Best Things To Do in Florence, Italy
This seems like a no-brainer when you come to Italy. However, Florence really does have some of the best shopping experiences that also won’t break the bank. There’s the Mercato Centrale, which has a floor dedicated to stalls that sell authentic pasts, wine, olive oil, pastries and so much more. Perfect if you want authentic goodies to take home. The upper floor has a massive eatery if you want a lot of Italian options for lunch. Then there are leather and jewelry stalls all around the Mercato Centrale. You can buy genuine leather, Italian clothing, fun graphic tees and so much more from street vendors all in one place. It’s the best time to practice your bartering skills if you can speak Italian (and a perfect place to practice your Italian as well!). And while there are street vendors everywhere, you can also go into so many storefronts and brick-and-mortar stores for silk scarves, more leather goods and even items made from crystal and glass. We stopped into La Bottega Dei Cristalli Srl and bought earrings, a trinket tray, a figurine and more all artfully crafted from glass. They were all gorgeous and very affordable. 2. Stay at the Hotel Torre di Bellosguardo
Courtesy Alani Vargas
This is a must-do if you want to stay at a very authentic Italian villa that isn’t too far from the city center (centro) of Florence. Torre di Bellosguardo is about a 10 to 20-minute drive from the main part of Florence and the front desk was always helpful in calling us a taxi when we wanted to head out. It sits on a hill overlooking the city and gives breathtaking views of not just Firenze but of the land south of the city.
Courtesy Alani Vargas
The hotel/villa is on the southern side of the Arno (the river that cuts through the city), and therefore on the opposite side of the centro. But again, it’s all worth it for the amazing stay we had at the hotel. Getting into just how amazing the villa is, the history really explains why it’s so iconic. The Torre di Bellosguardo was built in 1200 and was expanded in 1500 by the Marquises Roti Michelozzi. Painter Bernardino Poccetti was hired to create the frescoes that are still in the entry hall. In the 1920s and 1930s, Baroness Marion von Hornstein-Franchetti turned this villa into a “salon for nobles and intellectuals from all over Europe.”
Courtesy Alani Vargas
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3. Have a spiritual food experience at L’Imperatore Ristorante Pizzeria
Courtesy Alani Vargas
I’m going to talk about food a lot, and that’s because Florence had some of the best (if not the best) food we had in Italy. One place I wanted to point out, specifically, is the food at L’Imperatore Ristorante Pizzeria. You can go to a lot of hole-in-the-wall restaurants and have good luck, but it’s a lot harder closer to tourist hotspots because it’s all very catered to American travelers who don’t know better. So we were a little nervous to try a restaurant so close to the Mercato Centrale, but L’Imperatore Ristorante Pizzeria blew us away. I had their cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) pasta—and as you’ll find, I ate this at almost all the restaurants I went to—and it was superb. But my partner had their pesto pasta and it was so good, they nearly cried. This was the first place we ate at in Florence after a train ride from Rome and it did not disappoint.
4. Eat Florentine meat at Trattoria Da Guido
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Florence is known for its meat—specifically, its steak. However, good steak is expensive anywhere (even outside of Italy) and so it was hard to find a place to get a good sampling of Florentine steak because it was all just vastly too expensive. But that’s where Trattoria Da Guido came in handy. This restaurant is right across the street from the previous one I mentioned, but we went on a different day. The best thing about Trattoria Da Guido (other than its food and wine) is their great meal deals. They offer different discounts that include wine and different types of food, including Florentine meat. It was very affordable and felt like we were eating different courses for less than 25 or 30 euros. Plus, you can get a liter of wine for a cheap price, which always adds to a meal. On that note, always find a restaurant that serves liters of carafes of their house wine. You’ll be able to share a large portion of wine for less than 10 euros most of the time and it’ll be some of the best wine you’ve ever tasted. It’s well worth the search.
Things You Have To Do When You Visit Florence
5. Visit a wine window
Courtesy Alani Vargas
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6. Experience a Tuscan wine tour and tasting
Courtesy Alani Vargas
I studied abroad in Florence in college and never got to have my Tuscan wine experience. So this time, I made sure to book a wine tasting and we didn’t even have to go that far out of the city to do it.
Courtesy Alani Vargas
We booked a Tuscany Wine Making Experience and Gourmet Dinner from Florence with The Tour Guy, which included a 30-minute van drive to Relais Villa Olmo where Diadema wine and olive oil are made. We got a tour of the facility and then got to try five or so different wines and two olive oils. We then got to concoct our own red wine by mixing different amounts of red blends for our perfect blend. We were able to name the wine, it was corked and we got to take it home! And at the end of it all, we got a multi-course dinner at the fabulous restaurant on the property.This tour was booked through The Tour Guy but facilitated by Towns of Italy (it’s called their “Semiprivate wine-making experience with winery tour and dinner in Tuscany”). Overall, it was truly an unforgettable experience, and is worth it if you want a Tuscan wine tasting that’s not far from the city of Florence.
