Things to Do in Florence: Art, Architecture & Tuscan Experiences

Florence is small enough to cover the main sights in two or three days but rich enough that a week barely scratches the surface. The city’s museums are among the finest in the world, the architecture is consistently beautiful, and the Tuscan countryside begins almost immediately outside the city limits.

The must-sees

Uffizi Gallery — Required. Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo’s Annunciation, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio. Allow 3–4 hours minimum. Book at uffizi.it. In July and August, same-day tickets are essentially unavailable.

Galleria dell’Accademia — Primarily to see Michelangelo’s David (1504). At 5.17 metres, it is much larger than most visitors expect. The museum also holds Michelangelo’s unfinished Prisoners, which give insight into his working method. Book ahead.

Duomo complex — Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, Giotto’s Campanile, the Baptistery (bronze doors by Ghiberti), the crypt beneath the cathedral, and the dome climb. A single combined ticket covers all elements; Brunelleschi’s dome (completed 1436) remains an engineering marvel — climbing inside between the inner and outer shells gives you a sense of how it was built.

Piazza della Signoria — The political heart of Florence, dominated by the replica David (the original is in the Accademia), the Loggia dei Lanzi with its open-air sculpture collection, and Palazzo Vecchio (the city hall since the 13th century).

Ponte Vecchio — The medieval bridge lined with jewellers’ shops. Historically it held butchers, but the Medici found the smell objectionable and had them replaced with goldsmiths. The Vasari Corridor runs directly above it.

Beyond the main circuit

Boboli Gardens — Formal Medici gardens behind the Pitti Palace. A good escape from the summer heat. Combined ticket with the Pitti.

San Miniato al Monte — A Romanesque basilica on a hill above the city with the best panoramic view of Florence. Often overlooked because it requires a 20-minute uphill walk from Piazzale Michelangelo; the view and the church interior are both exceptional.

Mercato Centrale — The iron-and-glass covered market near San Lorenzo. Ground floor for produce and butchers; the upper level is a food hall with excellent prepared food for lunch.

Day trips

Siena (75 mins by bus), San Gimignano (the medieval tower town, 2 hours), Chianti wine region (car recommended), Lucca (walled town, 90 mins by train), and Pisa (1 hour by train).