Things to Do in Florence: the Uffizi, Michelangelo’s David, Pitti Palace and Hillside Gardens

Florence’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s easy to cross from north to south and east to west. Start with the Uffizi Gallery, then see Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia. Add the Boboli Gardens behind Pitti Palace, and you have the core of a first visit.

At a glance

• Top sights to see first: the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Uffizi, the Bargello and the Accademia
• Suggested length of visit: 2 days
• Free admission: first Sunday of each month at the Uffizi Galleries
• UNESCO status: historic center, World Heritage since 1982
• Tourist office: Infopoint, via Cavour 1R

What are the best things to do in Florence?

The Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi occupies the first and second floors of a large building designed by Giorgio Vasari and built between 1560 and 1580. The collection includes masterpieces by Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo and Caravaggio. The cafeteria on the second floor has a terrace with a panoramic view.

The gallery is at Piazzale degli Uffizi, and the ticket offices sit under the loggia in the square. The queue starts forming early in the morning, before the offices open, so book ahead. The booking surcharge is €4 per person. Audioguides cost €6 and the radio whisper service at the entrance costs €1.50. The museum receives over 1.5 million visitors a year and is the most visited in Italy.

Galleria dell’Accademia

The Accademia houses Michelangelo’s David. The same €4 booking surcharge applies.

A combined ticket for the Accademia and the Bargello costs €26 and is valid 48 hours. A wider ticket valid 72 hours covers all the group’s museums for €38. On free-admission days there’s no priority access except for a few categories of visitors, so expect a wait. – Galleria dell’Accademia: €20

• Museo Nazionale del Bargello: €12
• Museo delle Cappelle Medicee: €11
• Complesso di Orsanmichele: €10
• Museo di Palazzo Davanzati: €8
• Forte di Belvedere: €8 for non-residents of the Metropolitan City, €5 for 18 to 25 year olds and university students
• Stanza Segreta di Michelangelo: €32, booking mandatory

The Vasari Corridor

Vasari built this raised passage in 1565. It links the Uffizi to Palazzo Pitti across Ponte Vecchio. It runs between 0.5 and 0.6 mile (750 m to 1 km), and the visit lasts about 45 minutes.

The entrance is at the Room D19 meeting point on the first floor of the Uffizi. Groups of 25 visitors plus two staff members walk one way only, from the Uffizi to Pitti Palace. The first group enters at 10:15 a.m. and the last leaves at 4:45 p.m.

Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens

The Boboli Gardens lie directly behind Pitti Palace. They have large fountains, including the Fountain of Neptune and the Fountain of the Ocean, and grottos, the most important by Bernardo Buontalenti. The gardens also hold an 18th-century pavilion called the Kaffeehaus and the Lemon House, built between 1777 and 1778.

The Pitti single ticket covers the Palatine Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Museum of Costume and Fashion, the Museum of Russian Icons and the Palatine Chapel. The Treasury of the Grand Dukes and the Room of the Iliad are temporarily closed. The Pitti ticket office is in the square in front of the palace. Garden tickets are sold at three gates: Annalena on Via Romana, Porta Romana, and Forte Belvedere.

Bardini Garden

The garden is on the left bank of the Arno with views over the city. It combines three former properties: the central baroque staircase to the Belvedere, the English wood and the agricultural part. Villa Bardini sits at the top, at the most panoramic point, and often hosts important exhibitions.

The address is Via de’ Bardi 1. Come when the wisteria pergola is in flower. The garden is partially accessible and can be visited with an accompanying person.

Forte di Belvedere

The fort costs €8 for non-residents of the Metropolitan City. Visitors aged 18 to 25 and university students pay €5.

When is the best time to visit Florence for sightseeing?

Spring brings 68°F (20°C) in April and 76°F (24°C) in May, which suits walking between sights. Summer reaches 90°F (32°C) in July, and the Uffizi and Accademia queues can grow very long in high season. October brings 4 inches of rain over 9 days, more than any month from May through September. A two-day itinerary covers the main sights, and the center is small enough to cross without a car.

Beaches and outdoor things to do in Florence

The Argingrosso green area spreads between the Arno’s left bank and via dell’Argingrosso, opposite the Cascine Park. It’s equipped for cycling, horse riding and golf. Near Ponte all’Indiano you’ll find playgrounds, trekking trails and little lakes, so wear shoes that suit a trail.

Parco di Villa Vogel, at Via A. Canova 72, has a water basin with cascades and jets, a skating rink and picnic tables. The Boboli Gardens add fountains and grottos closer to the center. Tours, cooking classes and day trips into Tuscany can be booked as well.

Day trips from Florence

Day trips into Tuscany are among the activities on offer, alongside tours, museum bookings and cooking classes. The Infopoint at via Cavour 1R gives information on the whole Metropolitan City of Florence.

What to eat in Florence

The Mercato Centrale opened in 1874 with an International Agricultural Exhibition. Its first floor has delicatessen shops, restaurants, cafeterias and workshops serving local, national and international specialities. Residents and tourists both use it for food and wine.

The Mercato Nuovo, known as the mercato del Porcellino, sits in a very central position. The market of the Pulci spreads under the loggia around the Sant’Ambrogio market building on the last Sunday of each month.

Things to do in Florence at night

Estate Fiorentina fills the summer, running June 1 to September 30 in 2026 with shows, festivals and cultural projects. The Flo.re Festival adds concerts, talks and workshops in June, including at Palazzo Medici Riccardi.

Things to do in Florence with kids

Parco di Villa Vogel has a play area, a skating rink and a water basin with cascades and jets. Picnic tables make it an easy lunch stop. Near Ponte all’Indiano, playgrounds and little lakes give children room to run.

In the Boboli Gardens, the large fountains and grottos keep a walk interesting. The Uffizi cafeteria terrace is a place to rest after the galleries.