Florence itinerary: 3 days for a first visit

November 8, 2026 · 7 min read

Florence is small, and that is its strength. The whole historic centre can be crossed on foot in half an hour, and almost everything a first-time visitor wants to see sits inside it: the cathedral and its dome, the Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio and the quiet streets across the river. Three days is enough to see all of it properly, with one day left over for a trip into the hills and towns of Tuscany.

This plan keeps each day in one part of the city and builds in time for lunch, which in Florence is not something to hurry. The art is the draw, but the food and the light on the river in the evening are what people remember.

Before you go: the short version

How long: three full days. Two is the minimum, and four lets you add both a hill town and a second day trip.
Where to stay: the historic centre near the Duomo for convenience; the Oltrarno across the river for a quieter, more local feel; Santa Maria Novella for the train station.
From the airport: a tram connects the airport to the centre in about 20 minutes, and a taxi takes a similar time.
Getting around: walk. The centre is small and much of it is closed to ordinary traffic. More in the Italy travel guide.
Book ahead: the Uffizi, the Accademia and the climb of the Duomo's dome, which all sell timed entry and sell out in busy months.

Day 1: The Duomo and the historic centre

Morning. Start early at the Piazza del Duomo, where the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, its bell tower and the Baptistery stand together in green, white and pink marble. Brunelleschi's dome is the great engineering feat of the Renaissance, and you can climb it for a view over the city. Book a time slot ahead and expect a narrow staircase. The Baptistery's bronze doors and gold mosaic ceiling are worth a visit, too, and the cathedral museum behind the cathedral holds the original sculptures.

Afternoon. Walk south along Via dei Calzaiuoli to the Piazza della Signoria, the open-air sculpture gallery in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Under the loggia stand some of the best-known works in the city, and the tower of the palace is a fine landmark. After lunch, walk to the Uffizi, the gallery that holds Botticelli's Birth of Venus, along with works by Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. Book ahead and allow about three hours; you will see more if you pick a few rooms than if you try to see them all.

Evening. Walk out through the Uffizi's arcade to the Arno and onto the Ponte Vecchio, the medieval bridge lined with jewellers' shops. Stay for the sunset on the river, then eat dinner in the lanes around Santa Croce. Try a ribollita, the Tuscan bread and vegetable soup, or a pappa al pomodoro, then a bistecca alla fiorentina, a thick T-bone steak grilled rare and usually shared between two.

Day 2: San Lorenzo, the Accademia and Santa Croce

Morning. Begin at the Accademia Gallery, home of Michelangelo's David. The statue stands at the end of a long gallery, and its scale surprises people who have only seen copies. Book a time slot ahead, as queues in busy months can be long. Afterwards, walk to the church of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels, where the family that ruled Florence for centuries is buried in tombs designed by Michelangelo.

Afternoon. Have lunch at the Mercato Centrale, the large covered market near San Lorenzo, with butchers and produce stalls on the ground floor and a food hall above. Try a lampredotto sandwich, the traditional Florentine street food made from the fourth stomach of the cow, if you are feeling brave, or a plate of fresh pasta if you are not. After lunch, walk east to Santa Croce, the basilica that holds the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli, and the leather workshops in the streets behind it.

Evening. Have an aperitivo, the Italian habit of a drink with small snacks before dinner, in the Piazza Santa Croce or one of the streets around it. Then wander the streets, where the evening passeggiata brings the whole city out to walk. Finish with a gelato, and ask for the flavours made on the premises.

Day 3: Across the river, then a day trip

You have two ways to spend the last day. Pick one, or stay four days and do both.

The Oltrarno. Cross the Ponte Vecchio to the south bank, where the streets are quieter and the workshops still make furniture, leather and jewellery by hand. Visit the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens behind it, a large terraced garden with statues and views. Have lunch around Piazza Santo Spirito, a lively square with cafés and a basilica designed by Brunelleschi. In the late afternoon, climb to Piazzale Michelangelo, the terrace above the river, for the classic view of Florence, and visit the church of San Miniato al Monte just above. Walk back down at sunset.

Siena or Pisa. For a day out, the trains from Santa Maria Novella reach Pisa in about an hour, where the leaning tower and the cathedral square are the draw. Siena, about an hour and a half by bus or train, is a medieval hill town with a shell-shaped central square, the Piazza del Campo, and a striped cathedral. Both are easy to do by public transport. A third option, the Chianti hills, is best with a car or a guided tour, as the villages and vineyards are spread out.

Evening. Back in Florence, have your last dinner in the Oltrarno, where the family-run trattorias cluster along the quiet streets, and stroll back across the river after dark.

With more time

A fourth day: Fiesole, a hill town above the city reached by bus, with Roman ruins and a view back over Florence, or a day in the Chianti villages by car.
More art: the Bargello for sculpture, the Museo di San Marco for Fra Angelico, or the Palazzo Pitti's galleries.
Further on: Venice is about two hours from Florence by fast train and Rome about an hour and a half. The Venice itinerary picks up from here, and train travel in Europe explains how to book the trains.

Where to stay

Near the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria: the most central, with everything within a short walk. Noisy in the evening in the busiest streets.
Santa Croce: a livelier neighbourhood with good restaurants and a more local feel, still within a short walk of the sights.
The Oltrarno: the quieter side of the river, with artisans' workshops and relaxed trattorias. A good choice for a longer stay.
Near the station, Santa Maria Novella: convenient for day trips and the airport tram, but less charming at night.

For a group, an apartment with several bedrooms in the centre often works out cheaper than hotel rooms and gives you a place to eat together. See where to stay with a group.

Getting around

You will walk almost everywhere. The historic centre is small and much of it is a limited traffic zone, which is a trap if you hire a car: driving into it without a permit can bring a fine through the post months later, so leave the car outside the centre or avoid hiring one at all. Buses and trams cover the longer distances, including the climb to Piazzale Michelangelo, and taxis are easy to find at ranks, though not always to hail on the street. For day trips, trains from Santa Maria Novella are quick and simple. See the guide to train travel in Europe for how to book them.

Planning Florence as a group

Florence is a good city for a group, as long as you book the few things that sell out. Reserve the Uffizi, the Accademia and the dome for the same slot so nobody is left outside, and decide early whether the third day is the Oltrarno or a day trip, as groups often split. Dinners for six or more are best reserved ahead, and many restaurants share large steaks by weight, so agree how to divide the bill. Keep the shared costs, like the apartment, the dinners and the train tickets, in one place.

What to pack

Comfortable shoes are the one non-negotiable: the pavements are cobbled and uneven, and you will walk for hours. Bring clothes that cover your shoulders and knees for visiting churches, which often enforce a dress code. A scarf is useful for this, and a refillable water bottle can be filled at the public fountains around town. A light layer helps for cool church interiors even in summer.