The Ultimate 3-Day Florence Itinerary for First-Timers

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Updated May 2026. Originally published November 2025.

If you’re planning a trip to Florence, this Florence itinerary will help you make the most of your time. I just spent a full week in the city (my third time visiting Florence), and I’ve narrowed down the best way to spend 3 days in Florence with a carefully thought-out itinerary.

Florence is one of those cities that really requires some planning due to its popularity. On my first trip to Florence, I definitely chose to do things on the fly with no planning, and regretted it. So this trip, I took no chances and planned out my entire week there so I wouldn’t miss anything. The result? I fell in love with Florence, and it’s a city that I can’t wait to return to.

The Ultimate 3-Day Florence Itinerary — Florence Views

I’ve taken the best of all my trips and put together a carefully thought-out itinerary for 3 days in Florence. I’ve considered peak crowds, slow blocks of time to explore, and included what I think are the sights not to miss when in Florence.

So, if you’re looking for a concise and considerate itinerary, read on to plan your days in Florence with this guide.

Short on Time? Here is the Ultimate Florence Itinerary (3 Days):

Where to Stay

For a fist time visit, I recommend staying in Centro Storico, Sant’Ambrogio (Santa Croce), or Oltrarno, which will put you within walking distance to everything. See my where to stay in Florence guide, for my detailed recommendations.

Centro Storico, for iconic sights and a central stay
Hotel Savoy ($$$), Bernini Palace ($$$ / Where I Stayed), Hotel Number Nine ($$ / Where I Stayed), The Artists’ Palace Florence ($$), Casa G. Firenze ($$), Numeroventi ($$), or a 2-bedroom luxury apartment with Duomo view
Sant’Ambrogio (Santa Croce), for a local feel and the city’s best dining and markets
Plaza Hotel Lucchesi ($$$), La Maison du Sage ($$), Residenza La Musa Amarcord ($$), Nove Guest House ($), or a 2 Bedroom Casa-Cosi Apartment (Where I Stayed)
Oltrarno, for artisan studios and fewer crowds across the river
Hotel Lungarno ($$$), Hotel Palazzo Guadagni ($$), AdAstra Suites ($$), Casa Botticelli ($$), SoprArno Suites ($$), or a 1 Bedroom Apartment with Fresco Walls (Where I Stayed)

Day 1: Santa Croce, Local Markets, and Sunset Views

Morning: Piazza Santa Croce to see the Basilica (~8:30am), then coffee at Ditta Artigianale or an affogato at Vivoli Gelateria. Explore local shops like AquaFlor perfumery, Misuri leather, and The Gallery Michelangelo, then visit the Scuola del Cuoio S.r.l. leather school and Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio.
Afternoon: Lunch at Cibreo Trattoria (book ahead). After, coffee at Coffee Mantra then take a photo at the Fotoautomatica booth on Via dell’Agnolo. End the afternoon at the Museo Nazionale del Bargello.
Evening: Gelato at Gelateria dei Neri, then stop by the La Buchetta Food & Wine 2 wine window. Take a cab to Piazzale Michelangelo (arrive ~40 minutes before sunset for the best light). Dinner at Vini e Vecchi Sapori, Il Latini, or Trattoria Sostanza.

Day 2: Duomo Complex, Uffizi Gallery, and Centro Storico

Morning: Breakfast at Vintage Café (~7:30 am). Use your Brunelleschi Pass for early entry to climb Brunelleschi’s Dome. Visit the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, then Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. After, stop into Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella for perfume.
Afternoon: Lunch at Trattoria Sostanza or a quick pizza at Mister Pizza. After go to Piazza della Repubblica, browse the Odeon Theatre bookshop, and stop Rivoire for chocollate or Caffè Gilli for coffee. After walk to Piazza della Signoria for open-air sculptures, then tour the Uffizi Gallery.
Evening: Watch the sunset from Ponte Vecchio (arrive 30 minutes before sunset for best light). Have a pre-dinner drink at Picteau or Signorvino, then dinner at Trattoria Camillo or Il Latini.

