A Complete Guide to Florence, Italy
all of my florence guides -- compiled
Hello, friends — happy weekend! I hope this post finds you well. I am here today to share an absolute behemoth of a travel guide with you: A Complete Guide to Florence, Italy. See, as you may or may not know, Florence is one of my very favourite cities, period. I’ve loved it since I first laid eyes on it back in the summer of 2013. I was just 19-years old then, and Florence encapsulated everything I love about a great city: extremely walkable, beauty around every corner, amazing food, and an abundance of fantastic art. Truly, it was love at first sight. As such, I’m sure you can imagine, I’ve shared more than a couple of posts about it over the years.
Looking through the archives, it would seem that I’ve shared four different guides to the city in the 10-years we’ve been travelling there! Yes, they all weave around a few central spots we adore and can’t help but revisit, but they also all have some new-to-us gems I just couldn’t bear to keep quiet about. There has been: Italian Adventures Part I: Florence / An Ode to Florence, Italy / Three Days in Florence, Italy / and Festive Florence in December.
You might now be thinking — wait, is this another new guide?! Alas, no. See, it recently occurred to me that a new reader looking for information on Florence might not want to read through four different guides looking for recommendations. Which brings us here, to this post: a compilation of all four guides in one place. Handy, no?
As you might expect, this is a whopper of a guide. For ease, I’ve divided everything into the following categories: getting there / where we’ve stayed / where we’ve had coffee & pastries / where we’ve eaten / where we’ve imbibed / where we’ve tourist-ed / map our trip. Naturally, the where we’ve eaten category is sub-divided down even further into panini / dined in / and gelato. My love for sub-categories knows no bounds!
Okay — let’s dive in!
getting there
The annoying thing about Florence is that it is located in between the main airport cities. While the city does have it’s own little airport, Amerigo Vespucci, I have no idea what airlines fly there and don’t know anyone that has ever flown into or out of there. Here’s how we’ve made the journey over the years:
fly into Bologna’s Guglielmo Marconi airport, make your way to Bologna Centrale via taxi or the Marconi Express monorail, and take a high-speed Frecciarossa train into Florence’s Santa Maria Novella from there. All in, if everything goes your way, you could be in Florence in around 1-hour. This is our favourite option because we love all things Bologna, but it isn’t always feasible with flight times.
fly into Pisa airport, walk or take the PISAMOVER shuttle to Pisa Centrale, and take a high-speed Frecciarossa train into Florence’s Santa Maria Novella from there. All in, if everything goes your way, you could be in Florence in about 1.5-hours.
alternatively, there is a company called Sky Bus Lines Caronna that go directly from Pisa airport into Florence’s Santa Maria Novella! They don’t seem to show up on Google Maps, but they saved our butt one wintery night when we arrived into the city at 1am after a 5-hour flight delay; I think they wait for the last flight of the night to arrive, thankfully! The journey time is approx. 1-hour.
fly into Milan Bergamo airport, take a Terravision bus into Milano Centrale, and then a high-speed Frecciarossa from there to Florence’s Santa Maria Novella. All in, if everything goes your way, you could be in Florence in around 3-hours. We tend to avoid this option due to the sheer unpleasantness at Milano Centrale — pickpockets and general troublemakers — but sometimes needs must.
where we’ve stayed
Leonardo Tourist House // we’ve stayed here every trip bar one over the last 10-years, and hope to stay here again in the future! It has an amazing location — just a 3-minute walk to the Duomo! —, is extremely budget friendly, and the manager is so beyond lovely. More hostel-than-hotel, the rooms are basic and absolutely no frills, but they’re clean and the building is quiet — what more could you ask for? Would recommend. Address: Via del Trebbio, 4, 50123 Firenze FI
Pitti il soggiorno // fantastic location and lovely owner/staff! Literally facing the Pitti Palace, we spent two nights here back in 2022. It was extremely good value for money, and our bedroom had a little balcony we could sit out on in the evenings! Would recommend. Address: Piazza de’ Pitti, 8, 50125 Firenze FI
*2026 UPDATE: this hotel is listed temporarily closed online. I would also like to advise that recent reviews suggest this property has gone severely downhill since we visited? Be sure to investigate it properly for yourself if you’re thinking of booking!
