Florence itinerary 3 days — How to spend 3 days in Florence & what to do in Florence for 3 days

The beautiful city of Florence is the capital of Tuscany and the cradle of Renaissance culture. The breath of art seems to crept in every corner of the city. The whole city center is like a giant open-air museum with many impressive statues and ancient buildings. Those who love art and romance will certainly enjoy traveling in Florence. So, how many days should you spend in Florence and is 3 days enough in Florence? Let’s check out our suggested Florence itinerary 3 days on how to spend 3 days in Florence (three days in Florence) and what to do in Florence for 3 days to help you plan a detailed Florence travel itinerary to the cradle of the Renaissance!

I’ve been to Florence countless times, but every time I go quickly, only 1 or 2 days trips. Sometimes it’s self-sufficient travel, sometimes it’s a tour guide, sometimes it’s shopping. On this trip, I returned to Florence for 3 days, so I could feel the city more clearly and also find Florence much more beautiful. The thing is, traveling with small children, so every itinerary and schedule must follow the child, there is no “aggressive” style like when I was young.

Florence itinerary 3 days: Some tips you should note before traveling to Florence

How many days in Florence is enough?

The answer depends on your purpose and expectations. Florence is small but has a lot of art museums and artworks, palaces, squares, as well as ancient buildings. If you determine that just going to check-in to take pictures is your main purpose, 1 day is fine, but you will be tired without feeling the city clearly, it’s like “look at the flowers while passing on horseback”. 2 days 1 night will be a little less tiring. Most people who come to Florence choose to go for a day or two days. But personally, an itinerary 3 days 2 nights is the ideal time to leisurely visit some museums and main attractions in the city, if you want to visit great museums here.

Getting to Florence

The best way to get to Florence is by train. Florence is very well connected to other major Italian cities via the high-speed train system. Details of ticket prices and timetables can be found on Trenitalia. To find out more other means of transport to getting to Florence you should read this article.

The Old Town of Florence is extremely small and completely walkable. If you are tired but too lazy to walk, you can book a regular bike or an electric bike through the Ridemovi app, which is quite convenient. If you traveling to Florence by a self-driving car, remember to note that cars are not allowed to enter the old center area, ie the ZTL zone (Limited Traffic Zone), except on Sundays. So you need to park outside this zone. In general, if you see the “Varco attivo” sign, you have to stay away.

Read more: The fullest Florence travel guide for a great budget trip for first-timers

Visiting buildings and museums

In Florence, most of the famous attractions, including the cathedrals, museums, galleries, require an entrance fee. During peak seasons, the queue is very long, so if you want to avoid queuing, you should buy online tickets in advance. Usually the 3 places with the most people queuing are the Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, and the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze.

Should I buy the Firenze Card? This depends on your itinerary and intentions to visit. If you decide you want to go to many museums and buildings, you should buy it. If you only go to the 2 main museums and the Duomo, you can only buy single tickets.

What and where to eat?

Florence is famous for its steak and many other rustic dishes. There are many traditional restaurants in the city center. So what to eat, where to be delicious? I have written two separate articles on this topic: Top 17+ must and best food to try in Florence as well as 13+ best restaurants and places to eat in Florence.

Where to stay in three days in Florence?

Florence?

If you stay outside the center, it will be easier to save money, but it will cost more money to take the bus as well as take time to travel. And choose to stay in the center is of course much more convenient, but the hotels in the old center of Florence are relatively expensive. In the area near Santa Maria Novella – Fortezza da Basso station, the room rate will be a bit softer.

Last trip, my family stayed at the hotel La Casa di Morfeo, book on Booking or Agoda. The rooms are bright, clean and very close to the attractions. At that time, in mid-May, the room price was about 105€/night. If you travel with small children like my family, staying here is very convenient.

Like taking train or bus to Florence, I suggest that you can rent a room in the suburbs of Florence if the rental price is very low. Usually, if you book a month or more early, all hotels and hostels in Italy are very reasonably priced. Finding a room or bed ranging from 20-30 euros is regular. But if the places to stay you are looking for are overpriced – especially around July to September, then look for an accommodation in the suburbs. Spending more a little train fee and a little time, but sometimes the price will be half cheaper.

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 itinerary 3 days: Where to go and what to do in three days in Florence?

The attractions below are all located close to each other. The first 5 spots are the 5 cant’s not help but visit. There are also many other worthy spots that you can consider if your time is abundant, such as Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici, Palazzo Vecchio… Florence is charming in that it has not only ancient buildings or valuable museums, there are also many beautiful gardens and squares.

