3 Day Florence Itinerary: Duomo, Uffizi & the Accademia
A 3-day Florence itinerary: the Duomo and its dome climb, Pitti and Boboli with an Oltrarno sunset, then the Uffizi and Accademia.
Florence is small in the best way, and walking it is how you meet it. Paninis are the thing to eat there, and All’Antico Vinaio is where they started — we watched the schiacciata come out of the oven steaming before ours got sliced open and packed. Order La Beatrice, the truffle beef one. A 10 out of 10 for me 🥪. I hope this helps you plan — have the best time!
— wish you were here
Day OneThe Classic Centre
Today we're exploring San Lorenzo and the streets around the Duomo. We start at Massimo Leather, then head for the cathedral and climb the dome. Ponte Vecchio rounds off the afternoon, with a break before dinner at Osteria Pastella.
- San Lorenzo · Duomo · Santa Maria Novella
- 8 stops
Italo train 🚂Stop 17:30 AM~ 2 hours
Train to Florence
We took the train from Venice to Florence, but it should be similar wherever you're coming from! Italo train runs across all major cities of Italy with multiple departures a day so you can arrange what best fits your trip. The link below shows you ALL the different ways of getting to Florence, so use this resource to compare options and prices!
- Try to arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella, the central station, so you step off in the middle of the city.
Then 10 min walk to the next stop
the legend, Andre 💼Stop 210:30 AM~ 1 hour
Massimo Leather
A leather jacket was one of our big bucket list items in Florence, and this family-run shop in the San Lorenzo leather quarter is where we found ours. The selection was HUGEE, and Andre helped us patiently the whole time (thank you Andre!). Kenny and I both walked out with jackets at a price that felt genuinely fair for the quality, and I still wear mine all the time 🧥.
- The shop is closed all day Sunday.
Then 8 min walk to the next stop
gorgeous cathedral ⛪️Stop 312:00 PM~ 1 hour
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
Full disclaimer: we never made it inside — the line was four hours long the day we went. 😱 But the outside alone still made this one of my favorite cathedrals of our whole Italy and Spain trip. ⛪ The green, pink, and white marble and that shape are unlike anything else I've seen; it just screams Italy! Entry to the cathedral is free, but that's exactly why the line was SOOOOO long when we arrived. I would recommend booking tickets just to gaurantee entrance into the cathedral and climb the famous Duomo while you're at it!
Similar Experiences
Fun fact: It's the third largest cathedral in the world!
- Entry to the cathedral is free (but I would still book it).
- Avoid coming on holidays, the line gets LONG.
Then 2 min walk to the next stop
![Related experience: [Florence] Climb Brunelleschi's Dome + 3-day Duomo Complex pass with audio guide ⛪️](/itinerary/photos/affiliate-0748c5a2d13e42173169-580c47424599-w180.webp)
Climb of Brunelleschi's DomeStop 41:30 PM~ 1 hour
Climb of Brunelleschi's Dome
Climb the iconic Brunelleschi's Dome! After walking up 463 steps, you finish at the lantern terrace, the highest point over the historic center that's open to the public, higher than the bell tower next door! It's tight and steep the whole way up, with narrow passages between the two shells and nowhere to bail out - so make sure you're prepared for what's ahead!
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- Heads up it is 463 steps with no lift.
- Backpacks, suitcases and anything medium-sized have to go in the free luggage store at Piazza Duomo 38/r before you start.
Then 5 min walk to the next stop
lively square 🎺Stop 52:30 PM~ 1 hour
Piazza della Repubblica
We found this square just by wandering around Florence, and it was the liveliest stop of our afternoon. There were live buskers performing and a cute little merry-go-round turning in the middle. This square used to be the city's original Roman forum and medieval market and the Column of Abundance in the plaza marks the literal center of Florence. 🎯
Fun fact: The cafés ringing the square were once regular meeting places for artists and writers.
- The square never closes and the performers and carousel keep going through the day.
Then 7 min walk to the next stop
one of the storefronts
the beatrice! 🥪Stop 63:30 PM~ 1 hour
All'Antico Vinaio
This is probably the most famous sandwhich spot in all of Europe, and it's born right here in Florence. I'd heard this place was overhyped, but I HAD to try the staple! And I'm so glad I ignored those haters because I loved it. Their schiacciata is a crisp Tuscan flatbread, split down the middle and packed with salumi, cheese, spreads and vegetables with no skimping at all. We watched the bread come out of the oven steaming before ours got sliced open. Order La Beatrice, the truffle beef one — that was a 10 out of 10 for me.
Fun fact: The family has been on Via dei Neri since 1991, which is why there are 5 shopfronts on one short stretch of street.
- All of the stores are the same on that street, so just walk into the shortest line you see!
- Trust me, get the Beatrice if you love truffle. You can skip La Paradiso (I'm not sure why it's their top selling).
