View of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo with the cathedral dome and the tower of Palazzo Vecchio
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Florence in 3 days

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

Three days is the right measure for Florence: time for the Renaissance, for the Oltrarno and for a calmer last day of market and viewpoints. Here is an unhurried plan, with the three free walks spread over mornings and sunsets and the big museums in the afternoons. For anyone who wants to see a lot without feeling rushed.

Day 1Dome, David and museums

Begin with “Must-see Florence: from Santa Maria Novella to Santa Croce”, which passes San Lorenzo, Palazzo Medici Riccardi and the Duomo. Have a bistecca alla fiorentina for lunch, then spend the afternoon with the David at the Galleria dell'Accademia and the original treasures of the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. If you have energy left, return to the Duomo as the light fades, when the square empties and the coloured marble changes tone. Eat light and early: tomorrow you cross the river.

  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 combine it with San Lorenzo, 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. Ideal straight after you've walked around the Duomo.

    Directions

Day 2Medici, river and Oltrarno

Today is “From Roman Florentia to the palace of the Medici”: from Piazza della Repubblica and Orsanmichele to Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio and Pitti Palace. For lunch, a lampredotto sandwich, the street food Florentines have always eaten. Then cross into the Oltrarno, the most authentic quarter, and let the afternoon drift between gardens and shady squares.

  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 Lampredotto sandwich at Da Nerbone (Mercato Centrale). Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 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 and set aside a quiet hour.

    Directions

    Piazza Santo Spirito

    The heart of the Oltrarno, with Brunelleschi's church and bars with tables on the square. A good place for an afternoon snack and some local life, away from the crowds on the bridges.

    Directions

Day 3Market, hill and legends

Start at the Mercato Centrale, where Florence does its shopping, then climb to San Miniato al Monte. Have ribollita for lunch in a trattoria around San Lorenzo. At sunset, “Bulls, lightning and hanged men: secret Florence” takes you to the Duomo's fallen ball, the Bargello and the Porcellino. Finish the trip with an ice cream at Vivoli, one of the oldest in the city.

  1. Morning

    Mercato Centrale

    San Lorenzo's big covered market, with stalls of meat, cheese, vegetables and Tuscan produce, and ready-made food upstairs. Go early, when it feels more like locals than visitors.

    Directions

    San Miniato al Monte

    A Romanesque church above the city, with a marble facade and a strikingly simple interior. Walk up from the river, passing Piazzale Michelangelo, for the best view of the dome.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

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

  3. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Gelato at Vivoli. Via dell'Isola delle Stinche, 7r, Florencia

The map

Florence in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Florence in 3 days

  • Book the Accademia, the dome and the Uffizi ahead: these are three tickets worth securing before you set foot in Florence.
  • The Duomo often has queues and separate entrances depending on the visit; check the official website to see what each ticket includes.
  • For San Miniato and Piazzale Michelangelo, climb in comfortable shoes and early: in summer the midday sun turns the hill into a punishment.

Questions

Florence in 3 days: your questions

How many days do you need in Florence?

Three days let you see the essentials without rushing: the centre, the main museums, the Oltrarno and a couple of viewpoints. Two is doable, and one is a stroll. Beyond four, you start thinking about Tuscan day trips.

How far do you walk in 3 days in Florence?

The three walks add up to about 4.5 km: 2 for the must-sees, 1.3 for history and 1.2 for mysteries. With museums, markets, the climb to San Miniato and meals, expect 6 to 9 km a day.

Is it worth climbing to San Miniato al Monte?

Yes. It's one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in Tuscany, and the view of Florence from there is better and calmer than from Piazzale Michelangelo, which is on the way. Allow an hour for the climb and the visit.

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