3 Days in Florence: The Perfect Short Itinerary

Three days in Florence is enough time to cover the city’s Renaissance core without rushing - the Uffizi, Brunelleschi’s dome, Michelangelo’s David, the Arno riverfront, and the neighbourhoods that make the city feel like more than a museum circuit. This itinerary organises Florence geographically so you spend less time on buses and more time inside the sites.

Before You Go: Essential Bookings

Do not arrive in Florence without these reservations:

• Uffizi Gallery - book on uffizi.it. Entry approximately €25 as of 2026. Timed-entry slots sell out weeks ahead in summer
• Accademia Gallery - book on galleriaaccademiafirenze.it. Entry approximately €20 as of 2026. Queues without a booking can exceed 90 minutes
• Duomo complex (dome climb) - book on ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it. The complex ticket covers the Duomo, Baptistery, Campanile, and crypt for approximately €30. Dome slots are timed and fill fast

Where to Stay in Florence

Budget (from €70 per night)

Hostel Archi Rossi (Via Faenza 94r, near Santa Maria Novella station) - one of Florence’s most reliable budget options, with private rooms from approximately €75 per night as of 2026. Ten-minute walk to the Duomo.

Mid-Range (€140–220 per night)

Hotel Davanzati (Via Porta Rossa 5, Centro Storico) - family-run boutique hotel in a historic palazzo a few steps from Piazza della Repubblica. Rooms from approximately €160 per night as of 2026. Outstanding service and central location.

Luxury (from €380 per night)

The St. Regis Florence (Piazza Ognissanti 1) - five-star property on the Arno with views toward Ponte Vecchio. Rooms from approximately €420 per night as of 2026.

Day 1: The Duomo and the Historic Heart

Morning

Start at the Duomo complex when it opens at 8:15. Enter the Baptistery first (included in the complex ticket, approximately €30 as of 2026) to see the gilded mosaic ceiling and Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise bronze panels. Then cross to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo) - free to enter the ground floor, though the dome climb requires a timed slot. The climb to the top of Brunelleschi’s dome is 463 steps and approximately 20–25 minutes each way. The view over Florence’s terracotta rooftops is one of the best in Italy. Allow 3 hours for the full complex including the Campanile bell tower and museum.

Lunch

Walk 5 minutes to Trattoria Mario (Via Rosina 2, near Mercato Centrale) - a cash-only, shared-table lunch institution open since 1953. Ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, or a pasta for approximately €8–12. Arrive before 12:00 or expect a queue. It closes mid-afternoon.

Afternoon

Browse the Mercato Centrale (open until 17:00, ground floor) for cheese, cured meats, and bread. Head to Piazza della Signoria - Florence’s civic heart - where a replica of Michelangelo’s David stands outside the Palazzo Vecchio. The Loggia dei Lanzi on the square has original Renaissance sculptures on open-air display for free.

Walk to the Ponte Vecchio (free, always open). The gold and jewellery shops that line the bridge have occupied it since the 16th century. Cross to the Oltrarno neighbourhood for the afternoon - quieter, less touristy, and full of artisan workshops on Via Maggio and Via dei Serragli.

Dinner

Trattoria dell’Orto (Via dell’Orto 35a, Oltrarno) - neighbourhood trattoria with Florentine classics including bistecca alla Fiorentina when the season is right. Expect approximately €30–40 per person. Book ahead. Alternatively, Il Santo Bevitore (Via di Santo Spirito 64) serves creative Tuscan cooking for approximately €35–45 per person - one of the best value restaurants in the city.

Day 2: The Uffizi and Piazzale Michelangelo

Morning

Arrive at the Uffizi Gallery for your pre-booked timed entry. The collection runs from Cimabue and Giotto through Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Titian. Allow a minimum of 2.5 hours; 3–4 hours is better. The Botticelli room (Room 10–14) is always crowded - arrive when it opens to see it without crowds. Entry approximately €25 as of 2026, open Tuesday to Sunday 8:15–18:30. If you want expert commentary to help navigate the collection, a guided Florence tour is worth booking alongside your museum ticket.

Lunch

Walk across the Ponte Vecchio to Buca Mario (Piazza degli Ottaviani 16) - Florence’s oldest restaurant, open since 1886. Traditional Florentine dishes at approximately €20–30 per person. Or for something faster, All’Antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri 65) is a famous panino shop with enormous sandwiches for approximately €5–7 - expect a queue that moves quickly.

