After spending months exploring Florence, we stand by this guide to seeing Florence in 2 days as the best way to see the highlights of the Cradle of the Renaissance with limited time, and we have absolutely loved having the opportunity to share this 2 day Florence itinerary with family and friends over the last few years. Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more detail.
With only 2 days in Florence to work with, we recommend booking either skip-the-line tickets or a tour in advance to avoid what can be a long line. We waited in line for about half an hour in the middle of a weekend day in early November, and it can easily be triple that during busy periods.
David is definitely the star of the show and absolutely worth seeing—the statue blew us away when we saw it in person! Prefer the context of a tour? This popular option covers both David and the Duomo! Right next door to the outdoor San Lorenzo market sits the indoor Mercato Centrale, one of our favorite places in Florence and home to all kinds of delicious delicacies.
The ground floor includes food stalls selling everything from fruit to fish to olive oil, and a few stalls selling cooked meals such as takeaway pasta.
Upstairs, you can find even more stalls selling prepared food, as well as tables to sit at and in one corner, a kitchen designed for cooking classes.
The Duomo itself is free to enter, but the surrounding museums including the bell tower, cupola, baptistery, and the underground ruins below the Duomo all require a ticket.
Combined tickets for all portions of the museums, which are the only kind of ticket available, can be purchased at a few offices around Florence—we usually buy ours from the office located directly behind the Duomo.
As a bonus, when you climb the bell tower, you have an amazing view of the cupola itself! Have your heart set on climbing the cupola? Make sure you get the chance to visit by booking your climb before arriving in Florence! From one church to the next: after finishing up at the Duomo, walk over to the Basilica of Santa Croce for a look at another stunning house of worship in Florence Santa Croce actually has a more ornate interior than the Duomo and some very memorable tombs—including those of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo.
One of the best places to admire this view? From the Piazzale Michelangelo. Time your visit for sunset and grab a glass of wine while there for an especially memorable evening! Not too tired when you reach the top and want to admire the Florence skyline from an even higher angle? San Miniato al Monte is located only another 5 minutes or so of climbing up the hill and boasts another incredible view of Florence—and one that is a bit less crowded than the more popular vantage point at Piazzale Michelangelo.
As the social and commercial center of Florence for thousands of years, Piazza della Repubblica is an unmissable sight during your 2 days in Florence and an excellent place to kick off your second day in the city. Today, the piazza is a bustling, busy place, home to a beautiful carousel, plenty of restaurants and shops, and usually a street musician or two. The Fontana del Porcellino consists of a large bronze boar what else, in Florence?
Just a short walk away from the Fontana del Porcellino sits the Piazza della Signoria—one of the prettiest piazzas in Florence. This piazza is home to the Fountain of Neptune, the Palazzo Vecchio, and a small open-air museum that shows off some absolutely incredible statues. We loved taking a seat and people-watching in this piazza—we spent a memorable night this fall eating some gelato on the steps that lead to the statues while listening to a talented busker and enjoying the hustle and the bustle of the city around us.
It was absolutely magical! Are you planning your Florence itinerary and are wondering about the best things to do in 2 days in Florence? Then this post is perfect for you — here I share my tips on what to do in Florence for 2 days. Florence had been on my Italy bucket list forever mostly because of Michelangelo , and yet it took me more than a decade to finally visit. I fell so in love that I had to revisit just a few months later. First off: I am by no means an architecture or art enthusiast, but after reading a biography of Michelangelo as a teenager, I knew I had to visit Florence.
Florence did not disappoint. You cannot visit Tuscany and skip Florence. It should be on any Italy itinerary.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means, I might earn a small commission when you buy a product at no extra cost for you after clicking on my link. More about it here. How long should you stay in Florence? Well, I suggest staying at least 2 days. You will not see all of its beauty, but with 2 days in the city, you can still visit most of the stunning sights. You have two airport choices to get to Florence. The airport in Pisa is actually bigger than the one in Florence and you might fly into that.
