Florence on a Budget: Free Sights and Ways to Spend Less

Florence is expensive in the obvious places and surprisingly cheap once you step a few streets away. Much of the best of it costs nothing.

Free sights

• The cathedral interior. The nave is free; only the climbs, Baptistery and museum are paid.
• Piazza della Signoria and the Loggia dei Lanzi, with original sculptures by Cellini and Giambologna in the open air.
• Ponte Vecchio, best early in the morning.
• Piazzale Michelangelo for the classic view, and San Miniato al Monte five minutes further up.
• The Rose Garden below the piazzale, especially in May and June.
• Santo Spirito church, which has usually been free to enter.
• Markets: the Mercato Centrale, Sant'Ambrogio and the Porcellino loggia.
• The courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi and many palace courtyards along Via Tornabuoni and Via Maggio.
• Wine windows: a free treasure hunt around the city.

Free museum days

Italian state museums, including the Uffizi, Accademia and Palazzo Pitti, have opened free on the first Sunday of each month for years. Expect long queues and very crowded rooms. Check the current rules on each official site before planning around it.

Eating for less

• Lunch counters and markets: a lampredotto or boiled beef roll at Da Nerbone or a street cart is one of the best meals in the city for a few euros.
• Schiacciata from a bakery makes a cheap, good sandwich.
• Lunch over dinner: trattorias are cheaper and simpler at midday.
• Family trattorias away from the centre, such as Trattoria Sabatino outside Porta San Frediano.
• Stand at the bar: coffee and pastries cost far less standing at the counter than at a table, especially on the big squares.
• House wine (vino della casa) by the carafe is usually decent and cheap.
• Cover charge: a coperto per person is common; it must be on the menu.

Getting around for less

• Walk. The historic centre is compact.
• Tram from the airport instead of a taxi: a standard city ticket (€2.00 for 90 minutes from August 2026, according to transport guides) against a taxi flat fare of around €25 to €30.
• Regional trains and buses for day trips are cheap compared with tours.

What is worth paying for

Spend your money on one or two great museums with booked slots, the dome or bell tower if you like heights, and one good dinner. Skip third-party skip-the-line markups, horse-drawn carriages and restaurants with photo menus.

The tourist tax

Hotels and rentals add a city tax per person per night, for up to seven nights. Since February 2025 the rates were €3.50 to €8 depending on hotel stars and €6 for short-term rentals, with children up to 12 exempt, according to published summaries of the city's resolution. Check current rates with your accommodation; it is usually paid on arrival or departure.