10 Best Things To Do In Florence, The Birthplace Of The Renaissance

Florence, Italy is bursting with so many activities. With a bounty of things to do in Florence, you will always find yourself preoccupied in every turn and every place you go. American writer Mark Twain is absolutely right when he described Florence as “the city of dreams.”

Part of Italy’s Tuscany region, Florence captivates travelers with its abundance of timeless art, rustic Tuscan cuisine, vibrant boutique shopping, and mesmerizing views from every corner. It’s nothing short of spectacular. 

Known as the birthplace of the Renaissance – the era of “rebirth” that took place from the 14th to 17th century – Florence perfectly embodies the spirit of Italy’s past, preserving it for hundreds of years. This city skillfully fuses the past with the present, creating a distinctive time capsule of ancient beauty living in the hustling and bustling world of modern-day Italy. Let’s explore the best things to do in Florence. 

Have Fun With The Best Things To Do In Florence

Enjoy your time in this city with all these best things to do in Florence to be presented right here. 

1. Eyeball The World’s Largest Collection Of Italian Renaissance Art At Galleria Degli Uffizi

If you are here wanting to enjoy the things to do in Florence and see artworks from the Renaissance, you must visit the Galleria degli Uffizi, Italy’s most iconic gallery and where the world’s largest collection of Italian art pieces from the rebirth epoch is. 

The Galleria degli Uffizi has been luring art lovers into its Florentine flair since the 18th century when it opened to the general public. And there’s no denying that you can eyeball such a vast range of Renaissance artworks gorging on two entire rooms filled with masterpieces by Botticelli, and ogling at 6,000 mother-of-pearl shells encrusting the ceiling of the stupendous treasure-chest Tribuna of the Medici, the ruling family that helped fund the Renaissance. 

Nowadays, the Uffizi has thought of a gimmick to keep visitors drawn into what it has to offer. The gallery now has pop-up venues in chapels, abandoned villas, hilltop forts, and more across Florence and Tuscany. This makes it even more exciting to enjoy these things to do in Florence.

2. Make A Stop At The Cattedrale Di Santa Maria Del Fiore, The Fourth-Largest Church In The World

A legendary example of artistic teamwork from the region’s best, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and everything about it are a masterpiece. You can get started with the things to do in Florence here by walking the 463 steps of Brunelleschi’s dome, popularly known as the Duomo, and getting a closer look at Vasari and Zuccari’s “The Last Judgement” fresco. 

Now the Duomo is not just any other kind of dome. It is the superstar of Florence’s city skyline, up with the Colosseum in Rome and the Leaning Tower in Pisa, together being the A-list icons of Italy. 

Here at the fourth-largest church in the world, you can also climb Giotto’s spectacular Campanile or bell tower where you can see resplendent views of the Medieval city. Down below, the Baptistery of St. John boasts the most impressive bronze doors throughout art history anywhere in the world. You’ll learn more about the Baptistery a little later. For now, let’s discover more things to do in Florence.

As you have fun with the best things to do in Florence, you might also want to check out the best photography spots in this city. Click this link for the guide.

3. See Beautiful Artworks Inside A Chapel At Brancacci

Among the greatest things about Florence is how you can see its most significant artworks not in museums mainly, but on site in the city’s very chapels and churches for which these works were originally intended. And if you wish to bear witness to this beauty and get the sense of how the artists worked on them five or six centuries ago, visit the Brancacci Chapel. 

It was here in 1425 when Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, also known as Masaccio, a painter, took a revolutionary and sudden step forward, breaking away from the artistic trends during his time, applying light and solid shadows that created almost three-dimensional forms in his religious paintings – something that other artists and his colleagues wished they had done. If you want to experience a unique creative retreat, this is one of the things to do in Florence that you should not miss. 

4. Seek Solace With Nature At Giardino Di Boboli

Florence’s Renaissance heritage seeps into beyond just churches and galleries, but also into its natural landscapes, such as here at the Giardino di Boboli or the Boboli Gardens. In fact, these are 16-century gardens expanding gloriously behind the Palazzo Pitti. 

Interestingly, the gardens’ grounds were once only accessible to the Medici family, but are now green urban spaces for both locals and tourists to enjoy. 

Vast open alleyways are sitting with quiet corners, as well as remarkable sculptures from Florence’s masters dotting throughout. Visiting the Boboli Gardens is one of the most impressive things to do in Florence.

Enjoying the things to do in Florence so far? Keep traveling around Italy as you explore its other regions, such as Lazio. Here are the best photography spots in Lazio. 

5. Grab The Best Italian Food At Mercato Centrale

Let’s admit it. You are here in Florence not just to immerse into Renaissance art and culture, but also to try some authentic Italian dishes. Pasta? Pizza? Ravioli? Beer? Florence has got you covered. 

The birthplace of the Renaissance has always been the residence of culinary excellence and authenticity. Right in the heart of San Lorenzo, a gastronomic gold mine is waiting to be discovered. Head over to Mercato Centrale, where an orchestra of sumptuous recipes await. 

On its ground floor, you can find vendors that sell fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats. But if you wish to enjoy the final products on the spot, go to Mercato Centrale’s food court upstairs for a wide array of gastronomic choices. Plus, free Wi-Fi is available, so you can post and share your food stories on social to your friends in real-time. This is also one of the things to do in Florence that you should not dare miss. 

6. Allow Yourself To Be Captivated In Spiritual San Marco

A step removed from the mainstream tourist circuit in Florence, the peaceful San Marco university district squirrels away one of this Italian city’s most spiritually-uplifting and captivating experiences with great art. 

