One Day in Florence Itinerary: Best Sights & Activities
Florence is the stunning capital city of the Tuscany region in Italy. Spending just one day in Florence isn’t enough to do everything, but you can fit in many activities!
If you only have one day in Florence or are just looking for how to spend one of several days in this beautiful city, this itinerary is perfect for you. It has a bit of everything, including museums, gardens, gelato, and where to find the best views of Florence.
We spent four nights in Florence during our two-week Italy trip and explored as much of the city as possible. Florence completely wowed me with its grand architecture, massive museums, and delicious food.
I’ve compiled the best activities, restaurants, and sights into a perfect one-day Florence itinerary!
Below the itinerary, you’ll also find tips for visiting Florence, how to get there, and where to stay in case you’re planning to spend more than one day in Florence.
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Best One Day in Florence Itinerary
Get Coffee and Pastries
The Italian way of breakfast is a sweet pastry and a shot of espresso. Though I’m a big fan of pastries for breakfast, straight espresso is not for me. I used to be a coffee hater before visiting Italy, but their cappuccinos won me over.
Depending on where you start your day, you may want to grab a coffee at the cafe closest to you.
Many of the coffee shops around the Uffizi—your first activity of the day—get terrible reviews (as restaurants/cafes around tourist spots do) so I recommend venturing away from it for your morning cup.
Since we stayed on the south side of the Arno, our morning coffee stop was at Vivaldi. It’s a small, well-decorated coffee shop with a lovely selection of freshly baked pastries, coffee, and tea. Their chai latte is delicious! Make it “dirty” with a shot of espresso for an extra kick.
Visit the Uffizi Museum
We got a combo ticket that allowed us entry to Uffizi (with a booked date/time), Boboli Gardens, and Pitti Palace. You can also get a combo ticket for entry to those three attractions, plus an audio tour and eBooks about Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace.
With the combo ticket, the Uffizi must be the first of the three attractions you visit. I recommend visiting as close to opening time (8:15am) as possible to avoid crowds.
Our time slot was 8:45am and we waited in line for about 10 minutes to enter, but it wasn’t too crowded in the majority of the museum. Popular paintings like The Birth of Venus will have a consistent crowd no matter what time of day you visit.
It’s easy to spend more than three hours walking through the galleries here! The Uffizi has such an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures you could spend all day if you took your time.
If you don’t want to spend hours in the Uffizi, browse through their website and map out which artworks or areas you want to visit most and prioritize those.
There are three floors accessible by stairs or elevator. The elevators are small and should be reserved for those who cannot use the stairs.
Lunch at Osteria Vecchio Cancello II
Osteria Vecchio Cancello (both the original and II) is a perfect spot for a traditional Tuscan lunch! We ate at their second location for dinner one night and it was the best meal we had in Florence.
Their truffle pasta was flavorful and had the perfect texture. They also have Florentine steaks on the bone that can be shared with a few people. I don’t eat meat, but my husband and dad ordered one — it was giant.
The interior has natural stone walls with wood floors and warm, cozy lighting. They have multiple rooms, making it feel intimate with just a few tables in each.
I recommend making a reservation just to ensure you can get a table, especially if you have a group of four or more people.
You can definitely save this spot for dinner instead if you don’t mind walking back and forth, but I slotted it in for lunch for a more streamlined itinerary.
If you save this spot for dinner, then a few places you could get lunch in this area are Le Vespe Cafè, Osteria da Caterina, or Trattoria Verdi Firenze.
Explore the Historic Centre of Florence
Much of the city center of Florence has been named part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site—Historic Centre of Florence—due to its incredible art and architecture.
After lunch, walk around the city center of Florence. The restaurant is near the Basilica of Santa Croce, a church with catacombs that include Michelangelo’s and Galileo’s tombs.
About half a mile (900m) from the Basilica of Santa Croce is the most famous and iconic landmark in Florence: Santa Maria Cathedral. The large dome that dominates the Florence skyline has made this cathedral (duomo in Italian) easily recognizable.
Piazza della Signoria is a square just behind the Uffizi and in front of Palazzo Vecchio. While the Piazza del Duomo in front of Santa Maria Cathedral is considered the Spiritual Center of Florence, the Piazza della Signoria is the political and cultural center.
Walk Across the Ponte Vecchio
Once you’re done exploring the Historic Centre of Florence, walk across the famous Ponte Vecchio to cross over the Arno River.
The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest existing bridge in Florence, built around the mid-1300s. It’s a medieval-style bridge lined with buildings of shops that were once occupied by butchers and farmers.
Today, the shops on Ponte Vecchio are known for their fine gold jewelry. This is because of a decree in 1565 that only goldsmiths could occupy the shops and butchers were no longer allowed in an effort to “clean up” the bridge.
The bridge spans across a narrow area of the Arno and is a short walk from one side to the other. This is a major tourist attraction now — be careful of pickpockets.
Tour Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace
After you reach the other side of the Ponte Vecchio, you’ll be just a couple of blocks from the front entrance to Pitti Palace!
Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti in Italian) is a royal estate that now houses a large collection of artworks, clothing, and artifacts. It was once owned by the Medici family in the 1500s, who added Boboli Gardens to the estate.
It’s amazing being able to walk through the rooms of a palace that was home to such a well-known family. Their art collection is also impressive with hundreds of paintings from Italian artists.
Boboli Gardens is a large Italian garden behind Pitti Palace with manicured hedges, fountains, a few sculptures, and views of the Duomo. It’s a lovely place to go for a stroll before or after touring Pitti Palace.
