Florence City Guide
Plan a Trip to Florence
Florence trip planning comes down to five decisions, and this page is the index to them: how many days, when to come, what to book before you land, which day of the week to avoid for what, and what the city adds to your bill. Each one has its own page below with the full detail; here you get the short answer and the link. Every figure was read from an official source on 29 August 2026 and the date it applies from is stated with it. Everything the plan points at — sights, tickets, day trips — is indexed on the Florence city guide.
Quick answer Days, bookings, the Monday trap and the tax, in four lines
Two full days cover Florence properly and three do it comfortably. Book five tickets ahead and nothing else: the Uffizi and the Accademia first, then the dome pass, the Vasari Corridor and the Brancacci Chapel. Keep Monday off the state museums and Sunday off the cathedral. Budget €3.50 to €8 per person per night in tourist tax on top of the room, and do not drive into the centre.
Key takeaways
- Pick the length first: one day, two days or three days — a fourth and fifth day are day trips, not more city.
- Book the Uffizi timed entry and the David timed entry as soon as the dates are fixed; the comparison of every ticket shows what walks up.
- Check the weekday before the slot: what closes on a Monday and the month you are coming.
- Then the practical layer — fares, the airport tram and the ZTL and which area to sleep in.
Start here: three questions in order
How long have you got? One day is a route, not a choice: the Uffizi at 08:15, the cathedral, Ponte Vecchio and the hill at dusk. Two days adds the Accademia, Santa Croce and the Oltrarno. Three adds Pitti and Boboli or a day out of the city. Beyond three, extra days are day trips — Siena, Pisa, Chianti — rather than more Florence.
When are you coming? The month changes the ticket you should buy before it changes the weather. November takes the Dome and the Bell Tower out for maintenance; the first Sunday of every month is free at the state museums and therefore the busiest; and 25 December and 1 January close nearly everything.
Are you bringing a car? If yes, read the ZTL rule before you book the hotel, because a hire car and a hotel inside the camera gates is the one mistake on this page that arrives as a fine months later.
Answer those three and the rest of this page is a checklist.
Every planning page, in the order you need them
Ten pages, grouped by when in the planning they matter. Sort or filter with the chips if you would rather browse than follow the order.
1. Decide the length
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Florence in one day
Itinerary1 daybook-ahead tier 3 of 3
A single walkable route with the timed slots already placed: first entry at the Uffizi, the free cathedral nave, Ponte Vecchio and the viewpoint at sunset.
Tip: One day only works if the Uffizi slot is the first of the morning — everything else bends around it.
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Florence in two days
Itinerary2 daysbook-ahead tier 3 of 3
The version most first visits should book: David and the Accademia on the second morning, Santa Croce and the Oltrarno in the afternoon, vespers at San Miniato to close.
Tip: Split the two big museums across two mornings rather than doing both in one day.
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Florence in three days
Itinerary3 daysbook-ahead tier 2 of 3
Adds Pitti and Boboli, the Bargello and a slower Oltrarno, or trades the third day for a trip into the hills.
Tip: Three days is also the length the €85 Firenzecard is priced for — check the arithmetic before you buy it.
2. Fix the dates and the tickets
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Best time to visit Florence
SeasonsRead firstbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
Thirty years of climate data by month, the museum low season, the free days, and the November maintenance weeks that close the Dome and the Bell Tower.
Tip: April, May, September and October are the walking months; January and February are the cheap, empty ones.
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Florence tickets compared
Tickets30 minbook-ahead tier 3 of 3
Official price against skip-the-line against guided, venue by venue, so you can see which tickets are worth a booking fee and which are not.
Tip: Only five things in the city genuinely need booking ahead — the table shows which.
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The Firenze Card
Pass72 hoursbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
€85 for 72 hours across 60-plus museums, with the Duomo complex and all public transport excluded, and bookings still required at the big three.
Tip: Under-18s linked to an adult card go free — but they are already free at most of those museums.
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What opens on a Monday
Closures5 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The weekday grid: which museums close on Monday, which on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, and what to do instead on each.
Tip: Palazzo Vecchio, Museo Galileo and Santa Croce are the Monday plan.
