A photograph of Florence

City guide · Italy

Up to 1 hour in Florence, Italy — page 3

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...

Photograph · Wikibusters · CC BY-SA 4.0

3,075 Places
Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
Walking, tram and bus

Turn this list into a plan

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.

Plan Florence

Reviewed by 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

Practical information

Language spoken
Italian
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+39
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C, F and L · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor statement was recorded

Planning a visit

September · September balances a 26.7°C mean high and 14.4°C mean low in Florence with 79.6 mm of normal rain across 6.2 rain days.

  1. January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  2. February: good time to visit
  3. March: good time to visit
  4. April: good time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: best time to visit
  7. July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  8. August: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  9. September: best time to visit — current month
  10. October: good time to visit
  11. November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  12. December: viable with meaningful trade-offs

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Parco di Villa Stibbert Parco di Villa Stibbert
    32 1 hour

    Parco di Villa Stibbert

    Parco di Villa Stibbert is the landscaped park surrounding Villa Stibbert in northern Florence. The villa is home to the Stibbert Museum, created around Frederick Stibbert’s collection, while the grounds provide the outdoor counterpart to the museum’s historic interiors.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
  2. Montalbano Castle Montalbano Castle
    33 45 min

    Montalbano Castle

    Castello di Montalbano

    Montalbano Castle is a historic castle structure in the Florence area, identified in OpenStreetMap as way/305689918. It belongs to Tuscany’s wider landscape of medieval defensive architecture and carries the Montalbano name associated with the region.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
  3. Obelisk of Piazza dell'Unità Italiana (Florence) Obelisk of Piazza dell'Unità Italiana (Florence)
    34 45 min

    Obelisk of Piazza dell'Unità Italiana (Florence)

    Monumento ai Caduti delle Guerre d'Indipendenza

    The Obelisk of Piazza dell'Unità Italiana stands beside Florence's Santa Maria Novella railway station.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
  4. Palazzo Altoviti-Sangalletti Palazzo Altoviti-Sangalletti
    35 45 min

    Palazzo Altoviti-Sangalletti

    Palazzo Altoviti Sangalletti

    Palazzo Altoviti-Sangalletti is a historic palace in central Florence near the Arno River. Its name links the building with the Altoviti and Sangalletti families and places it within the city’s dense tradition of aristocratic residences.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
  5. Palazzo Busini Bardi Palazzo Busini Bardi
    36 45 min

    Palazzo Busini Bardi

    Palazzo Bardi

    Palazzo Busini Bardi, also known locally as Palazzo Bardi, is a historic palace in Florence, Tuscany. It belongs to the city’s dense Renaissance streetscape, where aristocratic residences stand close to churches, civic buildings, shops, and busy pedestrian routes.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
  6. Palazzo Corsi-Tornabuoni Palazzo Corsi-Tornabuoni
    37 45 min

    Palazzo Corsi-Tornabuoni

    Palazzo Tornabuoni

    Palazzo Corsi-Tornabuoni, also known as Palazzo Tornabuoni, is a historic palazzo in the centre of Florence. It belongs to the sequence of Renaissance and aristocratic buildings that shape the city’s historic streets.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
  7. Palazzo Corsini Palazzo Corsini
    38 45 min

    Palazzo Corsini

    Palazzo Corsini al Parione

    Palazzo Corsini al Parione is a historic palace in central Florence’s Parione district.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
  8. Ascensione
    40 30 min

    Ascensione

    Chiesa dell'Ascensione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
  9. Gilli
    41 1 hour

    Gilli

    Caffè Gilli

    • Notable
    • Restaurant or café

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

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

Getting around

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

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Florence?

A fixed duration is not recorded. Plan by clusters: the cathedral and civic centre, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, the Oltrarno and any hilltop or day-trip destination.

Is Florence easy to explore on foot?

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.

Which sights are south of the Arno?

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.

Does Florence have trams and buses?

Yes. Florence uses buses and a tram network for journeys outside the pedestrian core, including selected outer districts and the airport corridor.

Should I drive in central Florence?

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.