How to Spend a Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Florence

I'm Carol Cram, novelist and arts travel writer, and founder of Art In Fiction, a curated database of 2,700+ novels inspired by the arts. Artsy Traveler contains affiliate links for products and services I personally use and recommend. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the Disclosure for more information.

Florence reeks of the Renaissance probably more than any other city in Europe. In fact, I sometimes think it’s becoming Renaissance Disneyland–and that’s not a compliment. Florence seethes with visitors packing piazzas and gelaterias and waiting in long lines outside the Duomo.

That said, Florence can be magical when you slow down and prioritize depth over checklists. I’ve visited Florence many times while researching the 14th century for my historical novels, and while I can sometimes get overwhelmed by the crowds, I always find a way to let Florence enchant me all over again.

My Perfect Day itinerary focuses on helping you enjoy what makes Florence distinctive. You’ll combine a targeted visit to the Uffizi with some lesser known (and uncrowded) attractions, neighborhood wandering, and Florentine cuisine.

Treat my Perfect Day itinerary as a framework rather than a rigid schedule. Swap elements as you like, linger where curiosity pulls you, and leave room for serendipity. That is often when the most rewarding travel moments happen.

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What Is a Perfect Artsy Traveler Day?

A Perfect Day itinerary is my answer to a question I get asked often: if you only have one day in a city, what should you do? Not what the guidebooks say you should do, but what will actually make you glad you went?

Each Perfect Day itinerary is built around the things I love most when I travel: museums worth lingering in, neighborhoods worth getting lost in, meals worth slowing down for, and at least one experience that couldn’t happen anywhere else. I leave out the obligatory sights that everyone photographs (but sometimes don’t even enjoy), and I include the things that made me want to stay longer.

These itineraries are frameworks, not schedules. If you find a café you want to sit in for an extra hour, get comfy and order another coffee or glass of wine. If a museum pulls you in deeper than you expected, let it.

Your goal is to craft a day that feels genuinely yours rather than tick off bucket list sites just to say you did them.

If you love this approach, see the full list of cities at the end of this post.

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Highlights of a Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Florence

• Stroll along the Arno River from my recommended hotel, cross the bridge and find an out-of-the- way place to enjoy a cappuccino and a pastry.
• Enjoy an art-steeped visit to the Uffizi Gallery to experience Renaissance masterpieces (get tickets in advance).
• Have a pasta lunch away from the crowds in one of the narrow streets between the Uffizi and the Duomo.
• Visit Palazzo Davanzati to learn about medieval Florentine life.
• Drop into the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s David (get tickets in advance).
• Wander through markets and artisan shops, and pick up some Florentine leather goods.
• Dine at a restaurant that serves traditional Florentine beef.
• Stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, now empty of crowds, to your hotel along the floodlit Arno.

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Orientation to Florence

Florence is a compact city with all the attractions in this itinerary within easy walking distance of each other. In fact, the only way you can get around Florence is on foot.

The Arno River bisects Florence and is crossed by several pedestrian bridges including the famous Ponte Vecchio. Stay on the less busy north side and cross over a bridge to get to the centro, where you’ll find the Uffizi, the Duomo, and most of the other main attractions of Florence.

A few weeks before embarking upon your Perfect Florence Day, go online to secure tickets to both the Uffizi and the Accademia. For the Uffizi, buy your tickets for the earliest time slot you can get, preferably at opening time so you can be among the first visitors. For the Accademia, buy tickets for a time slot in the late afternoon.

Here are options for tickets.

Ready? Let’s go explore Florence!

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Morning in Florence

Get up early and go for a stroll along the river. In the morning light, the views of the buildings lining the river on both sides can be spectacular.

Here’s a video I took of the river from the north side where I stayed at the Serristori Palace Residence. The light is very dramatic on a broody day in November.

Cross one of the bridges and find a small café for a cappuccino and a pastry. Save money by standing at the bar, or relax at a small table and watch Florence wake up.

Early in the day, Florence is visitor-free, so most of the people you’ll see passing by will be beautifully dressed Florentines on their way to work.

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Mid-Morning in Florence

Visit to the Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is one of the world’s best museums for seeing masterpieces from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras. You’ll find masterpieces by just about every famous western European artist, including Giotto, Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci, Artemisia, Caravaggio, and more.

Seeing the entire Uffizi in one morning is impossible. Slow down and take your time. Focus on a dozen or so paintings to study and appreciate. The audioguide you can pick up at the entrance helps provide context.

Here are just three of my favorite masterpieces at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Annunciation with St. Maxima and St. Ansanus

Completed in 1333, this gold-sheeted masterpiece by Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi just glows. Find it in one of the first rooms you enter on Level 2.

Primavera

Sandro Botticelli’s painting Primavera is always mobbed. If you’re lucky, you may get close enough to snap a picture without heads in the way. Try to tune out the phone-snapping crowds and study this magnificent painting. The diaphonous gowns of the Three Graces are astounding.

