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10 Must-Do Experiences in FLORENCE, Italy

Ahhhhh, Florence...on our recent trip to Italy, we only allotted 24 hours for Florence, thinking we wouldn't be huge fans of the city. I have no idea why we thought that but, boy oh boy, were we WRONG!

Florence ended up being my favorite city we visited and now tops my list of favorite cities in the world, beating out Rome which I never thought possible.

There's just something about Florence that is hard to describe, it’s more of a feeling, a je ne sais quoi, that has left me with an immeasurable and endless love and respect for this beautiful city.

I always do a ton of research to make the most out of my time in every city we visit and Florence was no different. So I made sure we filled our 24 hours in this city with the best.

The best views, food, activities, and of course, wine walls. I created this list of the 10 best things we did in our 24 hours in Florence.

1. Arnolfo’s Tower

I'm going to start with one of our favorites activities we did in Florence, which was climb up 223 steps of the Arnolfo Tower, located in Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza Signoria.

This tower had the best unobstructed view of the duomo! Make sure you book tickets online here in advance, as they tend to sell out fast. Tickets cost €13.50 per person and the tower is open Mon, Tues, Weds, Fri, Sat, & Sun from 9am - 5pm and on Thurs from 9am - 2pm.

We reserved tickets for 10am on the Saturday before Easter Sunday and we felt like we had the tower to ourselves for the most part.

I'll let the views speak for themselves.

2. Florence Wine Windows

One of my favorite activities in Florence is searching out and stumbling upon the wine windows. It's such a unique concept.

You could be walking down a street and come across one of these wine windows and all you have to do is ring the little bell and someone comes to the window to take your order! You can choose to drink it there or get it to take away in a plastic cup.

Before our trip, I had found 2 wine windows on Google Maps but my favorite wine window was one we accidentally stumbled upon. It was very inconspicuous at street level and very easy to miss, in fact, I didn't even see it at first.

The first thing I noticed was the cool wine cellar then I saw the little wine window plaque so I plopped down on the street and rung the bell to see if someone was working there.

And lo and behold, they came running to the window to take our order! Searching them out feels like an Easter egg hunt and when you find one, the happiness you feel is unparalleled.

I've linked the Google Maps coordinates in the photo captions below.

3. Galleria dell’ Accademia and Statue of David

You can't come to Florence and not see Michelangelo's famous statue of David.

Now to see the David, you will need to buy tickets to the Galleria dell’ Accademia which is the museum that houses David.

We booked a tour through Viator; however, you can also purchase skip the line tickets if you don't want to do a tour of the museum.

This is the tour we booked.

The museum is wonderful but David really is the star. The detail in every inch of the statue was unbelievable.

It's such an impressive masterpiece that truly needs to be seen to be understood.

4. All’Antico Vinaio

We were worried that this place wouldn't live up to the hype but we ended up being pleasantly surprised by how amazing their sandwiches are.

This place is so popular that they have 4 stores on the same street - seriously!

The star of the show is the freshly baked Tuscan schiacciata bread. It's so soft and pillowy with the perfect amount of chewiness.

Craig and I decided to share one (they are pretty big) so we got the one called La Paradiso which has mortadella, cream of pistachio and stracciatella cheese with chopped pistachios. And WOW, it was absolutely heavenly.

I instantly regretted not getting my own sandwich lol. For the massive sandwich it’s €11.

You won't find better street food in Florence so definitely make sure to stop in for one of the best sandwiches of your life.

5. Giotto’s Bell Tower

Giotto's Bell Tower is right next to the duomo and to get to the top, you'll have to climb up 414 steps.

Now this was an amazing experience because when you get to the top, you are so close to the duomo; you're practically right on top of it.

The only downside is there is fencing all around, so it's impossible to get a wide unobstructed view but you can still get great unobstructed photos of the duomo through the tiny fence openings.

I had originally booked Giotto's Tower before I found out about the Arnolfo Tower. If we had to choose one tower, we would choose Arnolfo Tower for its unobstructed views.

Additionally the Arnolfo Tower is cheaper and has less stairs to climb.

The cost to climb up Giotto's Tower is €20 per person and includes access to the Baptistery, Museum, and Santa Reparata. Our personal suggestion would be to purchase the Brunelleschi Pass which includes the four places I just listed with the addition of the Dome climb.

The Brunelleschi Pass costs €30 per person and must be booked in advance.

We tried to get tickets for the dome climb but they were all sold out weeks in advance, so we had to settle for the Giotto Pass instead.

Quick note: you will have to check your backpacks and large purses at the luggage storage before heading up the tower. You will also go through a metal detector upon entry.

6. Officina Profumo - Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

This is a perfumery but not just any perfumery! This is the oldest perfumery in the world and one of their most important patrons was Catherine de Medici (you know, the queen of France back in the 16th century and member of the famous Medici family). She had her own perfume made here for her wedding, a scent that you can still smell and purchase today, called Acqua della Regina.

The cool thing about this place is they have a what-I-would-call, a perfume bar where you can sniff a bunch of different scents without putting them on. I had never experienced something like that before so I thought it was quite novelty.

And if you aren't into perfumes, I would recommend going just for the building alone. The building looks like a museum, it's so ornate and stunning in its own right.

7. Ponte Vecchio Bridge

This is a very special bridge in Florence, not only is it the oldest bridge in the city, it's also the only bridge in the city spared from destruction during World War II.

Legend has it that Hitler admired the bridge so much that he refused to destroy it during the war.

The bridge was built in 1345 and is lined with shops. Walking across Ponte Vecchio offers unmatched views of the Arno River and is a symbol of Florence's history, wealth, and artistry.

In the afternoon, you'll find yourself in a sea of people when crossing so we recommend crossing in the morning when it's a bit calmer for a more enjoyable experience.

8. Duomo-Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

Oh the beautiful Duomo. There's no way you can think of Florence without thinking of the Duomo!

It's my personal opinion that this is one of the most beautiful structures on earth. The detail you see in daylight is incredible and at night her beauty really shines.

The dome of the cathedral is called Brunelleschi's dome and to this day it holds the record for being the largest brick dome ever built. No other structure in Florence is allowed to be taller than the dome; therefore, the dome dominates Florence's skyline.

One of our favorite activities was grabbing a drink at one of the cafe's around the Duomo and just sitting there in awe of its magnificence.

9. Basilica of Santa Croce

This isn't just any old basilica, this basilica is the final resting place of legends! Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli are all buried here.

It's way bigger than we thought it would be. Most church's in Italy are free but this is one that isn't. It cost €10 per person to enter and comes with a complimentary audio guide.

The frescos and tombs inside are extraordinary and well worth a visit.

10. Fontana del Porcellino

This cute little guy is Florence's version of Rome's Trevi Fountain; whereas, they say if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, that you'll return to Rome.

Well if you rub this little piggy's snout and drop a coin into the grate, you'll guarantee yourself a return trip to Florence!