Florence in one day: perfect itinerary by a local tour guide

This is the post I should have written a long time ago, because it answers one of the questions I receive most often: what to do in Florence in one day? You probably already know: Florence is a city so rich in art, history, and wonderful places that one day isn’t enough to see it all. But sometimes, time is what it is, never enough, and you have to make choices. If you only have one day to spend in Florence, this post will help you maximize your time and see and do most of the must-see things.

By the way: the best way to maximize your time is to visit Florence with a local tour guide like me. In addition to the history and art of our cities, we guides know the best routes, the best times to visit museums with fewer lines, and many other tricks that will make your day in Florence special. My name is Claudia, and I am a local, licensed tour guide. Learn more about me and my private tours in Florence.

One day in Florence . What to do and see

I designed this itinerary for visiting Florence in one day, trying to find a balance between seeing as many places as possible and not rushing everything too much. But the truth is, it will be rushed anyway, because one day isn’t enough. It’s also a flexible plan, as you’ll find several alternative options to choose from based on your tastes. When appropriate, I’ll point out the guided tours I recommend, but you can also do it all on your own, without any tour guide.

Important note: It’s crucial to book museum tickets well in advance, as at the last minute you might not be able to find the day and time slot you need.

Morning of one day in Florence

I recommend getting up early and making the most of your time. My itinerary starts at 8:15 a.m. because that’s the opening time of Italy’s national museums. But you can also take advantage of the hours before 8:15 to stroll through the historic center when there’s still no one around.

If your hotel doesn’t include breakfast, you can enjoy an Italian breakfast at a historic café like Caffè Rivoire in Piazza della Signoria or Gilli in Piazza della Repubblica. If you don’t want to spend too much, do as the Italians do: have an espresso and a pastry at the counter without sitting at a table (there’s a surcharge for table service).

Uffizi Gallery Museum

As I mentioned, the museum opens at 8:15 am, and I recommend visiting as soon as it opens to enjoy the rooms without the crowds. The museum is very large and requires time, even just to go through security, climb the stairs, and reach the beginning of the exhibition. A regular visit would take at least two hours, but in this case, since you don’t have much time, it’s better to limit yourself to an hour and a half.

The must-see Renaissance masterpieces are all displayed on the second floor of the museum (Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael). Then go down to the first floor to see the Caravaggio paintings and the Medici portraits, and then leave the Uffizi Gallery (around 9:45 am). To best plan your visit, read my article with all my top tips for visiting the Uffizi. Since the museum is packed with paintings, you’ll have to be selective: that’s why I wrote a post about what not to miss at the Uffizi.

If you want a guided tour, you have two options:

• A shared group tour. This is the cheapest option for parties of up to 3-4 people, as the price is based on the number of people. In this case, I recommend this 1.5-hour guided tour of the Uffizi.
• A private Uffizi tour with me. I’m a local tour guide and can arrange your visit to the museum (or your entire day in Florence) in the best possible way. I charge per hour, so if you’re a group of more than 3 or 4 people, a private tour is cheaper than a group tour.

Palazzo vecchio and piazza della Signoria

Another great museum in the city that you shouldn’t miss when spending one day in Florence. Book your entrance ticket for 10:00 am: you wouldn’t need 15 minutes to get there because it’s literally next to the Uffizi Gallery, but those extra minutes will be useful to enjoy Piazza della Signoria, the Fountain of Neptune, and the other Renaissance sculptures in the square.

Palazzo Vecchio has been the heart of Florentine political power for over seven centuries, first with the Republic of Florence, and still today, as it serves as the city hall. But it’s also an important museum where you can see beautifully frescoed rooms and works of art such as Michelangelo’s Genius of Victory and Verrocchio’s Putto with a Dolphin.

Allow a little less than an hour to visit this museum. You can also climb to the top of the palace’s tower, but in this case, if you’re visiting Florence in one day, I don’t recommend doing so due to time constraints. You can see the city from above in the afternoon, from the top of the Duomo’s dome. To plan your visit, read my guide for visiting Palazzo Vecchio: from that page, you can also book a private guided tour with me. If you’d prefer to share the tour with others, check out this guided tour of Palazzo Vecchio.

Walk around the historic center

Ideally you should exit Palazzo Vecchio around 11 a.m., and it’s time to stroll around, exploring the city’s narrow streets and wide squares, its shops for a spot of shopping, and encountering some important monuments along the way.

You can follow this walking itinerary (I’ve included the map below with the stops indicated on Google Maps), which starts from Piazza della Signoria and passes through:

• Porcellino fountain at the Porcellino leather market (rub the nos of the boar for good luck)
• Ponte Vecchio, the medieval bridge
• Pitti Palace
• Piazza Santo Spirito (you can enter the church for a quick visit if you want)
• Santa Trinita Bridge
• Piazza Santa Trinita (you can also quickly enter into the church of Santa Trinita to enjoy the artworks).
• Palazzo Strozzi (enter into the inner courtyard for free and enjoy the big piece of contemporary art that is usually displayed there, it’s changing often and it’s never the same).
• Piazza Santa Maria Novella.

