Florence, the capital of Tuscany and a city in which all its historic center looks like an open-air museum thanks to knowing how to keep the splendor of its great past as nobody.
A city that stands out for being full of masterpieces of art, churches and white marble buildings, squares full of sculptures and monuments, beautiful bridges over the Arno River, in addition to an almost unsurpassed gastronomy that make it one of the cities to see Before die. We have made a list of 10 essential places to visit in Florence, based on our two trips: Florence and Pisa in 5 days and Cinque Terre with Florence in 7 days. We start!
1. Piazza del Duomo (Duomo, Campanile and Battistero)
Piazza del Duomo is located in the historic center and stands out for hosting three of the best places to visit in Florence: the Cathedral of Santa María del Fiore, the Battistero di San Giovanni and the Campanile de Giotto, all built of white and green marble.
The Cathedral of Santa María del Fiore With an impressive dome of Brunelleschi stands out above the silhouette of the city. It is worth entering both to see the painted scenes of the final judgment inside the dome, and to climb it to enjoy the best views of downtown Florence.
An interesting option to know the history of the cathedral is to book this guided tour in Spanish or this tour that includes the climb to the dome.
Visiting hours: Monday to Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Sundays and holidays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
The Battistero di San Giovanni It is the oldest building in the square and has beautiful mosaics inside. Although what impresses most is the Gate of Paradise of Ghiberti, which depicts scenes from the Old Testament in 10 bronze panels.
Visiting hours: every day from 8: 15-10: 15 and from 11: 15-18: 30 (on Sundays it closes at 13:30).
Giotto's Campanile It is the bell tower of the cathedral and has a height of almost 85 meters. It is another of the best viewpoints of Florence and with a decoration that make it one of the most beautiful campaniles in Italy.
Visiting hours: every day from 8: 15-18: 50.
Piazza del Duomo
2. Ponte Vecchio
On the river Arno stands one of the most beautiful medieval bridges in the world, the Ponte Vecchio. Its hanging houses on the sides, which have become jewelers and other luxury stores, today, are part of its great attraction.
This was one of the few bridges that were not destroyed during World War II and through which the famous Vasarian corridor crosses, a passage used by the Medicis to go from the Vecchio Palace to the Pitti Palace, without having to go outside.
Florence is full of corners with history and secrets, a good option to discover them is to book a guided tour in Spanish that includes the Accademia and Uffizi Gallery or this free tour of Florence Free!, Both considered two of the best tours and Florence excursions.
Ponte Vecchio
3. Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio
Piazza della Signoria, next to the Duomo, is the most famous square in Florence and one of the main places to visit in Florence. Its buildings, monuments and sculptures make it a true open-air museum. Its most prominent places are the Palazzo Vecchio with its impressive Cinquecento Hall, the Loggia dei Langi in which the Perseus stands out with the head of Medusa, the marble sculptures of Hercules and Caco and especially that of Michelangelo's David, the Original is in the Accademia Gallery, and the impressive Fountain of Neptune.
Visiting hours of the Palazzo Vecchio: from April to September from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and from October to March from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Thursday closes at 2:00 p.m.). You can skip the lines and learn about the history of the palace by booking this guided tour in Spanish or take this quick entry ticket.
Piazza della Signoria, one of the best places to visit in Florence
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
4. Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery contains one of the most important art collections in the world. Built initially as a palace for the Medici, it has become a museum with great works of art by Leonardo da Vinci and other great Italian artists. Some of the most prominent are Bacchus of Caravaggio, The Birth of Venus de Botticelli, Tondo Doni or Sagrada Familia by Michelangelo, The Annunciation of Leonardo da Vinci, The Venus of Urbino de Titian and La Virgen del Jilguero de Rafael, among many others .
A good alternative to avoid big queues and not miss anything is to book a guided tour in Spanish or take this quick entry ticket.
For more information we recommend you read this post about the best museums in Florence.
Visiting hours: every day from 8:15 to 18:50 (Monday closed).
Uffizi Gallery
5. Boboli Garden, one of the best places to visit in Florence
Located behind the Pitti Palace, it is the perfect place to walk, relax and disconnect from the city. In this Renaissance garden you will find from an amphitheater to caves, fountains and sculptures, among many other places of interest.
