Florence in One Day – 5 Breathtaking Stops for Your Day Trip to Florence

Ann-Marie

October 22, 2024

How to See the Best of Florence in One Day

Traveling to Florence and trying to build the perfect itinerary to see the entire city in just one day? You’re in luck because this city is super walkable so jam-packing the best landmarks in Florence into one day is doable. However, lace up your walking shoes because there is a lot see in Florence in one day!

On my trip to Florence last year I scoped out the major museums, landmarks, and parks throughout the city. For this itinerary, I have condensed my 3 day trip down into what I would see if I only had one day in Florence.

This itinerary will cover world-famous pieces of Italian art, the gorgeous Il Duomo Cathedral that sits at the center of the city, the eccentric Ponte Vecchio bridge, a stroll through Pitti Palace and the surrounding gardens, and a beautiful sunset over the city to end the day. If you are ready to embark on this exciting day of exploring Florence in one day, keep reading!

Contents hide

1 Accademia Gallery

2 Il Duomo Complex: Florence Cathedral and Brunelleschi’s Dome

2.1 Brunelleschi’s Dome

2.2 Florence Cathedral

3 Ponte Vecchio Bridge (“Old Bridge”)

4 Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

5 Looking to Add Additional Stops?

6 Looking for More Italy Guides?

7 Gluten Free like Me?

8 Don’t Stop Exploring Here!

Accademia Gallery

To ease into your day in Florence, we are going to head to the Accademia Gallery for a self guided tour of this famous art museum. Known primarily for being home to the iconic Statue of David sculpture, this museum is home to hundreds of famous paintings and sculptures by Italian artists between the years of 1300-1600.

The Statue of David is one of those artworks that you have to see in person to truly appreciate how magnificent it is. All day long, visitors gather around the base of this 17 foot tall sculpture to admire the precision and beauty of Michelangelo’s masterpiece. However, the Statue of David isn’t the only impressive piece of art to see in the museum. Make sure to budget about an hour to walk around and appreciate the other pieces of art throughout the museum.

Regular admission to the museum is 16€ for adults and free for kids. Earliest entry to the museum begins at 8:30AM. In order to see the most of Florence in one day and beat some of the crowds, I would recommend getting there sometime around entry with the goal of leaving by 10AM.

Il Duomo Complex: Florence Cathedral and Brunelleschi’s Dome

From the Accademia Gallery, walk about 5 minutes south to Il Duomo Complex. This remarkable complex consists of 6 different attractions:

Florence Cathedral: When the cathedral was initially built in the 15th century, it was the largest church in Europe. Today, it still remains one of the largest cathedrals in the world. Both the interior and exterior artwork are absolutely breathtaking.
Brunelleschi’s Dome: Atop the cathedral is Brunelleschi’s Dome that you can climb to the top of for stunning views of Florence. To get to the top you have to climb 463 steps (no elevator) so I would only recommend this if you are in good health!
Giotto’s Bell Tower (Campanile): This bell tower was completed in the 14th century and features 7 bells at the top. Similar to the Dome, you can climb up 414 steps (no elevator) to the top for a fantastic view of Florence.
The Baptistery: This religious monument is best known for its three large bronze doors (replicas of the original doors) and intricate white and green marble design.
Opera del Duomo Museum: This museum is dedicated to the cathedral and is home to a number of famous works by artists such as Michelangelo, Pisano, and Donatello. It is also where you can find the original three bronze doors to The Baptistery.
Crypt of Santa Reparta: Beneath the Florence Cathedral archaeologists discovered remains from the first Cathedral of Florence which was constructed around the 6th century. You can visit the ruins of this archaeological site from inside the Cathedral.

While the Cathedral is free to visit, the other sites require a ticket to enter. We purchased the “Brunelleschi Pass” from the Duomo website for €30. With this pass, you pick a time slot to visit Brunelleschi’s Dome and then you can visit any of the other sites (time permitting). For the purpose of seeing Florence in one day, I would recommend visiting the Cathedral and Brunelleschi’s Dome and saving the rest for another visit.

Brunelleschi’s Dome

Brunelleschi’s Dome atop the Florence Cathedral affords some of the most spectacular views of the city you can get. We found the 463 steps climb to sound a lot more intimidating than it was in practice. That were quite a few flat stretches in between some of the staircases which helped to break up the climb. Since its a busy attraction, the crowd moves fairly slow and if you need to take a break you can on one of the flat bits.

