One Day in Florence: A Realistic Itinerary

One day in Florence means choosing. This plan keeps to one side of the river in the morning and the other in the evening, books the two things that queue, and leaves room to eat properly.

Before you go

• Book one museum: the Accademia (about an hour) or the Uffizi (three hours). Not both.
• If you want to climb, book a Duomo pass with a dome or bell tower slot. See our Duomo guide.
• Check closing days: the Uffizi and Accademia close on Mondays.
• Book dinner if you are staying for the evening.

Morning: the Duomo and the Accademia (or Uffizi)

8:00 Start at Piazza del Duomo before the crowds. Walk round the cathedral, the Baptistery and the bell tower while the marble is in soft light.

8:15 to 9:30 Your first booked slot. Either:

• Accademia for the David, then the five-minute walk back; or
• Uffizi, in which case swap the order of the afternoon, and plan on being inside until late morning.

10:00 If you booked a climb, do the bell tower now (shorter queue for slots than the dome, and the view includes the dome). Otherwise, go into the cathedral itself, which is free.

Lunch: the market

12:30 Walk to the Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo. Downstairs, order a lampredotto or boiled beef roll at Da Nerbone (closed Sundays; queue early). Upstairs, the food hall works for everyone else. Or sit down at Trattoria Mario if you are there early and it is a weekday.

Afternoon: Signoria and the river

14:00 Walk down Via dei Calzaiuoli, glancing at the statues on Orsanmichele, to Piazza della Signoria. The Loggia dei Lanzi is free; the David by Palazzo Vecchio's door is a copy.

15:00 Cross Ponte Vecchio and keep going into the Oltrarno. Walk Via Maggio and the side streets to Piazza Santo Spirito; go inside the church.

16:30 Gelato break. La Carraia is at the end of the next bridge downstream.

Evening: sunset and dinner

Before sunset Walk east along the river to San Niccolò and up to Piazzale Michelangelo (15 minutes, steep). For a calmer view, continue five minutes to San Miniato al Monte.

After sunset Walk back down for a drink in San Niccolò, then dinner in the Oltrarno: Il Santo Bevitore, Trattoria 4 Leoni or Osteria Santo Spirito (book).

If it rains

Swap the Oltrarno walk for the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (included in Duomo passes) or the Bargello, and the sunset for a drink in a wine bar. See our rainy day guide.

Distances

Everything in this plan is walkable: the Duomo to Ponte Vecchio is about ten minutes, Ponte Vecchio to Santo Spirito about ten, and the climb to Piazzale Michelangelo fifteen. Wear shoes you can walk in on stone all day.

Want a plan built around your own interests? Try the itinerary planner.