where we’ve had coffee & pastries
Caffé Gilli // where we start every single morning in the city. The coffee is great, the pastries are amazing, and the atmosphere is truly like something out of a movie. My absolute favourite pastry is their sfoglia con crema, but everything we’ve tried has been amazing: many filled crema/pistacchio/cioccolato/marmellata croissants, pain au chocolats, bomboloni, kouign-amann, etc. A must-visit. Address: Via Roma, 1r, 50123 Firenze FI
Caffè Paszkowski // a good alternative to Gilli, and also conveniently located right next door. The offering here is basically the exact same, except the staff are a little friendlier, the prices are slightly lower, and you’re less likely to see as many tourists. Would recommend. Address: Piazza della Repubblica, 6, 50123 Firenze FI
SimBIOsi Organic Café // such a great little find! We were actually attempting to go for coffee elsewhere nearby, but a heavy downpour led us in here to seek shelter — it was such a serendipitous find! The interiors were lovely, the coffees were strong, and it had a definite locals only vibe about it. Would recommend. Address: Via de’ Ginori, 56r, 50123 Firenze FI
S Forno Panifico // owned by the Il Santo Bevetore crowd, this is a wonderful place for coffee and pastries. They only offer filter coffee, with free refills(!), but the pastries are delightfully buttery and moreish! Address: Via Santa Monaca, 3r, 50124 Firenze FI
La Rinascente // in truth, I can’t actually remember what the coffee is like here — but that isn’t what matters. What does matter is that the rooftop terrace, La Terrazza, has one of the best views over the nearby Duomo complex! You can thank me later! Address: Piazza della Repubblica, 4, 50123 Firenze FI
where we’ve eaten
panini
Ino // our favourite spot for a panino in Florence! We’ve only ever tried two sandwiches over the course of our visits, and they’re both stellar. Husband’s fave is the Ale, which comes with finocchiona, sliced pecorino, and a house-made rosso salsa toscana, and my recent fave is the Super Italiano, which is loaded with mortadella, pesto, and stracchino cheese. Both are fantastic; the focaccia gets lightly toasted and is ridiculously pillowy, the finocchiona is more meaty and paste-y than your average salami, and the sauces are amazing. Truly, a must-visit. Address: Via dei Georgofili, 3r/7r, 50122 Firenze FI
Panini Toscani // I have to admit, I was skeptical to try this place — the proximity to the Duomo made me doubt the reviews — but it was so! good! It’s super small, cheap, and very familial. We stopped in for a quick panino to share: fennel salami, medium aged pecorino, sun-dried tomatoes + peppers; it was sublime! A must-visit. Address: Piazza del Duomo, 34/R, 50122 Firenze FI
All’Antico Vinaio // the most famous sandwich shop in Florence. However, with that title comes a looong queue, a military style ordering system, and security guys to keep the queue in order. I went for the La Summer (mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, and prosciutto), Husband went for the Firenze (pecorino cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and salami), and his was better. The sandwiches were comically large, and, while they were genuinely very good, I’m not sure they were worth the 25-minute wait in the 37°C heat. Address: Via Ricasoli, 121r, 50122 Firenze FI
dined in
Trattoria 4 Leoni // one of our very favourite restaurants in the city, we have eaten here an embarrassing amount of times. There are so many wonderful dishes — pear taleggio asparagus pasta! bistecca fiorentina! patate al forno! cheese plates! meatballs! — that you’d be hard pressed to go wrong. Their cheesecake, which I once would’ve told you was the best in all the world, dropped in my estimation ever-so-slightly after a soggy base on our last visit, but the filling is still melt-in-your-mouth perfection. A must-visit. Address: Via dei Vellutini, 1r, 50125 Firenze FI
5ecinque // another favourite spot, this is a fantastic vegetarian restaurant. Everything we’ve ever eaten here has been wonderful, but the absolute show stopper every time is their house made focaccia di recco — which is nothing like a traditional focaccia, and instead more of a thin crispy pastry stuffed with melted stracchino cheese that becomes the most salty, cheesy and mouth-wateringly delicious dish ever. Other highlights over the years include: risotto with saffron & parmesan, linguine with pesto from Pra’, and spicy spaghetti with olives, grated ricotta, & chicory. A must-visit. Address: Piazza della Passera, 1, 50125 Firenze FI