Then 7 min walk to the next stop
the bridge 🌉
lined with storesStop 74:30 PM~ 1 hour
Ponte Vecchio
You're crossing a bridge from 1345 that's still lined end to end with goldsmiths' shops, which is why people call it the most precious bridge in the world. Look up and you'll spot the Vasari Corridor, the Medici's private crossing built above the shops in 1565. The bridge is truly one of a kind, it almost feels like you're just walking on a normal shopping street - not an actual bridge across the whole river! 👑
Then 13 min walk to the next stop
that truffle pasta 🍝
caprese salad!Stop 87:00 PM~ 2 hours
Osteria Pastella
Best meal we had in Florence, HANDS DOWN! The signature truffle tagliatelle gets flambéed inside a whole wheel of Grana Padano Cheese right at your table 🧀. They scrape out the melted cheese, toss the pasta through it, then bury the plate in truffle. So creamy, SOOO truffly. We also had the caprese with burrata and really good tomatoes, and I loved the little dried olive flakes on top. It's a family-run Tuscan kitchen near Santa Maria Novella that makes its pasta fresh daily and cooks over charcoal, and the room is loud and busy in the best way.
🎟️ Similar Experiences
- Reserve a table online before you go. Walk-ins are accepted, but this place is POPULAR! reserve (opens in a new tab)
Day TwoGardens, Wine, and Sunset
Today we're heading south of the Arno. We start in the Palatine Gallery at Palazzo Pitti, then climb into the Boboli Gardens, so wear real shoes for that one. Gelato by the river at La Carraia, a glass at Babae's wine window, then the bus up to Piazzale Michelangelo to end the day above the whole city 🌆.
- Oltrarno · San Frediano · Piazzale Michelangelo
- 5 stops
Palazzo Pitti Entrance 🏢
just speechlessStop 110:30 AM~ 3 hours
Palazzo Pitti (Galleria Palatina)
One ticket here gets you five separate collections, so it's really a stack of museums folded into a single palace. The art is stunning, and rooms of completely different styles and eras follow one after another. The Palatine Gallery still hangs its paintings the dense way the Medici and Lorraine grand dukes arranged them.
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- To skip the huge line in the front, I entered through one of the gates from the Boboli Garden and then walked my way down to Pitti Palace!
- Pitti's closed every Monday.
- Free admission on the first Sunday of every month!
Then 11 min walk to the next stop
hedge garden 🪴
art in the gardenStop 21:30 PM~ 3 hours
Boboli Gardens
The Boboli Gardens is basically the backyard of the Medici's residence, Pitti Palace. Its basically like an open aire museum with Buontalenti's grotto sitting along the path, renaissance sculptures placed between the hedges, and a HUGE Neptune fountain. Wear real shoes, because it's a big garden with some incline at times.
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- Boboli's shut on the first and last Monday of every month.
- Boboli Gardens offer free admission on the first Sunday of every month!
Then 18 min walk to the next stop
that kefir 🍦Stop 34:30 PM~ 1 hour
Gelateria La Carraia
Gelateria La Carraia sits right at the Oltrarno end of Ponte alla Carraia, the second-oldest bridge in Florence, so you eat your cone with the river in front of you. It's been scooping since 1990, and the counter runs to semifreddo cakes and zuccotti too. The house creations, the Delizie Carraia and the Opera Carraia, are what they're known for. I got a double scoop of passion fruit and key lime, and the passion fruit was SO good 🍦. I'd order it again in a heartbeat, and there was barely any wait.
Then 2 min walk to the next stop
BABAE's streets
wine time! 🍷Stop 47:00 PM~ 1 hour
Babae Wine Window
When in Florence, you have to experience one of these iconic wine windows! Florence's wine windows go back to the 1600s, when wine was sold straight through a small arched window with no contact between buyer and seller. In 2019 this restaurant became the first place in the city to put its own wine window back to work. They also carry orange wine which is rare where I'm from, so I had to try it. Standing at the window with a glass of wine while people watching was quite lovely.
🎟️ Similar Experiences
- It's also a sit down restaurant if you want to dine in instead of just drinking wine!
Then 23 min by bus to the next stop— or 11 min by car, 33 min on foot
that skyline 🏙️
photoshoot day!Stop 58:30 PM~ 1 hour
Piazzale Michelangelo
Honestly, a 10 out of 10 viewpoint 🌇. You can see the Duomo and its dome, Palazzo Vecchio with the Arnolfo tower, and the Arno running under Ponte Vecchio. You really can see ALL of Florence from up there, and those red rooftops just scream Italy! 🇮🇹 We went at sunset for a photoshoot which was the BEST DECISION EVER. The photos came out amazingly. 📸
Fun fact: Every 24 June the square sets off the fireworks for Florence's patron saint, and you can see them across the city.
- The BEST place to watch the sunset in Florence.
