While the first half of my solo one-week trip to Italy began in Rome, I knew I wanted to explore a second city.
When deciding on a second city to visit for this trip, a few caught my eye, but Florence’s charm, as revealed through my research, really shone and won out compared to its counterparts, such as Milan and Venice.
In this 3 day Florence itinerary, I’ll share everything I learned during my trip so you can duplicate what you choose to and make the most of your trip to the city.
———-
This blog post may contain affiliate links which means that if you book one of these activities using my link (which I know you will because you loved how helpful this blog post is *wink*I am going to receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting BCJ!
Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy:
Day One: Arrive in Florence and begin your exploration of the city
Take a scenic train ride from Rome to Florence
Part of my desire to add a second city to my travel itinerary in Italy was to try out the train system. As someone from a country with limited train infrastructure and development, it is still fascinating to me that traveling and living in Europe means being able to arrive in different cities and countries in just a few hours via train.
Florence is only 1 hour and 30 minutes away from Rome by train.
I booked a one-way 1st class ticket online with ItaliaRail for $78. I was also able to select my seat at the time of purchase for a small additional fee.
Inside of the first class train experience
The first-class train experience with Italia Rail features wide, leather reclining seats with extra legroom, a complimentary welcome drink, snacks, free Wi-Fi, and additional luggage space.
After my experience with the airport train upon landing in Rome, which I cover in my Rome travel guide, I was very nervous about luggage storage while traveling on the trains in Italy. This is the main reason why I booked the first class.
My seat was very comfortable, unlike one of the few single seats in the cart when I booked online. I was able to place my luggage right above me, where I could see it at all times, and I got to do some work.
I would highly recommend booking a first-class ticket and feel that it was worth the peace of mind I felt while traveling to Florence, especially as a solo traveler.
Planning Tip: You can purchase tickets from one of the machines inside the train station, but be sure to validate your ticket at a validation booth before entering the train to avoid a fine. To avoid this extra step, it is best to book your ticket online.
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Cost: $78 for a one way ticket from Rome to Florence.
Take an eco golf tour of the city’s top sights
Start your time in Florence with a ride around the city in an electric tuk-tuk or golf cart, driven by an experienced guide who will provide you with great insights into each of the historical landmarks you encounter.
You’ll stop by sites like the Florence Cathedral and Ponte Vecchio, with the opportunity to pause, take beautiful pictures, and soak it all in.
I love this tour because it allowed me to get a well-rounded overview of the city, see some sites, and take pictures that I otherwise would not have been able to thanks to my guide.
Time: 1 hour
Cost: $58.36/person
Visit the world’s oldest pharmacy
Make your way to Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy, the world’s oldest pharmacy, where you can learn about the history of the pharmacy and purchase a variety of products like perfumes, skin care, items, soaps, and other herbal remedies.
The refreshing luxury scent hits you the moment you walk into the pharmacy, instantly surrounding and captivating you with all the beauty it has to offer.
Time: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Cost: FREE
Savor the flavors of street food in Florence
One of the best ways to get accustomed to the food in a city and meet new people is by booking a street food tour. Florence has some street food gems worth checking out.
For 2.5 hours, you’ll walk the streets of Florence with a small group led by a local guide and go in and out of different restaurants while trying different foods.
On this tour, I was part of a lovely, smaller group, and we visited four different restaurants, trying a few dishes along the way.
I’ll be honest and say that I was a bit underwhelmed by the tour, its offerings, and the layout, which involved spending a lot of time in each restaurant. However, there are many other street food tours in Florence that you can book.
- Cost: $44.63/person
Street Food Tours in Florence
- Florence: Street Food Tour with Wine & Local Guide
- Florence Old City Street Food Tour and Guided Sightseeing
- Florence Tuscan Food and Wine Guided Walking Tour
Enjoy a traditional tuscan dinner at La Grotta Guelfa
I’ll be the first to say that the food in Italy did not exactly blow me away, as I found that 95% of the food I had was pretty bland. However, my meal at La Grotta Guelfa is part of the 5% that did not disappoint me!