Trattoria Sostanza // two words: butter chicken. Chicken breasts, skin on, fried in butter until browned and crispy all over, served straight from the pan with a generous squeeze of lemon. Insanely good, and especially delightful served with sides of fresh beans in EVOO and chicory salad. Pro tip: apparently the bistecca fiorentina is also amazing here, but the lure of the chicken has been too strong for us to ignore thus far. A must-visit. Address: Via del Porcellana, 25/R, 50123 Firenze FI
Il Santo Bevitore // another really fantastic spot. The food is exceptional every single time, the staff are so lovely and helpful, and the menu is always a little inventive and unusual — on our last visit there was a strong Japanese influence to the dishes on offer. A must-visit. Address: Via Santo Spirito, 64r, 50125 Firenze FI
Trattoria La Casalinga // a lovely traditional trattoria! We ate here one night with Husband’s family and enjoyed some classic Florentine dishes: bruschetta, fagioli crostini, bistecca fiorentina, and patate al forno. The bistecca was charred and salty on the outside, pink and perfectly tender on the inside. The roasties were equally delicious — I actually stole a couple off Husband’s plate when he wasn’t looking. Would recommend. Address: Via dei Michelozzi, 9/R, 50125 Firenze FI
Osteria dell’Enoteca // a really very good restaurant with a large wine selection. We’d read excellent things online about their house bistecca, so we ordered one to share, as well as sides of fagioli and patate al forno; everything was delicious. The steak was fantastic — charred, crispy and salty on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth rare on the inside — and the sides were both great. Aside from the food, the space was beautiful, and the staff were friendly! Would recommend. Address: Via Romana, 70/r, 50125 Firenze FI
Trattoria Giovanni // I can’t remember exactly what led us to this restaurant, but we had an unexpectedly great meal. The atmosphere wasn’t as comfortable as the spots above — but the food outweighed that. We shared a delicious cheese board to start, and had two perfect pasta dishes for mains: braised beef cheek for him, and wild boar for me. Overall, a surprisingly good find! Address: Via Sant’Agostino, 38 Rosso, 50124 Firenze FI
Osteria Belle Donne // we were pleasantly surprised by how good the food was here. We shared a myriad of dishes — bruschetta, pappa al pomodoro soup, cacio e pepe, and cinghiale pappardelle — and everything was superb. We also shared a cheesecake with mixed berries for dessert; it was so light and airy that we forgave it for being set instead of baked. I would note: the restaurant was almost entirely populated with Americans — so not exactly the place to eat if you’re looking to be one with the locals. Address: Via delle Belle Donne, 16R, 50123 Firenze FI
gelato
Sbrino // home to the best pistacchio gelato I’ve ever had — and I’ve eaten a LOT of pistachio gelato in my time! Perfectly salty, nutty, and addictively moreish. I’d also like to shout-out to the nocciola and chocolate + peanut gelatos, both of which were also delightful, but the pistachio really stole the show. A must-visit. Address: Via dei Serragli, 32r, 50124 Firenze FI
Gelateria dei Neri // a really very good second place to Sbrino! Unsurprisingly, creature of habit that I am, I went for a small cup with nocciola e pistacchio, and they were both excellent! Not as salty as the above, but still very creamy and delicious. Would recommend. Address: Via dei Neri, 9/11R, 50122 Firenze FI
where we’ve imbibed
Il Santino // the wine bar of my dreams! Run by the Il Santo Bevitore team, this is an amazingly tiny space filled with a small handful of tables all clustered together. We’ve enjoyed many glasses vino here over the years, as well as some delicious charcuterie and cheese boards, and every single time we leave wowed by the high standards of the place. A must-visit. Address: Via Santo Spirito, 60/R, 50125 Firenze FI
Bulli & Balene // the perfect spot for an Aperol spritz! We’ve stopped in here an embarrassing amount of times over the years, and have never once had a bad experience. The vibe is wonderful, the service is great, and the prices of the drinks have barely changed in all the years we’ve been visiting! Would recommend. Address: Via dello Sprone, 14/R, 50125 Firenze FI
