Florence, Italy: A Travel Guide

Florence was the first Italian city I traveled to, and I absolutely fell in love with it. From the history, the museums, the food, and the fashion, I was so happy I got to experience it as a young adult. The city makes you feel like you are home away from home as the locals are very kind and welcoming. Florence is a popular destination for college students to study abroad so if you choose to travel there in the spring and fall you will be sure to run into undergrads running around their temporary home. When I visited, it was early June so the crowds hadn’t yet flooded the city and the heat didn’t reach scorching hot temperatures just yet, making it the perfect time to walk through the streets to explore and visit less crowded museums (aka having the perfect view of “The David”.) Take a trip down memory lane as I tell you all about the ins and outs of the charming city, Firenze. 

Number of Days to Stay: 2-3 Days

Expenses: $-$$$

Jump To Section:

Where to Stay:

Florence is a small city, making it easy to walk around and cover a lot of distance in just a short number of days. The accommodations in Florence are cheaper than other cities as hotels, hostels and rentals can range from $50-$300 a night depending on how many people you are traveling with and the rating of the accommodation. The river separates the small city into two parts: the northern part of the city, which is considered the center, a.k.a. the Centro Storico, and the southern area is where all the gardens and locals reside. Since Florence is a walking-friendly city (all major tourist sites are within walking distance), it is best to stay in or around the historic city center. Below are hotels, rentals, and hostels in the city center within the $50-$150 range. 

Where to Eat:

• Buca Lapi ($$$) – The oldest running restaurant in Florence (since 1880). The tables are located underground in wine cellars and it did not disappoint!
• Acqua al 2 ($$) – This is a top recommendation to go to in Florence and is known for their Blueberry steak! A friend visited this past summer and reported it lived up to its expectations. 
• Ristorante Dante ($$) – Has been said to give unlimited wine
• Trattoria 13 Gobbi ($$) – Known for their rigatoni
• 4 Leoni ($$)
• Osteria del Proconsolo ($$)
• La Giostra ($$$)
• Trattoria ZaZa ($$-$$$)
• La Buchetta ($$)
• La Spada ($$)
• Osteria de’Pazzi ($$)
• Il Profeta ($$$)
• Il Teatro ($$)

Pizza

• Gustapizza ($) – Absolutely loved this place and is known for their heart shaped pizza

• Pizza Napoli ($) – You must try the pesto pizza
• Cucina Conviviale ($$) – Dinner and Pizza
• La Bussola ($$$) – Dinner and Pizza
• O’Munaciello ($$) – Dinner and Pizza
• Il Pizzaiolo ($$)
• Cucina Torcicado ($$)

Gelato

• Vivoli Gelato ($$) – The best gelato in Florence!
• Geleteria dei Neri ($$)
• La Carraia ($)
• Cantina del Gelato ($)
• Perche No! ($$)

Paninis / Sandwiches

• Antico Noe ($$)
• All’Antico Vinaio ($)
• Pino’s ($)
• Gustapanino ($$)

Vegetarian/Vegan Recommendations:

• Il Vegano ($$)
• Raw Vegan ($$)
• Veg & Veg ($$)
• Tripperia Vegana ($$)
• Nirvana ($$)
• PappaGioia ($$)
• La Pepinere ($$)
• L’ov Osteria Vegetariana ($$)

What to Do:

Museums

Florence is filled with history and many famous architects and artists. Whether it’s walking through famous galleries or fashion museums, there are many to choose from. Below are some top museums to visit: 

• Academia Gallery – One of my favorite museums in Florence and where you can find the famous Michelangelo statue “David” (yes, that statue that is featured in that one episode of SpongeBob) 

• Uffizi Gallery – If you have taken an art history class or happen to play Animal Crossing, you will see some familiar paintings here including, “The Birth of Venus” by Botticelli  

• Pitti Palace – Purchased by the Medici family, this is a great spot to see some modern art and fashion exhibits. Make sure to walk through the fountains and greenery as you will find the most perfect view of Il Duomo! Pitti Palace is close to the gardens (which I will explain further in this post) so we planned to visit the museum within the same day!

• Gucci Osteria Museum – During our visit the museum was unfortunately closed due to renovations, but my friend was able to go on their trip and give me some insight! The museum is connected to the restaurant and the exhibits changes every so often. When you’re finished exploring through the museum, you can make your way to the Gucci-cafe for some refreshments! They were able to purchase coffee from here and it had the cutest, little sugar cube shaped like the Gucci “G.” 

