View of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo with the cathedral dome and the tower of Palazzo Vecchio
  1. Home
  2. Destinations
  3. Italy
  4. Florence
  5. 2 day itinerary

Florence in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 4.5 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

With two days, Florence stops being a checklist of monuments and finds its rhythm. The first day covers the Renaissance centre, with the David and the Duomo museum, plus legends at sunset; the second crosses the Arno to Boboli and the viewpoints. A balanced plan of street and museum time, ideal for a long weekend.

Day 1Renaissance and the David

In the morning, “Must-see Florence: from Santa Maria Novella to Santa Croce”, with the Duomo's facade and the Baptistery as the highlight. Have a bistecca alla fiorentina for lunch, then spend the afternoon at the Galleria dell'Accademia for the David, and at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, a few minutes away on foot. At sunset, “Bulls, lightning and hanged men: secret Florence”, with the bull's head, the fallen ball and the Bargello. Dinner is a lampredotto sandwich: quick, cheap street food that suits a busy day.

  1. Morning

    Must-see Florence: from Santa Maria Novella to Santa Croce

    Mixed · 2 km · 2 h

    1. Santa Maria NovellaA marble facade that weds Gothic and Renaissance, signed by a merchant and designed by Alberti.
    2. Basilica of San LorenzoThe Medici church, with a bare brick facade that Michelangelo never got to build.
    3. Palazzo Medici RiccardiHome of Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent: a palace plain outside and lavish within.
    4. Duomo and BaptisteryThe cathedral with the impossible dome and, facing it, the Baptistery with the Gates of Paradise.
    5. Loggia dei LanziAn open-air sculpture gallery on Piazza della Signoria, with Perseus, the Sabine women and the Medici lions.
    6. Basilica of Santa CroceThe Franciscan church where Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli rest, and where Dante has an empty tomb.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Bistecca alla fiorentina at Buca Lapi. Via del Trebbio, 1r, Florencia

  3. Afternoon

    Galleria dell'Accademia

    Home to Michelangelo's David, carved in the early 1500s, alongside his unfinished “Prisoners”. Book a ticket to skip the queue, and pair it with San Lorenzo and Palazzo Medici, both a short walk away.

    Directions

    Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

    It holds the original works from the cathedral complex: Michelangelo's Pietà, the Gates of Paradise panels and the choir galleries by Donatello and Della Robbia. Essential for understanding what you saw outside.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Bulls, lightning and hanged men: secret Florence

    Mysteries & legends · 1.2 km · 1 h 30 min

    1. Column of St ZenobiusA lone column recalls the dead elm that, according to tradition, burst into leaf in midwinter as a saint went by.
    2. The bull's head on the DuomoHigh on the cathedral's north side a bull's head peers out: a tribute to the oxen, or a jilted lover's revenge?
    3. The Duomo's fallen ballA marble disc in the pavement marks where the gilded ball from the top of the dome crashed down after a lightning strike.
    4. The BargelloBefore it became a sculpture museum, it was a court, a prison and a place of execution; conspirators were hanged from its windows.
    5. Michelangelo's ImportunoA profile carved into the stone of Palazzo Vecchio: a prank by Michelangelo, or the face of a condemned man?
    6. The Porcellino and the Stone of ScandalA bronze boar whose snout you rub to come back to Florence and, next to it, the stone where debtors were humiliated.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Lampredotto sandwich at Da Nerbone (Mercato Centrale). Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Florencia

Day 2The Arno, Boboli and sunset

Start with “From Roman Florentia to the palace of the Medici”: Piazza della Repubblica, Orsanmichele, Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio and Pitti Palace, already across the river. Lunch is ribollita, the bread and vegetable soup. The afternoon belongs to the Oltrarno: the Boboli Gardens, which open right behind the Pitti, and a slow climb to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sun go down. Bring water and save some energy for the hills.

  1. Morning

    From Roman Florentia to the palace of the Medici

    History · 1.3 km · 1 h 35 min

    1. Piazza della RepubblicaThis was the forum of Roman Florentia, and later a medieval market that was flattened in the 19th century.
    2. OrsanmicheleA grain store turned church, decorated by the guilds with the finest statues of their day.
    3. Palazzo VecchioThe fortress of the Florentine republic, where the priors, Savonarola and the Medici all held power.
    4. Uffizi GalleryA block of government offices designed by Vasari that became one of the world's great museums.
    5. Ponte VecchioThe goldsmiths' bridge, the only one in Florence the Germans did not blow up in 1944.
    6. Pitti PalaceThe palace of a rival banker that became home to the Medici, the Lorraine dukes and the kings of Italy.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Ribollita at Trattoria Mario. Via Rosina, 2r, Florencia

  3. Afternoon

    Boboli Gardens

    The gardens of Pitti Palace, laid out by the Medici in the sixteenth century, with terraces, statues, grottoes and views of the dome. Enter from Pitti square; there is shade, benches and room for an hour's pause.

    Directions

    Piazzale Michelangelo

    Florence's classic viewpoint, a big nineteenth-century terrace with a bronze copy of the David. Walk up from the river or take a bus, and stay until the sun sinks over the dome and the Arno.

    Directions

The map

Florence in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Florence in 2 days

  • Book the Accademia ahead and, if you want to climb, the Duomo's dome: in high season the queues can swallow an entire morning.
  • Many state museums close on Mondays, so check the calendar and arrange your days before you book.
  • To cross into the Oltrarno and climb to Piazzale Michelangelo, a bus or a longer riverside stroll beats a steep climb in midday heat.

Questions

Florence in 2 days: your questions

Are two days enough for Florence?

Yes, for a full first visit: the Duomo, the David, the Ponte Vecchio, Boboli and a good sunset. You'll miss the inside of the Uffizi, the markets and perhaps a museum. A third day makes everything feel calmer.

How far do you walk in 2 days in Florence?

The walks add up to about 4.5 km: 3.2 on the first day (must-sees and mysteries) and 1.3 on the second (history). Add the trips to the museums and gardens; the second day has more hills than distance.

Should I see the David or the Uffizi first?

Put the David first if you love sculpture, as it is the highlight of day one. The Uffizi are on the history walk; check availability before you travel, since walk-up visitors are often turned away.

Other itineraries for 2 days

Florence

More or less time?

1 day itinerary 3 day itinerary All about Florence