The Duke and Duchess of Urbino Frederico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza

This fabulous two-sided painting by Piero della Francesca (1473-75) screams wealth and privilege. These people own their place in society, whether they earned it or not!

For an in-depth study of what I recommend seeing at the Uffizi, see my post Uffizi Gallery: Top 10 Must-See Masterpieces and How to Visit.

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Lunch in Florence

If you’re planning to splurge on Florentine beef for dinner, you may just pick up a slice of pizza at one of the many takeaway places in the warren of streets between the Uffizi and the Duomo. If you want to spend more time, drop into a trattoria and order a plate of pasta.

Make sure you avoid crowded tourist places. Get away from the area around the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi (tourist central with inflated prices) and wander into a twisting side street. You can get away from crowds surprisingly quickly in Florence and find cosy places to eat.

Check restaurant reviews on your phone and choose places with plenty of reviews in Italian.

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Afternoon in Florence

After lunch, make a beeline for two of Florence’s most rewarding museums: the Palazzo Davanzati (never crowded) and the Accademia Gallery (always mobbed).

Palazzo Davanzati

The Palazzo Davanzati is a hidden gem that will delight history lovers. Every time I visit Florence, I pop in to soak up the medieval vibes.

Walking through its rooms feels less like visiting a museum and more like stepping into the world I imagined while writing The Towers of Tuscany, my bestselling novel about a woman artist in 14th century Tuscany.

The spectacular painted walls of many of the rooms take my breath away. When I climb the great staircase rising from the central courtyard, I pretend I’m the lady of the house in a long gown and elaborate headpiece.

Located on a quiet side street not far from the Uffizi, the Palazzo Davanzati was built in the second half of the 14th century by the Davizzi family, wealthy members of the wool guild. Unlike the Uffizi or the Accademia, it’s rarely crowded, which means you can actually stand still and look at things.

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Accademia Gallery

I’m blown away every time I go to the Accademia and see Michelangelo’s statue of David. The word magnificent doesn’t do it justice.

The statue is so perfect and yet so human. Walk slowly around it, admiring it from every angle.

Michelangelo sculpted the 5.17 meter (17 foot) David from one piece of marble between 1501 and 1504. He was asked to complete a sculpture begun earlier by two sculptors at two different times, both of whom abandoned the block of marble because of its imperfections. Michelangelo found a way to turn the marble into a marvel that thousands of people line up to see every day.

Remember to get your tickets well in advance.

Shopping!

I love shopping in Florence. You won’t find many bargains, but you will find a lot of gorgeous stuff.

Browse through markets stuffed full of leather goods (check labels to make sure they are made in Italy), and check out the many boutiques. Shoes are a good bet.

I always come away from Florence with a new purse or wallet or belt. The smell of the leather, the beguiling colors, and the beautiful craftsmanship are hard to resist.

Take your time making your selection and enjoy a chat with the vendors.

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Evening in Florence

Relax back at your hotel for a few hours and then venture out into Florence in the fading light of a summer day or in the darkness of winter.

At night, Florence regains some of its Renaissance charm when the streets empty of visitors and you can more easily imagine a Medici nobleman prancing past on his horse.

Your destination is a trattoria or osteria that features Bistecca alla Fiorentina on the menu. This traditional steak dish is made from Chianina beef that has been dry-aged and cooked rare over high heat.

And wow, is it succulent! It’s also expensive, but worth the splurge. Check restaurant reviews and ask your hotel for recommendations.

And if beef isn’t your style, try a pasta dish. My friends and I still reminisce about the gnocchi with gorgonzola we enjoyed at a restaurant in Florence twenty years ago!

Stroll Home Through Empty Streets

After dinner, take your time strolling through Florence back to your hotel. The Arno River at night glimmers with lights you can almost believe are torches.

Stop and lean against a railing and watch the river flow past and know it’s the same river Michelangelo saw while on his way to work on David.

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Where to Stay in Florence

Of all the places I’ve stayed in Florence, my favorite is Serristori Palace Residence. Although a bit on the pricey side, the place is excellent value because of the size of the one-bedroom apartment, with its high ceilings, panoramic view of the river, and excellent location about a ten-minute walk from the centro.

What I also like is that the neighborhod around is not at all touristy with some lovely family trattorias and quiet streets that are especially atmospheric at night.

Here’s a map of Florence showing several more accommodation options. Stay as close to the centro as you can.

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Tours of Florence

Here are several tours of Florence that will appeal to the artsy traveler. Also check out the walking tours offered by GuruWalk.

Walking Tours

These tours with GuruWalk are free, although I suggest tipping the guide.

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Recommended Novels to Read Before You Go

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All Perfect Day Itineraries

Browse every city featured in the Perfect Day series below.

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