Day 3: Oltrarno Artisans, Pitti Palace, and Food Tour Finale

Morning: Coffee at Ditta Artigianale Via dello Sprone Specialty Coffee or PRAE for pastries and cinnamon rolls. Tour Pitti Palace when it opens (~8:15 am) then walk through the Boboli Gardens. After, browse nearby boutiques on Via Romana and Santo Spirito, like Miato, Le Telerie Toscane di
Afternoon: Lunch at Dalla Lola, then gelato at Sbrino and S. Forno bakery, then head to Basilica di Santo Spirito, then stop by the vintage shops Recollection by Albrici or Momo Vintage. End with a drink at Loggia Rooftop Bar.
Evening: Sunset food tour through Oltrarno or book a final dinner at Trattoria Camillo, Sabatino, or La Casalinga. End the night with a walk along the Arno River.

Things to Do

Day Trips

Travel Trips

Get Cell Data Before You Arrive — We use Holafly unlimited data eSIMs (5% discount!) for all international travel.
Book an Airport Transfer in Advance — We use Welcome Pickups for our private transfers to and from the airport.
Rent a Car for Day Trips — We use Discover Cars for our rental cars in Europe, choose full coverage insurance, and opt for trusted companies like Alamo, Hertz, or Sixt.

Helpful Guides to Plan Your Trip

For more on Florence, read my guide to the best things to do in Florence, my in-depth guide to where to stay in Florence, which covers the best neighborhoods to base yourself with curated hotels and apartments by vibe, budget, and travel style, and my Oltrarno neighborhood guide!

If you’re planning on visiting Tuscany, start with my Tuscany itinerary and guide to the best towns to base yourself in Tuscany, my regional guide to Val d’Orcia, and my guides to San Gimignano, Siena, Pienza, Montepulciano, and Montalcino!

The Ultimate Florence 3 Day Itinerary for First Timers

Florence Travel Tips Before You Arrive

Download Important Apps for Transportation and Communication

Google Maps — The most useful app for navigating Florence. I recommend saving the city map offline and saving places there.
AppTaxi — the best app for hailing a taxi in Florence.
Trenitalia — The best app for train routes and schedules in Italy.
WhatsApp — Super helpful to have; many hotels and restaurants use it to communicate and make reservations.
Google Translate — Always useful for translation
The Fork — One of the more popular booking platforms for restaurants, the app makes it easy to get a reservation.
Glovo — If you want food delivery, Glovo is the app to use. We will often get meal delivery to our hotel front desk or to the bottom of the apartment floor.

Get an eSIM Card for Connectivity

I highly recommend getting a Holafly unlimited data eSIM for cell data. I get one for every international trip and their service and speed is much better than my cell provider’s international plan. For more on my experience with Holafly, read my review on why Holafly is the best eSIM for Europe.

Download Google Maps Offline

Another helpful tip for Florence is to have your Google Maps saved offline. It’s helpful when you’re inside buildings and don’t have cell service and allows you to still look up things.

Make All of Your Reservations in Advance

If there is one single tip I can give, it is to make all reservations the minute you have your dates. Don’t underestimate how busy Florence will be at any time of the year, with popular attractions often selling out months in advance. Restaurants book up quickly as well, so keep an eye on those that you would like to book.

Book the Bruneschelli Pass First Thing

One of the first things to book and schedule if you plan to climb to the top of the Brunelleschi’s Dome in the Duomo is the Brunelleschi Pass. This pass allows you to climb up; it’s a ticketed and timed entrance with several slots throughout the day, with the most popular being the first slot and last. And then your pass is valid for 3 days to the other sights after your ticketed entrance time up the Dome. If you get the pass, it gives you entrance to all of the monuments of Piazza Duomo: Brunelleschi’s Dome, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery, the Opera del Duomo Museum, and the Church of Santa Reparata.

