florence sights, attractions and itinerary
Welcome to the Drink in the Sights Florence itinerary. Here you'll find all the information you need to plan your trip to the magnificent city of Florence. I'll give you information on all the best Florence sights and attractions as well as lots of photos and a bit of history about what is very possibly my favourite city.
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The Renaissance City of Cathedral's, Bankers and Ninja Turtles
For me the greatest Florence attraction is the city itself, and you wont be stuck for things to put in our Florence itinerary, plus it's quite simply the most beautiful city I have ever visited. And while Athens may be the birth place of Western Civilisation, Florence is most certainly where it was reborn. This amazing city was financed by the tremendous wealth of bankers, most notably the Medici family, but it was built by sculptors, artists, poets and scholars. Florence was the light that led Europe out of the dark ages, through the Renaissance, and into the age of enlightenment.
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Just listing the names of the great Florentine's will give you an idea of how important this city is. Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo Galilie, Michelangelo, Dante, Nicola Machiavelli, and Florence Nightingale, to name just a few. This is a city that has shaped the world, moving culture and knowledge forward, at a rate unheard of since the great Greek philosophers and scientists of ancient history. It just goes to show sometimes bankers investments do pay off.
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Right now I've hopefully wet your appetite before I talk about the Florence attractions we need to talk about how you get you there. The easiest way is to fly to Pisa airport, the flights are more regular, cheaper, and tend to be better times than the official Florence one. There's certainly plenty of options with cheap flights from London, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham, Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh to Pisa. From there it's a 70 minute bus ride for 14 euros each way, which for an airport transfer is a little on the expensive side. Try not to think of it as an airport transfer, think of it as a ride through the Tuscan landscape. Now that is worth 14 euros.
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The bus will take you passed huge vineyards, tiny castles, towering hills and valleys. Yes It's a 70 minute drive from Pisa airport, but it feels like 20 the landscape is so breathtaking. And then you hit Florence. Look to the right as you pass over the bridge, and you'll see the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, and about a minute later the incredible dome of Duomo. The bus will drop you off at the central train station, and I'd recommend getting a hotel in this area. It's a little cheaper than most of Florence, and close to a lot of the best bars, which makes it much easier to stumble home at night. It's only about 5-10 minutes walk from here to Duomo, and from there not far to the other top Florence sights.
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Florence Sights
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Piazzale Michelangelo
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If you've ever seen a photo of Florence you can bet this is where it was taken. There's three or four different walks up to Piazzale Michelangelo with differing inclines. None of them are too steep, and the reward at the end makes it worth every vertical step. This is just the view, possibly the greatest view I've ever seen. And if you turn around there's a full size replica of Michelangelo's David right there, looking over the beautiful city. I would suggest getting up to Piazzale Michelangelo a little before sunset, grabbing a beer from one of the vendors up there, and just drink in the Florence sights as the city lights up. The view in the day time is stunning. The view at sunset will blow your away. This is where you have to come to drink in the Florence sights.
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If the view from Piazzale Michelangelo isn't quite high enough for you, there's a lovely little church called San Miniato al Monte another 5-10 minute walk up the hill, with a huge and morbidly beautiful graveyard. I guess if you're going to have to rest in peace for all eternity it's worth making sure you have a great view. Quite simply this is one of the top things to do on any Florence itinerary and it's completely free.
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Santa Croce
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O.K I know what you're thinking. Duomo is the main church in Florence why am I starting with Santa Croce? Well we'll get to Duomo in a minute, but let me tell you if you only go to one church in Florence Santa Croce is the one. Yes it's 8 Euros to get in, and if you've read any of my other posts you'll know my views on paying to get into churches, but this one is worth every cent. This 14th century Gothic/Renaissance church is a sight to behold, and its importance to the city is often overlooked.
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To put this in perspective Duomo is the Florentine version of St Pauls. It is the iconic symbol of Florence, the great dome towering over the city, meanwhile Santa Croce is West Minster Abbey. The really important center where everyone who was anyone is buried, or has a memorial dedicated to them. The illustrious names here include Galileo, Dante, Machiavelli and all four Ninja turtles, may they rest in peace. It's an ultra important church, and the tombs are fittingly splendid memorials to the great names buried here. Anyone with an interest in Italian or Renaissance history will want to pay their respects. This really is one of the top attractions in Florence.
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Do a Florence Walking Tour
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Whenever you go to a new city try to book a walking tour on the first day. It's the ideal way to get your bearings and a real feel for city, it's culture and the people who live there. A tour also ensures you don't miss any of the top Florence attractions. Florence has an abundance of tours which will give you a wealth of information. My favourite is the modestly priced Best of Florence Walking Tour which covers all the major sights and can be booked here. Obviously free tours are available but you'll still end up paying with a tip and they get absolutely rammed in Florence. Either way a walking tour is an ideal way to find more Florence sights.