3. Sort the practical layer
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Where to stay in Florence
Neighbourhoods20 minbook-ahead tier 3 of 3
Six areas compared by walk time to the Duomo, noise, the tourist tax by category and whether a car can reach the door.
Tip: Every area in the comparison is under twenty minutes' walk from the cathedral — pick for the evenings, not the distance.
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Getting around Florence
Transport10 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
Walking times between the sights, the €2 ninety-minute ticket, the airport tram, taxi tariffs, left luggage and the ZTL camera hours.
Tip: Most visitors ride twice in a whole stay: the tram in from the airport and bus 12 up the hill.
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Florence with kids
Families15 minbook-ahead tier 2 of 3
What children pay at fourteen sights, which climbs they are allowed on, a timed family day and the tours that take children.
Tip: Under-18s are free at the state and civic museums — but the free ticket still needs the booked slot.
What to book, and in what order
Five bookings decide a Florence trip and everything else can wait until you are standing there. The rule in each row is from that venue's own site, read on 29 August 2026; the last column is when to make the booking.
Book the dome slot before the Uffizi slot. It is the only one that cannot be changed once paid, so it is the fixed point the rest of the trip is built around.
| Ticket | The rule | Compare on | When to do it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunelleschi Pass, the dome climb | €30; the slot cannot be changed or cancelled; names and ID checked | Duomo tickets | First — it is the rigid one |
| Uffizi | Timed and nominative; €25 same-day, €29 in advance; €16 from 16:00 | Uffizi tickets | As soon as the dates are fixed |
| Accademia | Timed; €20 plus a €4 reservation fee | Accademia tickets | The same day you book the Uffizi |
| Vasari Corridor | Reservation mandatory, nominative, non-refundable; Friday evenings 3 July to 20 November 2026 | the Vasari Corridor | Once the Uffizi day is certain |
| Brancacci Chapel | Ten people at a time, thirty-minute visit; closed Tuesdays | the Oltrarno | About a week ahead — our estimate, not a published rule |
Everything else — the Bargello, Pitti, Boboli, the Medici Chapels, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, Museo Galileo, the churches — sells at the door on any ordinary day. The full comparison of official against resold tickets is on every ticket compared, and whether a pass beats single tickets is worked through on the Firenze Card.
Closed days: Monday, Sunday and the first Tuesday
The closures that break a day, taken from each institution's own opening page on 29 August 2026. Read the day column before you fix a slot; the last column is what to do instead.
There is no single closing day in Florence. The state museums shut on Monday, the churches half-shut on Sunday, and four venues take a different weekday each.
| Day | Closed | Open instead |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Uffizi, Accademia, Pitti, Bargello, Medici Chapels, Orsanmichele; Boboli on the first and last Monday of the month | Palazzo Vecchio, Museo Galileo, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, the Duomo monuments, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Museo Novecento, Brancacci, Palazzo Strozzi |
| Sunday | Cathedral nave to visitors; Santa Croce opens only from 14:00; Santa Maria Novella from 13:00; San Lorenzo; the Laurentian Library | Every museum, Boboli, and San Miniato al Monte from 08:15 |
| Tuesday | Brancacci Chapel; Museo Galileo closes at 13:00; the Opera del Duomo Museum on the first Tuesday of the month | Everything else |
| Wednesday | Palazzo Medici Riccardi | Everything else |
| Thursday | Museo Novecento; Palazzo Vecchio closes at 14:00 | Palazzo Strozzi, open until 23:00 |
Three dates close the city rather than a museum: Easter Sunday and 25 December for the whole Duomo complex, and 25 December with 1 January for the state museums. The weekday grid in full is on what opens on a Monday; the museum-by-museum hours are on the museums hub and the churches on the churches hub.
