Florence travel blog — The fullest Florence travel guide for a great budget trip for first-timers

Florence is often hailed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world with a lot of valuable historical places to visit. Florence is also considered the birthplace of the Renaissance art and architecture in Europe between the 15th and 16th centuries. It still retains almost intact works of art, ancient beauty features from hundreds of years ago, notably the brown brick houses with its signature red tile roofs stretching many blocks. In 1982, Historic Centre of Florence was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. So, what to do and how to plan a budget perfect trip to Florence for the first-time? Let’s check out our Florence travel blog (Florence blog, Florence Italy blog, Florence Italy travel blog) with the fullest Florence travel guide (Florence Italy travel guide, Florence guide) from how to get, best time to come, where to stay, best places to visit and top things to do to find out the answer!

Florence travel blog: Overview of Florence

Florence (Italian: Firenze) is the capital of the Tuscany region and is located in the central of Italy. The city of Florence is only 300km to the south from Milan and 280 km to the north from Rome.

Florence was founded in 50 BC when Emperor Julius Caesar’s soldiers started building barracks here. It was once the capital of the Kingdom of Italy in the period of 1865 – 1870. This more than two thousand years old city is famous not only for its many ancient architectural masterpieces but also for the home of the Renaissance movement in Europe covering the 15th and 16th centuries.

Since the 13th century, Florence was the living place and ruling of many powerful clans. Thanks to the protection and support of these clans, Florence has had the opportunity to develop its comprehensive range of cultural and artistic values. Many the world’s greatest geniuses in many fields have appeared here such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Sandro Botticelli, Donatello… They have revolutionized poetry, painting, sculpture and architecture.

This revolution of culture and art of the city that spread to many other Italian cities and then to other countries in Europe, creating a historical period in Europe that was called the Renaissance Period. Therefore, up to now, mankind still considers Florence the cradle of the Renaissance movement in Europe.

Florence travel blog: When to visit?

Florence has a clear differentiation in weather during the year. Summer is long, hot, sweltering, especially in July and August. Winter begins from December to March, although the temperature is not too cold but wet, causing the inconvenience for your trip.

The best time to go to Florence is in spring (March-May) and in autumn (September-October), the weather is cool, not too cold or too hot and avoid crowded with tourists.

Florence blog: Where to stay?

During my trip to Florence, I stayed at the Le Burella apartment, right in the heart of Florence. The room rate at €54/night for 3 people. The apartment has 2 bedrooms and the above price is for one room. It also has a toilet, a kitchen. I like this place most because of its very convenient location. Just a few hundred meters to Piazza del Duomo (Duomo Square), Ponte Vecchio Bridge, Piazza della Signoria (Signoria Square)… The downside is probably the house is quite old, the floor is bad, and the bathroom is cramped. The quality of the house is worse than I thought. If you only need a place to sleep after a long day of sightseeing in Florence and do not have many requirements, you can stay here.

Also you can refer to a bugalow at Firenze Camping (Agoda.com or Booking.com) for €39/2-3 people/room. Rooms here are very new, clean and also have an outdoor swimming pool. This place is about 20 minutes from the center of Florence, around there are many restaurants, supermarkets, bars. This is one of the accommodations that get the most reviews (with over 13,000 reviews on Booking.com).

Another better option if you want to stay right near the center is Guest House Biffi Simone. The day I came, this place was out of room, so I couldn’t book. This accommodation also has a very convenient location, just 600 meters from Duomo square, it’s very modern and new. Price at €54/night for 2 people.

Below we recommend more best cheap, budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

• Hotel Pendini, a top rated 3-star hotel with room rates from $141/night (Check rates on Agoda.com or Booking.com).
• Hotel David, a top rated 3-star hotel with room rates from $191/night (Check rates on Booking.com).
• The Westin Excelsior Florence, a top rated 5-star hotel with room rates from $350/night (Check rates on Agoda.com or Booking.com).
• Hotel Lungarno, a top rated 5-star hotel with room rates from $425/night (Check rates on Agoda.com or Booking.com).
• Hotel Spadai, a top rated 4-star hotel with room rates from $148/night (Check rates on Agoda.com or Booking.com).
• Hotel Spadai, a top rated 4-star hotel with room rates from $355/night (Check rates on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Check out more best and top hotels in Florence on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Florence travel guide: How to get to Florence?

