Florence rewards a plan. The city is small enough to walk end to end, but its greatest sights all require timed tickets, and getting those slots in the right order is the difference between a serene visit and a day spent queueing. This is the itinerary I would give a friend, built around two full days, with a third day added for anyone who wants to slow down and see the Oltrarno and a Tuscan hill town. Book the Uffizi, the Accademia and the dome climb before you arrive, and the rest falls into place.
Day one: the Renaissance heart
Start early. Book the Accademia for the 8:15 opening and give yourself an hour with the David before the crowds build, then walk ten minutes south to the Duomo. Entry to the cathedral is free; climb Giotto’s bell tower or Brunelleschi’s dome if you have a timed slot, or simply circle the piazza and take in the marble facade in the morning light.
Mid-morning, wander to the Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo for an early lunch, a plate of pasta at Trattoria Mario if you can face the queue, or a graze through the upstairs food hall. Spend the afternoon in Piazza della Signoria, Florence’s open-air sculpture gallery, and step into the Palazzo Vecchio to see its gilded Vasari halls. As the day cools, cross the Ponte Vecchio, pausing to look back at it from the Ponte Santa Trinita, and settle in the Oltrarno for an aperitivo in Piazza Santo Spirito as the light goes gold.
Day two: art, gardens and the sunset view
Book the Uffizi for the 8:15 opening; the Botticelli rooms are almost peaceful first thing. Give the gallery two or three hours, then step out for a schiacciata from All’Antico Vinaio on Via dei Neri to eat by the river.
In the afternoon, cross to the Oltrarno properly. Tour the Pitti Palace’s Palatine Gallery, then lose an hour or two in the Boboli Gardens behind it, cypress avenues, fountains and grottoes, with wide views back over the city from the upper terraces. In the late afternoon, make the gentle climb up to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset, the whole of Florence laid out below with the dome at its centre. For the same view with fewer people, drop into the Rose Garden or the Bardini Garden just beneath the terrace. Have your final dinner in the Oltrarno, where the bistecca is excellent and the streets are quiet.
Day three: slow down, or head into Tuscany
With a third day you have a choice. Stay in the city and go slowly: browse the artisan workshops of the Oltrarno, visit the Basilica of Santa Croce and the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo, explore the Bargello’s sculpture, and shop the Sant’Ambrogio market like a local. Or leave Florence behind for the day. Pisa is an hour away by train and easily combined with Lucca; the classic Tuscan day trip pairs Siena and San Gimignano with a Chianti wine tasting, best done on an organised tour that handles the driving. Whichever you choose, come back for one last evening walk across the Ponte Vecchio.
Where to eat along the way
To save you searching mid-stride, here is where I would eat as this itinerary unfolds. Day one lunch is Trattoria Mario by the Mercato Centrale, lunch only and cash only, so arrive before it opens or graze the food hall upstairs instead. Day one aperitivo is a spritz in Piazza Santo Spirito as the light goes. Day two lunch is a schiacciata from All’Antico Vinaio on Via dei Neri, eaten by the river, followed by a scoop from Gelateria dei Neri around the corner. Day two dinner is a shared bistecca alla fiorentina at All’Antico Ristoro di Cambi in the Oltrarno. For gelato at any hour, Vivoli behind Santa Croce is the classic, and Perché No! near the Duomo has been going since 1939.
If you have that third day in the city
Choosing to stay rather than take a day trip, I would spend the morning at the Bargello with Donatello’s bronze David and Michelangelo’s Bacchus, then wander into the Oltrarno for the Brancacci Chapel and its revolutionary Masaccio frescoes. Keep the late afternoon for the climb up to San Miniato al Monte, the loveliest church in the city, where the monks sing Gregorian chant at vespers and the view from the steps outside rivals Piazzale Michelangelo just below, with almost no one there.
What it costs
For a couple, budget roughly €25 each for the Uffizi, €16 each for the Accademia and €30 each for the Brunelleschi Pass if you climb the dome, plus small online booking fees, so around €140 for the two of you across the three headline sights. Almost everything else on this itinerary, the cathedral itself, the churches, the free garden viewpoints, the markets and the Ponte Vecchio, is either free or a couple of euros, which keeps a Florence trip surprisingly affordable once those big tickets are paid for.
How to adapt this itinerary
If you have only one day, do the morning of day one (Accademia, Duomo, Signoria) and the sunset of day two (Piazzale Michelangelo), and accept that the Uffizi will have to wait for next time. If you are travelling with children, trim the museum hours and lean on the gardens, the markets and the dome climb, which they tend to love. And build in more slack than you think you need: the pleasure of Florence is as much in a long lunch and an aimless wander as in any single painting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is two days enough for Florence?
Two full days is enough to see the essentials well: the Accademia and the David, the Uffizi, the Duomo complex, the Ponte Vecchio, the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, and a sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo. A third day lets you slow down for the Oltrarno, Santa Croce, or a Tuscan day trip.
What order should I see the sights in Florence?
Book the timed sights first thing in the morning, ideally the 8:15 openings, and spread the Uffizi and the Accademia across two separate days rather than cramming both into one. Keep churches, markets, gardens and the Ponte Vecchio for the middle and end of each day, since they need no reservation.
What should I book in advance for Florence?
Reserve the Uffizi, the Accademia (for the David) and the Duomo dome climb before you arrive, especially between April and October. The dome climb in particular sells out weeks ahead. Everything else, including the cathedral itself, can be done without a ticket.
Can you do a day trip from Florence in a 3-day itinerary?
Yes. If you have three days, the third is ideal for a day trip: Pisa (and Lucca) by train, or a guided tour of Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti. Keep the day trip for last so your first two days cover the city’s essentials.
What is the best sunset spot in a Florence itinerary?
Piazzale Michelangelo, on the south bank, gives the classic panorama of the whole city with the dome at its centre. Arrive before sunset for a place at the railing, or slip into the nearby Rose Garden or Bardini Garden for the same view with fewer people.
Read also: The Best Things to Do in Florence | The Best Day Trips from Florence | The Complete Guide to Florence