- Bus 12 climbs to the square from the center by the Bobolino route and 13 comes back down the same way, so you can skip the walk up the hill. learn more (opens in a new tab)
Day ThreeDavid & Art Museums
Today is for Florence's essential art and Michelangelo. We start with an affogato at Vivoli, then heading to the famous Uffizi gallery museum before touring the state rooms of Palazzo Vecchio. After a panino at Pino's and the tombs and frescoes at Santa Croce, we finish with David at the Accademia.
- Santa Croce · Piazza della Signoria · San Marco
- 6 stops
pistachio affogato🍦
the storefront!Stop 18:00 AM~ 1 hour
Vivoli Affogato and Gelato
Vivoli is known for their famous affogatos. The line was long when we went but moved fairly fast, took maybe 25 minutes. Perfect for those who love both coffee and ice cream 🍦 My favorite was the pistachio for its nutty flavor, and I'd definitely go back!
🎟️ Similar Experiences
Fun fact: It's been run by the same family since 1929.
- Closed on Mondays.
- Definitely more of a dessert than coffee, some with a sweet tooth 🦷.
Then 6 min walk to the next stop
![Related experience: [Florence] Uffizi Gallery Skip-the-Line: timed-entry ticket or join a small-group tour 🖼️](/itinerary/photos/affiliate-7db34e8856d373478516-683792fc541c-w180.webp)
Uffizi GalleryStop 29:00 AM~ 3 hours
Uffizi Gallery
Botticelli's Birth of Venus is the one you're going for, and it hangs in Room A9 — tempera on canvas, painted around 1485. 🎨 Many of the art pieces you see at the Gallery were actually commissioned or collected by the Medici family themselves. This was literally the Medici family's art collection and you can seriously sense the amount of power and money this one family had just from the scale of this art collection.
Fun fact: The orange trees Botticelli painted into the Birth of Venus are a Medici family emblem, so the picture quietly carries their signature.
Then 2 min walk to the next stop
Palazzo VecchioStop 311:30 AM~ 2 hours
Palazzo Vecchio & Arnolfo Tower
Palazzo Vecchio is still Florence's working town hall, and the museum inside takes you through the state rooms the Medici governed from, right on Piazza della Signoria. You can also climb the Arnolfo Tower which leaves you looking down on the square you just crossed to get in.
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- The tower is its own ticket on top of museum admission, and it closes to visitors whenever it rains, though the medieval guardwalk stays open. Buy it ahead and get there 15 minutes before your slot. tower tickets (opens in a new tab)
Then 9 min walk to the next stop
fresh ingredients 😋Stop 42:00 PM~ 1 hour
Pino's Sandwiches – Salumeria Verdi
Florence is Panini capital, and a friend sent us to this family-run salumeria near Santa Croce. It's been making its own schiacciata since 1991 and builds more than thirty sandwiches to order. Plenty of the fillings are vegetarian or vegan. see the menu (opens in a new tab) Mine came crispy on the outside with really high-quality ingredients inside, and it was so delicious! I even spotted Pino himself behind the counter after all these years! 🥪
🎟️ Similar Experiences
Fun fact: Any of the sandwiches can be built on gluten-free bread instead of the house schiacciata.
- It's closed all day Sunday.
Then 5 min walk to the next stop
Basilica di Santa CroceStop 52:30 PM~ 2 hours
Basilica di Santa Croce
This Basilica is where Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli all lie, among close to 300 tombs and memorials to Florentine figures 🤯. This is literally the true Florentine Hall of Fame, to put it in other words! I recommend a guided tour to learn about the church's impressive history and understand the burial site significance of historical figures.
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- Shoulders and legs need to be covered to get in.
Then 16 min walk to the next stop
![Related experience: [Florence] Michelangelo's David Timed Entry + Audio App](/itinerary/photos/affiliate-137d8d9b856d8f7967b2-00052997426c-w180.webp)
Accademia GalleryStop 64:30 PM~ 2 hours
Accademia Gallery
The Accademia is a compact Florence museum with the largest collection of Michelangelo’s sculptures in the world. Its rooms move from Michelangelo’s unfinished Prisoners to early Florentine paintings, Giambologna’s full-scale clay model and nineteenth-century plaster casts. The musical-instrument rooms give you a completely different side of the collection beyond the sculpture galleries. 🖼️
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- Reserve a time slot before you go. Without a booking you're queuing at the box office, and that line can DRAGGGG.
- The first Sunday of the month, entry is free (but that also means there's going to be a long line).
- There's no cloakroom or luggage storage, and only bags up to 40x30x18 cm come in with you. bag rules (opens in a new tab)
Before You Go to Florence
Yes! Three days gives the Duomo and its dome climb one day, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens the next, then the Uffizi, Santa Croce and David at the Accademia. There's room for Massimo Leather and dinner at Osteria Pastella, too. The Oltrarno day runs into the evening for Babae's wine window and sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo.
For three days in Florence, book the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the dome climb, plus Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, ahead of time. If you want to see the museums, also book the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery. These are the must-books on this itinerary, and reserving them early keeps all three days from turning into a scramble.
