Known for
Renaissance art, Michelangelo's David and the Medici family
Must-see landmarks
The Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery and Ponte Vecchio
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October
Days needed
Three full days for the main sights
Michelangelo's original David stands at the end of the gallery's long hall, flanked by his unfinished Prisoners straining out of the marble. The Accademia opens Tuesday to Sunday and stays closed on Monday, so an early slot avoids the midday queues. Piazza del Duomo is an 8 minute walk south.
Brunelleschi's red tiled dome crowns the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, whose green, white and pink marble facade faces Giotto's bell tower and the octagonal Baptistery with its bronze doors. The cathedral's nave is free to enter and opens by 10:00 most days. Piazza della Signoria is a 9 minute walk south.
Palazzo Vecchio's crenellated tower has watched over this square since 1299, a full size copy of David guarding the entrance and the open air statues of the Loggia dei Lanzi standing to its side. The Fountain of Neptune anchors the piazza's south end. The Uffizi entrance is 3 minutes away.
Botticelli's Birth of Venus and da Vinci's Annunciation hang inside Vasari's 16th century palazzo, a collection that defined the Renaissance and rewards a two hour visit. The Uffizi closes on Monday and opens the rest of the week from 08:15. Ponte Vecchio is 3 minutes downhill toward the river.
The medieval Ponte Vecchio has carried shops across the Arno since 1345, its goldsmith storefronts the result of a 1593 Medici decree that replaced the original butchers. The private Vasari Corridor runs above the shops toward the Pitti Palace, a 9 minute walk across the river.
The Medici family's grandest residence houses the Palatine Gallery's Raphaels and Titians across four museums on a single ticket, with the Boboli Gardens climbing the hill behind the palace. The uphill walk to Piazzale Michelangelo takes about 31 minutes and gains the height for the view ahead.
The panoramic terrace laid out by Giuseppe Poggi in the 1860s frames the whole of Florence below, from the Duomo's dome to the hills of Fiesole, with a bronze replica of David at its centre. Sunset is the classic hour, when the terracotta rooftops turn gold.
Decibel Open Air opens its first day at Parco delle Cascine on 04 September at 16:00, a three day festival of Italian rap and urban acts in Florence's riverside park.
Kid Yugi brings the Anche gli Eroi Muoiono tour to Mandela Forum on 15 October at 21:00, the rapper's biggest indoor show of the year.
Artie 5ive plays Teatro Cartiere Carrara on 22 October at 21:00, part of the Aspettando Vittoria tour through Italy's theatres.
Anna headlines Mandela Forum on 02 December at 21:00, bringing the Million Dollar Babe tour to Florence.
Giuse The Lizia plays the smaller stage of Otel Firenze on 05 December at 21:00, a club night in the city's live music circuit.
Comedian Luca Ravenna brings his Flamingo show to Teatro Cartiere Carrara on 23 February at 21:00, a stand up night in the same theatre district as the city's touring concerts.
Free and open around the clock, this hilltop lookout draws its biggest crowds for the evening glow over the rooftops. Arriving soon after sunrise clears the tour buses and still delivers the same sweep from the cathedral to the Arno and the hills beyond.
Walking across the bridge and browsing the jewellers' windows costs nothing at any hour, and the open midpoint gives a free view of the river in both directions. The Vasari Corridor, the enclosed passage running above the row, needs its own ticket.
The cathedral's own nave costs nothing to enter Monday to Saturday from 10:15 to 15:45, and it stays shut on Sundays for services. The dome, the bell tower, the baptistery and the Opera del Duomo museum sit on a separate paid pass.
The open air gallery beside Palazzo Vecchio has stood unticketed on Piazza della Signoria since the 14th century, its arches sheltering Renaissance and Roman statues including Cellini's Perseus and Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women.
Walking through the market and browsing the stalls costs nothing at any hour it stays open, with no ticket needed at the ground floor produce hall or the food counters upstairs. Payment is only for what a visitor chooses to eat or buy.
The Romanesque basilica on the hill above Piazzale Michelangelo has free admission and no booking needed, its 12th century mosaic facade and marble floor set above a quiet cemetery with sweeping views over the city.
Brunelleschi's plain facade in the Oltrarno hides a serene Renaissance interior, and admission to both the basilica and its sacristy, home to a small wooden crucifix by Michelangelo, costs nothing. It closes on Wednesdays and during services.
The public library behind the Duomo has a panoramic terrace open to anyone at no charge, looking straight across the rooftops to Brunelleschi's dome, with a cafe for those who want to linger over the view.