Things To Do in Florence for Families
7. Eat Gelato, of course
Courtesy Kendall Wack
This one is a little off-the-beaten-path, but it’s fun if you like secrets and sparkling water (or frizzante in Italian). In the Piazza Della Signoria, which is right outside the Palazzo Vecchio—the town hall of Florence and once the residence of Cosimo I de Medici—and near the Uffizi Gallery, there is a fountain that dispenses regular water and sparkling water. In Italy, there are tons of public water fountains to refill water bottles or drink from with your hands. But this is the only one I’ve seen that has sparkling water. So how do you find this fountain? If you’re looking at the replica of Michelangelo’s David statue in front of Palazzo Vecchio, to the left, you’ll see the statue of Neptune (the Roman counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon). Go around to that side of the building and you’ll find the water fountain on the outside wall of Palazzo Vecchio. Even the still water tastes fantastic. 9. Find luck at the Porcellino Fountain statue
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Things To Do in Florence for People Over 50
10. Visit the Medici Chapels
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Courtesy Alani Vargas
The Medici Chapels are a fairly new museum in Florence, though they contain centuries-old artifacts and the Medici crypts. If you’re into the history of Firenze, specifically the later members of the Medici family, this is a must-do for you. The Grand Dukes are buried here, from Cosimo I to Gian Gastone, the last in the Medici dynasty. The large sarcophagi in the Chapel of the Princes feel otherworldly (plus they’re so ornate and gorgeous, I could have stared at them forever) and the newly restored Sagrestia Nuova (New Sacristy) is astounding. Michelangelo was commissioned by Medici Popes Leo X and Clement VII to create the sculptures and architecture of this sacristy and the final result is hard to tear your eyes away from. So if you love sculptures and architecture, and you want to look at this underrated Florence museum, you need to go to the Medici Chapels.
11. Go to the Scuola del Cuoio
Courtesy Alani Vargas
In addition to the David statue, another famous piece of art that lives in Florence is the Birth of Venus by Botticelli. This painting is housed at Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi, or simply the Uffizi, which is a large art museum near Ponte Vecchio. It contains artwork, sculptures and paintings from the Middle Ages to the Modern period. Popular artists with pieces in the Uffizi include Raffaello, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and more.While it’s not that large of a museum, there are so many rooms and so many art pieces to see. If you’re an art lover, definitely wear your comfortable shoes for this one.13. Stay at Hotel Calimala
Courtesy Alani Vargas
The second hotel we stayed at in Florence was the lovely Hotel Calimala, which has two locations right next to each other and in the heart of the city’s center. It truly is a luxury hotel and the inside is very modern with an eclectic decorative style. One thing we really loved about this hotel was the breakfast, which takes place on the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Angel. And if you’re looking for something trendy, you can even eat at Angel for dinner. This is definitely for people who want to venture outside of traditional Italian dining. Plus meat and cheese spread was really good and so was the wine!
Best Free Things To Do in Florence
14. Look at the Duomo
Courtesy Alani Vargas
15. Check out the Piazza di Santa Croce
There is also the Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze, which has a large piazza in front of it where there are often markets or vendors on the sides. It’s also in a very active part of the city, so if you find yourself on a night out, there’s a nice taxi station right there to easily get you where you need to go.
Courtesy Alani Vargas
17. Look at the incredible view from Piazza del Michelangelo
There’s a large statue of David replica and it overlooks Florence, which results in amazing photos in front of the Duomo and Firenze's skyline. While the piazza wasn't created by Michelangelo or during that time period, it is still an ode to the famous artist with a bronze replica of Michelangelo's David.As Visit Florence shared, you can see Florence from above at this vantage point, which is "a singular experience" and "a moment of wonder." There are souvenir vendors here and a car park. Come at sunset, during the day or at night for an amazing sight.
Every Christmas season, in the Piazza Santa Croce (which we mentioned before), there’s a classic Christmas market (or Weihnachtsmarkt). In 2024, it started on November 23 and went until December 22, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. It’s free to enter and walk around the different booths. I bought my mom an adorable kitchen sign back in 2016 when I last went, plus I had some great mulled wine at night. There are also pretzels, beer and more. Again, it’s free to look around and just “window shop” (which is sometimes the best type of shopping), but you might want to plan to leave with something. Even if it’s a full belly. 19. Look at the Christmas lights
Unique Things To Do in Florence
If you’ve ever dreamt of going to a bookstore and catching a film afterward (but in the same building), then the Giunti Odeon Bookshop-Cinema is right up your alley. That is a very specific dream, but it does exist in Florence. The Odeon Cinema has been showing films since the 1920s. And now you can browse their large selection of books on the ground level as movies play on the upper floor in the horseshoe-shaped gallery and boxed seats. The movies play in their original language and have subtitles. Some recent selections include Pulp Fiction and even Moana 2.21. Visit Boboli Gardens
22. Use Florence as your base and travel around the area
Okay, this one is cheating just a tad bit, but it is a great aspect of Florence that you should take advantage of. Florence’s train stations (I prefer the Florence Santa Maria Novella (SMN) train station) are perfect for a weekend getaway. You can get anywhere in Tuscany within a day, and you can even head up north to Cinque Terre for some beach scenery in the summer. Plus, getting to and from Rome takes less than two hours. Outside of going to Rome, you can travel to:
VolterraPisaAssisi Cinque TerreRavennaYes, as a former Twihard, I made my roommate travel with me to Volterra when I studied aboard here in 2016. The description of the hillside Italian Tuscan town in New Moon pales in comparison to how it looks in real life.
Courtesy Alani Vargas
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