Things to Do in Florence: Duomo, Uffizi, David and More
Eight places that earn their queue, each with hours, prices and the moment when it is best.
1Duomo and Brunelleschi’s dome
Photo: C1 Superstar / Pexels, Pexels License
Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral, but the ticket buys a small campus on Piazza del Duomo: Brunelleschi’s dome, Giotto’s bell tower, the Baptistery, the crypt of Santa Reparata and the Opera del Duomo museum.
Time
1 h 30 min to 3 h for the whole complex; the dome climb alone takes 45 min, the Baptistery 30 min and the museum 1 h 30 min
Setting
Both
Best time
The first dome slot of the day
Getting there
Piazza del Duomo, on foot from anywhere in the old centre
Tip: The dome needs a booked time slot and means 463 steps with no lift, so pick a cool hour and wear shoes you trust on narrow stairs.
The cathedral is free. Passes: Brunelleschi €30, Giotto €20, Ghiberti €15. Cathedral open Monday to Saturday 10.15 am to 3.45 pm, closed Sunday. Dome weekdays 8.15 am to 6.45 pm, Saturday until 4.30 pm, Sunday from 12.45 pm.
The collection includes Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, hung in a long Renaissance building that runs from Piazza della Signoria down to the river.
Time
2 to 3 h
Setting
Indoor
Best time
Tuesday to Sunday, early in the day
Getting there
Beside Piazza della Signoria, a short walk from the Duomo
Tip: The ticket office closes an hour before the museum does, so a late start can cost you the whole visit.
€25 on the day, €29 bought before the visit date. Open Tuesday to Sunday 8.15 am to 6.30 pm, tickets until 5.30 pm; closed Mondays, 1 January and 25 December.
A compact museum built around one statue: Michelangelo’s David stands at the end of a corridor of unfinished marble figures, and the room is arranged to make the first view count.
Time
45 min to 1 h 30 min
Setting
Indoor
Best time
A reserved morning slot
Getting there
North of the Duomo on Via Ricasoli
Tip: The museum itself warns that waits without a reservation can be long, so the booking fee is the best money you spend in Florence.
€20, plus a €4 booking fee. Open Tuesday to Sunday 8.15 am to 6.50 pm, last admission 6.10 pm; closed Mondays, 1 January and 25 December.
A medieval stone bridge over the Arno with shops built along both sides. Butchers and tanners once traded here; today the units sell jewellery, art and souvenirs. It was the only Florentine bridge to survive the Second World War.
Time
15 to 30 min
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
Early morning or just after sunset
Getting there
Between the Uffizi and the Oltrarno, on the way to Palazzo Pitti
Tip: Skip the middle at midday, when the bridge is a slow crowd, and look at it from the neighbouring Ponte Santa Trinita instead.
A palace museum whose collections include the Palatine Gallery and the Royal Apartments, with the historic Boboli Gardens rising behind it as part of the same complex.
Time
2 to 4 h for the palace and the garden together
Setting
Both
Best time
A dry afternoon
Getting there
Across the Arno, a short walk from Ponte Vecchio
Tip: A combined ticket for the palace and the gardens exists, and the last entry to Boboli is one hour before closing.
Palace €16 on the day, €19 in advance. Boboli Gardens €10, or €13 in advance.
A basilica and museum complex with cloisters, the Spanish Chapel and a refectory. Frescoed chapels hold Masaccio’s Trinity and Ghirlandaio’s Tornabuoni Chapel.
Time
45 min to 1 h 30 min
Setting
Indoor
Best time
Monday to Thursday morning
Getting there
Opposite the main railway station, which carries the same name
Tip: Tickets are sold at the basilica ticket office without booking, and the last entry is an hour before closing.
Open Monday to Thursday 9 am to 5.30 pm; Friday and civil holidays from 11 am; Saturday 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday from 1 pm.
