Florence is capital to Italy’s Tuscany region and home to quite some beautiful architecture. It was actually the first Italian city I stepped foot in during my 2017 Euro Road trip as we kind of did a loop around Western Europe starting in Paris and going through Portugal and Spain before we moved into the Italian territory.
Visiting Florence in one day may not be enough time to master the city, but it is enough time to fall in love with it! And the best part is that, it is entirely accessible on foot! Florence, in fact, despite being a European capital, is one of the “top walkable cities” in the world!
Here are a few recommendations I have on how to see the best of Florence in one day.
Best things to see in Florence in One Day
Start at the Galleria dell’Accademia
This is the home of Michelangelo’s famous David, and this statue is utterly mind-blowing to see in person.
Since the Galleria dell’Accademia is fairly small–it was literally built to house David–it’ll be easy enough to work your way through the few other rooms quickly, get a taste of Florence’s art scene, and then head out to enjoy the rest of your one day in Florence.
Pro Tip: Queues at the Galleria dell’Accademia can get extremely long, even in the low season, however you can purchase skip-the-line tickets to avoid wasting any time during your one day in Florence. See this link here.
Stroll over to Mercato di San Lorenzo.
7-minute walk from the Galleria dell’Accademia.
As one of Florence’s oldest markets, the bustling Mercato di San Lorenzo is an excellent place to people-watch, purchase small souvenirs, and photograph all of the overflowing stalls that are bursting with leather goods that you can purchase to commemorate your one day in Florence.
Duck into Mercato Centrale
Right next door to the Mercato di San Lorenzo sits the Mercato Centrale. This market is all about the food: whether you want to photograph the beautiful fruit stands, pick up some olive or truffle oil to ship home, buy a large block of cheese, or purchase a hot meal from one of the many stands selling pasta and other goods, Mercato Centrale has you covered.
Enjoy the beautiful architecture in Piazza Duomo
6-minute walk from Mercato Centrale.
The home of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (better known simply as the Duomo), this is the most iconic spot in Florence and one of the most iconic spots in all of Italy.
While in the Piazza del Duomo, be sure to enter the cathedral (it’s free to enter, but everything else on this list requires a ticket). You can also tour the baptistery (especially be sure to take note of Botticelli’s incredible carved doors on the side that faces the cathedral!), and climb to the top of either Giotto’s Bell Tower or Brunelleschi’s Dome for amazing views.
The Piazza del Duomo is one place where prior planning for your one day in Florence will make or break what you get to do there: to climb to the top of the cupola, you’ll need to reserve your ticket at least several days in advance. See this link here for tickets.
You don’t need to reserve a ticket in advance to climb the bell tower, however the lines do get long and you may not have time to wait and still make it to everything else you hope to see in Florence in one day. If the lines are long, maybe try loop around with the other things to see and try come back later, maybe closer to sun down.
Keep in mind that both climbs require lots of stairs–463 for the dome and 414 for the bell tower–so be prepared to sweat a bit!
Stroll across the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.
7-minute walk from the Piazza Duomo
Spanning the Arno River at its narrowest point, the Ponte Vecchio is known for its distinct look of having buildings built along either side of it–and as the shops there today are glittering with jewels and gold from every angle, it’s quite the lovely place for a walk!
The pedestrian bridge can get quite crowded, but it is one of the most iconic features of Florence and offers beautiful views of the Arno River.
Of course, you can’t get the best view of the Ponte Vecchio while you are on it–for that, head to the nearby Ponte Santa Trinita.
Take in Panoramic views at Piazzale Michelangelo
20-minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio.
The Piazzale Michelangelo is one of Florence’s best-known viewpoints, and there’s no better place to watch the sunset on your one day in Florence.
This spot will make you blink a few times thinking you are looking at a postcard not real life! Try to get there a bit before sunset, not only to grab a great spot to enjoy the view, but to have the opportunity to take some beautiful photos before the sun starts to go down.
From there, it’s time for one of two things: either a walk to the train station to bid Florence goodbye, or, if you’re spending the night in the city, out to dinner for a delicious Tuscan dinner!
While you’re up there you can also enjoy a nice glass of local wine (or 2) and some traditional antipasto in the restaurant up on the hill.
Top Tips for seeing Florence in One Day
Start early, and have an Italian style breakfast
The biggest key to making the most of one day in Florence is getting an early start.
Before arriving, have a quick breakfast Italian-style: a cappuccino drunk standing up at the bar (aka coffeeshop), plus a sweet pastry if you’re hungry, is the perfect way to start an Italian morning.
Pro Tip: standing up–Italian bars charge extra for the luxury of drinking while seated! Embrace the tradition, save a few pennies, and drink standing–it’s more fun that way, anyway.
Save time & book your tickets in advance.
I’m all about planning ahead to avoid waiting in line, and when you’re working on an extra short timeline and have only one day in Florence, that becomes even more important.
Try purchasing tickets for both the Galleria dell’Accademia and the Duomo before arriving in Florence–your whole day will go so much smoother for it!
Getting Around During Your One Day in Florence
Florence is quite small and assuming you don’t have any physical limitations, you likely won’t need anything other than your own feet to get around during your one day in Florence.
I’ve included the walking distance between each attraction above: as you can see, most of them are very close together!
More Time in Florence?
There is no limit to how long you can stay in Florence and be entertained!
If you have more than one day in Florence, be sure to stop by the beautiful Uffizi Gallery, to climb to the small church of San Miniato al Monte for amazing views over the city, to check out the Palazzo Pitti and nearby Boboli Gardens, to visit the Santa Croce Church where Galileo and many others are interred, and to visit the incredible Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy.
If you have more than a few days in Florence, be sure to also get out into the Tuscan countryside: whether you’re looking for a wine tour or a day trip to Pisa to see the famous leaning Tower!
See my full guide on a Day Trip to the Leaning Tower of Pisa!
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