USD ($)
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JPY (¥)If you’re planning a trip to Italy, you might be wondering how many days you should spend in Florence. No matter how long you’ll be there, making the most of your days in the city takes some planning. The first step is getting there – this Florence Airport Guide can help. If you’re looking to just hit the city’s top highlights, three or so days should be enough. But if you’re like us, hitting the hotspots will only make you curious to stay longer – especially in a place as rich with culture, cuisine, and history as Florence. Here, we’ve listed some great tours you might want to include in your stay. Our in-depth Florence city guide should help you decide whether a few days is enough, or if you’d like to dig deeper with some off-the-beaten-track experiences.
Hit the Cultural Highlights
Florence is first and foremost known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, which comes to life as you soak in the amazing architecture and art. If you do just one thing on a short Florence trip, visit the museums! The Florence Design Guide is a handy tool for discovering all the city’s aesthetic highlights. Our Florence Accademia Gallery & Uffizi Gallery Tour packs the city’s art highlights into a fascinating tour with a guide and skip-the-line tickets. It will ensure you catch famous highlights like Michelangelo’s iconic David, Brunelleschi’s Dome, the Prisoners, and the Pietà. You’ll get a crash course in Florentine’s cultural history. If art’s not high on your agenda, the Florence E-Bike Tour is another way to get around and see the city’s sites efficiently.
Learn How to Make Authentic Italian Pizza and Gelato
Craving the taste of authentic Italian pizza and gelato? Our Tuscany Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class from Florence will suit you perfectly. On the tour, you will journey into the heart of the Tuscan countryside to a private estate. There, a professional chef will teach you how to make these Italian culinary delights. From kneading the dough to selecting fresh herb toppings from the gardens, you will become an expert pizza craftsman in no time at all! Afterward, relax with a glass of wine with friends and feast on the fruits of your labor. Then, you’ll go back to the kitchen to make mouth-watering gelato. Alternatively, if you’re a foodie who prefers to stay out of the kitchen, check out the best restaurants in Florence.
Explore Renaissance Landmarks on a Florence Night Walking Tour
There’s no better way to see Florence than on foot. Our Florence Night Walking Tour offers visitors a unique insight into life after dark in the city. Renaissance landmarks are illuminated by the light of the moon and ocher lamps, creating a haunting atmosphere. An expert guide will thrill you with stories of ancient Florence and bring history to life. You’ll see the Duomo Florence, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, and Loggia dei Lanzi open-air museum in a different light. This 2-hour tour leaves you plenty of time to dine with friends or sample Florence’s lively nightlife for the rest of the evening. Then turn in for the night at an outstanding hotel like Portrait Firenze or Hotel Calimala.
Browse Local Markets and Learn To Cook the Tuscan Way
For ardent foodies, there’s nothing more appealing than browsing local markets for fresh produce, and then preparing a meal with the ingredients! On our Tuscan Market Tour and Cooking Class from Florence, we do just that. Stop at San Lorenzo’s Mercato Centrale to shop for fresh ingredients, then use them to prepare a delectable feast. The market is lively, and filled with a kaleidoscope of colors. Farmers and bakers sell their wares – fresh fruit, cheeses, cured meats, balsamic vinegar, and other regional delicacies. Continue to a charming farmhouse, where you’ll be taught the art of Tuscan cuisine by an accomplished chef. You’ll discover how to make pasta and sauce using fresh ingredients, prepare bruschetta and Tuscan roast pork, herbs, and potatoes, and learn how to make the perfect Tiramisu.
Explore Surrounding Towns
When you’ve explored the Duomo, climbed to the top of Giotto’s Campanile, visited Palazzo Vecchio, and browsed a multitude of shops, perhaps it’s time to escape Florence for a day into the Tuscan countryside. The amazing range of hotels in Florence makes it the perfect base for exploring the rest of Tuscany. Our Tuscany Sunrise, San Gimignano, Lucca, and Pisa Day Tour From Florence makes it possible to see the best of it in one day. Starting with a breathtaking sunrise ride through the Tuscan countryside, you’ll then take an enchanting guided journey through Tuscany’s best towns and cities.
On our Best of Tuscany Day Tour from Florence, we capture the essence of Italy. You’ll sample local wines and delicious cuisine in Siena, explore historic San Gimignano, visit the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, and more. You can also hop on a private walking tour to neighboring gems Arezzo, Lucca, or Cortona. The San Gimignano, Chianti, Siena & Colle Val d’Elsa Tour – From Florence makes a full day out of four highlights of Tuscany. It’s great for those short on time who want a diverse taste of Tuscany’s landscapes and towns. If you prefer to do the journey alone, check out our how-to travel guides for Florence to Pisa and Florence to Cinque Terre.
If you’re flying in and out of Florence and want to easily navigate between Florence airport and Siena, look to our private transfer services. Whether you want to start or finish your Florence trip with a visit to Siena, we’ll transport you in comfort, convenience, and style.
Sample Wines of Chianti on a 4×4 Tour
The Chianti region of Tuscany is famous all over the world for its Sangiovese blends of wine and scrumptious cuisine. Plus, the landscapes are pretty awe-inspiring too. On our Taste of Chianti 4×4 Tour from Florence, you’ll discover back-country roads which most tourists overlook. You will head to family-owned wineries to sample different wines with cured meats, cheeses, extra virgin olive oil, and more. Then, you’ll sit down to a delicious Tuscan lunch by the vineyards. In the afternoon, the adventure continues in Greve, a picturesque town overlooked by Montefioralle Castle in the Chianti region. Explore artisan workshops and arcade cafes in Piazza Matteotti and wander through the Museum of Sacred Art. Or continue your Chianti theme at the town’s fabulous Wine Museum.
Enjoy a Day’s Hiking in Cinque Terre
Imagine a day by the seaside, with azure waters, lush hillsides, and tumbling pastel-hued houses perched precariously on the side of cliffs. You can see all of this and more by venturing out of Florence to Cinque Terre. On our Cinque Terre Hiking Day Tour from Florence, you’ll explore not one, but all five villages of Cinque Terre. It’s possible to hike to each unique village along the clifftop, passing vineyards, sacred churches, sanctuaries, and local landmarks. The hike will give you the chance to enjoy drinks in a seafront bar, take a dip in the sea, lounge on beautiful beaches, and enjoy a spot of shopping in between stretches of gorgeous seaside trails. Finally, arrive by boat to Riomaggiore where you can watch fishermen bringing in their daily catch and see village life from a different perspective.
Now that you’ve understood just how much there is to see in and around Florence, how many days do you think you’ll need? If you’re still feeling overwhelmed with choice, check out our interactive map of Florence, or our list of the best Florence tours. Alternatively, you can let our best Florence tour packages take care of the itinerary for you! We think that 6 days is the perfect amount of time to spend exploring Florence and some of the nearby towns. For extra guidance and convenience, we recommend booking the Alternative Florence & Tuscany 6 Day Tour Package or the 7 Day Best of Italy Tour Package – Florence, Tuscany & Cinque Terre. These both include unique experiences and handle all the logistics, accommodations, tours, and scheduling. Whether alone or with a tour, you’re sure to get a satisfying taste of Florence within 6 days.