From other cities to Florence

By train

Florence is located on the main railway of the country and connects to many other famous tourist cities of Italy such as Pisa (1 hour by train), Venice (2 hours), Rome (2.5 hours), Milan (2.5 hours), Siena, Bologna (1 hour). Therefore, the most convenient way to get to Florence from other cities is by train such as Italo train.

You can search the tickets at OMIO to buy tickets online if you have determined the exact travel time. If not, I still recommend you to buy tickets at tickets vending machines or ticket counters at train stations. Because with this way you can take the initiative on your travel schedule. However, the ticket price will be higher than online booking many days in advance. You can use code linhm0h7b4w6d to get a €10 discount when the booking value is over €40. You enter the above code in the Travel bonus form in the received an invite code section.

By bus

You can also take the Flixbus bus, which is cheaper and a little longer. If you can hunt for tickets early, the bus price is very cheap, sometimes only half the price of the train. Find tickets here.

By plane

If you choose to fly to Florence you can travel from the airport to central Florence by taking the VOLAINBUS bus with a ticket price of 6 EUR/way and 10 EUR/round trip.

However, you should not take domestic flights to get to Florence, although you can save time, but the fare for domestic flights in Italy is very high. There are 2 domestic airlines you can refer to: Alitalia and Meridiana.

Florence Italy travel guide: Getting around

In central Florence there are many means of transport such as taxis, buses, trams or Uber. However, to save the most money, you should rent a bike or on foot. With art cities such as Florence in particular and European cities in general, it is very suitable for slow walking to contemplate the ancient beauty here.

• Bus, tram: €1.2/single-ticket/trip, valid for 90 minutes
• Pack of 10 tickets: €10
• Hop on – hop off ticket: 1 day for €23, 2 days for 28 €
• By foot: If you rent a room in the center near Signoria square or Piazza del Duomo, you can completely walk to the tourist attractions of Florence. During my trip, I also walked and felt pretty good. The places to visit are not too far apart.

Florence travel blog: What to do and where to go?

Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square, Duomo Square)

Giotto’s Bell Tower, Baptistery of St. John, as well as the Florence Cathedral are the three most prominent structures in Duomo Square. The Gothic facade of Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Giotto’s Bell Tower (Campanile di Giotto) gives a strong impression with its colorful sophisticated design. This is the most prominent Florence tourist destination that often appears in video clips as well as souvenirs when referring to Florence.

Duomo Monumental Complex Direct Access Ticket in Florence with Guided Visit

Admission fee: Adults: €18/Children from 6-11 years old: €3.

Tickets apply to all buildings in the square such as church, baptistery, bell tower, museum … tickets are valid within 72 hours from the first entrance to a building in the square. Online booking website here.

Note: When visiting the church, it is not allowed to wear skirts, sleeveless shirts, and shorts. If you want to climb to the top of the church, you should choose a time slot in advance because the number of visitors is limited for each visit.

Opening hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 10 am – 5 pm
Thursday: 10 am – 3:30 pm (depends on the month)
Saturday: 10 am – 4:45 pm
Sunday and public holidays: 1:30 pm – 4:45 pm

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Cathedral, Duomo di Firenze)

Florence Duomo Skip-the-Line Tour with Balcony & Dome Access

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore also known as Duomo is an Italian term meaning cathedral which has become the symbol of Florence that any Italian visitor will know. Prominent on this beautiful Florence skyline is the magnificent dome of the cathedral – one of the most important structures of the Renaissance Period. The inside of the cathedral is splendidly decorated with many stained-glass windows and famous frescoes.

Duomo was designed and built by many talented Italian architects at that time. Among them are architect Arnolfo di Cambio – who first sketched in 1294 and Filippo Brunelleschi – who designed the magnificent dome of the cathedral. With a diameter of 45.5 m, this is the largest brick and mortar dome in the world to this day. You can climb the 463 steps (no elevators) to reach the top of the dome to see a great panorama of the city.

Small Guided Tour with Fast Track Entry to Duomo and the Secret Terraces

I honestly have never been to a European tourist destination that is as crowded as this cathedral. It is impossible to count the number of people lining up to enter the church. If you want to go inside to visit, you should go early to get in line.

Florence Duomo Direct Access and Guided Tour

The Baptistery of St. John

Facing the entrance to the Cathedral is The Baptistery of St. John, one of the oldest structures in Florence. This work was built between 1059 and 1128 and took nearly 70 years to complete.

