Nobody warned me the queue to enter the Duomo would be two hours long. In February.
We stood there at 11am, saw the line wrapping around the cathedral, and made a choice I’m still grateful for. We left, found a guide, and returned later.
That decision changed our whole trip.
The cathedral is better with a guide, but more importantly, it showed me how much Florence rewards people who plan ahead instead of just showing up and hoping for the best.
Florence is small enough to walk everywhere, but there’s enough to do that you could fill a week and still not see it all.
You won’t see everything in three days. But if you plan well, three days is enough to come home feeling like you really got to know the city, instead of just spending your time waiting in lines under the sun.
This guide is for that version of the trip.
I’m Ersilia – architect and travel lover based in France
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Short on time? Book these first
These are the four visits this itinerary is built around. They’re the ones that sell out or have long queues, so book them as soon as your dates are confirmed:
→ Duomo pass (dome climb, Baptistery, bell tower and museum) (~€50)
→ Palazzo Vecchio hidden passages tour (~€30)
→ Medici Chapels guided tour (~€50)
→ Uffizi Gallery skip-the-line ticket (~€20–25)
Still need a hotel? We stayed at Il Guelfo Bianco, two minutes from the Duomo. More options in my where to stay in Florence guide.
At a Glance
| Best for | Renaissance history, architecture, art, food |
| How long to stay | 3 days minimum — 5 if you want to breathe |
| When to go | February, March–May, or September–October |
| Getting there | Train from Rome (~1h30), Milan (~2h) |
| Getting around | Almost entirely on foot |
| Book in advance | Yes — for almost everything that matters |
| Currency | Euro |
| Language | Italian — a few words go a long way |
What Florence Actually Is
Florence is a Renaissance city preserved almost intact.
The streets, the palaces, the churches, the bridges — most of what you’re walking through was built between the 13th and 16th centuries and has not changed shape since.
That is extraordinary. It is also, at peak season, overwhelming.
The city is compact.
The historic centre — where everything is — fits within a loop you can walk in 30 minutes.
The Arno river cuts through the middle.
North of it: the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Palazzo Vecchio, most of the churches and palaces. South of it: the Oltrarno neighbourhood, Palazzo Pitti, and the hillside viewpoints.
What Florence does not have is a single “see this and move on” monument.
It is the accumulation of the place that gets to you.
You round a corner and there’s a 15th-century loggia.
You look up at a ceiling in a church you wandered into by accident and it stops you cold. The city works on you gradually — which is why rushing it is the one mistake worth avoiding.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Florence gets extremely crowded in summer. July and August can be tough with long lines, high temperatures, big crowds, and higher prices.
If you can, visit in February, March, or October.
We went in February and had the Giardino delle Rose almost to ourselves, with locals reading on the grass in the winter sun. That quieter side of Florence is really special.
The One Thing to Understand Before You Go: Book Everything
The most popular sites in Florence, like the Duomo dome, the Uffizi, the Medici Chapels, and the Palazzo Vecchio, all require advance booking.
This isn’t just a suggestion for busy times, it’s necessary. Otherwise, you’ll spend hours waiting in line or might not get in at all.
Even in February, the line to enter the Duomo church (free entry, no booking needed) stretched an hour or more. We skipped it entirely by booking a guided tour. More on that below.
My advice: as soon as your dates are confirmed, book your key visits. Then build your days around those slots.
What to See, or The Essentials… if that is even a thing
The Duomo Complex: Santa Maria del Fiore, the Dome, and the Baptistery
The cathedral is the visual heart of Florence.
You will see Brunelleschi’s dome from almost everywhere in the city, from hillside viewpoints, from bridges, from streets you wander into by accident.
The exterior, in its white, green and pink marble, is one of the great facades of European architecture.
Construction began in the 13th century and the dome — nearly 45 metres in diameter — was only added in the 15th century, when Brunelleschi solved an engineering problem that had defeated everyone for decades.
The cathedral had stood without its roof for forty years while they waited for someone to figure it out.
The interior of the church is, honestly, a little underwhelming for its scale. Fine, but not the revelation the exterior promises.
Where it becomes unmissable is the dome.
Climbing the dome is 463 steps. The passage between the two domes gets steep — almost vertical in places — and very narrow.
Not for anyone with claustrophobia. Not recommended with young children or anyone who struggles with confined spaces.
