Best Tours in Florence

I recommend at least three full days in Florence, and four if you like to slow down and really look. When I visit Florence, I keep one day for the historic center, one for the Oltrarno workshops and quieter churches, and one for museums and evening walks along the Arno. In my travel guide Florence notes, I always tell friends not to rush the city: the best things to do in Florence are often small moments, like an early cappuccino near Sant’Ambrogio Market or sunset from San Miniato al Monte. If you plan to visit Florence in summer, add extra time because the heat and crowds slow everything down.

When I visit Florence, I always start with the dishes locals actually order: bistecca alla fiorentina, pappa al pomodoro, ribollita, and crostini with chicken liver pâté. If you visit Florence in cooler months, ribollita tastes especially right after a damp morning walk. In my travel guide Florence notes, I also point people to schiacciata sandwiches and cantucci with vin santo, because they show the city’s simpler side. One of my favorite things to do in Florence is to step into Sant’Ambrogio Market around lunchtime and see what’s selling out first. Florence is at its best when you eat seasonally, not just famously.

For a first stay, I recommend balancing big sights with the Florence that locals still use every day. My favorite things to do in Florence begin early: walk from Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Signoria before the streets fill, then cross to Oltrarno for artisan workshops and a long lunch. Among the essential attractions in Florence, I’d choose one major museum and one church, then leave room for wandering. When friends ask me what to see in Florence, I often say San Miniato al Monte at dusk tells you more than a rushed checklist. Even if you book tours in Florence, keep an unscheduled evening for the Arno and small wine bars.

When I’m in Florence, I usually divide my time between the historic center, Santa Croce, San Niccolò, and the Oltrarno. For classic attractions in Florence, the center gives you the grand façades and civic history, but I find Santa Croce more lived-in, especially in the morning around its cafés and leather workshops. If friends ask me what to see in Florence beyond the obvious, I send them to San Niccolò for quieter streets and the climb toward Piazzale Michelangelo. Oltrarno is where Florence feels most human to me—craft studios, small trattorias, and evening light on worn stone. Even with tours in Florence, I always leave time to simply wander there.

I recommend late April to early June or September into mid-October. In my travel guide Florence notes, those weeks give you the best balance: warm light, longer evenings, and fewer punishing crowds than peak summer. When I visit Florence in May, I can still linger in cloisters or cross the Arno at sunset without feeling wrung out by heat. Autumn is wonderful too, especially when the first cooler evenings make ribollita and red wine feel right again. If you plan to visit Florence in July or August, start early and rest in the afternoon. Many of the best things to do in Florence are far more enjoyable outside the hottest months.

When I visit Florence, I shop by neighborhood, not by souvenir street. For artisan goods, I always head to Oltrarno, especially around Santo Spirito and Via Maggio, where Florence still has bookbinders, leatherworkers, and small design studios. If you visit Florence for fashion and polished storefronts, the area around Via de’ Tornabuoni is the elegant answer, but I prefer mixing it with quieter side streets where the window displays feel less staged. In my travel guide Florence notes, I also flag Sant’Ambrogio for food shopping—olive oil, pecorino, and seasonal produce. One of the most rewarding things to do in Florence is to buy something made by hand, directly from the maker.

When families ask me, I usually recommend Boboli Gardens first. Of all the things to do in Florence, it gives children space to move while adults still get beauty, views, and Medici history. Florence can feel dense indoors, so the gardens are a relief, especially in the morning before the stone paths get too hot. Among the classic attractions in Florence, this is one of the easiest with kids because you can turn it into a treasure hunt for fountains, statues, and hidden corners. If you’re wondering what to see in Florence beyond museums, pair it with nearby Oltrarno for lunch. Even families who book tours in Florence often enjoy this more relaxed rhythm.

When I need a break from the main attractions in Florence, I head into the hills or to smaller towns that still feel tied to the city’s rhythm. Fiesole is my easiest recommendation: a short ride up, cooler air, Roman ruins, and a view that helps you understand Florence in its landscape. If friends ask me what to see in Florence and nearby, I often pair central Florence with a half-day in Chianti for vineyards and stone villages, or with Settignano for quiet lanes and old villas. Even if you book tours in Florence, leave room for these smaller places; they reveal the city’s softer, rural edge.