The first-timer checklist
Eight things in the order they need doing, from booking the flight to walking out of the airport. Costs are the published figures behind each step, and every row links to the page on this site that holds the detail.
| Step | When | What it costs | Where the detail is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick the length and the month | Before you book anything | Free | Best time to visit |
| Book the dome slot | As soon as dates are certain | €30 (about $35) | Duomo tickets |
| Book the Uffizi and the Accademia | Same day as the dome | €25 and €20, plus fees | Uffizi tickets and Accademia tickets |
| Choose an area, then a room | Before the flight if you can | Tourist tax €3.50 to €8 per person per night on top | Where to stay |
| Decide whether a pass pays | After the tickets are chosen | €85 (about $99) for 72 hours | The Firenze Card |
| Check the weekday of each slot | A week before | Free | What opens on a Monday |
| Plan the airport arrival | The week before | €2 tram (about $2.30) | Getting around |
| Give the hotel your plate if you drive | On arrival, not at check-out | Fine amount not stated | The ZTL rules |
Anyone travelling with children should read the age rules before booking the museums: the free-entry thresholds differ by up to seven years between venues. That comparison is on the Florence with kids page, linked in the list above.
Getting in and around, briefly
The airport is 5 km out and tram T2 covers it in 20 minutes on an ordinary urban ticket: €2 (about $2.30) for 90 minutes on the whole bus and tram network, valid from the Autolinee Toscane fare sheet in force since 1 August 2026, or €3 if you buy it from the driver. A carnet of ten rides is €18.20, and there is no daily pass on the sheet at all.
Inside the walls you walk. Santa Maria Novella station to the Duomo is about 13 minutes; the Duomo to the Uffizi about 9. The only regular ride a visitor takes is bus 12 up to Piazzale Michelangelo.
The car is the exception. The ZTL cameras run Monday to Friday 7:30–20:00 and Saturday 7:30–16:00, with a summer night ZTL Thursday to Saturday 23:00–03:00 from the first Thursday of April to the first Sunday of October. A hotel inside the zone can register your plate if you hand it over on arrival. Trains out to Pisa, Siena, Lucca and Bologna are priced by distance band rather than by route, so check the fare live. All of it, with the tables, is on buses, the tram and the ZTL in full.
What the city adds to the bill
The tourist tax is charged per person per night by the accommodation and paid at check-out, for a maximum of seven consecutive nights. Children under 12 are exempt. These are the 2025 rates, which the city's tourism site still published as current when we read it on 29 August 2026.
The rate follows the category of the property, not the price of the room, which is why the tax on a modest holiday flat matches a three-star hotel.
| Accommodation | Per person per night | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|
| 1-star hotel or campsite | €3.50 | about $4 |
| Youth hostel or religious guesthouse | €4 | about $5 |
| 2-star hotel | €4.50 | about $5 |
| 3-star hotel, B&B, holiday flat | €6 | about $7 |
| 4-star hotel or historic residence | €7 | about $8 |
| 5-star hotel | €8 | about $9 |
For a couple on three nights in a four-star that is €42 (about $49) handed over at the desk. Which district to sleep in, and what each one costs you in walking time and evening noise, is on which district to sleep in.
The four bookings most first visits make
The two timed tickets that shape the trip, an orientation walk for the arrival evening and the coach day that covers three Tuscan towns. Prices and ratings are the platform's own figures, checked on 28 August 2026.
from $18.53 Florence: Uffizi Gallery Reserved Entry Ticket & Audioguide
Listing details checked 2026-08-28
Reserved timed Uffizi ticket with a downloadable audioguide app in 6 languages and unlimited time inside. Nominative ticket — bring matching ID.
- Enter one of Italy’s top museums with reserved priority access
- Explore with a downloadable audioguide app available in multiple languages
- Follow a clear route across both floors and never feel lost inside
- See icons like Birth of Venus, Primavera, the Doni Tondo and many more
from $33.30Best seller Florence: Timed Entry to Michelangelo's David + Audio App
Listing details checked 2026-08-28
Reserved timed entry to the Accademia for Michelangelo's David with a digital audio app. Slot is binding; collect the ticket 15 minutes before.
- Enjoy priority entrance to the Accademia Gallery and admire Michelangelo’s David
- Explore unfinished works like 'The Prisoners' and 'St. Matthew'
- Discover rare musical instruments from the Cherubini Conservatory
- Experience masterpieces by Bartolini and other Renaissance artists
from $20.27 Florence: Highlights Walking Tour with Expert Guide
Listing details checked 2026-08-28
90-minute small-group highlights walk (Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio) in 8 languages, with free luggage storage. Runs rain or shine.