Suggested Florence itinerary 3 days on how to spend 3 days in Florence perfectly

• Day 1: Duomo area – Piazza Repubblica and New Market (Mercato Nuovo) – Piazza della Signoria – Galleria degli Uffizi – Ponte Vecchio.
• Day 2: Accademia Gallery – San Lorenzo area and lunch at Central Market (Mercato Centrale) – Church of Santa Croce – Piazzale Michelangelo.
• Day 3: Visit Bardini and Bomboli gardens – Shopping

Duomo, Giotto’s Bell Tower and the Baptistery (Florence itinerary 3 days)

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

Although I have been visited Florence’s Cathedral many times, but each time the magnificence and splendor of the church makes me stand in awe for a few seconds. The church, whose full name is Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, was built in 1296 and was not completed until 140 years later. At the time of its completion, it was the largest church in the world. But now the church is ranked third, behind Saint Peter’s in the Vatican and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The church is extremely meticulously decorated, sophisticated and elaborate. Every detail of the church’s facade is beautifully carved and designed. However, the inside of the church is very simple, in stark contrast to its splendid appearance. Next to the church is the famous bell tower designed by Giotto in the 14th century. Just opposite the baptistery of San Giovanni is also very stunning.

All of these spots require a ticket to enter. During peak season, the line here is kilometer long, so it’s best to book tickets online in advance. If you don’t even have time to go in and see it, but just standing outside is very satisfying.

Florence Duomo, Baptistery, and Museum Tour

Statue of a wild boar (Fontana del Porcellino)

Address: Piazza del Mercato Nuovo, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

Just a few minutes’ walk from the Duomo will lead you to the New Market (Mercato Nuovo). There are a lot of shops selling bags and leather products. I don’t talk about the quality because I have never bought it there. But there is one very special thing that you will easily recognize, because there is always a crowd standing in line nearby: The bronze statue of a wild boar.

Traditionally, when you come here, you need to touch the nose of the wild boar, then drop the coin into the water hole below. If the coin gets through the slots and falls below you will have good luck, if not, you will have bad luck. Those who are superstitious but want to pray for luck, remember to try!

Piazza della Signoria

Address: P.za della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Also not far from the Duomo is Signoria Square (Piazza della Signoria). It is an important cultural and political center of the city. The square is full of art and makes a strong impression on anyone because of many populations of statues that are sculpted very beautifully and meticulously.

Right in the center of the square is the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace), which it now houses a museum and city hall offices. In front of the entrance to the building is a copy of Michelangelo’s famous David, and statues of Hercules and Cacus. Those who want to see David’s original can go to the Accademia museum. Opposite the Palazzo Vecchio is the Loggia dei Lanzi, a free “small open-air museum” with many beautiful statues, the most famous of which are “Perseus and the head of Medusa” and “The Rape of the Sabine Woman”.

Uffizi Gallery (Galleria degli Uffizi)

Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
Hours: Monday: Closed/8:15AM–6:30PM

Uffizi Gallery Guided Tour with Fast Track Entry

Right next to the Piazza della Signoria is the Uffizi art museum. This is a famous museum with a lot of paintings and statues from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period, not only of Italy but also some other European countries. In particular, the museum holds many masterpieces of Renaissance artists such as Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Caravaggio, etc. Some famous paintings that you should not miss are “The Birth of Venus”, “Spring” (Botticelli), “Madonna with Child and two Angels” (Filippo Lippi), “ Venus of Urbino” (Tiziano).

Uffizi Gallery Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Ticket

Uffizi Gallery Skip-the-Line Ticket in Florence

To avoid queues you also should buy tickets online in advance. The museum is very large, so you determine to spend at least 2 hours.

Ponte Vecchio

Address: Ponte Vecchio, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy

Coming out of the Uffizi Museum, you will reach the banks of the Arno River with many bridges spanning the river. However, the most famous and unique bridge is the old bridge of Ponte Vecchio. When you arrive, you will immediately recognize it because on the bridge there are many jewelry shops.

Until 1218 it was the only bridge over the Arno River. The bridge as we see it today was built in 1345 after a flood destroyed the previous bridge. It is said that during World War II the German army destroyed all the bridges in Florence, except the Ponte Vecchio. Does the unique quaint beauty of the bridge also captivate even the most ironic soul?

Piazzale Michelangelo

Address: Piazzale Michelangelo, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy

If you want to have an afternoon “chill” just sit back, drink a glass of spritz and watching the beautiful romantic city without a dead corner at sunset, you must definitely go to Piazzale Michelangelo. This is one of the beautiful panoramic views of the city that should not be missed.

The square is located on the other side of the river from the old center, so you have to walk a bit or you can take bus 12 or 13. In the middle of the square is a bronze copy of Michelangelo’s David. To the left of the square is a rose garden, and to the right is a completely free iris garden. In May, when the flowers are in full bloom, you can take advantage of the visit.

