What to do in Florence in 3 days ?
Last update : 20/08/2023
We loved visiting Florence in 3 days, where life is good. We hope that you too will fall under its spell during your next visit to Florence! We had the opportunity to travel to Florence (or Firenze in Italian 😉 ) during our roadtrip in Italy between Naples and the Cinque Terre.
In this article, you’ll find our top addresses for hotels in Florence, the city’s best restaurants and a list of our favorite things to do when visiting Florence. Come on, clet’s go for 3 magical days in the heart of Italy! ✨
Visiting Florence, where to sleep?
We find it quite difficult to find good accommodation in Italy, and this also applies to hotels in Florence! Indeed, you’ll find plenty of Bed & Breakfasts, which have the advantage of being quite warm and authentic if they’re well chosen. But they also have the disadvantage of not having the same standards as in France, in terms of “stars”, cleanliness and comfort… So it’s hard to find a good place to stay in Florence’s historic center or pleasant neighborhoods.
We really liked this hotel address in Florence, as it’s located in the heart of the city. The two hosts, Liliana and Donatella, are very pleasant and welcoming. What we particularly like is being able to chat with our hosts over breakfast. It’s a great way to get local tips and off the tourist trail!
That’s how we came to be recommended a great, free temporary exhibition at Villa Bardini.
If you’re looking for a quiet hotel in the alleys for your stay in Florence, a 10-minute walk from the city center, clean and pleasant, go for the Bed&Breakfast “Residenza Betta”!
++: the rooms at this Florence hotel have a private terrace, ideal for quiet dining after a great day out.
View hotel
What to do in Florence in 3 days ? Our must-sees
1. The Duomo
So of course, it’s impossible to visit Florence without seeing its famous Duomo! This dome is indeed very impressive to see, but there are a lot of tourists… Our only advice, unsurprisingly, is to come early in the morning and avoid eating in the area. For a guided tour, you can book queue-cutting tickets to enjoy the dome, frescoes and sculptures without waiting for hours… Despite all the touristy restaurants in the area, we’ve found two great addresses to recommend!
Venchi: eating gelato in Florence, in the Duomo district
For chocolate & gelato lovers in Florence, head for Venchi! Your ice cream is 100% customizable, from the cone (praline, almonds, milk or dark chocolate), to the chocolate at the bottom of it… Well, of course, all at an extra cost!😂 So we’re talking about a gelato that’s a little more expensive than elsewhere in Florence, averaging 5€ vs. 2.50€. But it’s too booooon!”🍦
Venchi, close to the Duomo
65 Via dei Calzaiuoli, Florence, Italy
Urban Garden: a quiet drink in the Duomo district
We found this quiet little address for a drink or aperitif in the Duomo district. Being so close to the Duomo is a miracle 🍷😂. It’s also a very famous shopping district. So during your weekend in Florence, don’t forget to stop by the Urban Garden!
Urban Garden
Piazza dei Tre Re, Florence, Italy
2. The Ponte Vecchio
Florence’s Ponte Vecchio is another of the city’s tourist hotspots, but it’s still well worth a visit! It’s one of the city’s treasures, along with the Palazzo Vecchio, Galerie des Offices and Basilica Santa Maria Novella. In our opinion, it’s best admired from the quayside, known as the “Lungano Corini”. It’s true that when you cross the bridge, you may be, like us, a little oppressed by the crowds!
3. The San Lorenzo district and the Central Market
During our visit to Florence, we really liked the San Lorenzo district, for its effervescence. Between café terraces, palaces, statues and museums, you’ll find small market stalls selling Italian leather goods and art galleries, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy! Florence’s Central Market is open to all. On the first floor, you’ll find traditional market products such as Italian hams and cheeses. On the second floor, you can have lunch in one of the restaurants on offer. You’ll find all kinds of cuisine to take away or enjoy on the spot. An affordable option for lunch in Florence!
Melrose Vintage Store: a timeless Vintage thrift shop
We discovered this little Vintage thrift store in the heart of the city that’s well worth a visit! It makes you feel like you’ve traveled back in time. For those of you who love thrift shops, make a little detour here during your stay in Florence!
Melrose Vintage Store
18 Via de Ginori, Florence, Italy
4. Santa Croce district
The Santa Croce district is a pleasant place to take a stroll away from the crowds during your stay in Florence. You’ll find plenty of bars and restaurants here! The square in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce is particularly pleasant after dark.
Fotoautomatica: a souvenir ID photo made in Florence!
Visiting Florence is yes, but coming back with a unique souvenir is even better! Four vintage booths are hidden in the streets of Florence, 1970s-style. 2€ for a black-and-white souvenir, with 4 different poses. We loved it! 😍 And since we’re being nice, we’re sharing the location of two of them below. 😉
Fotoautomatica
Via Verdi, Florence, Italy or Via Dell Agnolo, Florence Italy
5. The heights of San Niccolo
It was Alex who spotted this address to go and enjoy the sunset, and what a success. It’s impossible to visit Florence without seeing this breathtaking view! It’s indeed “The place to be” for sunset because it was so crowded. After climbing the many steps up these hills to the top of the San Niccolo steps, you’ll have an incredible view of Florence! For sunset lovers, we recommend going early enough to sit with a small beer, to get the best seat!
