Florence · Visiting guide
The history is covered on the main Florence page. This one is just the logistics: how long to actually allow at each site, whether you need to book ahead, the nearest tram stop, and the one tip that saves the most time or money. Read this the night before, not the morning of.
How to use this page
Florence's centre is small enough to walk end to end in twenty-five minutes, so unlike Rome, the logistics here are less about transit and more about timed-entry bookings. The Uffizi, the Accademia, and the Medici Chapels all sell out in peak season and reward booking weeks ahead. Ponte Vecchio, Piazzale Michelangelo, and the cathedral nave itself need no ticket at all and can be dropped into any walking day.
Times, prices and booking windows change often and are marked below — confirm on the official site for each venue within a week or two of travel, not months ahead.
Plan your visit
01
Architecture
The cathedral nave is free; the dome, bell tower, Baptistery, museum and crypt are covered by one of three tiered passes. The dome climb is timed, ID-checked, and 463 steps with no lift.
Tip: if you can't get a dome slot, the bell tower is usually easier to book and puts the dome itself in your photos.
02
Art
A new 2026 afternoon ticket (from 4pm) is both cheaper and noticeably quieter than a standard daytime slot. Same-day tickets can sell out by mid-morning in peak season.
Tip: book the early "Prima Mattina" slot or the after-4pm discount — both land you in the Botticelli rooms without the midday crush.
03
Art
A small museum built almost entirely around one statue, capped at roughly 600 visitors at a time. Without a reservation, same-day queues in peak season can run 3–5 hours.
Tip: the visit itself only takes about an hour — there's no upside to arriving without a timed slot already booked.
04
Landmark
Free, open at all hours, and extremely crowded from mid-morning through sunset. The bridge itself has no viewpoint over its own famous silhouette.
Tip: photograph it from Ponte Santa Trinita, one bridge west — that's the classic view, and it's not visible from on top of the bridge itself.
05
Palace · Gardens
Palace and gardens are ticketed separately or combined, with seasonal pricing that runs noticeably higher in summer. The gardens involve real hillside walking, not a flat courtyard stroll.
Tip: a 50% discount applies for arrivals before 9am who enter by 9:25am, year-round.
06
Churches
One ticket covers the basilica, both cloisters, the Pazzi Chapel and the Opera museum. The tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli are the draw; the Giotto frescoes are the reason to slow down.
Tip: don't skip the Pazzi Chapel in the first cloister — it's easy to walk past on the way to the exit.
07
Viewpoint
Free, always open, and the single most reliable sunset view in the city — treated as such by most of Florence's visitors on any clear evening.
Tip: keep climbing another ten minutes to San Miniato al Monte for a comparable view with a fraction of the crowd.
08
Art · Architecture
Two separate institutions sharing one building, with separate entrances and tickets. The Medici Chapels typically close earlier in the day than most Florence museums.
Tip: check each schedule separately before you go — assuming one queue or one ticket covers both is the most common mistake here.
Fitting it together
Duomo dome climb first thing on your booked slot, then San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels close by. Afternoon at the Uffizi, finishing at Ponte Vecchio for the evening light.
Accademia at opening for David, then across Ponte Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. Climb to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset before heading back down for dinner.
Santa Croce runs on its own free-flowing hours with no timed slot required, so drop it into whichever afternoon has a gap rather than building a day around it.