Florence invented the Renaissance in miniature, packed inside a river valley city that never held more than sixty thousand people until long after its golden age had passed. Bankers, wool merchants and the Medici family paid for the churches, palaces and paintings that later ages would call priceless, and the results still fill a compact historic centre that UNESCO listed as a single World Heritage Site in 1982.
The city's wealth came from banking and wool before it came from art, and its greatest painters, sculptors and architects worked for patrons who wanted their family names attached to churches and chapels. Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Donatello all left work within walking distance of each other, an unusual concentration for a city this size.
The centro storico around the Duomo holds the cathedral, Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi within a few streets of each other, largely closed to traffic. San Lorenzo, behind the Medici Chapels, keeps the leather stalls and the covered Mercato Centrale. Across the Arno, the Oltrarno spreads out from Ponte Vecchio around the Pitti Palace, with artisan workshops and the climb to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte.
April to June and September to October bring milder days than the summer heat, which regularly passes thirty degrees in July and August. Three full days cover the Duomo complex, the Uffizi, the Accademia and the Oltrarno at a steady pace, with a fourth useful for a Tuscan day trip.
The historic centre is small enough to cross on foot in under half an hour, and most of the main sights sit within a twenty minute walk of each other. Buses reach the hills around Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato for visitors who prefer not to climb, and the airport tram connects Peretola to the city centre in about twenty minutes.
Discover Michelangelo's legendary David at the Galleria dell'Accademia and explore the Bargello Museum's extraordinary Renaissance sculpture collection with a single 48-hour pass.
Discover the very best of Florence's art and history with a single pass, from Michelangelo's legendary David at the Accademia to the Medici Chapels, Bargello, Palazzo Davanzati and Orsanmichele.
The ticket includes priority skip-the-line access to the Accademia Gallery, guaranteed viewing of Michelangelo’s David, full access to the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, and an optional audioguide.
Wander through one of Italy's most magnificent Renaissance gardens, a breathtaking masterpiece of landscape design that served as a model for royal gardens across Europe.
Skip the line and climb to the top of Brunelleschi's iconic dome for sweeping 360° views over Florence, with access to the Florence Cathedral, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Opera del Duomo Museum, the Reparata and the Baptistry.
The Giotto Pass is one of the best ways to explore the “Grande Museo del Duomo”, with access to four of the most important monuments in Piazza del Duomo.
This ticket includes scheduled time entry to the Medici Chapels, full access to the New Sacristy and the Chapel of the Princes, and an optional audio guide.
As Florence’s only royal palace, Palazzo Pitti is a must-see on the city’s tourist trail. It's also the largest museum complex in The City of Lilies. At some 32,000 m2, this is a residence fit for absolute rulers - from grand dukes to kings and emperors. The Palatine Gallery has works by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, and more.
Discover the symbol of civic power in Florence for centuries and explore its magnificent halls, sculptures and paintings with a 55-minute high-resolution video guide included.
The ticket includes access to the Palazzo Vecchio Museum, the Medici apartments, the archaeological route, and an video guide.
Step into the former grand-ducal residence of the Medici family and explore one of Florence's most magnificent Renaissance palaces and its world-class art collections.
This ticket includes access to the Pitti Palace museum complex, the art galleries (Palatine Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art), the Boboli Gardens, and an optional audio guide.
Discover the greatest art and gardens of Florence in one ticket: 5 consecutive days of priority access to the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens.
Discover the greatest art and gardens of Florence in one ticket: 5 consecutive days of priority access to the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens.
See the collection of statuary and busts from antiquity, previously owned by the Medici family. These ancient Roman sculptures, along with copies of lost Greek originals, are displayed in the Gallery's corridors.
Walk through time as you view the Gallery's extensive collections.
The Uffizi Gallery is the most famous and visited art gallery in Italy, with over 4.5 million visitors every year! Getting a ticket can sometimes be tough, not to mention the long lines snaking out the door.
Book reserved entrance for the Uffizi Gallery and choose when to pick up your ticket. You'll get assistance from the staff at a designated meeting point, plus a paper guide to the top 10 masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery!
Experience the beauty of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence without having to wait in line. Save time and head straight into one of the world's finest collections of Renaissance art.
Upon arrival use your pre-reserved ticket to skip the long lines and start exploring the Uffizi Gallery. Enjoy a hassle-free entry experience so you can use more time enjoying the fantastic works on display.
Explore at your own pace as you experience some of the finest examples of Renaissance art – Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael and more!
This ticket includes access to the Uffizi Gallery, its full art collection, and an optional audio guide.