Finding themselves right at home in the 1400s Dominican monastery where the wickedly devout Savonarola and the creative genius Fra’ Angelico both served God, the original works by “il Beato (the blessed)” – as the gifted friar was known – are sitting inside the largely unsung Museo di San Marco. 

Other than that, if you wish to experience something really emotive, continue your journey to San Marco’s Museo degli Innocenti, which explores the history of this founding hospital that later became the first orphanage in Europe. Brunelleschi, the same designer who worked on the Duomo, designed its striking loggia, the false door surrounded by railings that was once a revolving door where unwanted children were left. Creepy? Be sure to include visiting San Marco on your things to do in Florence list to take in all that it offers.

7. Perceive The City A Century Before The Renaissance Took Shape At The Baptistery

Florence may be the origin city of the Renaissance, but its captivating story does not cap off there. So much also happened a century before the Renaissance took shape, and you can witness some of those stories at the Baptistery, just opposite the western doors of the Florence Cathedral. 

This octagonal and marble-clad Baptistery, also known as the Baptistery of St. John, once had every Catholic in Florence baptized until the 19th century. It is also a building regarded erroneously as a survival from the time of ancient Rome. So, it is no wonder that Florence’s people provided so much attention, care, and wealth upon this site. 

Many of the artworks created for the Baptistery, though, are now displayed in the museum located in the cathedral workshops, except for the mosaic ceiling from the 1200s and 1300s. It remains in its original position, and is a must-see. 

A convergence of Venetian, Byzantine and Florentine traditions, and framed in such a dazzling gold tesserae, this mosaic ceiling is a living testament to Florence’s ambition and wealth, a century before the beginning of the Renaissance. Be sure to tick this off on your things to do in Florence itinerary.

Loving the things to do in Florence? We suggest that you also fly to Rome, the home of the Colosseum. 

8. Cool Down With Some Gelato

You’ve been waiting for this. Gelatos! Gelato ice creams are a true Italian dessert, and you can get a taste of the best of them here in Florence. 

If you need a break, head to Edoardo gelateria. You can easily spot this place as it is only a seven-minute walk from Galleria dell’Accademia and just next to Florence Cathedral on the Piazza del Duomo. They don’t just serve gelatos, but organic gelatos. If you’re a health buff, then this is one of the must-try things to do in Florence for you. 

What’s more, the cones are made in the shop in front of you, cones that hold gelatos in flavors like pistachio, coconut, and apple strudel. Time to cool down!

9. View Michelangelo’s World-Famous ‘David’ Statue At The Accademia Gallery

Your things to do in Florence won’t be completed without viewing (and perhaps, taking photos) of the world-famous “David” statue by revered Italian sculptor Michelangelo inside the Galleria dell’Accademia. No photography will prepare you for the dazzling luminosity and gracefulness of the statue, which you are seeing in-person, with its ripped muscles, bulging veins, and that gaze in anticipation of the giant he would slay. 

But aside from “David,” there are also other artworks to see at the Accademia Gallery, such as the “Rape of the Sabines Women,” “Trinity,” and Florentine Gothic artworks, among others.

10. Sign Up For A Pasta Making Class

Italian pasta tastes so good that some wonder how one is made. Look no further than enrolling in this pasta making class while you are in Florence. Certainly a not-to-skip activity on your things to do in Florence itinerary.

In this private pasta making class and cooking workshop, you will master the time-honored art and science of Italian pasta making. You’ll be learning how to recreate ravioli, tortelli, and tagliatelle, three of the most iconic hand-made pasta recipes, as well as how to recreate a fresh tomato-based sauce. 

These chef-led classes are capped off with a sit-down dinner where you get to taste what you’ve made, paired with organic Tuscan wine bottled locally. Amazing!

Then, there are more things to do in Florence that you should also check out. These include visiting Santa Maria Novella, Palazzo Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Piazzale Michelangelo, Villa Bardini, Medici Chapel, and Ponte Vecchio. Let’s take you to the best things to do in Florence.

If the things to do in Florence exude the city’s Renaissance flair, the things to do in Milan, another Italian city, are about fashion and style. See the guide here. 

How Much Budget Do You Need So You Can Enjoy The Best Things To Do In Florence?

Never miss out on experiencing the best things to do in Florence. Thus, it is important that you know how much budget you must prepare for your trip. Here is a guide. 

According to previous tourists here, during your visit to Florence, you should spend around $170 per day. Past travelers have spent around $40 on average on meals for a day, and around $25 on average on local transportation. Also, the average hotel price in the city for a couple is $200. So, a trip to Florence for two people for a week will cost around $2,400 on average. 

Experience Art, History, Culture, And More In Florence

The city that Leonard da Vinci, Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Raphael, and Dante Alighieri considered their home, Florence is a destination that’s at the forefront of the world’s greatest historical and cultural heritages. 

In fact, it is one of the few places on Earth where you can feel the presence of greatness, from the Italian Renaissance artworks at the Uffizi gallery to the soaring sight of the Duomo, making Florence such a spellbinding place to visit. 

Other things to do here include shopping at its markets and boutiques, touring Tuscan wineries, taking boat trips along the Arno, and gazing in awe at the artworks displayed in Florence’s churches. Whatever activity you choose to do, Florence draws you in, embroidering memories that will last a lifetime. Go grab the opportunity to enjoy and get lost with the best things to do in Florence.