Like the other buildings around Duomo Square, its exterior is covered with mosaic marble, along with delicate bronze doors and interior mosaics forming its main attractions. The famous octagonal structure with three sets of bronze doors at the entrance is the highlight of this building. The most famous one is the Gates of Paradise in the east.

Giotto’s Bell Tower (Giotto’s Campanile)

Giotto’s Bell Tower was built in the Gothic style of Florence according to the drawings of architect Giotto. It was built in 1334 in a vertical rectangle with 84.7m high. The tower has 5 stories and 7 bells. However, in 1337 Giotto died when only marble tiles were installed for the ground floor of the bell tower.

In 1443, Andrea Pisano, who is famous for the south door of the baptistery, went on to build the bell tower. While closely following Giotto’s design, Pisano just added his new construction ideas and completed two more floors of the bell tower.

In 1348, the plague epidemic across Europe halted the construction of the Giotto bell tower. Until 1459, the last three floors of the Giotto bell tower were completed by Francesco Talenti with a slight change from Giotto’s original design.

Florence Duomo, Baptistery, and Museum Tour

Piazza della Signoria

Piazza della Signoria Square was built in 1268. This is the largest and most important square of Florence with an L-shape located in front of the palace of the ruler of Florence, named palace “Palazzo della Signoria”, or ” Palazzo Vecchio ”. This beautiful neighborhood of Florence is home to many other famous buildings built in the 15th century such as the Palazzo Vecchio government building (the Town Hall), the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Palazzo Uguccioni (a Renaissance palace), Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali Palace. In addition, this place is also very close to other famous Florence tourist attractions such as Piazza del Duomo square, Ponte Vecchio bridge, Uffizi Gallery.

It used to be the place to display many famous statues of outstanding Italian sculptors including Michaelangelo’s statue of David. The original was later relocated to the Galleria dell’Accademia Museum and now only the replica remains in front of the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio city government building.

Palazzo Vecchio Palace is designed in a very unique palace architecture in Roman style. This is the architecture style of Central and Western Europe dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. Currently the city government is still working here. After the Piazza del Duomo square, tourists should not miss this spot when coming Florence.

Strozzi Palace (Palazzo Strozzi)

Strozzi Palace was built by the Strozzi clan, the construction started in 1489 and completed in 1538. Strozzi Palace is a cultural center and art gallery in Florence and is a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance architecture.

This is the most impressive palace with its large size. The largest of the more than 100 palaces built in Florence in the 15th century. Filippo Strozzi had to buy a total of 15 properties to build the building as you see today.

Address: Piazza degli Strozzi, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Hours: 9AM–8PM

Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace)

This palace is located on the south side of the river Arno. This is the place to display the richest works of art collections. Featuring 7 galleries of the Medici family, along with some of the best art in Florence. The palace has an garden bearing bold Italian style. Here you also have a great view of the city. There is a small café in the courtyard where you can relax and take a break and admire the ancient beauty of this palace.

Florence Pitti Palace Tour

Address: Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Construction started: 1446

The Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most important art galleries in Italy as well as in Europe today. This is the wealthiest and most valuable asset that the Medici family has left. Because this Medici family sponsored Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Donatello to create the world’s masterpieces as we see this day. For visitors who interested in learning about culture and history, the Uffizi gallery is the most ideal destination among the museums and galleries in Florence.

Uffizi Gallery Guided Tour with Fast Track Entry

This entire Florence art gallery has more than 100.000 drawings and prints and numerous antiques, sculptures. It is divided into 46 galleries sorted by creative time and creative genre. I think it’s hard to admire all the works in this place in one day. Some outstanding works that you should not miss when visiting the Uffizi gallery include “Spring (La Primavera)” and “The Birth of Venus” by Botticelli, “Adoration of the Magi” by Leonardo by Da Vinci, “Doni Tondo (Holy Family)” by Michelangelo,” “Venus of Urbino” by Titian.

Uffizi Gallery Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Ticket

The Uffizi gallery is located right next to Signoria Square and the River Arno. If you intend to visit, you should go early before 9am. This place is also as crowded as Duomo Square. Also near Uffizi are Pitti Palace and Bobolis garden. You can drop by if you want. Admission fee for each place is 3 euros. Uffizi is 29 €.