• Ferragamo Museum – The theme of the museum changes every so often and we got to visit it when there was a nautical exhibit. Since we were on a trip for an International Buying and Marketing credit this was a museum, we were required to visit for our course. We got to learn a lot about the renowned fashion designer, Salvatore Ferragamo. If you are into Italian fashion I recommend coming here! When my friend went to the exhibit a previous year, it was called “Art in Fashion.” There was a display of all of the different shoes Ferragamo had created throughout multiple decades, and they got to watch a short clip regarding the theme as well that was a cool added touch to the museum.  

• Leonardo Da Vinci Museum
• Palazzo Vecchio 
• Bargello National Museum
• Opera del Duomo Museum
• Museo Galileo
• Palatine Gallery

Activities

• Walk to the top of Il Duomo – This has an amazing view of the city. Unfortunately, I was not able to walk this on my trip, but it will be the first attraction I go to when I revisit. My friend who studied abroad was able to do this and mentioned that it was a sweaty and tiring experience but worth it as the view was truly breathtaking! You need to make reservations to climb the 460+ stairs overlooking the city of Florence. 

• Giglio Cooking School – This was probably my favorite experience in Florence and made me want to take a cooking class every time I visited Italy. Our instructor was so nice and very accommodating as we had a group of 15+. From fresh pasta to sweet dessert, we all had our own part in making our Italian feast come together. It was definitely one of the top highlights to visit in Florence.

Other Cooking Classes:

• Pasta Mania Cooking Class
• The Art of Pasta
• Pizza & Gelato Cooking Class – Tuscany Farmhouse
• Cooking Class & Lunch Tuscan Farmhouse
• Wanna Be Italiano 

• Visit Bobli and Bardini Gardens – These gardens were absolutely stunning and a great brain break from visiting all of the museums in Florence. You can get some great pictures as well as take a sitting break while enjoying the beautiful greenery and fountains of the gardens. 

• Shop the luxury streets: Via Tournabuoni and Via Roma – this is a great spot to get all of your luxury shopping done as you will receive money back via VAT since you do not need to pay the tax in Italy if you are not a citizen. I made my first luxury purchase at the Gucci store on Via de Tornabuoni, so it holds a special place in my heart. 

• Visit the leather school, La Scuola Leather School – Another one of my favorite parts of my trip. We were shown the different imports of leather, gold foil stamping on leather and how some of the leather accessories were made at the school. The people who worked there, especially Francesco, were wonderful and really helped explain how the process is done. You could even get your own custom-made leather stamping! My friend got two sets of elephant-shaped key chains with her and her sister’s initials engraved. There were many different items to choose from to engrave! 

• Piazzle Michaelangelo – This is a must see when visiting Florence! It’s a short walk up a steep hill from the town center and the view (especially at sunset), is well worth it. My friend visited at sunset and it was truly magical! What you will see is a panoramic view over Florence and is one of the best sights you will encounter while visiting.

• Rub Porcellino’s snout: Legend has it that if you rub Porcellino’s snout, you will have good luck and return to Florence. I’m not sure if people returned because they rubbed a statue or if they just fell in love with the Italian city and had to come back for more. You can find Porcellino in Mercato Nuovo.

• Take a day trip to Cinque Terre: This is a great way to see the coastline of Tuscany as Cinque Terre is a short train ride from Florence. The city or also known as the five cities, have gained a lot of popularity in the past couple of years, especially after the Disney movie release, “Luca.” This is a great way to see Cinque Terre without getting lost in the sea of tourists and while on a budget. We took a day trip here from Florence by train and were able to visit three out of the five towns in Cinque Terre. Although we got slightly lost, it is overall a quick and easy trip if you are looking to have a swim and explore outside of Florence. 

• Visit Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

• Visit and walk across Ponte Vecchio at Arno River

• Take a bus to Fiesole: Fiesole is a town right outside of the city that is located up a mountain where you have the chance to see another view of Florence from above. There are restaurants to eat at with great views, and structures to see that date back to the Estrucan and Roman times. This is a great trip to take if you want to get out of Florence for the day or even just for a night! 

• Walk and shop San Lorenzo Market – This is the leather market in Florence where you can find great leather accessories such as bags, wallets, shoes, belts etc. for a great price without the luxury price tag!
• Walking wine tour – There are many tours to choose from before your trip that are very fun! My friend cannot remember the exact tour she went on but she informed me there were 3 different stops for the wine tasting, and some of those places also served hors d’oeuvres like antipasto with the wine too! While enroute to each stop, they were shown all around the city from historical sites such as the Medici family palace to smaller, family-owned shops. 

