Florence is officially one of my favorite places on earth!
It’s very walkable, there are tons of things to see and do and even more places to eat and drink. You can’t go wrong with a few days in Florence! We did 3 days in Florence and it felt like the perfect amount of time. Granted I could have stayed a month… but I had other things to see / do / eat and we were on the move!
We set up shop right in the heart of town at Hotel Savoy. Ever since returning from Germany last year I’ve been in love with the Rocco Forte properties and this one did not disappoint! The concierge was incredible and I was devastated when we had to leave! Here’s how we broke it down…
Day 1
- Wander around Florence and get your bearings
- Head over to the area surrounding the Duomo and just chill
- Grab the most life changing sandwiches at I Due Fratellini and take a stroll
- Dinner at Sostanza / make sure to order the butter chicken / house pasta / artichoke pie GET ALL OF THEM!! Best chicken on the face of the earth – I kid you not!
- Night cap at Hotel Savoy bar
Day 2
- wake up early and get in life to hike up to the top of the Duomo (just make sure you grab your tickets from the ticket office)
- After you finish with the Duomo, download the Rick Steves Renaissance Walk audio guide and get walking! We hit up a few major sites in Florence in just 2 hours and got a work out in before lunch!
- Campanile
- Baptistery
- Medici Chapels
- Piazza della Signoria
- Palazzo Vecchio
- Ponte Vecchio
- Before lunch tour the Uffizi Gallery (ask your hotel concierge to book you tickets ahead of time so you can avoid the lines)
- Grab some lunch at Gusta Pizza
- Head over to the Boboli Gardens for a stroll
- After the gardens, head back towards the center of town and shop at Mercato Centrale. It’s a food hall on crack and you’ll never want to leave.
- Head over to the Accademia (that’s where the infamous David lives) for a quick 20-30 minute viewing, that’s really all you need! (again, ask your hotel concierge to book you tickets ahead of time so you can avoid the lines)
- Walk around the Oltrarno district and just take in the sights!
- Grab a cab up to Piazzale Michelangelo and bring a bottle of your own wine and 2 wine glasses, grab a seat on the stairs and watch the sunset.
- Wander from Piazzale Michelangelo over to ‘O Munaciello for dinner and you ABSOLUTELY MUST get the fried bread appetizer, octopus pasta and any of the pizzas!
Day 3
- Yesterday was crazy amounts of walking so take the morning to relax at a neighborhood cafe and take your time!
- Wander over for lunch at 13 Gobbi and promise me you’ll order the house pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella – it comes in a big glass mixing bowl and it was beyond. Also get the linguini with clams. Both are game changers.
- Post-lunch dessert – gelato at Edoardo right by the Duomo
- Wander around any parts of Florence you have yet to explore!
- Grab happy hour on the roof at the Continentale hotel rooftop bar which overlooks the Ponte Vecchio
- And then head to dinner at La Giostra for a swanky last meal in Florence!
Check out all the Italy guides here! Photos and video by Thomas Dawson
This makes me love Florence even more than before!
So glad you did the dome of the Cathedral. The views are amazing from up there. There’s a really fascinating Cathedral Museum too.
I loved the gelati too. We had to keep going back to try more of them, too much choice!
Fantastic advice! We just got back from Italy and tried Eduardo Gelato (my favorite), Sostanza, cocktails at the Continentale, I Due Fratellini and Gusta Pizza in Florence. All were amazing! Thank you!!
Did you guys go to Tuscany or you stayed strictly in Florence? And, where is your striped dress and leather jacket from? <3
We didn’t make it to Tuscany this time 🙁
Striped dress is from ASOS 2 years ago and the jacket is from some random brand at Neimans