Enoteca 4 Leoni // a lovely little wine bar/aperitvo spot! We went in for an Aperol spritz one afternoon to avoid the sun and snagged the table just inside the door – it was the perfect people watching spot! The spritzes came in large fancy goblets with side-snacks of crisps + peanuts. I can think of worse ways to stay out of the sun! Would recommend. Address: Via dello Sprone, 15/r, 50125 Firenze FI
Archea Brewery // an old favourite beer haunt — think: dark cavernous room with a cosy atmosphere and a relaxed vibe. We basically visit every time we’re in Florence, and it’s always reliably good. We usually go for pints of their house lager or pilsner, and we’ve yet to be disappointed! Address: Via dei Serragli, 44R, 50124 Firenze FI
Antica Sosta degle Aldobrandini // a perfect people-watching spot. Small bar, cheap food, located across the road from the Medici Chapel, with cold beers in the fridge. We’ll take two, thanks. Address: 6r Angolo, Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, Via Faenza, 5, 50123 Firenze FI
Manifattura // a cool cocktail place, whipping up drinks with Italian liquor only. We struggled a little with the menu, but eventually settled on a brandy old fashioned for me, and a brandy sazerac for Husband. Neither of us are natural brandy drinkers, but the flavours were good and the service was great! Added bonus: our drinks came with a little tray of food! Olives, little olive biscuit bites, and some baked chickpea thing. Address: Piazza di S. Pancrazio, 1, 50123 Firenze FI
La Ménagere // an Instagram find that actually lived up to the hype. I had an ice cold margarita in a fancy pants silver chalice(!), and Husband had a chocolate garnished old fashioned cocktail; both of which were wonderful. Address: Via de’ Ginori, 8/R, 50123 Firenze FI
Volume // a buzzy place to stop for a cocktail in the evening. I went for a pilgrims, which was a tad too bitter for me, but Husband went for an old fashioned, which was a much better choice. I wouldn’t necessarily rush back, but you can hardly go wrong when it’s only €17 for two cocktails. Address: Piazza Santo Spirito, 3, 50125 Firenze FI
Dublin Pub // yes, we went to an Irish pub in Florence. It was Husband’s idea, so you can send any questions his way, but it wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be. The interior was nice, and our pints of Italia lager hit the spot. Address: Via Faenza, 15, 50123 Firenze FI
where we’ve tourist-ed
Santa Maria del Fiore Complex // everyone visits the complex for one reason: the Duomo. Yes, it’s breathtakingly beautiful and definitely worth a wander — but the best thing you can do here is climb all the way to the top; the views over the city are breath taking! If you’re an art history nerd like me, be sure to check out the museum at the back of the complex — amongst other things, they have Michelangelo’s Florentine Pieta(!), and an exact replica of Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise. Pro tip: buy your ticket for the complex the day before you plan to climb the Duomo; that way you can beat the majority of the queues by getting there before the ticket office opens for the day. A must-visit. Address: Piazza del Duomo, 50122 Firenze FI
Accademia // home to Michelangelo’s greatest masterpiece: David. Perhaps one of the most beautiful sculptures we’ve ever seen in real life, we took several trips around the pedestal before we were satisfied — and even then I feel like I could’ve gawped at it for hours longer. A must-visit. Address: Via Ricasoli, 58/60, 50129 Firenze FI
Uffizi // like the Louvre in Paris, this is one of those museums that you just can’t miss. Home to some of the most famous artworks in the world — Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera topping that list —, a visit to the Uffizi is more than a little over-whelming. My biggest pieces of advice would be to have a hitlist of what artworks you want to see, and try not to get too stressed by the amount of other tourists there. A must-visit. Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze FI
