How to visit Florence Italy in one day – 1 day itinerary

Duomo di Firenze

Florence is one of those iconic places every traveler should visit.  However, many don’t get to spend more than a day or two here as it is often just one of a few stops during a tour of Italy.

With that in mind, we thought we’d provide you with a one day itinerary for Florence that will at least give you a glimpse of what the city is all about.

Located near the center of the Italian region of Tuscany, Florence is a very walkable city, so it is best to complete this itinerary on foot.

Here is how to visit Florence Italy in one day.

First of all, it is likely that you will be arriving to Florence by train, so we will start at the Santa Maria Novella train station near the historic center.  (Check out Klook to find train tickets to and from Florence).

This itinerary assumes you will arrive about 9 am.

The first thing you will want to do is head east from the train station a few blocks to the Accademia Gallery to see The David statue.

We recommend that you get skip the line tickets with a host to get the backstory on how The David was eventually sculpted by Michelangelo.  It is a fascinating story!

You will want to arrive about 15 minutes before the tour.  Aside from The David there are paintings and other sculptures in the museum to check out.

After your visit to Accademia, if you are a little hungry, head on over to the Mercato Centrale for a bite, or to just check it out for future reference.

You will find a good sample of Florentine fast-food, which is awesome!

From Mercato Centrale, head south toward the Duomo di Firenze.

If you are ambitious, climb to the top of the Duomo for magnificent views of Florence.

You will need tickets for this as well, so be sure to purchase them in advance, and show up 10-15 minutes ahead of time, as the line will have started for your time frame.

Keep in mind, the climb is nearly 500 steps and is not for the faint hearted!

Take the time to wander a bit around the Duomo as well for shopping or to enjoy a stop in one of the cafes.

Next up, head southwest a few blocks to Piazza della Repubblica, which is the central piazza of Florence, and it is very photogenic.

Piazza della Signoria

After spending some time there, head a little southeast to Piazza della Signoria, which is the square in front of Palazzo Vecchio.

This will give you another opportunity to get something to eat or take a break from walking.

After you’ve enjoyed this beautiful piazza, it is time to head south to Ponte Vecchio, the ancient bridge that spans the Arno River.

The shops on this bridge primarily sell gold and silver jewelry, so get your browse game on!

If you have a significant interest in works of art involving painting, then you will want to check out the Uffizi Gallery a couple blocks east of Ponte Vechio (on the north side of the river).

Again, you will need tickets to gain entry, and it will take at least an hour to get through the gallery without a guide, and about 90 minutes with a guide.

By now you’ve had a pretty full day of touring some of the important sites in Florence, and you’ll like want to enjoy a nice meal before you head back to the train station.

With that in mind, make note of some of the restaurants you pass as you wander about the city from site to site, and then you can simply head back to one of those.

You will find plenty of options near Piazza della Signoria, around Piazza della Repubblica and near the Duomo.

And then the last thing you will want to do before you leave Florence is to grab yourself a gelato.

While Venchi is a gelato chain, it is still very good and you can find one at the train station for a last minute stop.

Below is a map of all of the stops covered.  Again, you can find tickets for a number of these sites on Klook.

1. Accademia Gallery
2. Mercato Centrale
3. Duomo di Firenze
4. Piazza della Repubblica
5. Piazza della Signoria
6. Ponte Vecchio
7. Uffizi Gallery

Final thoughts on how to see Florence Italy in one day

You now have a pretty solid one day itinerary for Florence.

This will involve a good bit of walking, so it is best to see Florence with this itinerary in mind when the weather is most favorable.

That would generally be in Spring and Fall, as the summer months can be brutally hot.  Winters are not brutally cold either, but you have less daylight to work with.