Florence travel guide

What to do

First of all, plan ahead. The best of Florence lies indoors, in its churches and museums, and you’ll miss most of it if you show up with a vague notion about going for a wander and soaking up the atmosphere. Instead, remind yourself why Donatello, Masaccio, Michelangelo and co broke the artistic mould, and make a hit list of around five must-see museums or artworks. Then book your tickets or guided tours ahead of time, whenever possible. That may sound tedious, but it’s a lot less frustrating than frittering away your holiday in queues — especially when it comes to visiting the Uffizi Gallery.

Secondly, pace yourself. You can’t see it all in one go, and even if you did you wouldn’t take it all in. So balance out the art history with plenty of less cerebral pleasures: martinis in a rooftop cocktail bar, sunset conversation with your fellow tourists on the Piazzale Michelangelo, maybe even a day trip into the Tuscany countryside. Seek out some of the city’s overlooked corners too. Beside the famous church of Santa Croce, for example, you’ll find not just Brunelleschi’s delicate Pazzi Chapel, but also two serene cloisters. Even the most inquisitive visitors don’t usually get beyond the first: so if you’re searching for some proper, 15th-century peace and quiet, this is where to come.

• Best things to do in Florence
• Best things to do in Tuscany

Where to stay

Ideally, you want to be in the Centro Storico. It doesn’t really matter on which street — provided it’s not one of the main traffic thoroughfares. Florence’s historic core is less than a mile wide at most points, and its loveliest sights are spread quite evenly around it, so there’s no one particular district to aim for. You’ll pay a premium to be here, of course. But most travellers will probably think it’s worth spending more to have Giotto’s bell tower and the Piazza della Signoria on their doorstep: especially in summer when they can pop back to their bedroom and put their feet up whenever the day gets too hot.

What’s more, not all the properties are expensive. Some budget hotels such as the two-star Alessandra have been around for years. And they’ve been joined by a new breed of small, design-conscious B&Bs — such Canto degli Scali on the Via delle Terme, and BBH, just south of the Church of Santa Maria Novella — that are a boon to culture-vultures on mid-range budgets.

There are two exceptions to this general rule. The first is for hipsters, fashionistas and anyone who wants to get away from the city’s tourist hubbub. For them, Oltrarno beckons: the old artisanal district just across the Arno river, which is now mid-gentrification. Expect vintage clothes shops and artfully dishevelled cafés and restaurants ­— with the powerful gravitational pull of the Palazzo Pitti a constant force. It’s not just the works by Raphael, Titian et al that’ll pull you in, but the all-but-empty Museum of Costume and Fashion.

The other exception lies in Florence’s inner suburbs. Here, some such as Riva Lofts Florence, the Four Seasons and Villa Cora all have gardens and outdoor pools of varying size and grandeur. You’re going to love one of those on an extended summer visit.

You’ll also find several of the city’s best budget hotels and hostels on the Centro Storico’s periphery — just be sure to check what street they’re on. It’s hard to build a sense of the Renaissance when you’re waking to the roar of 21st-century traffic.

• Best hotels in Florence
• Best affordable hotels in Florence under £150

Food and drink

As with much of Italy, Florence’s bar, café and restaurant scenes have all grown richer and more varied in recent years. You’ll still find city-centre landmarks such as Caffè Gilli ­— a fixture on the Piazza della Repubblica since 1917 — as well as Enoteca Pinchiorri, whose unbroken run of three Michelin stars began in 1993. But now they’re accompanied by all kinds of inventive alternatives from craft-beer breweries to cocktail bars, and young, vibrant osterias. There’s even been a modest revival of the city’s buchette del vino: the “wine windows” through which food and drink was passed during 17th-century pandemics.

Add to these more recent developments the snacker’s paradise of the Mercato Centrale, and superb gelato from the likes of the Gelateria Edoardo, and the city has finally got the gastronomic scene it deserves. For a proper taste of Florence’s new food, Oltrarno, south of the Arno, is the place, especially in its Santo Spirito district. Here, restaurants such as Osteria dell’Enoteca and Il Santo Bevitore are raiding the Tuscan countryside and coast for inspiration, but rethinking key dishes and always looking to intensify flavours. Adventurous gastronomes should also seek out the Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino near the Ponte Vecchio. Its speciality? Offal: a staple of Florentine cuisine.

When it comes to drinking, Florence has always loved its wine — and its streets are peppered with pocket-sized winebars both old and new. Serious oenophiles will love joints like the Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina in Santo Spirito (sister property of the Osteria dell’Enoteca): where the focus is on small, high-end producers. But many attract a young crowd who just want to sip on a glass on the way home from work. These days, they can stop for a craft beer or a craft cocktail too. Again, Oltrarno is the natural home of this alternative scene.

Don’t, however, discount the Centro Storico, north of the river — especially when it comes to rooftop bars. Sure, they’re a bit touristy. But who cares? Florence is a tightly packed town. Rising above the hubbub — at bars such as Sesto, above the Westin Excelsior, and La Terrazza on the Hotel Continentale — is bliss.

Don’t miss

Florence is famous for art museums, such as the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Bargello and the Pitti Palace. Thanks to the star quality of their exhibits, their reputations are entirely justified too. But don’t let that blind you to the joy of seeing Renaissance art in situ — still decorating the spaces for which they were originally intended.

Some of the work is sculpture: such as Michelangelo’s reclining figures of Night, Day, Dawn and Dusk, in the chapels he designed for the Medici family at San Lorenzo. Mostly, though, it’s the frescoes that remain in place, in the city’s churches and chapels — and it’s the smaller, more intimate spaces that have the most impact. One of the loveliest is Benozzo Gozzoli’s depiction of the Journey of the Magi, in the chapel at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. At first, the effect is overwhelming. There’s just too much of everything — people, horses, trees, hunting dogs. But the longer you stay, the more charming it becomes: a feast of colour, rhythm and 15th-century fashion that rewards almost endless looking.

Know before you go

For anyone who’s reasonably fit, Florence is a very walkable city — unless you’re staying in the outskirts. Even so, bring comfortable shoes or sandals, ideally made of light fabric or leather, because you’ll be spending most of your time here on your feet. And don’t fret too much about petty crime. Yes, it happens, but if you leave your valuables in the hotel safe, and keep your cards and cash in a front-facing zipped or button-down pocket, you’ll have little to worry about.

One more thing: don’t get bogged down buying jewellery. You can do that back home. Save your time for the food, the art and the ice cream instead.

Take me there

Inspired to visit Florence but yet to book your trip? Here are the best packages from Tui and British Airways.

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