Once on top, the view is one of the finest in Italy: the entire city below you, the terracotta rooftops, the hills beyond.
My strong advice: book a guided tour for this.
Not because you need someone explaining things to you — but because guided groups enter through a separate door, skip the main queue entirely (we waited absolutely nothing while the general line stretched an hour or more), and have access to a specific viewing position inside the church beneath the dome that regular visitors cannot reach.
The painted ceiling reads completely differently from that spot. I would have missed it entirely on my own.
Duomo Dome Climb Pass
One ticket for the dome climb (463 steps), the Baptistery, Giotto’s bell tower and the Opera del Duomo museum. Dome time slots sell out, so book as soon as your dates are set.
One thing I regret is not climbing the Campanile di Giotto, the bell tower next to the cathedral. It’s almost 85 metres tall with over 400 steps, and from the top you get a view of the dome from outside, the view I missed. Book this separately if you’re interested. It’s on my list for next time.
The Baptistery ticket is included with the dome entry. Go in the afternoon when crowds thin. It was partially under restoration when we visited — worth checking current conditions before you go.
Practical: Guided dome tour costs about €25–30 per person. You can’t bring bags on the dome climb, but there’s free storage just behind the cathedral. Entry to the church is free, but the lines are long, so it’s better to go with a guide. Prefer to buy direct? The same pass is also sold on the official Duomo website.
Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria
My favourite square in Florence. Possibly my favourite square anywhere.
The buildings around Piazza della Signoria are all different from each other, with different periods, sizes, and purposes, but somehow it all works together.
The medieval bulk of the Palazzo Vecchio stands on one side. The Loggia dei Lanzi opens along another, filled with Renaissance sculptures displayed outdoors as if it’s the most natural thing. The Neptune fountain sits in one corner.
The Palazzo Vecchio was built in the 14th century as the seat of Florentine government. Cosimo de’ Medici lived here before the family moved to Palazzo Pitti — which is why it became known as the “Old Palace.” When the Medicis left, it housed government offices and the family’s art collection.
Even the standard visit is impressive. But the hidden passages tour is extraordinary. We did it on day two and it became our favourite visit of the entire trip.
I won’t give away any spoilers, since part of the fun is the surprise, but the visit starts through a hidden door in the palace’s facade.
You enter a room with no obvious entrance or exit, designed like a jewellery box by someone fascinated with alchemy and the search for the philosopher’s stone.
The guide explained the main hall: every ceiling painting was commissioned for a Medici wedding, showing off their power with gold and paint.
The grey lines on the floor are a full-size outline of the paintings above, so visitors could see just how much the Medicis spent.
I stood there, looking down at the floor and up at the ceiling, and thought: this is what it meant to be the richest family in Europe.
Even without the hidden passages tour, visit this building. It has details that will stop you mid-step.
On the square itself: take coffee or cocktails at Rudì. We went back three times in three days. The view over the piazza is beautiful, the pastry and cocktails are genuinely good, and it is not a tourist trap.
Practical: Book the hidden passages tour in advance, about €20–25. Standard entry is around €12. The first courtyard is free to enter and worth seeing even if you don’t do the full visit.
Palazzo Vecchio Hidden Passages Tour
Hidden doors, a secret alchemist’s room and a view over the Salone dei Cinquecento from above. Our favourite visit of the whole trip.
Santa Croce
This is where Michelangelo is buried. And Galileo. And Dante (a cenotaph — his remains are actually in Ravenna; Da Vinci, for what it’s worth, is in Amboise, France). And nearly 300 other figures of Italian history and culture.
Unlike the Duomo, Santa Croce never has overwhelming queues. My sister visited in August and said even then it wasn’t crowded. You don’t need to book in advance.
It’s the largest Franciscan church in the world, stretching 115 metres, with its first stone laid in 1294 and taking 300 years to finish. Inside, along with the tombs, you’ll find chapels decorated with beautiful frescoes. The layout reminded me of Westminster Abbey—church, cloister, extra chapels—but while Westminster has kings and queens, Santa Croce holds the great thinkers of the Renaissance. That difference says a lot about both cities.
The audio guide is worth it, about €6 for one device that two people can share.
The story of Galileo’s tomb alone makes it worthwhile—he was buried in a side chapel for almost a century before Florence finally gave him a proper monument. The Vatican had condemned him, but Florence eventually decided he deserved better.
Practical: Entry ~€8. Audio guide ~€6. No advance booking needed.