The Grotta Grande and Grotto di Buontalenti caves are wonderful, although you can also enjoy the beautiful Garden of the Knights, the Kaffeehaus and tour the Viottolone, an avenue full of statues and cypresses to the Isolotto, which we are sure, you will love .
An interesting way to know the history and not miss anything of these gardens is to book this visit with a guide in Spanish that includes the entrance.
Visiting hours: open every day from 8:15 a.m. and close from November to February at 4:30 p.m., from March to October at 5:30 p.m., from June to August at 7:30 p.m. and the rest of the months at 18:30.
Boboli Garden
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Florence by travelers:
- Offer: Florence + Uffizi + Academy
- Excursion to San Gimignano, Siena and Chianti
- Excursion to the Cinque Terre
- Excursion to Pisa and climb to the Leaning Tower
- Guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery
- More excursions and tours here
6. Piazza and Santa Croce Church
Visiting Piazza Santa Croce and its church, located in the historic center is another of the essential places to visit in Florence. Piazza Santa Croce of rectangular shape, surrounded by large palaces and with a statue of Dante Alighieri, stands out for its great atmosphere and for being one of the most visited places in the city.
The Church of Santa Croce, headquarters of the Franciscans, is known as the Pantheon of Italian glories and houses the tombs of illustrious characters such as Michelangelo, Galileo Galiei, Machiavelli or Lorenzo Ghiberti, in addition to the cenotaph of Dante Alighieri.
An interesting option to know the history of this beautiful church is to book this visit with a guide in Spanish that includes the entrance.
Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Santa Croce Church
7. Church of Santa María Novella
Near the train station we find one of the most important and beautiful churches to see in Florence, the Church of Santa María Novella. With a beautiful facade of white and green marble, it is the headquarters of the Dominicans of the city. In its interior in the form of a Latin cross you can find great works of art such as the fresco of La Trinidad La Trinidad, the Crucifix of Brunelleschi in the Gondi chapel and the Nativity of Mary in the frescoes of the Tornabuoni chapel.
Visiting hours: from April to September from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the rest of the months close at 5:30 p.m. Fridays open at 11:00.
Church of Santa María Novella
8. Piazzale Michelangelo
Climbing at sunset walking from the center or by bus to Piazzale Michelangelo is one of the best things to see and do in Florence. From this square you will have the best panoramic views of Florence, in addition to being able to enjoy a unique and somewhat remote atmosphere from the city center.
The square was built as a tribute to the great artist Michelangelo and in the center there are copies of David and the four statues of Michelangelo that are in the Medici Chapel. If you climb a little more, you will reach the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, also with good views of the city.
Viewpoint of the Piazzale Michelangelo
Our recommended hotel in Florence
Hotel Globus, centrally located hotel near the Santa María Novella train station. It has the quality of its 3 stars with a good breakfast, spacious and clean rooms.
9. Academy Gallery
In the Accademia Gallery you will find the most famous sculpture in the world, the David, Michelangelo's masterpiece that shows, in white marble, David before the fight with Goliath.
In addition to works by other authors, it is also curious to see several unfinished works by Michelangelo, such as the 4 prisoners. You can avoid the queues by booking a visit with an expert guide in Spanish or take this quick entry ticket.
Visiting hours: from Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 to 18:50. Closed Monday.
Michelangelo's David in Piazza della Signoria (the original is in the Accademia Gallery)
10. Chapel of the Medici
The Medici Chapel is part of the San Lorenzo complex, which also includes the basilica and is our last recommendation of the 10 places to visit in Florence. Although it does not stand out for its exterior, its interior will leave you speechless, especially when you enter the Chapel of the Prince, an octagonal room of marble and semiprecious stones that is the crypt in which some of the greats of the Medici family rest, the Florence's most powerful family for many years.
Nor can you miss the New Sacristy, designed by Michelangelo.
Visiting hours: Monday to Sunday from 8:15 to 13:50. From April to July they close at 17:00.
Chapel of the Medici
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to visit in Florence, add yours in the comments.