Loggia dei Lanzi // a large, free(!), open-air sculpture gallery filled with unmissable pieces of art, including my favourite sculpture in the entire world: Giambologna’s The Rape of the Sabine Women. I have spent literal hours marvelling at the masterpiece — but also enjoy gawping at Cellini’s selfie in the back of Perseus’s helmet when I can draw my eyes away. A must-visit. Address: Piazza della Signoria, 50121 Firenze FI
Basilica of Santa Croce // perhaps the most underrated basilica in the city? We spent about 1.5-hours exploring the complex, and were so impressed by what we found there: several adjoining chapels, two semi-attached cloisters and gardens, amazing artworks, and many famous tombs — including Galileo Galilei and Michelangelo Buonarroti! Very cool! A must-visit. Address: Piazza di Santa Croce, 16, 50122 Firenze FI
Chiesa di San Salvatore in Ognassanti // we visited this church for two reasons only: Botticelli’s tomb and fresco. The tomb is marked by a non-descript circular emblem on the floor, at the foot of another grave: Simonetta Vespucci. Who, you might be thinking? WELL. Vespucci, a young married noblewoman from Genoa, is widely considered to be the beauty that inspired Venus and Primavera! Apparently, Botticelli fell in love with Simonetta, and, even after she died, continued to paint her face from memory, her beauty so ingrained in his mind’s eye. His longing for the muse was so strong that, on his deathbed, he sought permission to be buried at her feet for eternity. How! Romantic! A must-visit. Address: Borgo Ognissanti, 42, 50123 Firenze FI
Piazzale Michelangelo // home to the best view over the entire city! The bridges spanning over the Arno, the red rooftops capping the city, the Duomo, the Tuscan mountains in the background. It’ll be busy and the walk up to the platform is always longer than I remember — but a visit here is so worth it! A must-visit. Address: Piazzale Michelangelo, 50125 Firenze FI
Palazzo Vecchio Museum // an unexpectedly great museum! We visited very early one morning before the crowds and really enjoyed it; the Salone dei Cinquecento was worth the ticket price alone, but we also loved exploring the Medici apartments and taking in the views over the city. Would recommend. Address: Piazza della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI
Santa Felicita Church // the second oldest church in the city! Obsessed with all things Vasari Corridor, I simply had to visit this church to see the where the it passes right through the back behind a thick defensive railing. Apparently the Medici’s would attend masses here without ever being seen by the plebs below. How fun?! Would recommend. Address: Piazza Santa Felicita, 3, 50125 Firenze FI
Retro Photo-Booths // such a fun little souvenir! There are several of these refurbished retro booths located around the city, and at only €2 for a strip of 4 cute photos, they make the sweetest little souvenirs. Would recommend. Address: Via Santa Monaca 1r / Via del Proconsolo 19r / Via dell’Agnolo 117 / Largo Fratelli Alinari 30 / The Student Hotel
Boboli Gardens // although undeniably beautiful in their own right, we only visited the Gardens for one reason: the Buontalenti Grotto. The grotto — which is actually where the Vasari Corridor lets out! — is like something straight out of a dream, with figurines coming out of the walls like stalactites. Fun! Address: Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, 50125 Firenze FI
Palazzo Strozzi // a breathtakingly beautiful palazzo in the heart of the city. Used largely as an exhibition space — a Marina Abramović exhibition was taking place when we visited in 2018! —, entrance to the courtyard is free and open to the general public. Address: Piazza degli Strozzi, 50123 Firenze FI
Basilica di Santo Spirito // technically I wasn’t actually allowed to enter this church — my promiscuous knees were on show — but Husband was and he informed me that it was nothing spectacular. It does house a crucifix that is supposedly attributed to a young Michelangelo, but they charge a fee to see it and they aren’t even 100% certain he did it…. so. Address: Piazza Santo Spirito, 30, 50125 Firenze FI
map our trip
To make life easier, I’ve marked everywhere listed in this guide onto Google Maps for you! Simply click on the image above — or click here — to go through to a digital map that’ll open straight into your Google Maps.
And there we have it: A Complete Guide to Florence, Italy! I told you it was a biggie.
Happy travels!
Ciao,
Vicki xo
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