Florence, Italy: Any Must-Sees and Any Tips?

[Mo Money]

I am going with a gang of misfits to Italy during the first two weeks of October. I have been tasked with coming up with an agenda for Florence. We will be there only a few days. Apart from seeing the Duomo and David, any other suggestions based on recent travel experience in Florence? Any restaurant recommendations? Hotel is already booked, so no suggestions needed on lodging.

Thanks.

 

[COcheesehead]

Take sometime, if you can, to get out to the ancient hill towns. San Gimignano, Volterra or Monteriggioni. Chianti and Siena are also a nice day trips. All of these will have a completely different feel than Florence.

 

[fosterscik]

Make sure you get some gelato! This small shop just across the Arno river was especially good - Gelateria La Carraia

 

[Chuckanut]

Skip going up to the top of the Duomo dome. Instead go to the top of Giotto's Tower, where you will get a great view of the dome.

Or better yet, do both.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Gelato: So many great places but also have to watch out for the tourist traps. A couple of suggestions: Grom, which has now expanded internationally and Carapina which we like because of they use seasonal ingredients.

Walk across the Arno for the shops, Boboli Gardens, and great view of the old town and Duomo from Piazzale Michelangelo.

If you go to the Uffizi, make resos. Ponte Vecchio is a pretty standard stop (or from another bridge so you can view Ponte Vecchio from the outside).

We've had great lunches at the food vendors (eg Da Nerbone) in Mercato Centrale.
I Fratellini. It's a sandwich and wine takeout place. Very tasty but not must do.
We had a nice meal at Trattoria Anita. Also a good but not a must do.

+1 if you can do a day trip into Tuscany between Florence and Siena.

 

[rodi]

I am a fan of the Uffizi gallery - get tickets in advance, if possible, because the line is horrendous. Same with the Accademia (where David is)... get a timed ticket in advance.

Boboli palace has beautiful gardens.

If you are driving - park at the Piazzale Michelangelo.... One of the best overlooks of Florence towards the Duomo.

 

[jjquantz]

A couple of less common stops, but only if you are real history geeks:

1) Basilica di Santa Croce - full of tombs and monuments to famous folk, Galileo, Michalengelo, Enrico Fermi, Rossini, etc.Also some great art, Donatello, de la Robbia ...
2) The Galileo Museum - total geek out for fans of history of science. Lots of old scientific hardware - telescopes, static electricity generators. Also some fun hands-on activities.

 

[davebarnes]

Use TripAdvisor and Yelp for restaurants.
At a minimum, they will help you avoid the really crappy ones.

 

[NW-Bound]

We were in Florence for 4 nights, with 3 full days. It was too short!

We sprang for the FirenzeCard (85 euros/person now), which gave visitation to any of 72 sites for 72 hours. The main reason was to get ahead of the lines to get into Accademia and Uffizi Galleries, and also to go to the top of Duomo Dome. About the latter, it was not the view for me, but to see the internal construction of the double-shelled dome which was an engineering marvel for its time.

We enjoyed the lesser visited and not crowded galleries and museums more than Accademia and Uffizi. For example, we went with another couple, and the consensus was that the interior decoration of the Palazzo Pitti (owned by the Medici family, and the Palace of the Grand Duke of Tuscany) was more ornate than that of the Versailles. In all, we saw less than 10 galleries and museums.

I was able to find an Airbnb just outside of the Zona Traffico Limitato, and the train ride into town was only 15 minutes, and parking for the car was not difficult to find.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Any restaurant recommendations?

Thanks.

For true misfits!
One word: Excelsior!
Two words: Bring dough!
Three words: Naked Body Sushi!
Four words: Need I say more!

 

[brett]

Go to Siena for the day.

Late in an afternoon go up to Fiesole (very close by) before sunset. Have drinks in an outdoor cafe and watch the sun set over Florence. Do the same another day in a Florence cafe.

If you want to go to Academia or Uffizi make reservations beforehand.

