MJD and I spent a few days in Florence during our most recent Italy trip and we fell in love! We had both been very briefly when we were younger with family so it was great to have some more time there and as adults who could appreciate the city more as well. Florence is so beautiful, a very walkable city with gorgeous art museums to visit and delicious food to eat! We were only there for a few days so obviously there is much more to do than what is on my list, but you can use this as a starting point if it is your first visit to beautiful Firenze or for some new ideas if you have been there before.
What To Do-
Take a walking tour with Tour Guy: On our first day in Florence, we did a private walking tour through the Tour Guy. It was a great way to get the lay of the land and learn a lot about Florence’s history. The tour we did also included a visit to La Galleria dell’Accademia to see the David and the tour guide secures your timed tickets for you ahead of time so you can get in without waiting.
Visit The Uffizi: Commissioned to be built by Cosimo de Medici as the offices (Uffizi) of Florence, the Uffizi is the home to a world famous collection of sculpture and artwork including pieces by Botticelli (the Birth of Venus and Primavera are breathtaking!), Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo and Caravaggio. We also did a private tour here and highly recommend that!
Grab a drink at Babae‘s wine window: If you watched Stanley Tucci’s Searching For Italy, you may have seen Florence’s wine windows (aka buchette del vino). These tiny arched windows date back to the 16th century when wealthy families were beginning to sell wine to the public. While you’ll be able to see many in the architecture walking around, Babae has an operational wine window and we stopped there for an afternoon drink.
Visit a rooftop or for a view at sunset: Our hotel, the Westin Excelsior had a great rooftop bar where we got a pre-dinner cocktail every night. It was a great way to enjoy a view of the city as the sun was going down. There were many rooftop spots in Florence to try, but this one is open to the public and not just hotel guests if you are interested!
Do some shopping: The shopping in Florence was amazing- from luxury stores to local Italian vendors. I’d definitely save a bit of time on your trip to do some shopping- the leather market and the leather school were two good places to find Italian leather items. We also found this stunning children’s store, Baroni– a fourth generation family business with beautiful childrenswear pieces handmade in Florence.
Where To Eat-
La Giostra: This restaurant was recommended by a few different sets of friends. The traditional Tuscan menu had lots of delicious options including a boar ragu and an amazing carpaccio (seen in first pic above!). Reservations recommended!
Gustapizza: A casual and delicious pizza spot located near the Boboli Gardens. We had fantastic personal pizzas here that were even topped with full balls of mozzarella.
Trattoria Camillo: We had our last meal (lunch) at Camillo and we left Florence with very happy stomachs! Our waiter was fantastic and my tortellini was simple, but superb (third pic above)! The restaurant was founded in 1945 and seems to be a Florentine institution!
Santa Elisabetta: Dinner at Santa Elisabetta is such a special experience! The Two Star Michelin rated restaurant is located in the Byzantine Pagliazza Tower, built in approximately 544 AD, at the Brunelleschi Hotel (last pic above). We tried the 7 course menu – there are also 5 or 9 course options for dinner- and it was filled with so many delicious and uniquely prepared items. We also chose to do the wine pairing which was very interesting and even included beer and sake as pairings with certain courses. If looking for a very special dinner while in Florence, I’d definitely recommend!
We loved Florence and cannot wait to visit again! Have you ever been to Firenze? What were some of your favorite places to visit while there?
xoxo, Jenna
