Yes, December suits Florence for travelers who want museums, markets and long lunches, with cool afternoons of 52°F (11°C) that make indoor sights easy to enjoy.
Daylight lasts under nine hours by mid-month, and the queues at the Uffizi and the Accademia form before the ticket offices open. Plan outdoor stops for the middle of the day and book the big museums ahead.
At a glance
- Afternoon high: 53°F (11°C)
- Night low: 37°F (3°C)
- Rain: 3 inches (81 mm), 10 rainy days
- Daylight on December 15: 8 hours 57 minutes
- Free museum admission: first Sunday of the month
- Pulci market: last Sunday of the month
What is the weather like in Florence in December?
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rain | Rainy days | Daylight (15th) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 60°F (16°C) | 44°F (6°C) | 4.5 in (115 mm) | 10 | 9 h 42 |
| December | 53°F (11°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 3.2 in (81 mm) | 10 | 8 h 57 |
| January | 52°F (11°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 2.3 in (58 mm) | 8 | 9 h 15 |
*Long-term monthly averages.*
December in Florence is cool and damp. Afternoons reach 52°F (11°C) and nights drop to 37°F (3°C), so a coat is part of every outing.
Rain falls on about ten days. Keep a morning or an afternoon free for a museum when the sky closes in, and walk the streets and the Arno embankments on the dry days. By December 15 the sun gives under nine hours of daylight, so outdoor sights go in the middle of the day.
November is milder, with a high of 60°F (16°C) and a low of 44°F (6°C), and it rains on as many days. January has almost the same afternoons as December, nights a little colder, and fewer rainy days.
What to do in Florence in December
The Uffizi Gallery on a damp day
The Uffizi occupies the first and second floors of a building put up between 1560 and 1580. Its collection runs from Giotto and Botticelli to Leonardo, Michelangelo and Caravaggio. A single ticket costs €25 on the day and €29 bought ahead, and from 4 p.m. the ticket costs €16.
A long queue forms every day, and the line starts before the ticket offices open. Booking is suggested, especially for single visitors. The second-floor cafeteria has a terrace with a panoramic view, which is a pleasant place to rest between rooms.
The Accademia and Michelangelo’s David
The Accademia houses Michelangelo’s David, and there is constantly a long queue at its doors. Go early, before the offices open, or book a slot so the wait stays short.
The Accademia is one of the sites on the short list of Florence’s most popular, with the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Uffizi and the Bargello.
Lunch at the Mercato Centrale
The Mercato Centrale opened in 1874 with an International Agricultural Exhibition. Its first floor has delicatessen shops, restaurants and cafeterias with local, national and international specialities. Residents and tourists both use it, which makes it an easy lunch stop on a rainy day.
Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens
The Pitti Palace single ticket covers the Palatine Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Museum of Costume and Fashion, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, the Museum of Russian Icons and the Palatine Chapel. It costs €16 on the day, or €22 with the Boboli Gardens. The Treasury of the Grand Dukes and the Room of the Iliad were listed as temporarily closed, so check before you plan around them.
The Boboli Gardens lie directly behind the palace, with grottos, the Kaffeehaus pavilion and the Lemon House. The soil is mostly clay and gravel and almost entirely sloping, so wear shoes with grip after rain. A combined Boboli and Bardini Gardens ticket costs €15 and is sold only at the ticket offices on the day.
The Pulci market on the last Sunday
The market of the Pulci spreads outdoors under the loggia around the Sant’Ambrogio market building every last Sunday of the month.
Dress warmly and bring a rain layer. The stalls are outside, so the weather decides how long you stay.
Is Florence busy in December?
The Uffizi receives over 1.5 million visitors a year and is the most visited museum in Italy. A long queue forms there every day, and the Accademia has one too. December is not an empty month for these two, so plan on arriving early or holding a booking.
Booking is suggested particularly at extremely busy times and for single visitors. Staff may close some rooms or itineraries when attendance is high.
The tourist tax is charged per person per night, up to 7 consecutive nights. Children under 12 are exempt, and the rate depends on the type and classification of the facility.
What to pack for Florence in December
December asks for warm layers and something that handles a wet day on foot. Walking is the best way to get around Florence, and museum days add a lot of standing.
- A warm coat and layers for nights near 37°F (3°C)
- Comfortable shoes with grip for cobbled streets and the sloping clay of the Boboli Gardens
- A small bag, because backpacks and cumbersome bags also go to the free cloakroom
- A phone or €6 for an audioguide, available in eight languages including English
What to know before visiting Florence in December
The State Department’s travel advisory for Italy is Level 2, Exercise increased caution, issued September 10, 2026, due to terrorism. It recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and buying travel insurance before you go. The Vasari Corridor day visits start at 10:15 a.m. with the last group leaving at 4:45 p.m.
The whole historic center is a limited traffic zone (ZTL). In sectors A, B and O it is active Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The extra summer night ZTL ends on the first Sunday of October. A bus ticket costs €1.70 and lasts 90 minutes, and a taxi to or from the airport costs €28 on weekdays.
Is December a good time to visit Florence?
Yes, December is a good time for travelers who want museums, markets and food in cool weather.
A trip four weeks earlier brings warmer afternoons, with a November high of 60°F (16°C). A trip four weeks later keeps December’s cool afternoons, brings slightly colder nights, and January rains on fewer days.
Families can use the green spaces on drier days. Parco di Villa Vogel has a play area, a skating rink and picnic tables, and near Ponte all’Indiano there are playgrounds and little lakes.
For lower prices, the Uffizi ticket costs €16 from 4 p.m. For a free visit, choose the first Sunday of the month.
Sources
- uffizi.it (https://www.uffizi.it/en/notices/rules-for-accessing-the-vasari-corridor), checked 2026-10-25
- uffizi.it (https://www.uffizi.it/en/pages/how-to-purchase-tickets?f_link_type=f_linkinlinenote&show_loading=0&flow_extra=eyJkb2NfcG9zaXRpb24iOjAsImRvY19pZCI6IjMzN2MzYzY2MDRlZTQwZGEtZDNhZTk0ZGE3NTQ2NzM4MSIsImlubGluZV9kaXNwbGF5X3Bvc2l0aW9uIjowfQ%3D%3D&push_animated=1&webview_progress_bar=1&theme=light), checked 2026-10-25
- uffizi.it (https://www.uffizi.it/en/pages/tickets-fares), checked 2026-10-25
- uffizi.it (https://www.uffizi.it/en/the-uffizi), checked 2026-10-25
- visittuscany.com (https://www.visittuscany.com/de/ideen/wie-man-sich-in-florenz-fortbewegt/), checked 2026-10-25
- feelflorence.it (https://www.feelflorence.it/en/experiences-itineraries/isolotto-legnaia-district), checked 2026-10-30
- visitflorence.com (https://www.visitflorence.com/), checked 2026-10-22
- mobilita.comune.fi.it (https://mobilita.comune.fi.it/muoversi/muoversi/ztl.html), checked 2026-10-30