Afternoon

Take bus line 12 or 13 from Piazza San Marco up to Piazzale Michelangelo - Florence’s famous panoramic terrace above the Arno. Entry is free. The walk down takes 20–25 minutes through olive groves and passes the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte (free entry, open 9:30–13:00 and 14:00–19:30), one of Tuscany’s finest Romanesque churches with a 12th-century facade of green-and-white marble.

Return to the centre in the late afternoon. Walk through the Santa Croce neighbourhood - the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Oltrarno contains the Brancacci Chapel with Masaccio’s revolutionary frescoes (entry approximately €10 as of 2026, book ahead, open Wednesday to Monday 10:00–17:00).

Dinner

Osteria dell’Enoteca (Via Romana 70) - one of Florence’s top tables for Tuscan fine dining. Set menus from approximately €75 per person. For a more casual evening, Buca dell’Orafo (Vicolo de Girolami 28r) near the Uffizi serves classic Florentine food for approximately €30–40 per person.

Day 3: Michelangelo’s David and the Pitti Palace

Morning

Open with your timed entry at the Accademia Gallery (entry approximately €20 as of 2026, open Tuesday to Sunday 8:15–18:30). The museum’s main draw is Michelangelo’s original David - 5.17 metres of carved Carrara marble completed in 1504. The collection also includes Michelangelo’s unfinished Prisoners series and a good collection of Florentine Gothic painting. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

Afterwards, walk through the San Lorenzo neighbourhood and the market stalls of the Mercato di San Lorenzo. The Basilica di San Lorenzo (entry approximately €7, open Monday to Saturday 10:00–17:30) contains Michelangelo’s Medici Chapels - the mausoleum of the family that ruled Florence for three centuries.

Lunch

Trattoria Sostanza (Via del Porcellana 25) - the oldest trattoria in Florence, open since 1869, famous for its butter pasta (pappardelle al burro) and breaded chicken. Expect approximately €25–35 per person. Book ahead.

Afternoon

Cross the Arno to the Pitti Palace (Piazza de’ Pitti 1, entry approximately €16 for combined ticket, open Tuesday to Sunday 8:15–18:30 as of 2026). The palace holds the Palatine Gallery - Raphael, Titian, and Caravaggio in rooms that still look as they did in the Medici’s day. Behind the palace, the Boboli Gardens (included in the ticket) are Florence’s formal Renaissance gardens with fountains, grottos, and hilltop views over the city.

Dinner

Return to the centre for a final dinner. Buca Mario (if not visited on Day 2) or Il Latini (Via dei Palchetti 6r) - the latter is a bustling Florentine institution with communal tables, enormous portions, and a fixed-price menu for approximately €35 per person. Finish with gelato from Gelateria dei Neri (Via dei Neri 20) - approximately €3–4 per serving.

Getting Around Florence

• Walking - most of the historic centre is compact enough to cover on foot. Day 1, 2, and 3 can all be done without public transport if you are willing to walk 4–6 km per day
• Bus (ATAF) - single ride approximately €1.50, 90-minute pass approximately €2.50, 24-hour pass approximately €5 as of 2026. Routes 12 and 13 link the centre to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato
• Taxi - fixed rate from Florence Peretola airport (FLR) to the centre approximately €22–25 as of 2026

Budget Breakdown for 3 Days

Category	Budget	Mid-Range	Luxury
Accommodation (3 nights)	from €225	from €480	from €1,260
Entry tickets	approximately €75	approximately €75	approximately €100 (with guided tours)
Meals (3 days)	approximately €75	approximately €150	approximately €280
Transport	approximately €15	approximately €20	approximately €50
Total per person	from €390	from €725	from €1,690

Prices are approximate as of 2026. Airport transfers, wine, and souvenirs are not included.

Tips for Making the Most of 3 Days

• Queue times at the Uffizi and Accademia without pre-booking can exceed 2 hours in July and August - always book ahead. If you have arrived without reservations, our last-minute tours page lists Florence guided tours with confirmed museum access
• The Duomo ground floor is free and worth seeing even if you skip the dome climb
• Buy bottled water at a supermarket (€0.50–1) rather than at restaurant prices (€3–4)
• Eat lunch as your main meal - the same trattoria dishes cost noticeably less at lunch than dinner
• Avoid restaurants on or immediately adjacent to Piazza della Signoria and Piazza della Repubblica - quality falls and prices double

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For everything on Florence: Florence travel guide. For the Uffizi: Uffizi Gallery tickets guide. For accommodation: Florence hotels and Florence hostels. For day trips from the city: day trips from Florence. Extending your trip? Our 1-week Italy itinerary links Florence with Rome and Venice.

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