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Duomo
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No Florence itinerary could be complete without a visit to Duomo. This 15th century cathedral took almost 150 years to build, and the dome alone is a remarkable work of engineering. The original architect Arnolfo Di Cambio is responsible not only for Duomo, but also Santa Croce, and Palazzo Vecchio, making him the man who effectively created the Florence skyline. There can be no doubt that the moment you fall in love with Florence is the moment the bus takes you into the city, and you see this magnificent building for the first time. At that point you know you've arrived somewhere special.
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The exterior is both amazing, and a nightmare to try and photograph, you just can't get the whole thing in unless you're looking down from somewhere like Piazzale Michelangelo. It is beyond any doubt the iconic symbol of Florence, and boasts one of the most lavish facades you will ever see. It is simply stunning, and the detail is exquisite especially lit up at night. The outside is an absolute must see Florence attraction.
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The good news about the interior is it's free to get in. The bad news is (and this is what no guide warned me about) it's also very, very sparse. If you like wide open spaces with columns then I guess it's the place for you. The walls are predominantly bare, there's no great alters or features, and even the domes interior seems faded and plain. It's worth having a look around, but there's definitely a reason you only ever see photos of the exterior. This is why I say if you're only going inside one church in Florence it has to be Santa Croce.
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The Uffizi and the Academia
To book a tour of the Uffizi and Academia click here
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I've decided to throw these two giants of the art world together because when I visited I did it as a tour. The plus points of doing the tour are that you get into both straight away, and you get far more detail than you would walking around on your own. The downside is it's close to £80, while the entrance fee for each gallery is only 12 euros, although you'd be mad not to pay the extra 4 euros each for skipping the queue. Believe me they both have long queues, and you have better things to do in Florence than wait in them.
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The Uffizi Gallery will be in most peoples top 20, if not their top 10 galleries in Europe. The building is huge, and a work of art in its own right. Like so many of the great buildings in Florence the Uffizi was commissioned by the Medici family, and completed in 1581. This immense building has been open to the public since 1765, and has been wowing visitors ever since. For me the pride and joy of the Uffizi is The Birth of Venus by Botticelli. It's just one of those special works of art that you have to see before you die.
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There's also Caravaggio's typically gruesome Medusa, who looks pretty surprised by her decapitation, as well as works by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Leonardo Da Vinci among the huge collection. If sculptures are more your thing seek out Laocoon and his sons by Bandinelli. On the other hand if you just enjoy walking around palaces the Uffizi really doesn't disappoint. The rooms themselves are stunning, with painted ceilings, and gorgeously decorated marble floors. Even if the place was empty it'd still be worth the 16 euros to get in.
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If I'm honest, and I do try to be, the Academia pales in comparison to the Uffizi. It's a relatively small gallery with one magnificent centerpiece, perhaps the most famous statue in the world, Michelangelo's David. There's no doubt that this Goliath slaying stone slinger is one of the great works, by one of the all time masters. It is absolutely iconic, and to see the original is truly a great feeling, and this is what the entrance fee buys you. What it doesn't buy you is the chance to take a photo, and while I was there several people were asked impolitely to leave as a result of trying. It also doesn't buy you a great deal else in all honesty, so unless you really, really want to see the original maybe just head to Piazzale Michelangelo, and enjoy the replica in the Florentine sunlight.
While it is more expensive I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of these two galleries, so if you want to make sure you don't miss anything the link is here.
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Florence Attractions
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Ponte Vecchio
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The Ponte Vecchio is another one of those Florence sights everyone has probably seen. It's a bridge which while crossing it looks nothing like a bridge. As you cross the Ponte Vecchio you'll find some of the most expensive goldsmiths and jewellers in the world, and absolutely nothing else. This is because nothing else is allowed to be built there, and that's been the rule since 1595. Above the shops is the Vasari corridor which links the two sides of the river. This allowed the Medici family to cross the Arno without having to worry about bumping into the common folk. It truly is a completely unique bridge, and one I crossed many times just for fun. I say it's completely unique but those of you reading this in England will know there's another one just like it and you can find out more in my Bath travel guide.
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Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens
To book a tour of the palace and gardens click here
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As you can probably guess from the picture above the Palazzo Pitti is huge, and behind it lie the Boboli Gardens, which somewhat steal the show. Sadly you have to pay separately for each, with the Boboli Gardens costing 6 euros and the Palace costing 16 euros. However if you aren't too hung over in the morning, and don't fancy an extra few minutes in bed, if you buy the tickets before 9 AM, and enter the palace before 9.25 you get 50% off. There are also tours of the Palace and Boboli Gardens available.
