gardens is the name for the gardens surrounding Pitti Palace, which was once the home of the Medici family. It is now a historical park that visitors can walk through and enjoy!
The palace, called Palazzo Pitti in Italian, is full of luxurious furniture, hundreds of paintings and sculptures, and other expensive items. You can walk through the rooms of the palace and see the artworks, costume gallery, and royal apartments.
Dinner in Santa Croce
Make a reservation for dinner at Osteria Vecchio Cancello (either the original restaurant or 2). These restaurants have classic Tuscan dishes like a giant Florentine steak, as well as incredible homemade truffle pasta and local wines.
After dinner, you can take an evening walk around the Santa Croce district past the basilica and along the river.
Day 2: Tuscany Day Trip
A trip to Florence isn’t complete without a wine and farm Tuscany day trip! We booked our day trip through Airbnb Experiences, but there are tons of highly rated options on Viator and Get Your Guide too — I’ve linked a few below.
The tour we picked was a small group tour with 10 total people. Since our group of family and friends was 7 people, there were only 3 other people from outside of our group on the tour with us. It was fun to meet new people and hang out with them for a day!
Our day trip started with getting picked up in a van and driven through the countryside to the factory where the grapes are processed and turned into wine (about 1 hour).
We started off with some wine tasting and education before getting a full tour (in English) of the factory, walking through the outdoor areas with giant metal tanks, and then venturing down to the cellar where they keep the barrels of wine
From there, we piled back into the vans and drove about 10 minutes to the vineyards! Here you can see the grapes growing on the vines and take some classic vineyard photos. The views from here were incredible!
The last activity was a drive to the restaurant in the Tuscany hills for wine and cheese pairings outside with gorgeous views of the rolling hills and surrounding vineyards.
We then headed inside the restaurant and sat at a table with a massive spread of appetizers and a full lunch with multiple courses and full bottles of wine. They were able to accommodate gluten allergies and vegetarian preferences, which was lovely.
We were all so stuffed by the end that we even canceled our dinner reservations!
After a long, delicious, and fun lunch, we were driven back to Florence. It was a special experience and worth a day away from the city! Find a tour that gets amazing reviews and book it.
Day 3: Art & Architecture
On your last full day in Florence, you’ll watch the sunrise from the best viewpoint in Florence, tour even more museums, explore the city’s architecture, and choose between a few different activities after lunch.
Sunrise at Piazzale Michelangelo
Start your day by watching the sunrise at Piazzale Michelangelo. Though it’s swarming with people for sunset each night, there are just a few photographers and morning runners at sunrise.
If you are staying nearby, it’s a beautiful experience seeing the city come to life from this viewpoint.
If you are staying on the north side of the Arno, then skip sunrise at Piazzale Michelangelo to avoid too much back-and-forth walking between activities since your first one will be on the north side.
Coffee & Dolce
My favorite part of the mornings in Italy is a morning coffee and pastry to start the day. Head to the coffee shop/espresso bar nearest to you or go to my favorite, Vivaldi, to get your morning coffee & dolce.
Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze
Known for being the home of Michelangelo’s David statue, the Gallery of the Academy of Florence (Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze in Italian) is just north of the Historic City Center.
It’s part of the University of Florence with a large collection of artworks, though not as extensive as the Uffizi. In addition to the David statue, the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze also has Florentine paintings and even more sculptures by Michelangelo.
Next to Uffizi, Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze is the second-most-visited art museum in the country with over 2 million visitors in 2023 (a record-breaking year for the museum).
Getting here when it opens will likely give you the best chance to explore the museum without too many people.
We didn’t get a chance to visit the museum on our trip as we prioritized other things, but I wish we had and we’ll definitely visit on a future trip!
If this museum is not a priority for you, you can skip ahead to the next activity.
Historic City Center & Lunch
Walk from the museum to the Piazza del Duomo, home of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore which has the famous Duomo. From this square, you can walk around the cathedral, take a tour of the inside (including the dome!), and see the Baptistry of St. John.
It’s free to go inside the main area of the cathedral without a ticket. If you want to see more of the cathedral, you can choose from a few different passes that get you access to areas like the bell tower, museum, dome, and more.
In addition to the historic buildings, there are also shops and restaurants surrounding the piazza that you can pop into. I always recommend getting away from main tourist attractions to find a spot to eat since places nearby aren’t usually as good.
Just outside of the main square, there are a few highly rated restaurants, though I haven’t been to any of them so can’t recommend specific ones.
Museo Galileo
Your next stop will be the Galileo Museum. This is a somewhat small museum (especially compared to the grand Uffizi) and the whole thing can be toured in about an hour or so.