Uffizi and Galleria dell’Accademia are the only two museums in Florence that I recommend you to book tickets online in advance if you go in peak season. The number of visitors lining up to buy tickets at Uffizi is also not less at all, so save time by buying tickets online first.

Uffizi Gallery Skip-the-Line Ticket in Florence

Click here to get the €5 discount code, then book skip the line tickets at Klook to save your waiting time.

Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Ponte Vecchio Bridge

The Ponte Vecchio is Florence’s oldest bridge, it was built in 996 but rebuilt in 1345. An impressive Ponte bridge image with three wide arches stretching refects itself on the river Arno especially at sunsets are unforgetable moments. According to history, this was the only bridge not ordered to be destroyed by Hitler when they withdrew their troops through Florence during World War II.

It takes only 5 minutes from the Uffizi gallery to walk along the river to this bridge. The architecture of the Ponte Vecchio bridge is not so majestic as Chain Bridge in Hungary but should not be missed if you come to Florence.

Address: Ponte Vecchio, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy

Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square)

Michelangelo Square is a must-go place in Florence for any visitor. Maybe this is a not new tourist spot, but it has never disappointed tourists with a passionate desire to learn about history. Many people mistakenly think that the square was designed by Michelangelo. In fact, this place was only built in 1869 by a Florence architect named Giuseppe Poggi.

At first Poggi intended to display here Michelangelo’s masterpieces or at least his copies. The original works can be found elsewhere in this same city of Florence. The most typical works are the statue of a young man David and 4 sculptures representing 4 times of the day in the Medici Chapel. These are just duplicates, the originals of these 5 statues are being placed at the Art Museum Galleria dell’Accademia and San Lorenzo Cathedral.

Poggi had planned to built a hillside building with a dome in the square as a Michelangelo’s Museum. However, this building was not built as expected. Today, it is the Caffe & Ristorante La Loggia – a cafe with panoramic terrace.

Galleria dell’Accademia

Founded in 1784 by founders Leopold II and Holy Roman Emperor as an academy for artists, the Accademia gallery today holds an outstanding collection of works by many famous masters of at that time. Some of them can be mentioned:

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519): An outstanding representative of the history of human civilization, the most famous painter, sculptor and scientist in history. His representative works include the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper. He is known as one of the three great masters in the Renaissance Period.

Michelangelo (1457-1564): One of the greatest representatives in world art history: A sculptor, painter, architect. He is the author of “David”, “The Painting of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling”, “The Last Judgment” and the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. He is also one of the three great masters of the Renaissance along with Raphael and Da Vinci. He was the first Western artist to have a biography published while he was still living. His contemporaries often called him Il Divino (superhuman) or “the divine one”.

Accademia Gallery Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Ticket

Galleria dell’Accademia maintains Michelangelo’s original statue of David. This work makes the museum deserve more attention because although replicas of David are everywhere in the city, the original is only one. Statue of David is one of the most beautiful and perfect art masterpieces of all time.

Accademia Gallery Skip-the-Line Ticket in Florence

Today, the statue of David is always praised as one of the most beautiful statues in the world. Along with David, The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and Sistine Madona by Raphael have became the epitome of Italian art during the Renaissance.

The Academia gallery is famous only after Uffizi. I see fewer people lined up here than the Uffizi. Alternatively, if you do not have enough time in line at Uffizi, you can come here to visit. Admission to Academia is €29 if you choose skip the line (over 18 years old). If you do not intend to visit, just skip this place. Because this gallery basically looks like a four-level house, it’s not as massive and grandiose as Uffizi or other museums.

Address: Via Ricasoli, 58/60, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy

Central Market (Mercato Centrale)

This central market is located in the San Lorenzo neighborhood in a 19th-century building. It sells everything from fresh food to restaurants, eateries with traditional local dishes. If you are looking for a place to experience Florence’s local culinary and lifestyle culture, then come here.

The food here is quite delicious but cheaper than the restaurants. Although it is only a market, it is highly rated on Tripadvisor. Along the road to the market, many leather products are displayed and sell. Perhaps the most typical is the handbag. Shopping lovers should not miss this place when traveling to Florence.

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

It was the first church built in this city. It is also the church of the Dominican nuns. It is located on the opposite side of the largest station in Florence, which is named after the church called SM Novella.

The church facade is made of white marble with perfectly symmetrical architecture and colorful circular windows that give the inspiration to the design style of the post-Baroque and Gothic churches.