I found this restaurant while wandering around and wasn’t sure what to expect, as it wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing restaurant I saw, but I’m thankful I gave it a chance.
La Grotta Guelfa serves dishes from “the Tuscan tradition,” as their website puts it, and has everything from seafood to steaks and delicious pastas.
I ordered meatballs with potato puree, accompanied by a glass of wine, and a panna cotta for dessert, and it was delicious, making it a restaurant I can recommend for dinner when in Florence.
Meal Ticket:
- Polpette (Italian Meatballs) with Potato Puree: €17.50($20.46)
- Glass of Rose: €6 ($7.01)
- Chocolate Panna Cotta: €7 ($8.18)
Day Two: Dive deeper into Florence’s iconic landmarks and take a cooking class
Admire one of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures
Start your second day in Florence with a guided tour of the Accademia Gallery, which features a collection of famous artworks, including Michelangelo’s David, the gallery’s centerpiece.
Visiting the Accademia Gallery was one of my favorite activities in Florence. The David itself takes up a significant section inside the gallery, immediately grabbing your attention as you walk in. Having the other artwork explained while taking it all in was another plus.
The tour I booked includes a skip-the-line, time-entry ticket for quick and easy access inside the gallery. The line outside was wrapped around the building when I went, so I highly recommend booking this option for a more seamless experience.
Cost: $55.51/person
Accademia Gallery Tours in Florence:
- Accademia Gallery & David Skip-the-Line Ticket
- Exclusive Evening Tour of Michelangelo’s David
- Accademia Gallery Guided Tour with an Art Expert
Wander through the Duomo Complex
The Duomo Complex in Florence is an ensemble of religious and architectural landmarks. It includes three main structures:
The Florence Cathedral, Giotto’s Campanile (Bell Tower), and the Baptistery of San Giovanni. The buildings are hundreds of years old and are said to be symbols of Florence’s historical, artistic, and religious legacy for centuries.
Even if you don’t end up going inside any of the buildings, the complex itself is very lively with people walking everywhere, horse carriages passing by, and more that will likely grab your attention.
Planning Tip: Try to purchase entry tickets ahead of time and lean toward dressing more conservatively as there are dress codes for some of the buildings given the religious nature of the structures.
Duomo Complex Tours:
- Duomo Guided Tour with Optional Dome Climb Upgrade
- Florence: Duomo Complex and Giotto’s Bell Tower Entry Ticket
- Duomo Highlights Tour & View from Giotto’s Tower
Explore the San Lorenzo Central Market for local flavors and finds
The San Lorenzo Central Market seamlessly blends food, culture, and everyday life into one vibrant space. It took me a while to catch on, but the market has two components: an outdoor area filled with leather goods, souvenirs, and clothing, and an indoor food hall.
Outside, you can bargain for a new leather bag, then go inside for a quick bite or lunch from one of the many stalls that have fresh produce, meats, cheeses, pasta, and wine.
The market is open daily.
Visit the jewelry shops on the Ponte Vecchio bridge
If you look at a postcard of Florence, you’re likely to see an image of the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and having seen this bridge in person, I think it’s well-deserved.
The bridge is the oldest and only bridge in Florence that survived World War II. Today, it is known for its tiny, elegant, colorful shops that sell gold and fine jewelry.
Additionally, I discovered that the other side of the bridge had even more charming gelato shops, restaurants, and shopping stalls, so take the journey over and see what you may discover!
Cost: FREE (Unless you can’t resist the temptation to buy!)
Ponte Vecchio Activity Tours:
- Arno River Sightseeing Cruise with Commentary
- River Cruise with a Live Concert
- Florence: Arno River Cruise with Aperitivo
Learn to cook like a local with a hands-on cooking class
Finish your day with one of Italy’s most popular activities: a cooking class.