The Uffizi Gallery
I doubted whether to visit. Paintings and sculptures are not usually our thing, and I spent a long time wondering if it was worth the money and the crowds. I’m glad we went.
The building alone is worth seeing if you’re interested in architecture. It was built in the 16th century for Cosimo de’ Medici and was one of the first palaces to use a U-shaped plan.
There’s a long corridor facing the Arno that fills with beautiful light. The painted ceilings throughout the gallery are stunning. I spent a lot of time just walking slowly and looking up.
As for the art: if you love art, this is one of the most important collections in the world. It is also one of the oldest public museums on earth, opened in the 15th century when the Medicis initially allowed only their guests in, then gradually opened to the people of the city.
We downloaded Rick Steves’ free audio guide instead of the official one.
It only covers the most important works, so we finished the visit comfortably in an hour. That was the perfect amount of time for us.
The gallery was crowded, and even with skip-the-line tickets, there was still a wait for security. One focused hour was enough.
Practical: Book skip-the-line tickets in advance, about €20–25. Download Rick Steves’ free audio guide before you go; it saves money and is genuinely excellent.
The Medici Chapels
We were lucky. When we arrived for our guided tour, we were the only group. It felt like a private visit.
The chapels are the private mausoleum of the Medici family, attached to the Basilica of San Lorenzo.
From the outside, the complex doesn’t look especially impressive, which is exactly why having a guide makes a difference.
Inside, it’s extraordinary: built with precious stones that aren’t available anymore, with walls and floors covered in materials that can’t be replicated today.
Our guide, Emanuela, was one of the best guides I’ve ever had. She was professional, funny, and deeply knowledgeable—not just about the Medicis and the chapels, but also about Florence, its politics, and its history.
She explained how the family rose from Florentine bankers in the 15th century to become some of the most powerful patrons in European history.
One of Cosimo’s grandsons became Pope Leo X. Their last descendant, Anne-Marie-Louise, left the entire family art collection to the Tuscan state instead of letting it leave Florence.
The Uffizi, and everything in it, exists because of that decision.
Emanuela also does private tours on request. If you want a guide for a specific site or a bespoke day, it is worth asking her directly via her website.
Practical: Book in advance via GetYourGuide, ~€20 including entry. The Basilica of San Lorenzo next door is free to admire from the outside.
Ponte Vecchio
It’s the oldest stone bridge in Europe and the only bridge in Florence that the German army spared during World War II, recognizing it was too unique to destroy.
The stone bridge was built in 1345 by architect Taddeo Gaddi so the powerful Medici family could cross the Arno safely.
The shops on the bridge are all jewellers, and have been since Ferdinand I de’ Medici expelled the butchers and tanners in the 16th century because he couldn’t stand the smells from his private corridor above.
That corridor, the Vasari Corridor, runs directly over the bridge and connects the Uffizi to Palazzo Pitti.
The jewellery is beautiful and extremely expensive.
What is worth stopping for: on the bridge, facing the Piazza de’ Pitti side, there is a sundial mounted on the wall. It has been there since the 15th century, telling time with its shadow. Most people walk straight past it.
For the best view of the Ponte Vecchio — rather than from it — walk to the Ponte alle Grazie a few minutes east. From there you see the whole bridge at once.
The Oltrarno
Cross the Arno and the city feels different.
The Oltrarno, the neighborhood on the left bank, is quieter, less crowded with tourists, and more residential. There are antique shops, artisan workshops, and small markets.
Locals come here to eat, and it feels different from the busy historic center.
This is also where you’ll find Palazzo Pitti, a huge Renaissance palace built in 1458 for banker Luca Pitti as a statement against his rival Cosimo de’ Medici.
The Medicis bought it a century later and made it their main home. Today, it houses six museums, including the Palatine Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art, as well as the Boboli Gardens, which are among the best Italian gardens anywhere. I didn’t get inside during my three days, so the Boboli Gardens are on my list for next time.
Pass through the Porta San Miniato — a 14th-century gate, remarkably intact — on your way up to the Giardino delle Rose and Piazzale Michelangelo.
The Giardino delle Rose is a panoramic garden connecting the Oltrarno to the Piazzale, containing a small Japanese garden gifted by Kyoto (Florence’s twin city). Even in February, we found locals there, reading in the winter sun. One of the quieter and more beautiful moments of the trip.