Address: P.za di Santa Maria Novella, 18, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Construction started: 1279

Val d’Orcia

This is the most beautiful land that many tourists want to visit when traveling to Florence. Val d’Orcia is the valley that stretches from the hills in the south of Siena. Green hills interspersed with old villages to create a very unique ancient character. The land of Val D’orcia is considered the inspiration for the Renaissance art.

Val d’Orcia Tour from Florence

Val d’Orcia is a valley in the Northwest, its name derives the name of Orcia river, the river flows through this land before flowing into the great river. This valley area was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 2004. Just 2 hours drive from central Florence, Val d’Orcia is famous for its winding road and lush vineyards.

Val d’Orcia: Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pienza Full Day Private Tour

Florence travel blog: Florence travel itinerary for 3 days

My personal opinion is that traveling to Florence is very interesting and should not be miss this place if you plan to travel to Italy. To visit all the famous tourist attractions of Florence, it will take quite a lot of time. If you only intend to visit and take photos from the outside, I think 1-2 days here is enough. If you visit inside the Uffizi gallery or the works in Duomo square, you can only visit up to 2 tourist attractions every day. I recommend the 3-day trip itinerary as below for you refer to.

• Day 1: Duomo Square, Cathedral of Santa Maria Novella, Accademia Gallery, Central Market.
• Day 2: Signoria Square, Ponte Vecchio Bridge, Uffizi Gallery, Michenlango Square (Boboli Gardens and Pitti palace can be added)
• Day 3: Val d’Orcia.

If you have only 2 days, you have two options:

• Option 1: One is to combine all the tourist attractions of Florence in the first 2 days into one. “Look at the flowers while passing on horseback” and looking from outside, you will don’t have enough time to go inside to visit. The next day should take time to go to Val d’Orcia.
• Option 2: Follow the first 2 days itinerary as above and skip Val d’Orcia. This Florence itinerary will be suitable if you do not intend to rent a car or take a tour as there is no public transport to get to Val d’Orcia.

However, if you do not want to rent a car but still want to visit the Italian countryside, check out the day tours at Klook. I found some package tours to visit Tuscany, the vineyards, farms or go to Pisa, the tour price is only about 60 euros/person/day.

Pisa Half Day Tour from Florence

Florence travel blog: What and where to eat in Florence?

Coming to Florence, you cannot miss Gelato Italian ice cream, one of the best Gelato ice cream shops in Florence is Gelateria dei Neri (Address: Via dei Neri, 9/11R, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy). In addition, you can enjoy the high-end Cappuccino and visit the Mercato Centrale to tasting local foods or in the lesser known market Mercato Sant’Ambrogio.

Florence Morning Food Tour

I was introduced to these 2 eateries by my Italian host and found quite ok. They received much good reviews, so I also want to try. Indeed, a lot of people lined up.

La fettunta (Address: Via Santa Marta, 19/a, 20123 Milano MI, Italy/Closed: Mondays). The shop specialized in pasta, spaghetti, beefsteak, and grilled pork.

I tried 2 dishes of beefsteak and grilled pork. It feels pretty good. The pork has a taste a bit like wild boar in Vietnam. Price €8/part. Beefsteak has two types. One costs €18/part of 150-200 gr along with some potatoes and salad. Another type costs €35/1 kg. Yes, 1 kg :))). I recommend you to try the 1 kg portion because the €18 portion is too little to eat and accounts half the price. Other dishes such as pasta and spaghetti cost about 7-8 euros.

Florence Evening Food Tour

Another restaurant near the restaurant above called All’Antico Vinaio (Address: Via dei Neri, 76R, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy). This shop is more crowded than the one above. The shop only sells bread for €5/piece with all kinds of filling. The advantage is that the restaurant prepares quickly, so even if the queue is very long, you do not have to wait too long. In my opinion, it is not as delicious as Vietnamese bread, but it must be very popular, so tourists were so crowded. With its huge filling, so you only eat 1 is full. There are so many shops on this street, but only these 2 shops are the most popular.

In addition, I found that the price of dining or shopping is not very cheap compared to other cities like Pisa or Venice. I found ice cream and souvenirs are more expensive than other regions in Italy.