Seeing Florence from the top of the Dome was extraordinary. You can see for miles and miles over the surrounding region of Florence. Looking down at all the red rooftops of the buildings of Florence was super pretty and made for fantastic pictures too!

General rule of thumb for Il Duomo is that the earlier you visit, the less crowded it will be. I would try to get a ticket for sometime between 10-11AM (which should be enough time to visit Accademia Gallery first). Buying a ticket in advance will ensure that you are guaranteed entry during your desired time slot.

Florence Cathedral

Being the third largest church in Europe, the Florence Cathedral is one of the most popular spots to visit in the city. It doesn’t open until 10:15AM, no matter when you visit there will likely be a line to get inside. The line is a security line so it moves fairly fast but you may have to wait a little while as you will see it gets quite long.

Once inside, the wait will have paid off when you stare up at the beautiful architecture of massive structure. Spend some time walking around to marvel at the intricate artwork throughout the walls, ceilings, and windows. Enjoy the beautiful marble-work of the floors and arches. This stop is truly breathtaking and hard to describe until you experience it for yourself.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge (“Old Bridge”)

Seeing Florence in One day would be incomplete without a stroll across Ponte Vecchio bridge — Photo Credit: italiandualcitizenship.net

The next stop you cannot miss during your one day in Florence is Ponte Vecchio or “Old Bridge”. More than just a means to cross the Arno River which cuts through the center of the city, this colorful bridge is a central piece of Florence history.

Ponte Vecchio was built in the fourteenth century and was the only means to cross the Arno River at the time. For the first couple centuries, it was home to butcher shops and fishmongers. However, in the sixteenth century, the Medici family was using the bridge to cross back and forth between Palazzo Pitti and the Uffizi Gallery (two great stops if you have extra time to spend a couple days in Florence) and they did not enjoy the stench that came from the smelly markets. It was for this reason that it was decreed that only goldsmith and jewelers could set up shop along the bridge.

To this day, Ponte Vecchio remains home goldsmiths and jewelers. A great spot to pick up a souvenir if you like jewelry (I bought a beautiful, little fleur de lis necklace here) or just a fun excuse to window shop as you walk from one side of the river to the other.

Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

To end your day of sightseeing Florence in one day, head over to Piazzale Michelangelo for stunning, panoramic views of the city as the sun sets. Piazzale Michelangelo is situated on top of a hill which makes a great vantage point to see the entire city. From the top, you can see the cathedral, bell tower, and city skyline as the sun sets behind it.

Make sure you are wearing good walking shoes to climb to the top of the hill. While not too strenuous of a hike, it does take about 20 minutes to get from bottom to top but I assure you the view is well worth it! Because the spot is so well revered for its breathtaking views, it tends to get pretty busy in the evening. If you want to find a seat on the steps of the Piazzale, I would aim to get there at least 45 minutes before sunset. Otherwise, there is plenty of standing room!

Looking to Add Additional Stops?

While this is a fairly robust itinerary to fit in one day, if you are looking to squeeze the absolute most out of your day consider adding these stops to your itinerary as well:

Uffizi Gallery: Renowned art gallery home to works from Italian artists such as Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Raphael, and Caravaggio.
Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens: Visit the former residence of the Medici Palace, Pitti Palace, and the surrounding gardens to step back in time the the 16th century.
Santa Maria Perfumery: Make a trip to one of the world’s oldest perfumeries started by Dominican Friars in the 13th century. Best known for their lovely fragrances that can make for a nice souvenir.

Looking for More Italy Guides?

Check out my other itineraries and guides to seeing Italy:

Gluten Free like Me?

It’s uber important to always travel prepared! No matter where you are going, it’s important to always travel with some gluten free snacks on hand!

Click here to learn more about my favorite gluten free travel snacks!

Travelling Gluten Free in Italy? Read on more here:

Looking for more gluten free travel inspiration? Check out my other posts!

Don’t Stop Exploring Here!

Check out my other city guides below!

5 Must-Visit Stops when Seeing Florence in One Day

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Ann-Marie

Universed Traveler