Eat Amazing Gelato
If you’re up for a sweet treat, head over to Sbrino in the Piazzale Michelangelo neighborhood for possibly the best gelato in Florence.
They have a range of flavors that change daily, including some unique flavors! This gelato is not your typical tourist trap. It’s authentic, Italian gelato that has the best flavor and texture.
If this gelato shop isn’t open, Il Gelato di Filo was my other favorite gelato shop. I couldn’t even compare the two because they’re both equally delicious in my opinion. They’re both on the same street, so you can get a scoop from each one to compare for yourself!
Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
One of the most popular sunset spots is at Piazzale Michelangelo, which overlooks the whole city. It’s above the rose garden and you’ll walk up hills and stairs to get there.
This spot gets packed at sunset with fellow tourists and locals taking in the views as the sun sets. I actually prefer it at sunrise as it’s almost empty during this time but has the same amazing views!
Before you head up, you can stop at Panini and Vini to grab a drink (beer, wine, spritz, soda, etc.), chips, or a sandwich to take up to Piazzale Michelangelo and enjoy a picnic. The rose garden also has benches and grassy areas that are popular for picnicking.
Dinner at I'PIZZACCHIERE
Make your way back down from Piazzale Michelangelo to grab a casual dinner at I'PIZZACCHIERE. We ate here twice during our four days in Florence and it was some of the best we had in Italy!
They have such a delicious menu with pizza combos like mozzarella, black truffle, and orange blossom honey called Honeymoon (I got this both times!). Their extensive menu has tons of vegetarian options too!
The inside is small and nothing fancy. It’s best to get this as takeaway and find a spot to picnic. Since we stayed just up the road from here, we took it back to our apartment to eat.
If you don’t mind walking and want something more upscale/fancy for dinner, head back across the Arno to the restaurants in the city center and Santa Croce areas. Osteria Vecchio Cancello II is my top recommendation if you didn’t eat there for lunch!
For something extremely high-end, there are multiple Michelin-starred restaurants in this area (Atto di Vito Mollica is one of the best-reviewed ones).
How To Get to Florence
Florence can be done as a day trip from a few different major cities in Italy. The country is well-connected with trains that make it easy to quickly travel from one city to another.
A train is the ideal way to travel, especially if you’re only planning to spend the day in Florence and head back to your accommodations in another city in the evening.
Travel time to Florence from major cities by train:
Bologna to Florence – 40 minutes
Pisa to Florence – 1 hour
Rome to Florence – 1 hour 20 minutes
Milan to Florence – 1 hour 45 minutes
Venice to Florence – 2 hours
Naples to Florence – 3 hours
We rode the Frecciarosa high-speed train on a few occasions during our two-week Italy trip. It’s a simple and easy way to travel in Italy! The train is much faster than you could ever travel by car or bus.
Download the Trenitalia app to book train tickets in advance for the most streamlined travel. You can choose your class (business class is surprisingly affordable), pick your seats, and get real-time updates on your train’s schedule.
Tips for Spending One Day in Florence
Wear Comfortable Shoes
Even if you rent a car in Florence (not recommended), plan to do a ton of walking. Many of the streets in Florence are ZTLs, which are restricted zones for locals only meaning you cannot drive through them.
You also cannot hail taxis in Florence; instead, you must call the taxi company, use a taxi app, or go to a taxi stand. Walking is usually the easiest option!
I was most comfortable walking in my Allbirds Tree Runner Go. My New Balance Trail Runners probably would have been best though — I wish I packed them for this trip.
Florence is mostly flat in the City Center, but it has steep hills outside of it. If you’re not able to walk up hills or long distances, you may want to book a guided tour that includes transportation.
I’ve created this itinerary in a way that minimizes the walking distance and backtracking, but it’s not fully avoidable unless you only stay in one area during your day trip.
If you can, I recommend walking as much as possible! It’s also a great way to see the city since you can stop whenever you want to take in the sights.
Download Google Maps
One of my favorite travel tips is to download the full area of where you’re traveling on Google Maps before you go. This way you can still access directions even without cell service or wifi.
The only downside is that downloaded Google Maps navigation will only show you driving directions and cannot show walking directions. This isn’t terrible since many of the areas you will walk in Florence are adjacent to roads.
Save Taxi Stand Locations
Since you cannot hail a taxi, knowing where the taxi stands are is important. Taxi stands are areas where the taxis will hang out waiting for people who need rides.
Some stands may have fewer taxis than others. We tried to call a taxi via their phone number at the Piazzale Michelangelo taxi stand when there weren’t any taxis there and they never came. Your best bet to get a taxi is in the city center area.
Book Tickets in Advance
For popular attractions like the Uffizi, booking tickets in advance is key to ensure you can visit.
The Uffizi is the only activity on this one-day Florence itinerary that requires a timed entry ticket. If there are other museums or attractions you want to add that aren’t on this list, be sure to check if you have to book a specific time slot.
Where To Stay
If you’re planning to stay in Florence longer than just one day, I recommend staying in the San Niccolo and Piazzale Michelangelo neighborhoods. This location is further from the city center, but still within walking distance of it.
These neighborhoods are south of the Arno River and not as busy/touristy as the City Center, Santa Maria Novella, and Santa Croce neighborhoods.
We loved the tiny apartment we stayed in next to the rose garden and Piazzale Michelangelo! It’s perfect for two people and is close to restaurants and gelato shops.
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