Tickets are 14€ per person and can be purchased online for a specific date. The museum has over 1,000 scientific instruments, mostly focused on astronomy, physics, and mathematics.
Though it may sound boring, the museum is delightful and fascinating! They did an incredible job curating the objects and displaying them in a way that is easy to understand, even if you don’t have a background in science.
Alternatively, you can skip this museum altogether and head straight from the city center to the next activity!
Basilica and/or Perfumery
Since there are many activities and I can’t fit them all in just three days in Florence, you have a couple of different options to choose from for this portion of the day.
Depending on how long you spend at the museum(s), you may be able to do both of these activities! If you skip one or both of the museums, then you will have time for both activities.
Basilica of Santa Croce
Tour the basilica to see the tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and other well-known Italians from history. It costs less than 10€ per adult to visit and is free for kids under 11 with accompanying adults.
You can see fresco paintings by Giotto and visit the sixteen chapels. The Bardi Chapel, which houses the frescos, has been closed to the public for the last few years while the frescoes undergo restoration. They plan to reopen this summer, 2025!
Perfumeries
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella: Florence is known for its old perfumeries, some of which still exist today like this one! This one is now a museum, perfumery, and herbalist shop where you can still buy their original fragrances.
Make your own perfume: Something I wish we made time for was a class with a master perfumer to make our own perfume. This would be the perfect souvenir from Florence! The one we walked by that I wanted to go to was Profumoir Firenze - Maestro Profumiere Sileno Cheloni. It’s in San Niccolò and looks elegant and alluring inside.
Other highly rated perfume workshops:
Sunset & Dinner
After your day of exploration, you can choose which area you want to have dinner and/or watch the sunset.
If you’re staying in the San Niccolo or San Spirito district, grabbing a panino or pizza and drink for a sunset picnic at Piazzale Michelangelo is a quintessential way to spend the evening in Florence.
It’s a much more casual dinner compared to something north of the Arno with menus and tablecloths, but it feels authentically Italian. You can also save quite a bit of money by getting a cheap panino or pizza for dinner!
You can go to Chalet il Boschetto again at the top of Piazzale Michelangelo or get a pizza from I'PIZZACCHIERE and bring it up with you.
There’s a lovely rose garden below Piazzale Michelangelo that has grass areas and benches where you can enjoy your food and drinks with views of the sun setting over the city skyline.
Where To Stay in Florence
There are a few main districts that are ideal to stay in Florence. The Arno River runs through Florence, splitting it in two.
One thing to keep in mind is that Florence is not that big — it’s easy to walk between each district in less than 20 minutes. The city is much smaller than I expected!
North of Arno
The north side of the river is where most of the attractions are, including the Uffizi, Duomo, and Historic Center. It’s more crowded in this area but you’ll be in the heart of the city.
The districts in this area are Santa Maria Novella, San Giovanni, and Santa Croce.
Stay in Santa Maria Novella to the west of the city center to be close to the train station. The nicer areas of this neighborhood are further from the station and closer to the river.
Stay in San Giovanni to be closest to the buzz of the city and the main city center. It’s the most touristy, crowded area because of its proximity to the Duomo.
Stay in Santa Croce to still be close to the city center but in a slightly less tourist area with the stunning Santa Croce Basilica. We walked through this area on a weekday night after dinner and it was lively with people hanging out at the bars and in the streets!
South of Arno
The south side of the river, called Oltrarno, is a much quieter, less-touristy region of Florence. The main attractions in this area are Boboli Gardens, Pitti Palace, and Piazzale Michelangelo.
This area of Florence is usually cheaper since it’s further away from the heart of the city, though it’s just a 10-minute walk to reach it.
The districts in this area are San Frediano, Santo Spirito, San Niccolo, and Michelangelo. They’re so small they are often grouped together as San Frediano & Santo Spirito and San Niccolò and Piazzale Michelangelo.
Stay in San Frediano & Santo Spirito to be near Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace. This is a cool and trendy area with an artsy feel that tends to have a younger population. This is the ideal location for first-time visitors as well!
Stay in San Niccolò & Piazzale Michelangelo for a peaceful stay away from the hustle and bustle, but still an easy walk to the main attractions. It’s close to Piazzale Michelangelo, a popular spot to picnic and watch the sunset — the only time this area has groups of people.
We stayed in this area and LOVED it! As someone who likes to be away from the crowds of tourists (and doesn’t mind walking a bit to activities), this was the perfect area. Our apartment was lovely and right next to the rose garden and Piazzale Michelangelo. The hosts were kind and helpful too!