Church of Santa Croce (Basilica di Santa Croce)

Address: Piazza di Santa Croce, 16, 50122 Firenze FI, Italyy
Hours: 9:30AM–5:30PM/Sunday: 12:30–5:45PM

The Church of Santa Croce is one of the important churches in the religious and artistic life of Florence. It is the second largest church of Florence after the Duomo. The church still preserves 4,000 works of art from the 13th to the 20th centuries, including some works of great Renaissance artists such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Donatello. In particular, the church of Santa Croce is also considered the “Pantheon of Florence”, because it is the resting place of many famous figures, including Michelangelo, Rossini, Macchiavelli, Galileo Galilei. The entrance fee to the church is 8€.

The area around the church is bustling with traditional restaurants and bars. My hotel was also very close to this area, so I passed here every day. If you not stay near this area, you can plan to visit the church and then aperitif or have dinner here.

Galleria dell’Accademia

Address: Via Ricasoli, 58/60, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy
Hours: 8:15AM–6:50PM/Monday: Closed

Along with the Uffizi gallery, the Accademia gallery (Galleria dell’Accademia) is a name that is always “hunted” and tickets are easily sold out, because it houses the original David statue sculpted by great master Michelangelo. In addition to the statue of David, there are many beautiful statues and paintings and a collection of musical instruments. Like the Uffizi museum, if you want to visit here, you should buy tickets online in advance to avoid long lines in the high season.

Accademia Gallery Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Ticket

The museum is located in the San Marco area, which is considered the gateway to the city if you take public transport or take a self-driving car. Right at San Marco square is a bus stop, San Marco church and the public University of Florence, so this area is very bustling.

Accademia Gallery Skip-the-Line Ticket in Florence

Central Market (Mercato centrale) and San Lorenzo

Address: Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Via dell’Ariento, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Hours: 9AM–12AM

Not far from the Duomo is the bustling San Lorenzo area. Walking around the alleys of the neighborhood feels like going back to 600 years ago when the Medici dynasty ruled the city. The San Lorenzo area is a cross between the old Medici family buildings and the traditional shops and stalls of the Central market. The bustling atmosphere of daily life makes walking here all day feeling not boring.

 

When you come here, remember to stop at Central Market to see and buy local products and have lunch! The market is very spacious, airy, has 2 floors and a lot of eateries of all kinds. Our family lunch at Da Nerbone is delicious and very good value for money. There are also some famous local restaurants around the market (eg Trattoria Mario) at Address: Via Rosina, 2r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy.

Bardini Garden

Address: Via de’ Bardi, 1, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Hours: 10AM–8PM

In April, before planning a trip, I happened to see a beautiful purple wisteria in Florence. When I found out, I found out that it was in the Bardini garden on the other side of the river in the city center. So I decided to include it in my 3-day Florence itinerary.

Entrance fee is 10€ including Boboli garden. When coming here, the flowers, plants and trees and the quiet atmosphere make me forget that we were going… to visit Florence. The whole area, from Piazzale Michelangelo to the Bardini and Boboli gardens, is filled with beautiful and relaxing green spaces. The Bardini Garden has a total of 3 main areas and has a beautiful panoramic view of Florence.

If you have a lot of time in Florence then this garden is highly recommended. In just 1 hour, you can visit the whole garden. Unfortunately, when the my family came here near the middle of May, the wisteria flowers were almost gone. So, if you want to take pictures of wisteria flowers, you should come in April.

Myfamily has a car, so we drive straight here. If you have your own car, you can park for free at the Forte Belvedere car park. Otherwise you can walk or catch bus 23, 6, C3, C4.

Boboli Garden

Tickets to Bardini garden include Boboli garden, so we combine sightseeing. The direct entrance from the Bardini garden is closed so you need to get out and go to Palazzo Pitti.

The Boboli garden is quite large and takes more time to visit than the Bardini garden. However, actually, I was a bit disappointed because I didn’t feel anything too special, except for the statue when I just went inside. Maybe it was because I was a bit tired at the time, it was lunch time and I had a baby, so I didn’t feel like walking much anymore. In general, in my opinion, the Bardini garden is much more beautiful. But if you have plenty of time, just go to Boboli’s garden if you bought a ticket to Bardini. What’s wrong, the ticket is already paid!

In the past, when I only visited Florence for a short time, I felt “Yes, Florence is also beautiful” but not in a way that was captivated. After this trip, I looked more closely, and I saw “oh my god Florence is so beautiful” and also fell down. In just one small center, everything is gathered: the ancient, the romantic, the artistic, and the quiet and fresh nature. If time and money allow, you should not travel to Florence too short, but go slowly, watch carefully and enjoy this charming art city for a long time as much as possible!

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.