Matt and I know Florence almost like the back of our hands at this point. We spent 3 months here last summer and now another 2 months this summer. One of the most interesting things about this city is that literally nothing changed over the course of the year. The same people are still here running the same restaurants and same old man in the blue shirt that we loved is still at his favorite cafe. The only difference is that there are substantially more people here than there last year. Can you even believe that?! Just over the course of the year, Florence has gotten so much busier. If you are traveling to Florence, I would definitely recommend coming in September, October, April or May, sometime during the off season.
I love the NY Times 48 hours travel guides and thought I would put together one of my own for Florence. Florence is a city that you could spend a week in but most people only stop here for about two days so this is the perfect guide if you have a short amount of time here.
DAY ONE-
8-9 am. Breakfast. Have a cappuccino and a croissant at the Cantinetta di Verrazzano. This bakery and cafe is centrally located and a wonderful place to grab a morning coffee and pastry at their fabulous bakery.
9-12 pm. – Buy a ticket to explore the Bardini and Boboli gardens. If you are in Florence during the summer, make sure to explore these gardens early in the morning before it gets hot hot hot. I would definitely recommend starting at the Bardini gardens first and allotting most of your time there. The Boboli gardens are much bigger and more famous but I think the Bardini gardens are much more beautiful. Your ticket will give you access to both gardens so it is well worth seeing both gardens. Both gardens are gorgeous and worth visiting. There is a wonderful little porcelain museum within the Boboli gardens that is fun to see.
12- 1:30 pm. – Eat lunch at Al Tranvai. Al Tranvai is an authentic little spot located in the Oltarno District. The food is always fabulous and the owner is just as kind as they come.
1:30 – 4 pm.- Visit the Uffizi. This famous art museum is not to be missed. Make sure you buy your ticket ahead of time and that the ticket allows you to skip the massive lines that build outside of the Uffizi. Spend the afternoon learning about the Renaissance since you are in the mecca of all Renaissance art.
5-7 pm. – Aperitivo Hour! Visit the Piazza della Passera and experience aperitivo hour. Get a drink at the Cafe degli Artigiani, a fun little cafe/bar on the corner. Sit and drink your Aperol Spritz in the square. If you would like to have a slightly fancier experience, then grab a drink at the bar on the rooftop of the Hotel Continentale. The bar overlooks the Ponte Vecchio and gives you a great view of Florence. Le Volpi e L’Uva is another wine bar with a fabulous wine selection and a great selection of sinfully good crostinis. You can not go wrong at any of these places.
7:30 – 9 pm.- Dine at the Trattoria Cammillo. Make sure you make a reservation at this classic Florentine establishment. Everything is wonderful and the people are so kind. You do not want to miss this spot.
9- 9:30 pm.- Gelato time! Walk over to the La Carraia and have some of their amazing gelato. This is easily our favorite gelato spot in all of Florence. I always order one scoop of gelato topped with a scoop of their chocolate mouse. I dream about this chocolate mouse back in Chicago. Feel free to come back here again tomorrow 🙂
DAY TWO-
8-9 am.- Eat breakfast at S. Forno. S. Forno is a bakery in the Oltarno district that serves the most fabulous baked goods and a select menu of tasty breakfast and lunch items. Order all the pastries here and enjoy the homemade goodness. This fabulous bakery is not to be missed. S. Forno’s sister restaurant Il Santo Bevitore is also a wonderful place for dinner. Make sure to make a reservation if you would like to have dinner here one night.
9-11 am.- Visit the Galleria dell’Accademia and see the famous David. Make sure you buy your ticket ahead of time because there are always huge lines outside of the museum and you do not want to waste your precious time in Florence waiting in line. That being said you cannot come to Florence and not see the David!
12- 12:30 pm. – Grab a panini at L’Antico Noe. L’Antico Noe makes paninis as big as your head and can customize your order to make you almost anything you could imagine. Wander across the Arno with this fabulous panini over to the Oltarno district and grab a little day drink at one of the bars in Santo Spirito. Enjoy your view of this famous piazza. Another option is to grab a drink in the Santa Croce piazza on the same side of the Arno as the Duomo.
1-6 pm. – Take a cooking class at Mama Florence. Matt and I took the pasta making class at Mama Florence this year and we had the very best time. The people at Mama Florence are so kind and they made the class so much fun. They have a bunch of options for different classes. I would love to go back and take a different class!
6-8:30 pm. – Buy some local cheese and bring a bottle of wine up to the Piazza Michelangelo to watch the sun set over Florence. Eat your cheese and enjoy your wine as you soak in one of the very best views of this ancient city. But be warned, depending on when you visit, you will not be alone. The secrets been out on the Piazza Michelangelo for awhile now and so there is a crowd of people there on any given night during the summer. I would still argue that heading up here is well worth it for the whole experience and the pretty view of the city.
8:30 – 10 pm- Dine at Trattoria Sostanza. Trattoria Sostanza is a great example of a traditional Florentine trattoria that has been around forever. This place is cash only and you will need to make a reservation ahead of time. You must order the butter chicken! This chicken is absolutely to die for. You cannot leave Florence without eating this chicken.
10 -10:30 pm- Walk over to the Duomo and enjoy this amazing feat of engineering without the throngs of people that surround it during the day. One of our favorite things to do in Florence is to take a nighttime walk around the Duomo.
Where to Stay-
Splurge- Belmond Villa San Michelle. Located in the hills of Florence close to Fiesole, this beautiful place is the best of the best in the area. It overlooks Florence so you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city at night, but also provides a shuttle service into the city so that you can enjoy all that Florence has to offer. You can never go wrong with the Belmond hotel group.
Luxe- Hotel Continentale or any hotel by the Lungarno Hotel Group. The Lungarno Hotel Group has the market cornered on beautiful, luxe hotels in the city of Florence. The Hotel Continentale overlooks the Ponte Vecchio and gives you a great central location along with gorgeous view of the Arno. The Hotel Lungarno is also amazing and would be a fabulous place to stay. You can not really go wrong with these options.
Affordable- SopraArno Suites. The newest hotel concept by the same people who created the AdAstra hotel in Florence recently created this more affordable and more centrally located option.
^^ one of the tables at Trattoria Sostanza
^^ one of the pastas that I made at Mama Florence!
