Plan a weekend in Florence day-by-day

21.07.2023 - 07:49 / roughguides.com

Spend a weekend in Florence and discover a city which captures the essence of Italy. It's the birthplace of modern Italian language and the seat of the Renaissance. Dante wrote Divina Commedia here and it's also where to see the Duomo and browse the Uffizi. Ready to go? Have a look at how to plan perfect weekend breaks in Florence. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Italy your essential guide for visiting Italy.

Make the legendary Galleria degli Uffizi your first stop for its collection of Renaissance masterpieces displayed across a grand, three-floor exhibition space right in the heart of historic Florence.

It's one of the city's many must-do sights and can get incredibly busy, especially in high summer. So with just a weekend to play with, avoid queues and book a small group tour of the Uffizi in advance.

A weekend in Florence is an art history lesson © Lorenzooooo/Shutterstock

Your next stop should be the church of Santa Croce. Another major site in Florence, it was founded in the 13th century and is perhaps best known for the Pazzi Chapel which contains Giotto's remarkable St. Francis frescoes.

A base close to the historic centre of Florence will make the most of your weekend, so think about booking La Casa di Morfeo. It's a charming boutique hotel and right next to Santa Croce so you can spend more time browsing.

The frescoes in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence © Frnco Volpato/Shutterstock

Avoid tourists and bag a bargain picnic lunch of salami, cheese and biscotti at Sant’Ambrogio food market. Alternatively, head to Il Pizzaiuolo on Via dei Macci and treat yourself to the city's best pizza.

Prefer to leave planning and booking to experts? Have a look at some sample itineraries. Both Complete Italy or Italy Itineraries offer inspiration. All Tailor Made Trips can be modified together with your local expert, then booked for a stress-free holiday. Click 'Modify this itinerary' to contact a local Italy expert.

You can't visit Florence without crossing the famous Ponte Vecchio at least once. It's the city's oldest bridge, crosses the River Arno and links the historic centre to the Oltrarno district.

The bridge itself is home to many of the finest jewellers in Italy, and always has been, so its century old shops are wonderful. And Pitti Palace al Ponte Vecchio is one of the grandest hotels in Florence, should you feel like splashing out.

Ponte Vecchio is a must see on weekend breaks in Florence © fokke baarssen/Shutterstock

Plan to spend a few hours in Palazzo Pitti exploring incredible museums like Galleria Palatina which contains over 500 works from the Medici collection including the world's largest concentration of paintings by Raphael.

You may only have a weekend,