It is true when they say that it is really difficult to cover the best of Florence in a day, but not impossible. Florence is the main touristy city of Italy – a city which is easy to fall in love with! Located in the heart of the country, Florence is a dream destination of millions of tourists worldwide & the capital of the lovely Tuscany region. It has a magic of its own which calls you back again and again – it is a fact that your visit to Florence is never your last. Home to attractions like Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Uffizi gallery, Florence is a window to Italy’s best architecture, art, cuisines and fashion.
In this post we are covering the attractions in Florence that you can easily cover in 24 hours time. Florence has a good public transport network, but since you have only one day, make it worth your while, rent a car. It will help you move from one destination to another on time, will save your precious time and ease the worry lines from your forehead. Just keep note of the Limited Traffic Zones – aka the ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato) where you will not be allowed to take the car. Otherwise, driving in Florence with a rental car is totally doable.
Places to see in Florence in a day
01 Begin your city tour at Galleria dell’Accademia
Though the serious art fanatics visit Uffizi gallery for which you need at least 4 hours. If you can spare that much time, visit Uffizi but note that because of it you will have to let go of many other notable attractions of Florence.
We suggest you visit Galleria dell’Accademia which is home to masterpieces like Michelangelo’s David. People usually spend 1.5 hours here and since the gallery opens at 9 in the morning, you will be free to move ahead by 10:30 if you choose to start that early (which we advise you should). It tends to get crowdy even in slow season, for better buy your ticket in advance to beat the ticket-queue and save time.
02 After Galleria dell’Accademia, hit Mercato di San Lorenzo
Mercato di San Lorenzo – one of Florence’s oldest market – is just 7-minutes-walk from Galleria dell’Accademia.
It is a great place to watch the locals, have something to eat if you haven’t had your breakfast or buy souvenirs and leather goods like a journal, wallet or a belt. The market opens at 8 in the morning till 12 in the noon and people usually spend 15 minutes to an hour here.
03 Next visit Mercato Centrale
It is another great market to visit especially if you are a foodie. This market provides access to numerous stands that sell everything from olive oil to big blocks of cheese, truffle oil or just a hot meal. The place is known for its great pasta stands and souvenir shops. In addition to the things mentioned above, at Mercato Centrale you can also buy balsamic vinegar, cantucci cookies, and parmigiano-reggiano.
It remains open from 10 am till 10 at night and people usually spend 15 minutes to 1 hour in this market.
04 Piazza del Duomo
Piazza Del Duomo which translates to ‘Cathedral Square’ in English is located at the heart of Florence’s historic center. The square is home to some of the best architectural marvels of Italy like Cupola del Brunelleschi, the Florence Baptistery, the Giotto’s Campanile, the Opera del Duomo Museum, the Loggia del Bigallo and the Arcivescovile and Canonici’s palace.
Book tickets for the attractions in advance as the lines tend to get long as the day progresses. You need at least 3 hours to see all the attractions at Piazza Del Duomo.
05 Piazza della Repubblica
Just 3 minutes away from Piazza Del Duomo, Piazza della Repubblica is beautiful square that was once the center of the city during Roman Empire.
The square has four sides – North, South, East and West and at the center of the square there is a gorgeous carousel.
06 Fontana del Porcellino, Piazza della Signoria & more
Almost 3 minutes walk from Piazza della Repubblica; Fontana del Porcellino is all about a bronze statue of a pig to which a couple of traditions are involved.
It is believed that if you rub the nose of the statue, you are bound to return to Florence one day. Next to the statue is a leather market – Mercato Nuovo, have a look, in case you want to buy something you were not able to find in Mercato di San Lorenzo. Then there is Piazza della Signoria, the square where Palazzo Vecchio is located – the active town hall since medieval ages. It is also home to some interesting building like Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali which has historical cafè Rivoire on its ground floor.
07 Piazzale Michelangelo
Finish your day while enjoying the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo. It is the most popular viewpoints in the city and by far the best place to witness a beautiful sunset in the city of Renaissance.
In order to get hold of a good spot try to reach a bit early.