Piazzale Michelangelo
This is the famous postcard view. From here, looking north, you can see everything at once: the Duomo and its dome, the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, the Ponte Vecchio crossing the Arno below, and the Apennine mountains in the distance. It really lives up to the hype.
Visit in the late afternoon when the light is better and the crowds are a bit smaller. If you want to see the original David at the Galleria dell’Accademia—which we didn’t manage in three days, but I recommend you make it a priority—be sure to book well in advance.
Santa Maria Novella and the Officina Profumo
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is the oldest basilica in Florence, built starting in 1246. Its green and white marble facade, which is similar to Santa Croce, dates from the Renaissance and shows the coats of arms of the families buried inside. It’s definitely worth a visit.
The piazza in front of it is one of the most pleasant squares in Florence. No cars. Café terraces. A calm the more famous squares don’t always have. Stop here for an aperitivo.
Right next door is the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, founded by Dominican monks in the 13th century.
Today, it’s part perfume shop and part museum, with several rooms featuring beautiful painted ceilings, antique bottles, and old pharmaceutical equipment. You can go in without buying anything, and I recommend it.
The fragrances are excellent, though the bottles start at around €240, which was more than I wanted to spend. It reminded me of Fragonard in Provence, if you know that place.
If you want the full story behind it, Emmanuela, the guide from the Medici’s Chapell, does this one too! You can book it here.
A Note on Guided Tours
I was not planning to do guided tours for most of our visits. By the end of the trip, I was converting everyone I met.
In Florence, guides offer three things that really make a difference: skipping lines (for the Duomo dome, a single booking can mean the difference between waiting two hours and not waiting at all), access to places you can’t see on your own (like the hidden passages of Palazzo Vecchio or the special viewing spot under the dome ceiling), and context that helps you understand what you’re seeing.
If you only do one guided tour in Florence, choose the hidden passages of Palazzo Vecchio. If you do two, add the Duomo. → Full guide to guided tours in Florence: which ones are worth it
What to Eat
The best thing I ate in Florence cost €3.50 and I ate it standing up outside.
All’Antico Vinaio on Via de’ Neri is famous for a reason. Focaccia sandwiches made in front of you with fresh, quality ingredients. Arrive before noon — the queue grows fast. Order the Sanremo: mozzarella spread, pesto, dried tomatoes, ham. Eat it in nearby Piazza di San Marco. The piazza is nothing special. The sandwich will make you not care.
After Ponte Vecchio, stop at Gino’s Bakery for the cannoli. €3.50, every flavour. I have been thinking about them since I got home.
For dinner night one: Il Grande Nuti Trattoria. The handmade pasta is made in the windows facing the street — which makes it look more touristy than it is. The pasta is genuinely extraordinary. The tiramisu is not optional. Book in advance. ~€90 for two with wine.
Day two lunch: Trattoria Antico Fattore, near Palazzo Vecchio. The Florentine steak — a specific, enormous cut of beef ordered by weight and shared between at least two people. Ours was €60 in 2026. Excellent meal. More food than we could finish. Come hungry.
For a quick lunch: Il Latini near Palazzo Vecchio, known for its focaccia with traditional pork ragu. No seating — eat on the square.
The best dinner of the trip was the last one: Cantinetta Cavour, just by our hotel. We were the only non-Italians in a room full of Florentines.
They took exceptional care of us. The pasta was the best of three days. The tiramisu came from another planet. Also the cheapest meal of the trip. This is the kind of place you find by accident and tell everyone about.
For something specific to Florence: go to Migone, near the Duomo, for the pistachio biscuits. A Florentine speciality worth seeking out.
Morning coffee: Fiaschetteria Bar Caffè near the Medici Chapels — full of locals, wood stools outside. The cappuccinos were average when we went. The limoncello spritz at night was excellent.
Want to eat your way through Florence?
A food tour is the fastest way to taste the city’s specialities — schiacciata, lampredotto, cantucci, gelato and Chianti — with someone who knows where locals go. Book the award-winning Florence food tour.
Fell for the handmade pasta at Il Grande Nuti? You can learn to make it yourself: book a pasta and tiramisu class with unlimited wine.
The Self-Guided Walking Tour
One of the most helpful things we did was a full walking tour on our first day. We didn’t go inside any sites, just walked around the city to get a feel for the layout and get our bearings before using our booked tickets.