- Explore Florence on a small-group guided walking tour with a local expert
- Visit Florence landmarks like the Duomo, Piazza del Duomo & Ponte Vecchio
- Uncover hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path treasures in the heart of Florence
- Learn about Renaissance art, architecture & legends like Dante & Michelangelo
from $56.76Best seller Florence: Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano Day Trip with Lunch
Listing details checked 2026-08-28
12-hour coach day to Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano with a winery lunch; guided Siena walk and cathedral only on the English option. Eight languages.
- Explore Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano
- Experience wine tasting in a winery in the Chianti area
- Take a guided walking tour of Siena (only in English)
- Visit Siena's 14th-century medieval cathedral (only in English)
Once the plan is set
The twenty-five sights, ranked and mapped
What is actually worth the ticket, numbered to a map with the time each one needs: the ranked list of sights.
Nine of them freeDay trips compared with the train
Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti, Lucca, the Cinque Terre and Bologna, each weighed against doing it yourself by rail: every day trip compared with the train.
Fares by distance bandThe museums, one page
Hours, prices, closing days and how long each one takes: the museum table. Or return to the Florence city guide.
Monday is the trapPlanning a trip to Florence: questions
How many days do you need in Florence?
Two full days cover the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Duomo complex and the Oltrarno; three make it comfortable and add Pitti and Boboli. Beyond three, extra days are day trips rather than more city. The routes are on three days in Florence, and the ticket that decides the shape of day one is the Uffizi timed entry.
Is three days in Florence too long?
No. Three days is the length the city's own museum pass is priced for, and it is the first length that lets you take a morning slowly. If you have more, spend day four out of town — see three days in Florence and day trips.
How many days do you need for Florence and Tuscany?
Three in the city plus one day per trip out: Siena and San Gimignano together, Pisa, Chianti, or the Cinque Terre. Five to seven days covers the lot comfortably. Compare the routes on day trips or take the three-town coach day.
What do I need to book in advance in Florence?
Five things: the dome pass, the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Vasari Corridor and the Brancacci Chapel. Everything else sells at the door on an ordinary day. The order and the rules are in what to book, and the full ticket comparison is on every ticket compared.
What is closed in Florence on a Monday?
The state museums: the Uffizi, the Accademia, Pitti, the Bargello, the Medici Chapels and Orsanmichele, plus Boboli on the first and last Monday of each month. Palazzo Vecchio, Museo Galileo, Santa Croce and the Duomo monuments stay open — the grid is in closed days and on what opens on a Monday.
How much is the tourist tax in Florence?
€3.50 per person per night at a one-star hotel or campsite up to €8 at five stars, with €6 covering three-star hotels, B&Bs and holiday flats, for a maximum of seven nights. Children under 12 are exempt. The table is in what the city adds to the bill.
Can I drive into the centre of Florence?
Not without consequences. Camera gates run Monday to Friday 7:30–20:00 and Saturday 7:30–16:00, plus Thursday to Saturday 23:00–03:00 in summer, and a hotel inside the zone must register your plate on arrival. Park-and-ride sites sit on the edge — see getting in and around and the full ZTL rules.
How much should I budget for a Florence trip?
We do not publish holiday budgets, but the parts this site can source add up like this: the five advance tickets come to about €120 (roughly $140) per adult, the tourist tax €3.50 to €8 per person per night, and transport €2 a ride. Children under 18 enter most museums free — see Florence with kids and every ticket compared.
Planning Florence, on Video
Three planning videos worth the time before you book: a full trip-planning walkthrough, a day-shaping guide and a tips list from a long-running travel channel.
How to Plan a Trip to Florence, Italy | Florence Travel Guide
A start-to-finish planning walkthrough covering dates, bookings and the shape of a first visit.
Video: Sharing the RoadHow to Plan Your Magical Day in Florence - a Travel Guide
How a single Florence day fits together on the ground, useful before you choose one, two or three.
Video: DW Travel13 Tips for a FANTASTIC Trip to Florence
The practical mistakes first-timers make — bookings, closing days and the walking distances.
Video: Matt's Travel TipsVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
Page last reviewed 2026-08-29. Prices, hours and terms are set by the venue or operator and confirmed at checkout.
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