The palace was built for the Pitti family in 1457, and not surprisingly bought by the Medici nearly a century later. The first, and most impressive floor by far is the Palatine Gallery. Much like the Uffizi this gallery is a palace, and this is what all galleries and museums should be. I get very bored, very quickly looking at portraits of long dead old men and religious symbolism. But I don't get bored of exquisite rooms with stunning chandeliers, and almost Sistine chapel level ceilings. The first floor of Palazzo Pitti certainly didn't bore me!! The first floor alone makes this worthy of a place in my Florence itinerary. Sadly the second floor is a much more mundane 'modern art' museum, with fairly basic rooms, and art as modern as 1905. I guess when you are in the birthplace of the renaissance 1905 is pretty modern. Finally the 3rd floor is the costume museum. This takes no time to go round, mainly because it' rubbish. It does seem to be a theme that museums put the best bits at the front to lure you in, but it also has the negative effect of leaving you disappointed with the ending.
Fortunately this isn't the end, as you can now head into the Boboli Gardens... |
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The Boboli Gardens are up there with any stately home you will visit and certainly one of the top things to do in Florence. They offer great views over the city, an array of statues, several wonderful fountains, and most importantly giant green face man. At the very top there's also a porcelain museum, which to my mind is probably the most depressingly dull museum I've ever entered. Still I wanted more, and on the way out I found something I never knew existed, but which blew me away more than anything I'd seen perhaps anywhere. Just in a little corner near the exit is a grotto. From a distance it looks a little like a mini Gaudi Cathedral, with the familiar almost melted look. But this tiny little alcove of a house was so much more beautiful in its understated way. The closer you get the greater the detail becomes. The figures impossible to tell from melting trees from a distance, gradually appear as you gaze at each tiny portion of the building. I'm not often left just sat transfixed trying to fathom what's in front of my eyes, but I genuinely found every carving so well hidden amongst the scene so fascinating I could have stayed the whole day quite happily. The Boboli Gardens deserve pride of place in any Florence itinerary. Oh and there's also a fat naked guy riding a turtle...
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To book a tour of the Pitti Palace and Bobboli Gardens click here.
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If you want to see the Venice sights, Florence, Rome, the leaning tower of Pisa and much more without any hassle have a look at Travelsphere.co.uk. They have a 15 day trip Grand Tour of Italy. Travelsphere will sort out the transfers, the flights, the hotels, two or three meals a day and the tours for you while you just sit back and enjoy the trip. Alternatively the 8 day Tuscany Tour including Florence, Chianti, Pisa and Lucca could also be a good choice.
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Palazzo Vecchio
You can book a guided tour of Palazzo Vecchio here
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This is the city hall of Florence. It's a building built for both beauty and defence, and it's certainly one of the more solid palaces you'll come across. To see the museum costs 16 euros, so for the sake of 1.5 euros extra you should probably also get the ticket that includes the tower. Ideally book in advance, as like everywhere else in Florence the queues can get a little silly, especially at high season. By the entrance is a statue of David (yes another one) and through the door is another of those palace galleries I so love. The artwork is exquisite, and there is a real danger you'll damage your neck starring up at some of the most ornate ceilings you'll ever see. Then it's up the tower. The view is good, but lets be honest it's not the best view of Florence that's still all about Piazzale Michelangelo. It does give an excellent, less distant view of Duomo though so head up there and drink in the Florence sights.
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Florence Itinerary Extras
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Piazza Della Signoria
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This is a fantastic square with a large outdoor sculpture gallery. Probably the most famous sculpture here is of Perseus holding Medusa's head aloft by Benvenuto Cellini. The square also runs down the side of the Uffizi Gallery where there are statues of all the Florentine greats, including the much misunderstood Niccolo Machiavelli.
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Chapelle Medici
This small dome building/church houses the Medici tombs. The first bit is a reasonable lavish museum, the second bit is the tomb itself, which is stunning. Marble upon marble, with great statues and gorgeous ceilings, it's a monument fit for a Pharaoh let alone some bankers. The room at the back has a couple more tombs sculpted by that man Michelangelo. It's 8 euros to get in, but well worth it just for the tomb, and it's about the only place that I never saw a queue for. This is my top off the beaten track Florence attractions.
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Don't forget to rub Il Porcellino's nose before leaving Florence. If you do this you are destined to return one day. It worked for me and there's so many Florence sights you'll probably need to visit again.
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Follow the links below for day trips from Florence
Day trip to Pisa, Sienna and San Gimignano this brilliant tour can also be booked here and it really is one of the best value tours I've ever done.
Thank you for taking the time to read my Florence itinerary. Now that we've covered all the top Florence sights and attractions it's time to go see them yourself. You can search Expedia for your Florence trip using the search box below. If you want anymore help, or to use my free trip planning service just get in touch.