I have a full interactive map with the complete route marked — all landmarks, squares, and viewpoints, plus the restaurants mentioned in this guide. → Open the Florence walking tour map
It takes a full day, so wear comfortable shoes and stop for coffee whenever you need a break.
When to Go
February: The best-kept secret. Cold but not unpleasant if you dress for it. Almost no queues for anything. Locals are actually present. Prices are lower. This is when we went, and I would go again without hesitation.
March–May: Beautiful. Manageable crowds through April; May gets busy.
July–August: Avoid if you possibly can. The heat is brutal, the crowds are overwhelming, and the city is at its worst.
September–October: My second recommendation. Extraordinary September light, easing heat, thinning crowds after mid-September.
November–January (excluding Christmas week): Quiet and underrated. All interior visits excellent in any season.
Getting There and Around
By train from Rome: ~1h30, arriving at Firenze Santa Maria Novella station, a 10-minute walk from the Duomo. From Milan: ~2 hours. You do not need a car in Florence. Leave it behind.
Practical Notes
Tipping: Not mandatory in Italy. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated; 10% in nicer restaurants is generous.
Churches: Shoulders and knees covered. Most have shawls to borrow, but easier to carry your own.
The leather scam: Street vendors near the leather market will try to put bracelets on your wrist or push items into your hands before asking for payment. Keep your hands in your pockets, be direct, keep walking.
Buying leather: Florence is genuinely one of the finest places in the world for leather goods. Buy from a shop, not a stall.
Free things: Palazzo Strozzi courtyard. Piazza della Signoria. The view from Ponte alle Grazie. The Oltrarno neighbourhood. The Giardino delle Rose. Walking this city slowly and looking up costs nothing.
Where to Stay
We stayed at Il Guelfo Bianco, a boutique hotel in a 15th-century building just two minutes from the Duomo. The superior double room was truly beautiful, with exposed brick arches, hand-painted walls, original wooden beam ceilings, and antique furniture mixed with modern art.
Breakfast is a simple but high-quality buffet with good mozzarella, fresh fruit, and real coffee. Guests get free prosecco at 5pm every day. The location is excellent.
Il Guelfo Bianco
Our hotel: a 15th-century palazzo two minutes from the Duomo, with brick arches, hand-painted walls, a good breakfast and free prosecco at 5pm.
My sister stayed near the San Lorenzo market. My father stayed directly by the Duomo and could see the dome from his room window. All three of us were happy with our choices.
For full recommendations at every price point: → Read our full Florence where to stay guide
Getting to Florence and Getting Around
From the Airport to the City Centre
Florence’s main airport is Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR), also called Peretola, about 6 km northwest of the city centre. Getting from the airport to the historic centre is straightforward — and honestly one of the more pleasant airport transfers I’ve done.
The tram is the way to go.
Line T2 runs directly from the airport arrivals hall into the city centre, terminating at Santa Maria Novella station — the main train station, a 10-minute walk from the Duomo.
Trams run every 6 minutes. The journey takes around 20 minutes. The ticket costs €1.70.
You don’t need to buy a ticket in advance or find a machine. Tap your credit card or phone wallet directly on the validator inside the tram. That’s it. I appreciated this more than I expected — after a flight, the last thing you want is to figure out a ticketing system.
From Santa Maria Novella station, the Duomo is a 10-minute walk east along Via dei Cerretani. You will see the dome before you arrive. It is hard to miss.
Taxis and rideshare are available outside arrivals if you’re travelling with heavy luggage or in a group, but for most visitors the tram is faster, cheaper, and more enjoyable.
Practical: Line T2 tram, every 6 minutes, ~20 minutes to Santa Maria Novella, €1.70 by contactless card or phone.
Getting Around Florence
Honestly? Just walk.
Florence’s historic centre is compact enough that almost every major site is within a 20-minute walk of every other. The Duomo to Ponte Vecchio is 10 minutes.
The Palazzo Vecchio to Santa Croce is 8 minutes. The Piazzale Michelangelo is the only destination that involves a real climb — about 20–25 minutes on foot from the Oltrarno, partly uphill.
The tram network (lines T1 and T2) is useful for getting between the station and outlying neighbourhoods, but within the historic centre you will not need it. Buses exist but are rarely worth the effort for tourist itineraries — the streets are narrow and services are slow.
Taxis are useful for late nights or heavy luggage. Book via the official Taxi Torino app or flag one from a rank.
