Florence in 7 Days: tips, what to see, and much more

In seven days, we can thoroughly explore the city with everything there is to see and do in Florence, as well as having plenty of time to go on some of the most interesting excursions in the surrounding area.

In the itinerary I share with you below, we spend the first few days getting to know the city's monuments, museums and historical sites in depth, and we reserve a couple of days to explore the surroundings of the Tuscan capital with gastronomic excursions and visits to some extraordinarily beautiful villages.

Piazza Duomo, Cathedral and Baptistery of San Giovanni

Although there is much to see and do in Florence, the best place to start this trip is in the heart of the city itself. This is located in Piazza del Duomo, home to the famous cathedral with Brunelleschi's spectacular dome, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery of San Giovanni. This entire complex is one of the great works of the Renaissance and is well worth a visit, including the climb up the dome.

We can spend the entire morning of the first day exploring it at leisure and even part of the afternoon, after stopping for lunch if we take our time or if we haven't been forward-thinking and bought tickets to the Florence Duomo in advance. In this case, we may have to queue. However, the Duomo complex is a visit you will never forget, and if you book a guided tour, the experience will be even more enriching.

Via dei Neri and dell'Ariento and the central market

After an impressive but exhausting visit to the Duomo complex, it is time to recharge your batteries and relax with a good meal and a pleasant stroll through the centre of Florence. The best place to do this is the central market, not far from the Duomo, where you can enjoy the best local products at the market stalls and sample them in the restaurants in and around the market.

Next, we can spend the afternoon strolling through Via dei Neri and Via dell'Ariento, two of the busiest streets in the city centre, where we can find shops, gelaterias and countless establishments that are perfect for discovering Florentine traditions. A great way to end our first day in Florence.

Accademia Gallery

Along with the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery in Florence is the most visited museum in the city and also one of the most visited in the world. The main reason for this is the artist Michelangelo and his famous David, which is housed in this museum. The sculpture, which is over 5 metres tall, attracts millions of visitors, although it is not the only work of art on display in the Accademia Gallery. The Accademia Gallery has a magnificent collection of Renaissance art with paintings and sculptures by various artists in addition to Michelangelo.

Church of Santa Maria Novella and Novecento Museum

After visiting the Accademia, we head to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, just a few minutes' walk from the Accademia Museum. This church was declared a World Heritage Site for its architectural and artistic value. Its façade is a Renaissance masterpiece and inside there are several works of art by important artists such as Brunelleschi and Masaccio.

The Novecento Museum is located in the same square as the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. It is a museum of modern and contemporary art that offers a very interesting contrast to the Renaissance art of Florence. It is always worth a visit.

Basilica of Santa Croce and Piazza Santa Croce

To conclude the second day, a very interesting option is to visit the Basilica of Santa Croce. Crossing the city centre from Santa Maria Novella with a pleasant 15-minute walk, we arrive at Piazza Santa Croce.

In this beautiful square stands the Basilica of Santa Croce, inside which lie the remains of great historical figures such as Dante Alighieri, Machiavelli, Michelangelo and Galileo Galilei. The beauty of the place is on a par with the illustrious figures who rest in this church, which is also the perfect finishing touch to our second day in Florence.

Porcellino Fountain

Our third day in Florence will begin by putting into practice one of the traditions most loved by tourists. In the new market near the Ponte Vecchio is the Porcellino fountain, or wild boar fountain, as it is the copper animal that decorates the fountain. Tradition has it that if you place a coin in the mouth of the bronze animal and it falls through the grates where the water flows, you will be lucky and return to Florence. Something you will undoubtedly want to do after getting to know the city.

Palazzo Vecchio and Ponte Vecchio

Near the Porcellino and across the Arno River is one of the most famous bridges in the world and a symbol of Florence: the Ponte Vecchio. This medieval bridge is one of the few inhabited bridges remaining in the world and one of the busiest places in the city.

The Ponte Vecchio leads to Via Santa Maria, which in turn takes us to Piazza della Signoria, where our next destination, the Palazzo Vecchio, is located. It is currently the seat of Florence City Council, although it is open to visitors who can explore its museum and the rooms of the nobles who lived there, such as the Medici family.

Uffizi Gallery

You can't travel to Florence and not visit the Uffizi Gallery. This museum is a must-see, as its collection is one of the most important in the world. The Uffizi Gallery houses paintings from the 13th to 18th centuries by such important figures as Botticelli, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian. A place of worship for all art lovers. You can find information on how to get your tickets to visit the Uffizi Gallery at this link.

