Florence is one of our favorite places to visit in Europe. Below are our recommendations of the best things to do, where to eat for lunch, dinner, and dessert, and where to stay while you’re there! Looking for an itinerary to fit it all in? Check out my 3-day Florence itinerary (with optional Venice day trip!) here:
https://followthefischers.com/three-day-florence-itinerary/
What to do
Galleria dell’Accademia – Where the statue of David resides, probably the most popular thing to do in Florence, don’t miss it!
Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (the Duomo) – Climb to the top or enjoy the view from the bottom. If stairs aren’t your thing (there are 463 of them!) then I think it’s OK to skip the climb.
Tuscany winery tour – Our favorite thing to do in Florence.
Check out our favorite tour here: https://www.angelapersonaltuscantour.com/
Ponte Vecchio – Famous bridge lined with shops. It’s mostly jewelry shops so you likely won’t do any real shopping, but it’s worth the photo op!
Cooking class – We’ve enjoyed both cooking classes we’ve done, but if you have no interest in cooking, skip this and opt for dining out at one of the restaurants mentioned below!
Uffizi – We found this museum to be more impressive than the Galleria de Accademia. Although we did skip it during our first trip to Florence, I would recommend trying to squeeze it in if you have time!
Piazzale Michaelangelo – Check it out at sunset. Decent walk to the top, our Tuscany tour stopped by on the drive to the wineries.
Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella – oldest pharmacy in the world, definitely skippable, but if you have the time it was very cool to walk through!
Where to eat
Lunch
All’ Antico Vinaio – Very popular spot for sandwiches but the line moves quickly. You can dine in but I recommend ordering from the counter and eating as you walk around. Important to note that it is now illegal to sit and eat on the sidewalks outside of busy areas during lunch and dinner hours.
La Grotta Guelfa – If you’re in the mood for pasta for lunch (specifically carbonara) this is a great stop. We didn’t go to Rome on our most recent trip so I didn’t get my fill of carbonara and this satisfied that craving. We haven’t been for dinner, but assume it would be just as good in the evening!
Antico Noe – We haven’t been here but it has been recommended to us by friends for great sandwiches.
Dinner
Acqua Al 2 – Get the pasta sampler.
Il Profeta – The “John Travolta” pasta, truffle pasta, and pear ravioli are all amazing. The owner Claudio makes dining there an experience. The food is reasonably priced, but the dishes they are known for are more expensive at 33 euros a plate.
13 Gobbi – We’ve never been here but it has been recommended by friends.
Trattoria Za Za – We’ve also never been here, but it’s on our list for our next trip!
*Be sure to make reservations for dinners ahead of time.
Gelato
Gelateria dei Neri – Top 2 gelaterias in Florence for us…and we’ve tried a lot.
Gelateria La Carraia – Tied for first place, try the “orange chocolate” and “cookies” flavors.
Vivoli – Founded back in 1929, its been around for almost 100 years for a reason.
*Skip Venchi – Very popular amongst tourists, we didn’t love.
Where to stay
Airbnbs
https://abnb.me/SExKdcSgEtb – Great for a group of 6, offered a private cooking class in the Airbnb for an extra cost.
https://abnb.me/S79iaTGuMtb – We haven’t stayed here but looks like a great location and price.
Hotels
http://www.residenzedepocacollection.com/EN/residenzahistoria.aspx – We’ve stayed one night here, reasonably priced.
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/flrak-sina-villa-medici-autograph-collection/overview/ – We stayed here on our first trip to Florence when we had Marriott points to spend, beautiful hotel with good breakfast.