How Many Days in Florence

Florence is one of those places you could really spend a week+ exploring each neighborhood and seeing every sight — but I know it’s not realistic for travelers to spend this much time on a 2-3 week trip in Italy. So my recommendation is a full three days to visit Florence, allowing for a leisurely pace to see the main sights, do a tour, and explore. Any extra time could be used for a day trip, or even consider an extra night to do so.

How to Get Around Florence

Walking is the easiest way to get around Florence, with the longest length of walking will always be a maximum of 30-40 minutes if you’re fully traversing the city. I’ve also used Lime scooters to get somewhere faster. Florence also has a good public transportation system with buses and trams, though I’ve never personally needed to use it.

Cash and Credit Cards in Florence

I found that almost all vendors in Florence accept credit cards. However, you will come across the occasional smaller shop or street vendor that’s cash-only. So I always recommend keeping 20-50 euros on hand just in case.

How to Get From Florence International Airport to Florence

By Plane

Florence is easy to reach by air, by flying into Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR), which is about 15 minutes from the city center by taxi or tram. The other hack is that if you’re not able to get a good flight into FLR, you could fly into Pisa International Airport (PSA) and hire a taxi transfer or take the hour-long train (on our most recent trip, we flew into Pisa from Sardinia and decided to book a private transfer with Welcome Pickups, which was great).

Travel Tip: For easy, reliable private transfers, we always book with Welcome Pickups. It’s a seamless way to arrange a private driver in advance for airport rides, day trips, or hotel-to-hotel transfers across Europe.

By Train

Santa Maria Novella is the main train station in Florence. It’s a major hub with high-speed trains to and from most major cities in Italy.

By Car

You can easily drive to Florence, but know that the city center is mostly ZTL, a restricted area for residents only. If you cross into the ZTL, you will receive a fine by mail about 3-36 months after the fact (I’ve done it, not worth it!). So plan accordingly if you do come by car. My ideal itinerary is to start or end in Florence, picking up or dropping off your rental car at Florence Train Station to avoid the car in the city.

Don’t Forget These Things

Expandable Bag, for shopping
Travel Umbrella, the weather can be unpredictable with occasional, brief rain showers
Plug Type C Adapter, it is not the same outlet as the US

Where to Stay in Florence, Italy

I have an entire guide to where to stay in Florence, breaking down the neighborhoods and personal recommendations for hotels and apartments. In my experience, Florence’s best locations to stay are either in the Centro Storico for proximity to the main sights, or in a local neighborhood like Sant’Ambrogio (Santa Croce) or Oltrarno.

Where I Stayed

Best Location For Sights: Firenze Number 9 (Centro Storico $$$) — A well-done, boutique hotel in the heart of the city. Set with its own hammam spa and supper club, it’s a chic getaway that really is footsteps of everything.
Best Local Stay: Apartment in Sant’Ambrogio ($$) — A well-priced apartment with two bedrooms, we were a few steps from the markets and felt like we were in the middle of a local neighborhood. It’s a great location and easy to explore the rest of the city.
Best Neighborhood Stay: Apartment in Oltrarno ($) — A very budget stay in the heart of Oltrarno, simple yet a good space to come home to after a day of exploring.

Best Hotels by Neighbhorhood

Centro Storico, for iconic sights and a central stay
Hotel Savoy ($$$), Bernini Palace ($$$ / Where I Stayed), Hotel Number Nine ($$ / Where I Stayed), The Artists’ Palace Florence ($$), Casa G. Firenze ($$), Numeroventi ($$), or a 2-bedroom luxury apartment with Duomo view
Sant’Ambrogio (Santa Croce), for a local feel and the city’s best dining and markets
Plaza Hotel Lucchesi ($$$), La Maison du Sage ($$), Residenza La Musa Amarcord ($$), Nove Guest House ($), or a 2 Bedroom Casa-Cosi Apartment (Where I Stayed)
Oltrarno, for artisan studios and fewer crowds across the river
Hotel Lungarno ($$$), Hotel Palazzo Guadagni ($$), AdAstra Suites ($$), Casa Botticelli ($$), SoprArno Suites ($$), or a 1 Bedroom Apartment with Fresco Walls (Where I Stayed)