Led by a chef, you’ll join 15-20 other eager travelers as you walk through the steps of making pasta and tiramisu while having access to unlimited wine.
After all your hard work in bringing your dish together, you’ll sit around the table and enjoy it with some great conversation, making it your dinner for the night!
Cost: $66.76/person
Cooking Classes in Florence:
- Pasta Cooking Class with Unlimited Wine
- Pizza and Gelato Experience with Unlimited Wine
- Pasta Class with Wine, Limoncello, and Dessert
Day Three: Spend your last day making lasting memories and ending with a wine tasting
Capture your own vintage-style film selfies to remember your trip
Located around Florence are “Fotoautomatica” vintage photo booths that produce black-and-white film photos, which you can use as souvenirs from your trip.
These booths can be found with a simple Google Search, and once you find one, you’ll go inside, close the drapes, and pose for four pictures.
After 4 1/2 minutes, your photos will print out from the slot outside the booth. I found that it took around 7-10 minutes for mine to come out, so be prepared to wait a bit.
Planning Tip: The machine costs 2 euros and only accepts coins, so I would bring a few coins in case you need to take several photos to capture your desired shots.
Have a delicious breakfast at Bar Pitti
Italian breakfast is light and typically consists of a coffee paired with a pastry. Quick and easy usually works for me, but I was also happy to find Bar Pitti Cafe, which offered more extensive breakfast options.
With plenty of open seating in an outdoor setting, I selected their egg plate meal, which comes with your choice of egg, cheese, salad, croissant, a hot drink, and orange juice, which was a great start to the day.
Cost:
- Egg Plate Meal €22 ($25.83)
Dive into Italy’s reading culture with a library visit
As an avid book reader, I knew I wanted to visit a bookstore while in Florence, so imagine my luck when I visited one but stumbled upon another with a cool concept later in the day.
Todo Modo is an independent bookstore, café, and cultural space that offers a quiet retreat from the busy streets of Florence.
The café offers a curated selection of books in both Italian and English, providing a welcoming atmosphere for reading, working, or relaxing.
If you’re lucky, you may even catch a book presentation, film screening, or discussion.
Create lasting memories with formal pictures to document your time in Florence
Doing a photoshoot in Florence is a great chance to capture yourself immersed in all of its beauty. The architecture, cobblestone streets, and lighting make it a great backdrop for documenting your time here.
With attractions like the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and Piazzale Michelangelo, you’ll be happy you decided to do a photoshoot and savor the moment.
- Cost: $67.58
Photoshoots in Florence:
- City Skyline Photoshoot at Piazzale Michelangelo
- Florence Private Photoshoot
- Classics Photoshoot with Ponte Vecchio Bridge
Indulge in a curated wine tasting at Oratio Wine Bar & Library
End your time in Florence with an intentional wine tasting experience at a wine bar. Florence is home to several wine bars where you can enjoy carefully selected Tuscan wines, paired with local cheeses and cured meats.
I visited Oratio Wine Bar & Library, a literary lounge featuring a wine list and a library of books centered on food and wine.
I selected a wine tasting featuring delicious white wines accompanied by a cheese platter. Each item was patiently explained to me by the host, making for a relaxing and elevated experience.
Known for its candlelit ambiance, jazz music, and genuinely welcoming spirit, Oratio is the kind of place that feels both special and deeply personal—a perfect ending to any stay in Florence.
Cost:
- Wine Tasting €20 ($23.47)
- Cheese Platter €20 ($23.47)
Conclusion
As you can see from this 3 day Florence itinerary, there are so many things to do in the city, even if you only have a limited amount of time.
Florence is a city I would recommend adding to your Italy itinerary, as I found it to have a distinct feel from Rome in a good way.
Let me know if Florence is on your list of places to visit soon and what, if anything, you will add to your Florence itinerary!