San Miniato Abbey and Piazzale Michelangelo

On the fourth day of this itinerary through Florence, it's time to cross the Arno River and explore the southern part of Florence. The first stop in this area is Michelangelo Square. The charm of this square lies in the spectacular panoramic views it offers of the city. Not for nothing is it one of the most photographed spots in Florence.

Crowning the same hill as the viewpoint is the Abbey of San Miniato. The church is named after the first saint and martyr of Florence, San Miniato, who, according to legend, after being beheaded, rose up, picked up his head and returned to the cave where he lived as a hermit. This Romanesque-style church, with the hallmark and personality of Tuscany, was built on the same spot.

Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens

The Pitti Palace complex can be reached by crossing the Ponte Vecchio and following Via di Guicciardini. This palace belonged to a banker named Luca Pitti, who sold the building to the Medici family. Its interior serves as a museum with an extensive art collection that can be enjoyed while touring the rooms of the palace.

But the most remarkable feature of the palace is the Boboli Gardens. This large Renaissance-style green space was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its spectacular fountains and carefully tended vegetation. There are so many sculptures and fountains of great artistic value that it is difficult to list them all. As an added bonus, the gardens also offer a good panoramic view of the city.

As I mentioned earlier, in 7 days in Florence we will have time to go on some very interesting excursions in the surrounding area, and on the fifth day of our trip we can treat ourselves to a gastronomic feast in Tuscany.

Excursion to Chianti with wine tasting and typical Tuscan products

Florence is the capital of Tuscany and, as such, some of the most important regions in terms of gastronomic culture are located in its vicinity. Therefore, on the fifth day of this itinerary, I suggest leaving the city in search of a good winery where you can taste the best wines and products of Italian Tuscany.

There are many options, but to be on the safe side, it is best to visit Chianti. Very close to the city, this region is world-renowned for its wines and wineries. With an organised excursion, we can visit some of its vineyards, where we will be offered wines and typical products for an experience that your palate will find hard to forget.

Tuscany is much more than just wineries and wines. It also has dreamy villages steeped in history, which are the perfect destination for our sixth day of travelling around Florence.

Starting with San Gimignano, perhaps the most beautiful village of all. Located less than 60 kilometres from Florence, this village is known as the city of a thousand towers due to its numerous bell towers and towers concentrated in a small town. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO thanks to its charm and architecture, making it one of the most recommended excursions from Florence.

The village is very pleasant to look at and can be comfortably explored in a couple of hours, leaving us more time on the same day to visit other places, such as Pisa or Siena.

San Gimignano and Monteriggioni Castle

Less than half an hour's drive from San Gimignano is another village with the unique charm of Tuscany. The small municipality of Monteriggioni is famous for its peculiar castle.

Perched on top of a hill surrounded on all sides by vineyards and behind its walls, the small village of Monteriggioni consists of a few medieval houses with lots of charm and character. It is a perfect destination for combining history and gastronomy and, therefore, one of the best places to visit in Tuscany.

After six days of seeing all the most important sights in Florence and the surrounding area, it's time to enjoy a more relaxed final day. We can't say goodbye to Florence without visiting the San Lorenzo district.

In this neighbourhood, one of the Florentines' favourites, the art and history characteristic of Florence coexist with a modern atmosphere and streets full of shops, markets and typical Italian trattorias.

As we stroll through the neighbourhood, we can stop to visit the Basilica of San Lorenzo, which houses the Medici Chapel, where several members of this historic family are buried. Artists such as Michelangelo and Brunelleschi himself worked on the church.

Bargello Museum and Casa Buonarroti

In the same neighbourhood of San Lorenzo are two important museums in the city, which are a good place to bid farewell to the city of art. The first is the Bargello Museum. Located in a medieval-style building, its exhibition combines works from medieval Florence with others from its golden age, the Renaissance. Donatello's David and Michelangelo's Bacchus are its two most important works of art.

The Casa Buonarrotti is the last stop on our 7-day itinerary through Florence. Although Michelangelo was not born in Florence, the artist spent much of his life in this city and therefore shares the title of Florence's favourite artist with Brunelleschi. The Casa Buonarrotti was Michelangelo's own home and displays numerous works from the artist's youth and some of his unfinished works.

Since Florence is a city dominated by art, what better way to say goodbye to it than surrounded by art, and what better way to do so than by taking a private tour in which we can visit, accompanied by an expert guide, Michelangelo's works and the places where he developed his career.