How many days do I wish we had spent in Florence on our first visit to Italy? Well, I can tell you I wanted to be there for more than just 2 days!
Florence is absolutely stunning and there’s beauty oozing out of every crevice and corner of this iconic Italian town!
I’m guessing a lot of people try to do Florence in 2 days as part of a longer Italy vacation, so if your plan is to see several other parts, this is our recommendation for the short time you will have in this northern city.
The things we list are an absolute must for your couple of days in Florence.
Make sure to put these sights and hot spots on your bucket list for the visit so you don’t miss anything important!
As part of our Italy trip in the spring, we stayed in Florence for 3 days. To be honest, we spent almost a full day on a day trip to Pisa.
The below itinerary entails all of the places we say during the full two days that we were actually in Florence.
You can see Ponte Vecchio, Piazza del Duomo, Galleria dell’Accademia, Uffizi Gallery, Duomo di Firenze, Giotto’s Campanile, and even do some leather shopping if you’re good with your time AND you make sure to purchase your tickets in advance!
It’s quite easy to take the train over to Pisa but we won’t get into that in this post. Let’s just say it was a jam-packed itinerary for us because we did go on that day-trip!
If you can get Skip The Line Tickets to any of the museums, you’ll be in great shape, especially if you plan on visiting Florence in the summertime!
Our number one tip is to find tickets that schedule your times efficiently. However, make sure to include some downtime for meals and rest, too!
We want you to be able to enjoy our guide for what to eat on your visit as well!
1. Day One In Florence – Piazza Del Duomo
If you miss this plaza you must not be in Florence! I mean this large historic town square with the world’s third largest cathedral right in the middle of it is kind of hard to miss!
We passed Piazza del Duomo as we walked to our Airbnb from the train station (our second stop in Italy during our 10 days there).
The square is surrounded by shops and restaurants all around and is the focal point of many of the streets in the city.
It seemed like we went by this piazza whenever we went from one part of town to another.
It also helped that our apartment was located within a couple of minute’s walk from here. We could see the top of the Duomo from our balcony!
2. Day One In Florence – Florence Cathedral & Campanile
Cupola of the Duomo di Firenze & Giotto’s Campanile right next door are both breathtaking to say the least.
Not only are they gorgeous with the magnificent details and sheer size but they are also mind-blowing to tour from the inside.
You have to climb 463 steps to get to the top of the Duomo and the views are worth every step.
Make sure you reserve a guided tour so they can explain the intricate (and kind of secret) way that the architect built this structure!
3. Day One In Florence – Ponte Vecchio
Not only do you HAVE to go to this beautiful bridge, you MUST go at sunset! The golden hour casts a magical air on this magnificent bridge.
It is so gorgeous!
Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge, was first built in the tenth century and spans the Arno river.
Though the original was destroyed and rebuilt over the same spot it was the only bridge in Florence that was spared in World War II!
While this “Old Bridge” was originally lined on both sides by butcher shops it has since switched to housing high-end jewelry and watch stores.
It’s such a pleasure to walk in between these retailers and do some window shopping and simultaneously watching the colors of the sky change as the sun sets.
What To Do In Florence, Italy On Second Day
For your second day, we suggest you go a bit lighter so you have some time to take it all in.
We normally don’t do any shopping when we travel because we like to keep our luggage light and we don’t like collecting a lot of things anyway.
I would typically want to see the sights when I travel, but Florence had some good shopping.
I’m not gonna lie, but even I was all about the markets and striking up deals for some leather goods here!
4. Day Two In Florence – Uffizi Gallery
I have to warn you, this gallery is absolutely huge!
We really had to make sure we didn’t linger too long at any one display while visiting this magnificent building filled with amazing historical pieces.
It was hard not to stop and inspect every single work of art in this seemingly endless collection.
Additionally, make sure to keep a lookout for some really beautiful views from the windows.
I didn’t notice a whole lot of people stopping to take a look outside, but I think you should take the opportunity while you’re in there!
Once again, I would have to remind you that getting a ticket in advance is key because you get timed entrance and this will help you get your day organized. This is, after all, the most visited museum!
Get your fill of Italian Renaissance art!
5. Day Two In Florence – Leather Shopping & Markets
Like I said, I’m not much of a shopper and don’t encourage people to spend time doing this when they could be checking out some good sightseeing.
However, the markets are great in Florence so do peruse through them during your second day.
Here are a couple that we really enjoyed going to:
- Mercato del Porcellino – Leather goods and statues (check out the statue of the boar as you go from stall to stall shopping the leather)
- Mercato di San Lorenzo – Food and wine (great place to eat lunch and grab wine as gift/souvenir)
6. Day Two In Florence – Galleria dell’Accademia
This, of course, is the museum where the Statue of David resides.
We would be remiss if we didn’t include a stop to see one of Michael Angelo’s greatest masterpieces. Perfection in stone!
Where To Eat On Your Two Days In Florence
Here are some of the places we tried on our visit to Florence.
We had a great experience at all of them and would highly recommend trying one, if not all, of the below:
- Shake Cafe – great for breakfast or lunch
- Trattoria Dall’Oste Chianineria – the best steak in Florence. Great restaurant for dinner!
- Venchi Cioccolato e Gelato – You can’t visit Italy without eating all the gelato they have!
You may also enjoy reading:
- Itinerary of Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Venice in 10 Days
- Must See and Eat In Rome, Italy
- The Perfect 2 Day Venice Itinerary
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