What to do in Florence in 3 days ? What we liked less
The Palazzo Pitti and Jardin Di Boboli
Florence being the cradle of art, of Michelangelo (or Michel Angelo for those in the know 😜), the Medici and Botticelli, we wanted to enjoy the superb gardens too! We went for a stroll in the Jardin Di Boboli. You have to pay an entrance fee of €5 per person to get in. We didn’t really appreciate this park, which is huge but not very shady, making it difficult to walk around in the middle of August. Especially as it offers no view of the city, and seemed a little lifeless to us…
Visiting Florence, where to eat?
Trattoria Zà Zà
Visiting Florence, also means enjoying the Italian cuisine we love so much! 😋 This Trattoria is located just opposite the Mercado Central. This restaurant in Florence serves on the terrace, in a quiet pedestrian area, or inside, where you’ll discover an atypical decor! We enjoyed freshly prepared specialties such as pizza marguerita and Zà Zà-style grilled vegetables. You can also enjoy Italian tapas in this bistro. All for an affordable price (€15 per person for food + wine) and delicious food. Plan to come early enough to get a seat without waiting, as this address is quite coveted. If you’re looking for a good affordable restaurant in Florence, come to Zà Zà!
Tratoria Zà Zà
Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Florence, Italy
SimBiosi
We discovered this great restaurant in Florence by chance! This restaurant has two different entrances, for SimBIOsi Pizza and SimBIOsi Pasta. As the name suggests, each side has its own style of Italian cuisine. All 100% organic and locally sourced. In a brasserie atmosphere, you can try the dishes or cocktails. And what could be more tempting than a romantic brunch cocktail with your florentine? 😍This address is a little more expensive than the rest of the restaurants in Florence, count €25 per person for dinner, but it’s worth the detour, it’s our favorite in Florence!
SimBIOsi Pasta
The SimBIOsi Pasta side is the most beautiful side of the restaurant, with a huge wooden table to share, and warm decor. The dishes are delicious, and the truffle pasta is worth the detour! 😋 If you’re looking for an address for a romantic dinner in Florence, go with your eyes closed & enjoy 😍
SimBIOsi Pizza
The pizzeria side is more sober in decoration, but the small tables are very pleasant. Gone are the burgers, here it’s all pizza! In the heart of the restaurant, you can admire the cooks and the huge pizza oven, the smell of which fills the whole room 🥰 The pizzas are very original in composition, which is a nice change from the Regina & Marguerita found everywhere inrestaurants in Florence. All the products are ultra-fresh, to be enjoyed with a good chianti, we loved it!
SimBIOsi Pasta & SimBIOsiPizza
58 Via de’ Ginori, Florence, Italy
La Ménagère
This ultra-design address is a must! This soothingly decorated venue is a concept store that also doubles as a café in the afternoon and a restaurant at lunch and dinner. We only popped in for a snack, as the restaurant menu is rather expensive. You can sit at the restaurant counter, on the terrace or inside the cosy concept store! However, we encourage you to drop in on your visit to Florence and enjoy a little cappuccino italianooo! ☕️
La Ménagère
8 Via de’ Ginori, Florence, Italy
What to do in Florence in 3 days ? How to organize your trip properly ?
How to get to Florence
To find the best mode of transport to your destination, we recommend you always look on the OMIO comparator. This will give you an overview of all available modes of transport. You’ll be able to compare prices very easily.
Learn moreHow to rent a rental car at the best price in Florence
If you’re looking to rent a car during your trip, we recommend you take a look at the RentalCars website. This will enable you to find the best prices and conditions for your rental.
Learn moreHow to find the best hotels to visit Florence
In order to find the best hotels and benefit from the best conditions (security, cancellation…) we go almost exclusively through Booking.com for our trips. We recommend that you take a look at the available hotels before you leave. You can filter them according to their ratings. The customer reviews are very numerous and recent, which means you can avoid unpleasant surprises when traveling!
Learn more
Some tips for your vacation in Florence
💸: For your stay in Florence, remember to always have cash on you! Italians work a lot with change, in many restaurants or even for activities, they may not accept CB. Although this is less the case than in Naples or Venice!
🏢: In Italy, watch out for taxes and extra charges on hotels! Almost all hotels, B&B, Airbnb impose taxes per night and per person that are paid back to the city. But they may also charge extra cleaning fees, which can quickly add up to the bill for your weekend in Florence!
How to find ideas for things to do on your holiday
If you want to get ideas for activities to do on your vacation and want to book in advance, we also recommend taking a look at the GetYourGuide website. This will give you an overview of the activities on offer in your destination, so you don’t have to wait until you get there to book your places.
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Thank you for reading
We hope that the tips and good addresses on our travel blog will help you plan your next trip to Florence, Italy.
You can also follow our daily adventures on Instagram 🙂
Clem & Alex
