City guide · Italy
Florence has a compact, largely pedestrian historic centre on both sides of the Arno. The Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi and Santa Croce form the main nor...
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Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.
Editorial responsibility: Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Florence has a compact, largely pedestrian historic centre on both sides of the Arno. The Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi and Santa Croce form the main north-bank cluster; the Oltrarno begins across the river around Santo Spirito and Palazzo Pitti. Santa Maria Novella station lies northwest of the centre, while hilltop viewpoints and Fiesole require a separate climb or transport leg.
Checked 2026-08-26
November · November's 113.6 mm of normal rain across 9 rain days is the main planning trade-off in Florence, with temperatures from 5.1°C to 14.7°C.
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Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral of Florence and the church the whole of Piazza del Duomo is arranged around.
Ponte Vecchio is the oldest surviving bridge over the Arno and the only one in Florence still built up with shops. A crossing has stood on this spot since Roman Florentia.
Piazza della Signoria is Florence's civic square, shaped beside the Palazzo dei Priori between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The palace later became Palazzo Vecchio and remains the seat of the city government.
Battistero di San Giovanni
The Baptistery of San Giovanni stands free in Piazza San Giovanni, directly in front of the cathedral facade, and it is the older of the two buildings by several centuries.
Campanile di Giotto
Giotto's Campanile is the freestanding bell tower of Florence Cathedral, designed by the painter and architect Giotto di Bondone. Construction began in 1334. The tower stands adjacent to the cathedral in Piazza del Duomo.
Basilica di Santa Croce
Santa Croce is the Franciscan mother church of Florence and the largest Franciscan church in the world.
Piazzale Michelangiolo
Piazzale Michelangelo is a panoramic square overlooking Florence from the south bank of the Arno River. It was designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi in 1869 as part of Florence's brief period as capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is a major Dominican church in Florence, situated opposite the city's main railway station, which shares its name.
Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte
Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte is a historic basilica standing on one of Florence's highest hills, overlooking the city centre and the Arno valley.
The Loggia dei Lanzi is an open-air sculpture gallery located on the southeast corner of Piazza della Signoria in Florence. Built between 1376 and 1382, this Gothic-style loggia was originally designed to host public ceremonies of the Florentine Republic.
Fontana del Nettuno
The Fountain of Neptune is a monumental fountain located in the Piazza della Signoria, Florence's central civic square.
Palazzo Medici Riccardi is a Renaissance palace in Florence, Italy. It was commissioned by Cosimo de' Medici and designed by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo in the fifteenth century.
Basilica di Santa Maria del Santo Spirito
Santo Spirito is a major basilica in Florence's Oltrarno district, formally named Basilica di Santa Maria del Santo Spirito. The church stands as one of the most significant Renaissance religious structures in the city, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.
Chiesa di Orsanmichele
Fontana del Porcellino
Basilica della Santissima Annunziata
The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata is a major Renaissance church in Florence and the centre of the piazza that bears its name.
Teatro della Pergola is a historic theatre in Florence, Tuscany. It stands as one of Italy's most significant theatrical landmarks, with origins tracing to the mid-seventeenth century.
Teatro Verdi is a historic theatre in Florence, part of the city’s living tradition of music, opera and drama.
Cattedrale di San Romolo
Fiesole Cathedral, known locally as Cattedrale di San Romolo, stands in the hill town of Fiesole overlooking Florence. This historic cathedral serves as the seat of the Diocese of Fiesole and represents a significant religious landmark in the Tuscany region.
Basilica di Santa Trinita
Basilica di Santa Trinita is a Roman Catholic church in central Florence, near the Arno River and Ponte Santa Trinita. The basilica belongs to the Vallumbrosan Order and combines an important religious function with Gothic architecture and major Florentine art.
Piazza di Santo Spirito
Piazza Santo Spirito is a lively public square in Florence's Oltrarno district, south of the Arno. The square takes its name from the Basilica di Santo Spirito, the Renaissance church designed by Filippo Brunelleschi on its eastern side.
Certosa del Galluzzo
Florence Charterhouse, or Certosa del Galluzzo, is a Carthusian monastery on a hillside south of central Florence. Niccolò Acciaiuoli founded the complex in 1341.
Villa medicea di Castello
Villa Castello, or Villa medicea di Castello, is a Medici villa on the outskirts of Florence. The property combines Renaissance architecture with a formally designed garden and belongs to the network of rural residences created for the Medici family.
Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is Florence’s principal opera house and the home of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino festival. The modern building opened in 2011 near Cascine park, replacing the former Teatro Comunale.
Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine
Santa Maria del Carmine is a Carmelite church in Florence's Oltrarno district. The basilica dates to the thirteenth century and was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1771 destroyed much of its interior.
The cathedral is the clearest central landmark. Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi lie south toward the Arno, Santa Croce lies east, and Santa Maria Novella lies west near the main station. Cross Ponte Vecchio for the Oltrarno, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. Piazzale Michelangelo sits above the river and should be treated as a separate uphill destination rather than part of a flat centre walk.
Checked 2026-08-26
Walk for most journeys inside the historic centre. Visit Tuscany describes Florence as relatively small and largely pedestrianised, with buses and trams serving places beyond the walking core. The tram also connects selected outer districts and the airport corridor. Restricted traffic zones make driving impractical for many visitors, so use public transport for outlying stops and keep central days on foot.
Checked 2026-08-26
Suggested stay for a first visit: 3–4 days. Plan by clusters: the cathedral and civic centre, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, the Oltrarno and any hilltop or day-trip destination.
Yes. The historic centre is compact and largely pedestrianised. Most major central sights can be linked on foot, while outer districts and uphill destinations may need transport.
The Oltrarno contains Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens and Santo Spirito. Reach it across the central bridges and treat it as a separate neighbourhood cluster.
Yes. Florence uses buses and a tram network for journeys outside the pedestrian core, including selected outer districts and the airport corridor.
Public transport and walking are usually more practical. The historic centre has restricted traffic areas, narrow streets and a layout designed for short pedestrian journeys.
