Florence

Piazza del Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore)

The main square in Florence with a magnificent church. This is the most famous square in Florence and visitors can climb to the top of the Duomo for a view and / or to the top of the tower. Consider making the climb early in the morning to avoid a long wait. It was a 3 hour ordeal for us between waiting in line, visiting the cathedral, and climbing to the top of the Duomo. As you reach the top of the Duomo, the walls come inward and the space gets tight. At the top you can walk around outside for a panoramic view over the city. Alternatively, if you choose to climb the tower, you will get a view of the top of the Duomo itself.

The cathedral is very strict on dress code so women must wear a dress that reaches the top of their knees and have their shoulders covered (bring a sweater/cardigan to put on because even in a short sleeve dress, some people may be forced to purchase a shawl to enter which are being sold on the streets). Note: be careful of street vendors because some are selling to you illegally and YOU can be fined for purchasing from them if caught by the police).

Santa Croce

My favorite church in Florence with a beautiful white exterior. Santa Croce is minutes from the river and also not far from Piazza del Duomo. The inside of the church is very nice, with the front of the church being decorated with beautiful colors.

Wine Tour

Florence is located in the Tuscany region, known greatly for its wine. Be sure to venture outside the city limits and explore the Tuscany countryside. There are a lot of Chianti vineyards located close to Florence making for an easy day trip. Alternatively, spend a night in a smaller Tuscan town such as Siena, San Gimignano, or Montalcino (famous for Brunello) and visit vineyards in the area.

Wine in a Piazza

Take a stroll through the city and bring a bottle of wine to just sit in a Piazza and enjoy the city around you. There are no open container laws in Italy so you can sit outside in public areas and enjoy your drinks.

Piazzale Michelangelo

The most spectacular view of Florence located on the opposite side of the Arno from most of Florence’s attractions. Piazza Michelangelo is located up on a hill, but only takes about 10-15 minutes to climb. It is well worth the view and many people come up to watch the sunset with a snack and a bottle of wine.

Uffizi Gallery

The most visited museum in Florence with tons of artwork.

Galleria dell’Accademia

Another famous museum in Florence where the David is by Michelangelo! This museum is much smaller, but a must see. Try purchasing tickets in advance to guarantee your spot.

Ponte Vecchio

Famous bridge in Florence with shops all across the bridge

Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace

Gardens and palace located on the other side of the Arno river from most of Florence’s attractions. Try to visit during warmer weather seasons when the flowers are alive to enjoy the gardens. The ticket we bought was 10 euros and provided admission to the part of the palace where there was a costume gallery and then the opportunity to walk through the gardens. There was a nice view of the back country at the top of the gardens.

Fiorentina Soccer Game

Attend a soccer game while in Florence. Like many stadiums, it is located on the outskirts of the city but makes for a fun night.

Apertivos

Common tradition in Italy where restaurants guests can help themselves to an appetizer bar with a drink purchase

Cooking Class

These can be simple and short to very long and complex. As Italy is known for its food, look into taking some form of cooking class to learn from the best.

Palazzo Vecchio

This museum is very nice with many rooms and amazing art on the walls and ceilings. Visitors can also climb the tour, which I found to be the highlight as there is a very nice view from the tower of the Duomo.

Santa Maria Novella

Beautiful church located near the train station

Santo Spirito

Another church in Florence, located more on the outskirts and away from the main tourist areas. It was created during the Renaissance time period contrasting with Santa Maria Novella, the Duomo, and Santa Croce which are all Gothic style churches.

Gelato Festival

When I lived in Florence, there was a Gelato festival that went all around Italy and ended in Florence. It was held in the Piazza Michelangelo and it was essentially just a truck with 20 different, very unique flavors. You had the opportunity to try any flavor you want and got 5 servings of gelato. Then you voted for the best flavor and got one final gelato. It allows you to try some unique flavors!

Gucci Museum and Cafe

It costs 7 euros to go in the Gucci Museum (interesting but not necessary). The museum is connected to a cafe with a very unique hot chocolate, almost resembling liquid chocolate.