Day 1: Exploring Santa Croce, Smaller Gems, and Epic Views

Morning

When it comes to starting your day in Florence, the heart of Santa Croce is home to the Basilica of Santa Croce and a wonderful place to begin. The piazza in the morning is nearly empty, and the sun comes right over the top of the iconic marble facade. To begin the day, I want to recommend something a touch different — an affogato to begin.

Down the street, tucked in a small corner, is the iconic Vivoli Gelateria. What it’s most known for is its affogato, popular in pistachio or vanilla, and one of the longest lines in the city by midday. So I’d recommend coming here first thing, as it opens at 8 am (9 am on Sundays). Espresso and gelato are basically a cappuccino right? If affogato doesn’t sound good, I’d get a coffee and pastry at Ditta Artigianale down the street.

From there, spend the morning in the Santa Croce neighborhood. It’s one of my favorites for exploring the artisan shops. I’d hunt for places like AquaFlor, a perfumery known for its artisanal scents and products, in a beautiful store. Around the corner is Misuri and The Gallery Michelangelo, set on Piazza di Santa Croce; both are great places to shop for leather products.

But if you’re really after a custom leather piece, don’t skip a visit to Scuola del Cuoio S.r.l.. An actual leather school where artisans work and sell their pieces. You can even customize with initials or order unique pieces. As you finish up in this area, make your way over to Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio — one of the best local markets in Florence (I’d pick this over Mercato Centrale), where the locals actually shop for produce and goods.

Afternoon

For lunch today, book a table at Cibreo Trattoria, a longstanding institution next door to Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio. Founded in 1979, it’s one of the places you can’t miss in Florence for its chicken and ricotta meatballs, cibreo (classic Tuscan chicken giblets), and housemade pastas.

Afterward, if you need a coffee, stroll over to Coffee Mantra or Ditta Artiginale Coffee. Coffee Mantra is one of the better of the local coffee shops, and Ditta Artiginale is an easy win for coffee or matcha, even.

As you make your way to your next destination of Museo Nazionale del Bargello, walk along Via dell’Agnolo to stop at one of the Fotoautomatica. These restored photo booths have several locations across the city, and this one doesn’t usually have super long lines. Just remember to check recent Google reviews if it’s in working order, and be patient, as it takes 4 minutes to print the photos!

Museo Nazionale del Bargello is one of my favorite quiet gems in Florence, a museum that is often overlooked for the larger ones. It is housed in the oldest public building in Florence, centered around a beautiful inner courtyard. You’ll find masterpieces from Donatello to Michelangelo here, and it’s rarely busy.

Evening

As you begin your next adventure to sunset, consider a gelato stop or a wine window stop. The gelato place I would head to is Gelateria dei Neri — just before the Ponte alle Grazie, it’s one of the best gelatos in town.

For a wine window, these very popular spots to get wine at, there’s one at La Buchetta Food & Wine 2 around the corner, which has white or red wines. And if you really have time, do both the gelato and a glass of wine to fill up for sunset!

Before dinner, this is a good time to catch the sunset tonight from the most beautiful viewpoint in Florence, Piazzale Michelangelo. It’s about a 30-minute walk up the steep hill from Ponte alle Grazie. Know that it gets very busy. I arrived about 40 minutes before actual sunset, and it was already quite crowded.

After sunset, I’d look at making a reservation at one of these three places for dinner: Vini e Vecchi Sapori, Il Latini, or Trattoria Sostanza. Vini e Vecchi Sapori is my recommendation. Be sure to call in advance or have your accommodations call for you, or walk by to get a reservation. It’s in the Centro Storico, and has about a dozen tables in a classic osteria.