Regarding supermarkets are mainly lidl, Conad and Carrefour Express. Conad is quite popular but I think its price is not cheap at all. However, you should try pizza, pasta with frozen seafood from Conad, quite delicious. The pasta package is just over 3 euros, but it is very tasty. It was better than the restaurants I had eaten before in Milan or Venice. Very handy package that has been seasoned with seasoning and full of seafood. Just put in the cooking pot, very convenient. Pizza you should also buy at the Conad. I think this is the best “pizza packet” I have eaten before.

Florence blog: Shopping

Leather products at Mercato Nuovo

Florence is famous for its leather products such as purses, beautiful handbags and because it is rumored that all are handmade, the price is quite expensive, not the no-name goods are cheap at all. However, the bag quality is very good.

So, if you are a fan of leather goods and want a lovely European-style bag, definitely not to miss shopping at Mercato Nuovo (New Market) – the famous leather goods market here.

The Mall Outlet

Chain of famous fashion stores in Florence, coming here you will be overwhelmed by the branded products from clothes, bags, eyewear, … of famous fashion brands in the world such as: Gucci, Prada, Dior, Armani, … the products here are always guaranteed to be 100% brand name but the price is much lower than the same product you buy from outside. At times of seasonal sales you can get a discount of up to 70%, this is the point make this shopping mall attracts a lot of tourists every year.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge

Both a famous tourist attraction but also a shopping place not to be missed when coming to Florence. The jewelry products sold in the stores along the bridge are things attract many tourists.

Florence travel blog: Trip cost

The mid-range trip cost for a 3 day travel itinerary in Florence for you refer to.

• Hotel: €55/2 nights
• Travel: €35/day for car rental to get to Val d’Orcia. Renting a motorbike is cheaper and has a lot of options.
• Meals: €30/day.
• Admission to Duomo Square, Uffizi Gallery: €22.

A total of €200 for 3 days for self-sufficient trip itinerary.

Florence travel blog: Some notes and useful tips before you go

• The natural scenery is very beautiful, many huge, spectacular historical and monumental cultural works.
• If you intend to visit churches or museums you should go before 9am.
  For famous attractions such as Florence Duomo, Uffizi Gallery, Academia Gallery, I recommend you to buy tickets online in advance at home instead of waiting in line to buy tickets. This will save you more time.
• Florence is also a famous destination in Italy, so hotel rooms often run out very quickly. If you book late, you won’t get a good room. Like me, although I booked nearly 4 months in advance but the room is quite bad. So you should book as early as possible. Booking at Booking.com has free cancelation, so do not hesitate to book early.
• Because Florence is only 1 hour from Pisa by train and the famous countryside of Tuscany 1-2 hours by car, I recommend you to go to these two places. Having been to Florence without going to these two places is quite regret.
• There is a Firenze Card (costs EUR80) that can go to most museums in Florence for 72 hours, however I would not recommend buying it because this card cannot enter Duomo and Uffizi Gallery. However, you also shoud consider to buy it.
• In Italy and some other European countries, the pre-tip culture is very common. So, if you go to a restaurant or bar, please politely leave a small tip for the staff because of their excellent service quality! In addition, you can surely bargain or require discounts when shopping at the market or on the street in a reasonable and civilized way.
• IMPORTANT: Italy is one of the top 3 countries with pickpockets and theft in Europe so be careful.

Florence travel blog: Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Florence you can refer to

• Duomo Monumental Complex Direct Access Ticket in Florence with Guided Visit
• Florence Duomo, Baptistery, and Museum Tour
• Small Guided Tour with Fast Track Entry to Duomo and the Secret Terraces
• Florence Duomo Skip-the-Line Tour with Balcony & Dome Access
• Uffizi Gallery Guided Tour with Fast Track Entry
• Accademia Gallery Skip-the-Line Ticket in Florence
• Val d’Orcia Tour from Florence
• Pisa Half Day Tour from Florence
• Florence Bike Tour with Food Tasting Experience
• Florence City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Tour (Open Top) and Leonardo da Vinci Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket
• Tuscany Day Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting from Florence
• Rome to Florence Day Tour
• Chianti Afternoon Tour from Florence
• Excursion to Pisa through the Tuscan Countryside from Florence
• Florence Dome Tour with Skip-the-Line Ticket + Free Souvenir Old Polaroid Photo
• Florence Accademia Gallery Skip-the-Line Ticket with Tour

Are you looking for more top things to do in Florence: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out here. And Italy guide here.