• Vintage shop in and around Santa Spirito Square

• Take a guided walking tour to learn the history of Florence

• Get a drink through a “Buchette Del Vino” aka a Wine Window 

Nightlife

• Space – The club to go out in Florence. A mix of American and Italian music, this is the best spot to go out in the city if you want to party. 

• YAB – Another famous club in Florence that has special themed nights each day of the week.

• Lions Fountain – A popular college spot and the oldest Irish pub in the city. You will find t-shirts and memorabilia signed by students who have visited or studied abroad in Florence all around the bar. We were able to make our own University shot here for FIT when we became friends with the bartender. 

• Green Street – A great place to go bar hopping and where you will find a lot of locals. This is also the street to get stamps that will give you access to clubs. 

• Il Rinascente – A rooftop bar great for sunset views and cocktail drinks

• Procacci – One of the oldest wine bars in Florence. 

• Tenax – Located outside of Florence, this is the only club in the city that will play EDM 

• Flo – Outdoor club open in the spring and summer

• Rex Café – The city center’s late-night bar

• Mad Soul & Spirits Bar – Known for their exotic cocktails

• Piccolo – A popular gay bar open until 2am

• Bamboo & Blue Velvet
• La Terrazza Rooftop bar
• Babylon 
• Michael Collins
• Red Garter
• Bitter Bar
• Kikuya

Transportation: 

Getting To Florence

Airport- The airport is very small in Florence and rarely has any international flights from the U.S. entering so you will most likely have a connecting flight or fly into a nearby city and take a train or bus. From the airport, you can take a tram or taxi to the city center.

Train – The Italian train system, Italia Rail, is very easy to use and one of the quickest ways to travel all throughout Italy. We used the train to take a day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence. Since limited flights fly into Florence’s airport, arriving by train is the one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get to Florence from another Italian city. It is also a seamless way to travel to different parts of the country without the hassle of going through the airport. The train is a great option to take if you get car sick and don’t want to take a bus. 

Bus – We arrived to Florence by taking a bus from Pisa, where we fly into from Berlin, Germany. Since I was traveling with a group of over thirty people we had our own bus, but there are many buses that travel to Florence daily and is one of the most inexpensive ways to get around Italy. The drive was only an hour and a half from Pisa to Florence, so it is a great way to get a quick nap in or see the countryside of the Tuscan region. Below are bus routes and information from different cities to Florence around Italy:  

While in Florence

Public Transportation – There is a public bus service available that will take you throughout the city. This method is frequently used by locals. There are popular lines C1, C2, C3 and C4 that take you throughout Centro Storico and they are also electric! If you want to use the regular bus lines make sure to grab 12 or 13 as they will take you up and down the Arno River. There is also a bus service that runs from 10pm to 2am that will take you to surrounding neighborhoods from the city center. You can buy tickets to the buses at coffee shops, tobacconists and any establishment with a sticker that reads “Autolinee Toscane” in the window.

There is also a tram service that runs every three to four minutes during the day and every twelve minutes at night. You can buy tickets for the tram at the stations found throughout the city. I would caution that the tram does not run through Centro Storico, but you can take it to and from the airport, train station and hospital. This is the cheapest way to get from the airport to the city center.

Taxi/Uber/Private Car Service– Taxis are available to hail around the city and from the airport, but you should only take it if you want to get from point A to point B faster. The cost from the airport to your accommodation can cost up to $70. 

Renting ATVs/Cars/Scooters – Since Florence is a walking friendly city, I would advise to not rent a vehicle unless you plan to drive to another city after your stay in Florence. Considering it only takes about 15 minutes to walk from one side of the center to the other and public transportation is accessible, you should ditch the car to save some money! 

Florence is one of those cities that you immediately fall in love with when visiting and would want to visit again one day. The history, art, fashion and architecture make the city full of charm and culturally rich. From its high-end shopping to its fascinating leather market, it is one of those cities in Italy that you can’t leave without treating yourself. After devouring pizza, gelato and paninis and then walking it all off in the process, I definitely left a piece of my heart in Florence and can’t wait to visit the heart of the Tuscan region once again. If you want to immerse yourself in Italy’s fashion, culture and history, Florence is your next Italian destination. 

Forever Yours,

Florence