3 days in Florence

Boboli Gardens

Large Renaissance gardens behind the Pitti Palace, with fountains, statues and paths that climb to a view of the city. They work well after a museum morning, and children can run here.

2 h visitOpen 8:15 am–6:30 pm · last entry 5:30 pm

Enter early, when the paths are quiet and the light is better for photographs.

Closing time changes with the season: 18:30 until the clocks change on 25 October, 17:30 afterwards in October, 16:30 from November to February and 19:10 in summer. The gardens close on the first and last Monday of each month and on 25 December; on other Mondays they are open. Last admission is one hour before closing.

Source: Gallerie degli Uffizi, checked October 4, 2026

Ponte Vecchio

Florence's oldest bridge, rebuilt in 1345 and lined with jewellers' shops. Crossing takes a few minutes, but the crowd slows it down.

30 min visitAlways open

Cross early in the morning, before the crowd builds. For the full view of the bridge, look from Ponte Santa Trinita.

Source: Visit Tuscany, checked October 4, 2026

Florence Cathedral and Dome

The cathedral is free to enter. The Dome climb, the baptistery, the bell tower and the museum need a ticket. The Dome is a narrow stair up to Brunelleschi's double shell, with a view over the roofs at the top.

3 h 30 visitOpen 12:45 pm–4:30 pm

Take the first Dome slot of the day. The free cathedral interior takes little time, so fit it in before or after.

Book a Dome time slot online before you go. The entry is fixed to the date and hour you choose and cannot be changed. Covered shoulders and knees are required inside.

Cathedral: Monday to Saturday 10:15 to 15:45, closed Sundays. Dome times are last climb slots: Monday to Friday until 18:45, Saturday until 16:30, Sunday 12:45 to 16:30. The baptistery closes at 13:30 on the first Sunday of the month. The Dome is closed for maintenance on 16 to 20 November 2026 and the bell tower on 9 to 13 November 2026. Closed on 25 December, 1 January and Easter Sunday.

See tickets

Source: Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, checked October 4, 2026

Mercato Centrale

A food hall on the first floor of the San Lorenzo central market, with stalls for pasta, pizza, burgers, steak and more. You can sit wherever you find a free seat. Open every day from 09:00 to 23:00.

1 h 15 visitOpen 9:00 am–11:00 pm

Lunch and weekend evenings are the busiest. Eat before 12:30 or after 14:00 for an easier seat.

Source: Mercato Centrale Firenze, checked October 4, 2026

Palazzo Vecchio

The town hall of Florence since the 14th century. The museum covers the Hall of the Five Hundred, decorated apartments and works by Donatello, Bronzino and Michelangelo. The tower is a separate ticket.

2 h visitOpen 9:00 am–2:00 pm · last entry 1:00 pm

Thursday is the short day, so schedule it for another day of the week if you can.

Open 09:00 to 19:00, but on Thursday it closes at 14:00. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum. The palace is also the city hall, so ceremonies can close rooms or the whole museum. The tower runs 09:00 to 17:00 (Thursday until 14:00), needs an advance ticket and closes in rain.

Source: Musei Civici Fiorentini (MUS.E), checked October 4, 2026

Uffizi Gallery

The main collection of Renaissance painting in Italy, with Botticelli's Birth of Venus and works by Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. The route is long and runs over several floors, so allow for security, the queue and a coffee stop.

3 h visitOpen 8:15 am–6:30 pm · last entry 5:30 pm

Go at opening, or in the last two hours when the tour groups thin out.

Same-day tickets exist, but the lines are long. Book a timed ticket in advance; the official site charges more for an advance booking than for a same-day ticket.

Closed on Mondays, 1 January and 25 December. The ticket office closes at 17:30 and visitors are asked to leave from 18:30.

See tickets

Source: Gallerie degli Uffizi, checked October 4, 2026

Basilica of Santa Croce

The Franciscan basilica with the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli, frescoed chapels and a cloister.

1 h 15 visitOpen 2:00 pm–5:30 pm · last entry 5:00 pm

Pick a weekday morning. On Sundays the church only opens in the afternoon.

Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 17:30, Sunday 14:00 to 17:30. No new entry after 17:00, and after 16:30 on free-entry days. Entry is free on some dates, including 4 October and the second Sunday of November. Closed on 25 December.

Source: Opera di Santa Croce, checked October 4, 2026

Piazzale Michelangelo

A terrace above the Arno with the best-known panorama of Florence and bronze copies of Michelangelo's works. Walk up the Rampe del Poggi stairs from the river, or take a bus or taxi.

1 h 15 visitAlways open

Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before sunset. The terrace fills up, so walk along the edge for a clearer spot.

Source: Visit Tuscany, checked October 4, 2026

Piazza della Signoria

The L-shaped square in front of Palazzo Vecchio, with a copy of Michelangelo's David and the Loggia dei Lanzi sculptures, including Cellini's Perseus. It is free and open at all hours.

1 h visitAlways open

Come back in the evening, when the day-trip crowds have left and the square is easier to walk.

Source: Visit Tuscany, checked October 4, 2026

Medici Chapels

The burial place of the Medici beside the church of San Lorenzo. It has the Princes' Chapel in marble and hard stone, and Michelangelo's New Sacristy with the tomb figures of Night, Day, Dawn and Dusk.

1 h 15 visitOpen 8:15 am–6:50 pm · last entry 6:10 pm

Michelangelo's hidden room is only open by reservation, in small groups. Check the museum site for slots if you want to see it.

Closed on Mondays. Last entry is 40 minutes before closing. Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month.

Source: Musei del Bargello, checked October 4, 2026

Galleria dell'Accademia

Home of Michelangelo's David, with his unfinished Prisoners in the hall that leads up to it. The museum is small, so the visit is shorter than the Uffizi.

1 h 30 visitOpen 8:15 am–6:50 pm · last entry 6:20 pm

Book the first slot of the morning and go straight to the David, then work back through the other rooms.

The museum says a reservation is highly recommended and that the wait without one can be long. Book a timed ticket.

Closed on Mondays, 1 January and 25 December. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month and on 4 November 2026, with no booking and a long wait.

See tickets

Source: Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, checked October 4, 2026

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

A Dominican church and museum by the main station. One ticket covers Masaccio's Trinity, the Tornabuoni Chapel frescoes, the Green Cloister and the Spanish Chapel.

1 h 30 visitOpen 1:00 pm–5:00 pm · last entry 4:00 pm

Visit on a Monday to Thursday morning, when the complex is open the longest.

Monday to Thursday 09:00 to 17:30, Friday 11:00 to 17:30, Saturday 09:00 to 17:00, Sunday 13:00 to 17:00. Last admission is one hour before closing. Hours change on some religious holidays, for example early closing at 16:15 on 4 October and at 14:30 on 15 October 2026. Closed to visitors on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Source: Santa Maria Novella, checked October 4, 2026

Pitti Palace

The Medici and later royal palace on the south bank, with the Palatine Gallery, the royal apartments and several smaller museums.

2 h 30 visitOpen 8:15 am–6:30 pm · last entry 5:30 pm

Closed on Mondays, 1 January and 25 December. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum. Parts of the Palatine Gallery and the Treasury of the Grand Dukes are closed for works.

Source: Gallerie degli Uffizi, checked October 4, 2026

Piazza Santo Spirito

A square in the Oltrarno with Brunelleschi's basilica on one side and cafes around the edge. Locals use it from morning until late evening.

1 h 10 visitAlways open

Come in the early evening for an aperitivo after the museums close.

Source: Visit Tuscany, checked October 4, 2026