Florence is also quite easily accessible via train from many places in Italy. Even if you are coming from neighboring countries like Austria , Slovenia , or Switzerland, it might be worth checking the train connections to Florence. Never visit Italian cities in the summer.
At least, if you want to avoid the heat and crowds of tourists. Like hardly any other country, Italy is stuffed with people in the summer months, and Florence is no exception.
The shoulder season is certainly the best time to visit Florence. So, here we are: discussing places to visit in 2 days in Florence. Day 1 focuses on the city center and its attractions and day 2 focuses on the other side of the river with some lesser-known activities.
Early in the morning, when it is still quiet at the city center, head to the Piazza del Duomo Cathedral Square. This will be the only time you can take pictures of the stunning buildings without millions of other people around! It is the perfect place to start your day in Florence. Your first stop should be the Piazza del Duomo. It is home to several attractions and is located in the heart of Florence.
You will find the impressive Duomo cathedral , which is also known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. This stunning church was completed in the 15th century — being the fourth largest church in the world back then.
Today, it is the 11th largest church building in the world. Shares There are several ways to enjoy the Duomo Complex:. You can marvel at it from the outside; see the Duomo from inside and enjoy the mosaic floors and frescoes; and visit the Baptistery with its bronze Gates of Paradise.
It was named after the painter Giotto, who also was the architect of the project for the bell tower though the bell tower was only completed after his death. I am all about views, so I highly suggest climbing to the top and soaking in the sights. Oh, and you should be aware that there are quite a few steps to climb. To be exact, there are steps to reach the very top! Close to the Duomo is the Piazza Della Signoria. Have I ever mentioned how much I love the piazzas squares in Italy?
They tend to be colorful, fun, and lively — and Piazza Della Signoria is no exception. Hence the name. Spanning the Arno River in the centre of Florence, this medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge has many important characteristics.
In the past, these shops housed butchers and fish sellers. Light reflections at the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. These elegant and embellished buildings have a large square in front — which was an innovation in residential architecture at the time of construction in circa At this time it was also the largest and most impressive private residence in the city of Florence!
The Palazzo Pitti is now a large complex of impressive galleries and museums that house very important collections of works of art. Spend some time exploring the beautiful Boboli Gardens and admiring the wonderful Italian style.
Next up on the Florence itinerary is a continuation of the walk via the street by the bell tower to reach the magnificent Piazza della Signoria. We walked around admiring the prominent Palazzo Vecchio overlooking the square and admiring the famous sculptures with their hefty political connotations. We found them fascinating and were allured by historical significance! End off here with a walk around the Fountain of Neptune , which was sculpted around by Bartolomeo Ammannati and Giambologna in order to celebrate the opening of a new aqueduct.
Beautiful Renaissance courtyards in Florence. We then strolled back along the Ponte Vecchio bridge to again admire the jewellery sparkling from the window shops and admire this monumental piece of history. Discover the secret routes and chambers of this medieval fortress of Roman ruins. Palazzo Vecchio offers amazing Renaissance chambers and paintings in a microcosm where art and history have been bound for centuries, as the main symbol of civil power in Italy! As well as marvelling at the fascinating labyrinth of interior design and rooms magnificently decorated by artists such as Michelangelo, Giorgio Vasari and Donatello!
To end off your first day of incredible sightseeing and walks through the convoluted history of power, architecture and art in Florence, I recommend stopping to enjoy the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo. This square overlooks the city from the first hill in Oltrarno and offers a stupendous view of the city at sunset! The Florence skyline also offers something unique in that buildings were historically not allowed to be built higher than the base of the cupola of the Duomo.
I thought this was one of the most amazing things to see in Florence! Watching the skyline of Florence light up from Piazzale Michelangelo. The second day of this Florence itinerary will be spent discovering more famous works of art and admiring the amazing architecture all around. You can also choose to take a guided tour, but just make sure not to miss the top masterpieces! Uffizi Gallery has rooms to explore, with iconic masterpieces throughout.
Click here to book your fast track entry to the Uffizi Gallery! These are great for shopping. Find small souvenirs to take home with you or simply take photos of the colourful and bustling spaces while enjoying some people watching.
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