Florence

When to go

What to see

Uffizi Gallery, 4 to 5 hours. €25. Book months ahead. Skip the line with a timed ticket. The Botticelli room is the highlight. Don't try to see everything. Pick a few rooms and enjoy them.

Accademia Gallery, 1.5 to 2 hours. €16. You come for Michelangelo's David. That is it. The rest is filler. Book ahead or queue for 90 minutes in the sun.

Duomo Complex, 2 to 3 hours total. Free entry to the cathedral but you need a €30 ticket for the dome climb (463 steps), baptistery, bell tower, and museum. Pay for the dome climb online. Skip the bell tower. Same view, more steps.

Ponte Vecchio, 20 minutes. Free. Walk across at sunrise or after 9 PM. By day it is a scrum of selfie sticks and gold shops.

Palazzo Pitti, 3 hours. €16. Royal apartments, costume museum, and gardens. The Boboli Gardens are worth the uphill walk. Go on a Tuesday when it is quiet.

Santa Croce, 1 hour. €12. Tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. The Pazzi Chapel is the real gem. Skip the leather school inside. It is a sales pitch.

San Miniato al Monte, 1 hour. Free. Walk up from Porta San Miniato for the best sunset panorama. Go at 5 PM. Bring wine.

3-day itinerary

Day 1: The Big Two

1. 8:00 AM, Accademia. First entry at 8:15. David is at the end of the hall. You beat the bus groups by 30 minutes.
2. 10:00 AM, Walk to Piazza del Duomo. See the Baptistery doors. Go inside the cathedral quickly (free, no line).
3. 11:30 AM, Climb Giotto's Bell Tower instead of the dome. Shorter queue. Same payoff.
4. 1:00 PM, Lunch at All'Antico Vinaio on Via dei Neri. €5 schiacciata with porchetta. Expect a 15-minute queue.
5. 2:30 PM, Uffizi. Stay until 6:30 PM. Focus on rooms 10-14 (Botticelli, Leonardo) and the Tribuna.
6. 8:00 PM, Aperitivo at Le Volpi e L'Uva. €10 for a glass of wine and snacks.

Day 2: Oltrarno and gardens

1. 9:00 AM, Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens. 3 hours. The rose garden behind the fortress is a quiet spot.
2. 12:30 PM, Lunch at Trattoria del Carmine in San Frediano. €12 for pasta. No English menu.
3. 2:00 PM, Santa Maria del Carmine. See the Brancacci Chapel frescoes by Masaccio. €10. Book online.
4. 4:00 PM, Walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo. Crowded but worth one photo. Then continue up to San Miniato al Monte.
5. 6:00 PM, Sunset at San Miniato. Buy a bottle from the Conad supermarket near Piazza Tasso.
6. 8:00 PM, Dinner at Osteria Santo Spirito. €15 for a secondi. The piazza is lively at night.

Day 3: Leftover gems

1. 9:00 AM, Bargello Museum. €11. The Donatello David and the Della Robbias are better here than at the Uffizi. Small and fast.
2. 11:00 AM, Santa Croce. See the tombs. Walk the cloister.
3. 12:30 PM, Mercato Centrale. First floor for groceries. Second floor for food stalls. Get a €6 tripe sandwich from Da Nerbone (stall 73).
4. 2:00 PM, Free time. Walk the Oltrarno backstreets. Via di Santo Spirito has antique shops.
5. 4:00 PM, San Lorenzo market. Leather jackets and scarves. Haggle. Start at half the asking price.
6. 7:00 PM, Last dinner at Cibrèo in Sant'Ambrogio. €60 for a tasting menu. Book two weeks ahead.

Where to stay

Getting around

Walk. Florence is 4 km from end to end. Any ride that is not on your feet is a mistake.

Buses are run by Autolinee Toscane. A single ticket costs €1.80 and lasts 90 minutes. Buy from tabacchi shops or the app. Validate it on board. Fines are €50.

Trams from the airport into town cost €2.50. Tram line T2 runs from Peretola airport to the Santa Maria Novella station in 25 minutes. Do not take a taxi from the airport. It costs €30 and takes the same time.

Taxis are expensive. A short ride inside the city is €10. Use the app 4242 or book by phone. Do not flag one in the street. They may quote a flat rate that is double.

Cars are a bad idea. Florence has limited traffic zones (ZTL) that cost you €100 per infraction. Parking costs €30 per day. Leave the car in a lot outside the city.

Bike or scooter rental is possible but the cobblestones will rattle your teeth. Not recommended.

Budget

Drink tap water from the public fountains. It is safe. Skip the €2 bottle of water at restaurants. Ask for "acqua del rubinetto." It is free.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Climbing the Duomo without booking. The queue can hit 2 hours in summer. The ticket office is 200 meters away at the Museo dell'Opera. Book online or skip it.
2. Eating on Piazza della Signoria. The €18 spaghetti alla carbonara is frozen. Walk one street away to Via dei Neri for real food.
3. Buying a leather bag from a street vendor. It is bonded leather from China. It will crack in one month. Go to Scuola del Cuoio in Santa Croce for the real thing.
4. Paying for a guided tour of the Uffizi you did not want. The official audio guide costs €6. Do that. The group tours double your cost.
5. Standing in line at the train station ticket machine. Italians buy tickets with the app. Download Trenitalia or Italo. You skip the queue.
6. Visiting in August. Half of Florence closes for Ferragosto (August 15). The city is a ghost town with bad restaurants and heat.
7. Touching the statues. The guards are fast and the fine is €250. Yes, even David.