 

[audreyh1]

We visited Florence when I was 5 years old. I remember the Academia! Then got to visit again in the mid-90s. Yep - looked like I remembered.

 

[texcurtis]

Uffizi, walk up to piazza Michelangelo at sunset for a view of the city, leather goods near the churches (stores better priced than stalls), restaurants across the river from duomo are more low key & less crowded & more authentic. American Express Office in town can get you day trips to surrounding cities such as San Gimignano. Or take train to Pisa for the day.

 

[Mmm Rrr]

Trattoria Mario - if you're starving at lunchtime (they're only open then) have the bistecca alla fiorentina. It's meant to be eaten with a group sharing. It's hard to get in (no reservations), get there really early or wait in line. It is amazing.

 

[gerntz]

I remember the Academia!

Yea, love those nuts!

 

[gerntz]

Nearby Lucca very nice. Assume you'll prop up the Tower. By that late in season, Cinque Terra crowds ought to be down to tolerable.

 

[48Fire]

I am going with a gang of misfits to Italy during the first two weeks of October. I have been tasked with coming up with an agenda for Florence. We will be there only a few days. Apart from seeing the Duomo and David, any other suggestions based on recent travel experience in Florence? Any restaurant recommendations? Hotel is already booked, so no suggestions needed on lodging.

Thanks.

I liked the sandwiches in the market. Gallileo museum was fun for me, but only if you are in to science. I went there alone

Day trip to Lucca by train was fun. Pisa is a little further and more touristy. Cinque Terre is a very long train ride for a day trip. Best if you are willing to stay over at nearby La Spezia for a night or two.

 

[Gumby]

I second the suggestion to get tickets on line for the Uffizi and the Accademia. When you walk up to the door and go right in at your appointed time, you will feel sorry for those stuck in the enormously long line ouside. We have used this website to get tickets in many Italian cities and have never been disappointed. https://selectitaly.com/

It has been 7 years since our trip to Florence, but my travel journal says that I enjoyed the following restaurants (and I checked that they are still there):

Cippolla Rosa -- Next to the Medici Chapel - we enjoyed it so much the first time, we went back again later in the week. https://www.osteriacipollarossa.com/

The Golden View Open Bar -- on the South Bank of the Arno River, across from the Uffizi - the food was great and the view was indeed golden from our waterfront table. Home - Golden View Open Bar Firenze


Here are some suggestions for slightly "off the beaten track" things to do

1. Go to the opera at St. Mark's English Church. It is a very intimate venue and we enjoyed a lovely performance of Carmen there. The proceeds go to help orphaned children in Africa. Opera at St Mark's Church Florence, a unique intimate venue

2. Stop in the small, simple Church of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi, in which you will find the crypt of Dante's great love, Beatrice Portinari. The lovelorn leave notes and letters for Beatrice in the two wicker baskets that sit next to her burial vault. If you are bold enough, you can pull some out to read. Written in all all hands and every language, they pour out their hopes and dreams to a young woman who died over 700 years ago. The most poignant one I read said simply (in English), "I just want to find someone to love me."

3. If you are in shape to climb 463 steps, you can go up to the the top of the Duomo. Climbing through the rabbit warren of tunnels between the inner and outer domes, you can appreciate the genius of Brunelleschi the architect. Twice on the way up, the stairs stop and you are on one of the two inner balconies that circle the great dome at its base. The congregants below look like ants and you have a spectacular view of Vasari's painting that covers the inner surface of the dome. The real reward, however, is the view outside, from the top of the dome. You get a 360 degree view out over Florence and the surrounding countryside.

4. Walk out of town, south of the Arno, to the hill known as Bellosguardo. Within half a mile of the Arno, the city stops and you will be surrounded by stone walls, olive groves and old farmhouses. When you finally get to the top of the hill, you can look back at the picture postcard view of the city, with Brunelleschi's great red tiled dome rising there in the middle of it.

5. Go to the flea market in the Giardino della Fortezza. Lots of interesting stuff and interesting people to watch. It is held on the third weekend of every month.