Medici Ricardi Palace

Renaissance Palace and museum

Bargello Museum

This is Florence’s 3rd most visited museum. It has a lot of sculptures as well as other art

Basilica di San Lorenzo and Medici Chapels

Church and chapels making up the complex of San Lorenzo

San Miniato al Monte

Another church in Florence found up by Piazzale Michelangelo

Orsanmichele

Church in Florence

Leather School

Located behind Santa Croce; it can be hard to find, but is where you can see the leather workshop and check out the store for some prime leather goods.

Mercato Centrale

Very big indoor market with many food options

Sant’Ambrogio Market

More of a locals market open everyday but Sunday from around 8 to 1 or 2 in the afternoon

Massimo’s Leather

Leather goods can be found all around Florence. Check out Massimo’s Leather located close to el Mercado Centrale. Massimo is friendly, has high quality products and speaks fluent English. He sells nice bags, wallets, jackets, belts and more. Avoid buying leather products from the shops on the street when you first arrive as you will notice some of these shops are not high quality and may be overpriced.

Day trip to Pisa

Purchase one-way or roundtrip train tickets at the train station in Florence to visit Pisa for a day. Trains to and from Pisa run multiple times an hour at different speeds. Try to catch one that is only an hour or slightly longer to take the most efficient trip. You can purchase your return ticket at the station in Pisa or in Florence and tickets cost about 10 euro each way.

You do not need much time in the city. The Leaning Tower, Cathedral, and Baptistery are all in one area and takes about 20 minutes to walk to the area form the train station. You can climb the Tower or go in the other buildings (costs about 18 euros).

Visit Fiesole

It is a cute little town with a beautiful view of Florence from the other side. There are also some hiking trails up here.

Getting there:

Take the #7 bus heading to Fiesole from Piazza di San Marco or you can opt to splurge on a cab. (**Note: purchase two single ride 90 min bus tickets, should be 1,20€ each, from any Tabaccheria. Then, when you get on bus, validate one of the tickets using the machine and use the other one for the return trip). Get off the bus at the final stop in the central square of Fiesole.

Once in the central square of Fiesole, turn left and head straight. Keeping the view of Florence on your right and the roundabout of the center on your left. You have to go up a somewhat inclined road, and then should be on Via Giuseppe Verdi. Follow this until there is a fork in the road and an incredible view of Florence on your right. Then veer left onto Via di Monte Ceceri. Continue on this road until you see a brown sign that says “Parco di Montececeri”. Follow the arrow and then look for a pebble path on your right and head down it. You have now entered the park, and there will eventually be a trail map and brown signs directing you to different sights

Day trip to Milan

This is a bit more aggressive of a day trip. Milan has a beautiful Duomo where you can climb to the top and pretty much walk on the roof. Right next to the Duomo is  Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a famous shopping mall. “The Last Supper” painting is also in Milan, but requires a reservation to view and the reservation must be booked pretty far in advance.

Getting there:

The fast train from Florence to Milan lasts about 2 hours. It is very easy, just make sure to book about a week in advance. We waited until just a few days and got stuck buying the business class seats since all cheaper tickets were already sold out. Typically it’ll cost about 70 euros round trip.

Day trip to Venice

Another more aggressive day-trip, but possible from Florence. Venice has lots to do from taking a Gondola ride, wandering the streets, and visiting the different islands making up the city.

Getting there:

Take Trenitalia from the Santa Maria Novella station (fast train takes 2 hours). It costs about 69 euro roundtrip, but be sure to buy tickets in advance as trips sell out. I would recommend taking the earliest train out (we took an 8:30) and the last train back (we took the 17:25). This gave us ample time to see what we wanted to see without being too rushed. Depending on your desires in Venice, you can visit for just a day-trip or stay overnight to see more.

Day trip to Perugia

Perugia is part of the Umbria region in Italy. To visit, you will need a car or be traveling with an organized group. Perugia is a bit bigger and not as quaint as some other small towns around Florence. Nevertheless, the Bacci chocolate factory is nearby and provides tours to visitors.

Day trip to Assisi

Like Perugia, Assisi is in the Umbria region. It is a small, but cute town providing a nice change from busy Florence. If accessible, consider visiting for a few hours but keep in mind that there is not a lot to do aside from walking around, grabbing a bite to eat and seeing Francis Church.