Top things to do in Florence
Attractions, tours, and activities in Florence
Recommended museums in Florence
Where to find art and culture in Florence
Florence: the city's best neighborhoods
Find a great area to stay in Florence
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Florence Historic Center
In downtown
Our best advice for exploring the centre? Travel on foot. Pretty as the paintings that adorn its most illustrious galleries, Florence will charm you with stories and beg you to make your own. Get lost among the jewellery makers and trinket buyers of Ponte Vecchio; then tie your love to a lock on the bridge’s fence (for good luck).
Places to stay from $10 a night
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Piazzale Michelangelo
1 miles from downtown
Hot, hungry, and dreaming of pecorino? Sounds like you made it through the tree-lined streets to the heights of Piazzale Michelangelo. The Duomo looms high above the terracotta rooftops. A few flights up, you’ll find the prettiest church in Florence called San Miniato. Picnic among the ornate tombstones of the church’s cemetery (if you dare).
Places to stay from $51 a night
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Santa Croce
0.5 miles from downtown
Pay homage to Galileo and Michelangelo, both buried beneath this Basilica. But don’t pray and run. Giotto’s frescoes decorate the Franciscan church’s interior chapels. French writer Stendhal coined his syndrome of the same here (an illness of “awe” marked by symptoms of intense nervousness caused by seeing great art).
Places to stay from $24 a night
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Santa Maria Novella
0.4 miles from downtown
Ready to cut your teeth on 20th century Italian art? Museo Novecento’s got just the collection. Afterward, let an espresso buzz you through Santa Maria Novella’s Gothic Basilica. Next door is Italy’s oldest apothecary and perfumery (1221), where aromatic elixirs steep in decanted bottles, and chemists still concoct colognes from the past.
Places to stay from $11 a night
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Tornabuoni
0.2 miles from downtown
Gucci certainly approves of the high-fashion boutiques that abound in his hometown. Heels and cobblestone? Not a problem for the Florentine female. This block is a who’s who crash course of Italian high fashion–from Armani to Versace and everyone in between. Even the air smells expensive. Window-shop your heart out, honey.
Places to stay from $33 a night
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Uffizi
0.2 miles from downtown
Both district and world-famous gallery. Art students stand agog in front of masterworks (ah, Botticelli) in the Uffizi Gallery. After a Renaissance morning, buy a gelato from “Perché no!" (the mozzarella with chestnut honey is a must!) and lick it all the way to Piazza della Signoria. Navel-gaze amidst pigeons, people, and sea-coloured statues.
Places to stay from $14 a night
About Florence
Including tips for the best time to visit Florence
Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, is also the capital of Italy's Tuscany region and a powerhouse of culture, architecture, and art.
The entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so you never have to look far for things to do. The Uffizi Gallery is home to masterpieces like "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera" by Sandro Botticelli, as well as Titian's "Venus of Urbino," while the Accademia Gallery is home to Michelangelo's "David" and the unfinished "Slaves." If you have time, be sure to visit other great museums like the Bargello, the Gucci Garden, and the former palace of the famous Medici family.
In the old town's center, you'll find the city's wonderful cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (also known as Duomo di Firenze) and Giotto's Tower, which offers a 360º view of the entire city. Then make a visit to Mercato Central to try some Florentine cuisine. It's the city's oldest and largest food market, packed with fresh, local produce, and even a bookshop and culinary school. You'll find all the local favorites, from tripe panini and pasta to gelato and Florentine steak.
Florence's Amerigo Vespucci airport is close, only a 15-minute bus or taxi ride from the city center.
Tonight
From $100 per night
This weekend
From $195 per night
Next weekend
From $187 per night
| Most popular time to visit | October-December |
| Cheapest time to visit | January-March |
| Local currency | € 1 = $1.04 |
| Language | Italian |
| Average weekend price | $148 per night |
| Average weekday price | $154 per night |
| Average stay | 2 nights |
Points of interest in Florence
Stay near the top sightseeing spots in Florence
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Ponte Vecchio
0.2 miles from downtown
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Uffizi Gallery
0.2 miles from downtown
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Pitti Palace
0.5 miles from downtown
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Piazza della Signoria
0.1 miles from downtown
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Artemio Franchi Stadium
1.6 miles from downtown
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Santa Maria Novella
0.3 miles from downtown
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Palazzo Vecchio
0.2 miles from downtown
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Piazzale Michelangelo
0.8 miles from downtown
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Piazza del Duomo, Florence
0.2 miles from downtown
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Via Faenza
0.4 miles from downtown
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Florence reviews
What other travelers say about Florence
Loved everything about the city and where we were staying,...
July 5, 2022
Loved everything about the city and where we were staying, very convenient. We never went to a place we did not like and never had any food or drink we did not like. It was an awesome time wish we could have stayed longer.
Go and see the duomo, climb the campanile though.
July 5, 2022
Go and see the duomo, climb the campanile though. Great view at the top. And if you walk at the right time then you get the bells ringing also! Go to ponte vecchio, do some tours, drink wine and eat lambredotto. Think spelled right.
If you like churches, museums, art and statues this is the...
July 5, 2022
If you like churches, museums, art and statues this is the place for you. Best to travel to different places (we went to Pisa and Siena) otherwise you may get a bit bored with the same things. Travel is excellent in Florence with buses, trams and trains available everywhere. Go in the spring or autumn as the summer is too hot. We went in June and it went up to 41 degrees c. Get one of the large sandwiches for lunch, which will fill you up for the day.
Florence is a great place to visit.
July 5, 2022
Florence is a great place to visit. Wonderful museums, good food and beautiful scenery. I wouldn’t recommend going there in the summer, though. Too hot and too many tourists! Publlic transportation is awesome! You can go anywhere using the bus, trams or train. I would definitely recommend two things to do there - visit Fiesole and buy a sandwich at All’antico Vinaio!
Florence is a must seen city, especially if you like history...
July 5, 2022
Florence is a must seen city, especially if you like history and art. Every street has something to be see, a special detail on a wood door, an art gallery, a museum, the bars, restaurants and all kinds of stores. Be prepared to walk, it is the only way to really see everything. in the old historical town.
Very busy and dirty.
July 2, 2022
Very busy and dirty. Everything felt rushed, people ignore you other than to take your money and you cannot really enjoy anything because your are just trying not to be pushed around. Food was poor tourist quality and extremely small portions for the $. Walking around no longer felt like an option due to all the cars honking at you.
Popular places to stay in Florence
Stay in some of the best accommodations Florence has to offer
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La Firenze Sogna Florence Historic Center, Florence
From $140 per night
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Studios Garden Terrace Oltrarno Florence Historic Center, Florence
From $102 per night
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Geppi's Apartments Florence Historic Center, Florence
From $144 per night
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Other accommodations in Florence
Pick from a wide variety of places to stay in Florence
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Apartments
From $14 per night
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Villas
From $66 per night
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Serviced Apartments
From $51 per night
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Vacation Homes
From $51 per night
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Guest houses
From $11 per night
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Hostels
From $25 per night
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B&Bs
From $28 per night
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Homestays
From $16 per night
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Farm Stays
From $55 per night
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Self-catering Accommodations
From $20 per night