Edit to Add: If you do go to the Uffizi, which is very large, I recommend buying a detailed gallery guide ahead of time. That way, you can focus on what you really want to see. It also allows you to avoid the scrum that forms around the explanatory placards. Both will make your visit much more time efficient. We have done this for many of the world famous museums we have visited. This is the guide we took with us. https://www.amazon.com/Uffizi-Offic...1&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=Uffizzi+gallery+guide

 

[Chuckanut]

Visit the Monastery of San Marco to see the frescoes of Fra Angelico. Very nice and usually not crowded compared to the other big sites. IIRC, you can make Ufizi reservations at their ticket office. We did. Walked up, made the Ufizi reservation and bought the tickets for the monastery. It took about 5 minutes.

Note: bring comfortable shoes for walking in the Musuems, they have few places to sit. Otherwise, you feetsies may get sore at the Ufizi.

And do see the Baptistry, yes it's crowded but for a good reason.

I recommend eating in the Oltrano area if you don't mind the walk. Prices are far more reasonable. I remember getting due panini, un mezzo litre di vino e una pasticceria (two sandwiches, 1/2 liter of wine and a pastry) for about 8 euro in a restaurant where none of the staff spoke any English. Walking back, but still in the Oltrano area, we had two iced coffees for not much more than the cost of one espresso near the Duomo.

 

[gretah]

Women will love the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy (Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella ).

The pharmacy was founded in 1221 and is the oldest operating one in Europe.

The architecture is amazing and the rooms gorgeous.
You can get inexpensive bath soaps there all the way to fairly expensive perfumes. A terrific place to buy gifts.

Iris is my favorite cologne. And I've kept a bowl with their potpourri in my living room for around 20 years. I still love it. I think it must be time for me to go back to Florence for more.

Here are a couple of resources with photos.
https://www.smnovella.com/page/company
Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy - I Love Florence Italy

 

[gretah]

Get the Eyewitness travel guide for Florence. Absolute best series for people who appreciate culture including museums, architecture, performances, etc.

You will find great information about all the museums there. I agree with others about getting tickets with appointment/viewing time ahead of your visit.

Don't miss the Galileo museum. My favorite displays were the one containing the gold slide rules scientists made for their wealthy benefactors. And the world maps over the centuries are beautiful and fascinating.

 

[Rianne]

My DSI lives in Italy, has for 35 years. We've gone over at least 10 times, I've lost count. October is a great time to go, fewer tourists and easy to see all the suggestions on previous posts. Florence is a treasure with so much history and beauty. Don't get me going on the food.



As a precaution, be super mindful of valuables. There are gypsies who mask as lovable Italian folks who are super friendly. I had my wallet stolen out of a body belt, under my shirt. They were so fast, I did not even know it. My DSI speaks fluent Italian and was able to shout to a shop owner "stop them" and whatever else she said in Italian. He immediately stopped them and pulled my wallet from the little girls dress. This was a lovely family, 3 little children and a FAKE baby in the carriage. Honestly, just be mindful, you will have an incredible time.

 

[Mmm Rrr]

Don't miss the Galileo museum. My favorite displays were the one containing the gold slide rules scientists made for their wealthy benefactors. And the world maps over the centuries are beautiful and fascinating.

I loved the Galileo museum too. And because we had a museum pass we went into the little "Opificio delle pierre dure", the museum of semi-precious stones. As rock freaks, my niece and I loved it! I would even have been willing to pay for it.

 

[Scuba]

Don’t skip The Baptistry, right next to the Duomo. Very interesting. I assume you are going to other areas in Italy, but if you have time I would definitely do a day trip to San Gimignano. We loved Cinque Terre but you’d need a few days there to do it justice. We also enjoyed driving through the Chianti region and tasting wine.

 

[Gumby]

In my opinion, Florence and the Tuscan countryside/hill towns are two different trips. Each is beautiful in its own way and should be savored. Rushing through by trying to combine them on one trip does justice to neither.