10 Unforgettable Things to Do On Your Trip to Florence, Italy

1. Visit the Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery is one of my favorite museums I’ve ever been to, and it’s by far my favorite in Florence. It’s home to not only some of the most impressive works of the Renaissance period, but also sculptures and paintings dating back to the Middle Ages as well as a collection of ancient artworks from the Medici family. Even just the hallways are gorgeous, lined with marble busts and statues, leading to rooms filled with beautiful works in a range of media. There’s also a nice little cafe about halfway through with a decent menu and beautiful views.

My must-see artwork here is Botticelli’s Birth of Venus - yes, I cried looking at it for the first time, and yes, I turned around halfway through the museum to go look at it again. If you’re even remotely interested in art, or if you just want a quiet space to wander, this is the place to go!

2. Climb the Dome of the Florence Cathedral

Now, the dome of the Florence Cathedral (Duomo) is obviously the most iconic part of the Florence skyline–it’s the building everyone wants in their photos to show that they’ve been to Florence because it’s so instantly recognizable. Because of this, lots of people would suggest that you skip climbing it because you won’t see that iconic orange Duomo in your photos of the city if you’re taking pictures standing on top of it (which is fair). I don’t like being wishy-washy, but I have to say I’m 50/50 on this one. If you have the time, definitely climb it! It’s a good workout at the very least, with 463 stairs to the top–but it also does still give you some incredible views of the Bell Tower as well as the whole city. If you can only climb one, I’d vote for the Bell Tower just from a photographer’s perspective. It’s just about the same climbing length, but you’ll get a great close-up of the dome in your photos (see number 9).

All in all, it was a cool thing to do while touring the Duomo and all of its additional spaces, so I do recommend! There are a number of ticket options that include different combinations of spaces you can enter, including the Baptistery, Bell Tower, Santa Reparata, and the Opera del Duomo Museum. If you have time for everything, I definitely suggest getting the Brunelleschi Pass which gives you 3 days to do it all.

3. Admire the Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is one of the only inhabited bridges left in the world (I still can’t find an exact number for some reason), and it’s beautiful to say the least. It was built in 1345, and historically housed shops for butchers and farmers before only allowing high-end jewelers to operate businesses on the bridge in the modern day.

The comparison between how the bridge looks on the outside to the inside is pretty drastic during the day when all the jewelry shops are open–try walking down the middle of the Ponte Vecchio on a busy summer day and then compare it to looking at the bridge from afar.

Regardless of how busy it is, it’s a beautiful view to see as you walk across its neighboring bridge, Ponte Santa Trinita, or down Lungarno degli Archibusieri, the road adjacent to the river. At night, the shops get boarded up to look like big wooden suitcases, and you can usually find buskers playing instruments under the streetlights. It’s a must-see at least once when in Florence, but you’ll probably find yourself walking by more often than you think you will!

4. Take in the View at Piazzale Michelangelo

One of the best spots to get a gorgeous look at Florence is atop the Piazzale Michelangelo, a popular square with panoramic views of the city. You can make the trek up by foot along some winding roads, or you can take a bus, which I recommend if it’s hot out to avoid a very sweaty hike along hilly roads (personal experience here). But no matter how you get up to the top, you’ll be greeted with unobstructed views of the iconic city skyline.

Because it’s 2022 and capitalism rules all, you’ll definitely see makeshift booths selling overpriced souvenirs in the square–but if you ignore those and just take in the sights, it’s extremely worthwhile. There’s also a cafe/restaurant which I haven’t tried out personally, but it looked pretty decent!

5. Visit the Galleria dell’Accademia

If you travel to Florence, you can’t leave without seeing one of the most famous statues in the world. Michelangelo’s David statue can be found at the Galleria dell’Accademia, along with a huge selection of statues and paintings from ranging time periods and artists–there’s even a hall filled with historical musical instruments! You can definitely spend an hour or two walking around this museum and soaking up all the history and culture here–just be sure to book your tickets in advance to avoid lines.

6. Explore the Boboli Gardens

If you’re looking for a quiet walk through some beautiful green space during your trip to Florence, the Boboli Gardens are a great way to get a nature walk in. Filled with fruit trees, beautiful statues, and incredible landscaping, the Boboli Gardens were the perfect place to relax and reset after a few days of trekking around the city. I’d suggest visiting when the flowers are in bloom if possible–it was lovely when we visited in August/September, but I’d imagine in the spring it’s filled with much more color!

The gardens are right near the Palazzo Pitti as well, so you can plan to visit both on the same day easily. Much like the Duomo tickets, you can get 5-day access to the Uffiizi Gallery, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens in one ticket, so plan ahead and you can space out your visits however you’d like.

7. Visit the wine window at Babae

One of my favorite experiences in Florence was ordering wine from the buchetta del vino (wine window) at Babae. I first saw Babae on Stanley Tucci’s “Searching for Italy” and soon realized that the restaurant was only 10 minutes from our Airbnb. I walked by it nearly every day and only visited once, if you can believe it–but it’s definitely a must-do when you’re in the city! You walk up to the window (during open hours, of course), ring the bell, order your wine, and pay all through the tiny hole in the wall! Then, you get to enjoy your wine on the streets of Florence, people watching and relaxing until you return your glass inside.

Wine windows became popular centuries ago in Tuscany (mainly Florence) as a way to distance staff from customers during the Plague–funnily enough, these windows were almost completely out of use before COVID hit, and some store owners brought them back to continue serving customers at a safe distance. Babae is home to one of the only remaining in-use wine windows in Italy, so it’s definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. I’d recommend the orange wine!

8. Eat Florentine Steak

Another must-try in Florence is the traditional meal of Florentine steak. Be warned though–this steak is RARE. And it won’t be served any other way, even if you ask. It’s a classic for a reason, and paired with a delicious red wine (I loved Bolgheri with mine), not much can beat it. I ordered mine from Trattoria Napoleone, but there are countless other restaurants in Florence that serve a gorgeous Florentine steak–some with a list of crazy sauce options to choose from, I’ve heard.

9. Climb Giotto’s Bell Tower

Giotto’s Bell Tower was my favorite climb compared to the Duomo, mainly because you could still see an incredible view of the Duomo itself. Both are really cool and worth doing if you have the time and money for both, but if you have to choose just one, I’d suggest climbing the Bell Tower for the views alone. It also has less steps to climb (414 steps to the Dome’s 462), so it’s juuuust a bit shorter of a journey, but completely worth the workout! The third photo below is just one beautiful perspective you get from high above the city.