What you do not need: A car. Parking in the historic centre is extremely restricted, expensive, and a logistical problem. Leave the car at home or at your accommodation outside the ZTL (the restricted traffic zone, which covers most of the historic centre and carries automatic fines for unauthorised entry).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get from Florence airport to the city centre?
Take the Line T2 tram from the airport arrivals hall directly to Santa Maria Novella train station. It runs every 6 minutes, takes around 20 minutes, and costs €1.70 — payable by tapping your card or phone wallet on the validator inside the tram. From the station, the Duomo is a 10-minute walk.
Do I need to book Florence attractions in advance?
Yes, for anything significant. The Duomo dome, the Uffizi, the Medici Chapels, and the Palazzo Vecchio hidden passages all require advance booking — either a timed entry ticket or a guided tour. In low season you may get away with booking a day or two ahead; in spring and summer, book weeks in advance. The free-entry Duomo church has no booking but has queues of an hour or more even in February. Go with a guide and skip it entirely.
What are the must-see museums in Florence and how do I get tickets?
The three essential museum visits are the Uffizi Gallery (skip-the-line ticket, ~€20–25), the Medici Chapels (guided tour, ~€20), and the Galleria dell’Accademia for Michelangelo’s David (advance booking required, ~€16–20). The Palazzo Vecchio interior — particularly the hidden passages tour — is as essential as any museum. Book all of these via the official museum websites or GetYourGuide. For the Accademia, book this first — it sells out furthest in advance.
Which guided tours are worth booking in Florence?
Three stand out. First: the Palazzo Vecchio hidden passages tour — the best single visit we did in Florence, only accessible with a guide. Second: a guided Duomo dome tour — guides enter through a separate door, skip all queuing, and access a viewing position beneath the painted ceiling that regular visitors cannot reach. Third: the Medici Chapels with a specialist guide — context transforms what would otherwise be a beautiful but confusing space into something that makes the entire city make sense. → Full guide to Florence guided tours
What is the best app for planning a Florence visit?
For navigation and saving locations, Google Maps works well — save every restaurant, site, and coffee stop before you leave your hotel and you won’t need to search in the moment. For the Uffizi specifically, download Rick Steves’ free audio guide before you go — it is genuinely better than the official one and covers the key works in about an hour. For the walking tour, I have a full interactive map with every stop marked. → Open the Florence walking tour map
What are the best neighbourhoods to stay in Florence?
The historic centre — anywhere within 10–15 minutes walk of the Duomo — is ideal for a first visit. You want to be able to walk to your sightseeing rather than commute to it. The area around San Lorenzo market is lively and central. The Oltrarno, on the south bank, is quieter and more residential — good if you want a slightly calmer base. Avoid anything described as being near the station unless the hotel itself is exceptional — the immediate station area is the least interesting part of the centre. → Full Florence where to stay guide
Are day trips from Florence worth it?
Yes, if you have four or five days. The most obvious options by train: Siena (1h15, beautiful medieval city, very different character from Florence), Pisa (1h, the Leaning Tower is more impressive in person than it looks in photographs), Lucca (1h30, a walled Renaissance city that most people underestimate). All three are easy half-day or full-day trips from Santa Maria Novella station. For a three-day trip, I would not sacrifice a Florence day for a day trip — there is too much in the city itself.
Is Florence walkable?
Entirely. The historic centre is flat on the north bank of the Arno and gently hilly on the south side. The only real climb is up to Piazzale Michelangelo and the Giardino delle Rose — manageable for anyone in normal health. If you have mobility considerations, the south bank hill is the only significant challenge; everything else is flat cobblestone streets.
Adding a day trip?
If you have a fourth day, Siena (1h15 by train), Pisa, Lucca and the Chianti wine country are all easy to reach from Florence. Most tours include transport, so there is nothing to organise. See the best day trips from Florence
A Last Note
Florence is easy to approach wrong.
You can spend three days ticking off monuments and come home with photographs of famous things and a vague feeling of having missed the point.
Or you can plan a little, book in advance, find one good guide, and discover that a €3.50 sandwich on a bench in a sun-filled piazza is one of the best things you ate all year.
That you stood beneath a painted ceiling for twenty minutes and couldn’t bring yourself to move on. That the most interesting room you visited was one you’d never heard of, behind a hidden door in a palace facade that most people walk straight past.
That is the Florence this guide is trying to help you find.
