Florence is compact and walkable, which makes it well suited to a one-day visit. Everything of significance is within 20 minutes on foot of the Duomo. The challenge isn't geography: it's that almost every major site here requires advance booking, and that the city's density of outstanding art and architecture means you'll have to make real choices about what to prioritise.

Getting In and Out

Florence Santa Maria Novella station sits right in the city centre. High-speed trains from Rome take around 90 minutes; from Milan, around 2 hours. If you're flying in to Pisa, budget an additional 60 minutes by train. Florence's own airport (Peretola) is small and handles a more limited range of routes.

Morning

The Duomo complex is the starting point. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi's dome, Giotto's Campanile, and the Baptistery are all part of a single ticket. Climbing the dome (463 steps) requires a separate advance booking and gives the best view over the city. Get here early: even with a booked ticket you'll queue.

If you've pre-booked one major museum, the Uffizi Gallery is the most important choice in Florence. The collection runs from Botticelli's Birth of Venus to Titian and Caravaggio. Allow at least two hours and accept that you won't see everything.

Afternoon

Lunch near the Oltrarno (south of the river) is better value and less crowded than the tourist restaurants near the Duomo. Cross the Ponte Vecchio, lined with jewellery shops built into the bridge itself, and you're in a different, quieter Florence.

The Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens sit in Oltrarno. The gardens are large and worth a walk if you need a break from museums. The Bardini Garden, nearby, is less visited and equally good.

Walk back across the Arno via the Ponte Vecchio in the late afternoon for the best light on the water.

Evening (if time allows)

The Piazzale Michelangelo is the most popular sunset viewpoint in the city: a wide terrace south of the river with an uninterrupted view of the Duomo and the city skyline. It's busy but earns the crowds at golden hour.

For dinner, Santo Spirito square in Oltrarno has a cluster of good trattorie and is where locals actually eat.

What to Skip

The Accademia Gallery houses Michelangelo's David and is extraordinary, but you can't do it justice if you're also doing the Uffizi in the same day. Pick one.

Day trips to Siena or Cinque Terre take the entire day and leave no time for Florence itself. If you're using Florence as a base for day trips, that's a different kind of visit.

Florence deserves more than a day. If you want to plan a proper trip, our Florence guide covers it all.