You should make it in about one hour and a half, ending the walk around 12.30. Once again, you can do a private guided walking tour to know everything about what you’re seeing and to see more things in the same amount of time. If you want to do a group tour with other people, check this one out.

Santa Maria Novella church and its ancient pharmacy

If you love old churches with tons of artworks, Santa Maria Novella is a great choice. This basilica is so rich in history and artistic masterpieces that a guided tour can last up to two hours. But you can visit it on your own in less time, even in just half an hour, finishing at half past noon.

Before moving on to the next stop, don’t forget to stop by the ancient pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella to buy perfumes or beauty products with 8 centuries of history, and to enjoy the wonderful shop with some original medieval frescos and still the same furniture from the 1700s. You should be ready around 12.45.

Possible swap: If you have kids, you can skip the Santa Maria Novella church, and instead take them to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum (the one in via de’ Servi, not the interactive museum!), where they can play with models of his famous machines and inventions.

Lunch time – Florence in one day

Yay, it’s time to fill your belly with some mouthwatering Italian food. You have a few options:

• Go to the Mercato Centrale and indulge in street food and local dishes. The upper floor is a big food court with dozens of different options.
• Take a food tour, so you can try all the best of the flavors that Florence can offer. This food tour is one of the best and most popular ones in town.
• Grab a sandwich to eat while you keep exploring the city. This gives you an extra hour to visit something else! 

Whichever you choose, you should be ready and full by around 2:00 PM, or 2:30 PM at the latest.

Afternoon of one day in Florence

My plan is to visit the Accademia Gallery Museum, climb Brunelleschi’s Dome of the Cathedral, and go to Piazzale Michelangelo. The order in which to visit these two sites depends on the season:

• In summer: Accademia Gallery, then climb the dome, then go to Piazzale Michelangelo.
• In winter: climb the dome, go to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset, then visit the Accademia Gallery.

The problem in summer is that it’s so hot that climbing the dome in the early afternoon is really challenging and you should avoid it if possible. Also avoid going to Piazzale Michelangelo during the hottest hours of the summer, because there’s no shade.

Accademia Gallery Museum

The Accademia houses David and also five other statues by Michelangelo, and dozens of wonderful paintings from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. I recommend spending at least half an hour in this museum (although you could spend the entire afternoon there, as it’s so full of interesting works of art).

To learn the full history and secrets of Michelangelo’s David and to have a better experience, you can take a guided tour. Once again, you can choose between a private Accademia gallery tour or a group tour with others (in which case I recommend this Accademia Gallery Express Tour). Remember that private tours are priced by the hour, so they are usually cheaper than group tours for parties of four or more people.

Climb the dome + Piazza Duomo

The climb to the dome of the cathedral is one of the best experiences you can have on a trip to Italy, not only for the gorgeous view from above of Piazza Duomo, with the Baptistery and Giotto’s bell tower, but also for the opportunity to see the architecture of the dome and its paintings up close. There are only a few places available for each time slot, so tickets must be booked well in advance, especially during high season. I’ve gathered everything you need to know and my tips for climbing Florence’s Dome, included links e instructions to book the tickets from the official website.

Unfortunately, there’s always a long line to visit the Cathedral, but you can see it from above as you climb to the top of the dome.

Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo is a viewpoint on a hill right in front of the historic center. The view of the city from there is even more stunning at sunset, when the sun sinks into the middle of the Arno River, illuminating the city’s bridges. In winter, the sun sets between 4 and 5 pm, while the Accademia Museum closes at 6:30 pm (which is why in winter it’s better to go to the viewpoint first and then to the museum).

Piazzale Michelangelo is basically a public terrace that opens along the road, so the access is totally free and is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To get there I recommend taking a taxi to save time. You can also walk or take a bus, but it takes too long if you only have one day in Florence.

Evening – Florence in a day

After a day spent exploring museums, walking around, and taking guided tours, you deserve a drink! Head back to Piazza Santo Spirito (you passed it during your morning walk) and you’ll see how the atmosphere has changed. In the evening, the square becomes a meeting place for locals to enjoy an aperitivo, perhaps with a spritz or a glass of wine, and some snacks.

Don’t eat too much during aperitivo, or you’ll ruin your appetite for dinner!

Dinner at a Florentine restaurant and then gelato

Afterward, it’s time to taste the dishes for which Florence’s cuisine is so famous: the Florentine steak, a warm ribollita soup (my favorite comfort food), or perhaps a delicious plate of handmade pasta.

To help you decide where to dine, I’ve written several helpful posts:

• Where to eat Florentine steak
• Best pasta in Florence
• Best gelato in Florence – because after dinner you deserve a sweet treat! My n.1 recommendation is Gelateria Perché No, but in my post you can find many other great gelato places, and you can choose the closest one to you from the map.

I hope this post has been useful for organizing one day in Florence and to see the best that my beautiful city has to offer! If you have any questions leave a comment below and I will answer!