Luxury things to do in Florence
Uffizi and Pitti by day, Atto, Borgo San Jacopo and Enoteca Pinchiorri at night.
This is Florence with every dial turned up: mornings in the great museums, afternoons in gilded palaces, and evenings at some of Italy's most famous tables. It suits anyone who wants the full weight of the city, not just its highlights, and who sees a three-hour dinner as the natural end to a day spent looking at Raphaels.
Day 1: Gilli, the Accademia, and Santa Croce by night
Start with the city's most storied café, spend the morning with David, take a long lunch at La Giostra, then hand the evening to Vito Mollica's kitchen and a late cocktail at Locale.
- 9:30 AM
Caffè Gilli
Grand Belle Époque café on Piazza della Repubblica, the most storied morning coffee stop in the city centre.
Map - 10:15 AM
Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze
See Michelangelo's David and the haunting unfinished Prisoners figures, profound well beyond the photo op.
Map - 12:30 PM
La Giostra
Fairy-lit, theatrical room off Borgo Pinti founded by a Habsburg prince; book ahead and settle in for a long lunch.
Map - 7:30 PM
Atto di Vito Mollica
Vito Mollica's own restaurant in a Renaissance palazzo off Via del Corso; take the tasting menu.
Map - 9:30 PM
Locale Firenze
Cocktails in the vaulted rooms of a medieval palazzo near Santa Croce; let the bartenders pick something off-menu.
Map
Day 2: Oltrarno: Brancacci, Pitti, and dinner in San Frediano
Cross the river for Masaccio's frescoes and Raphael-hung palace rooms, then settle into one of the neighbourhood's grandest dinner tables as the night cools.
- 9:30 AM
Banana Brunch
Easy brunch spot near San Lorenzo for eggs, pancakes and a cappuccino before the walk across the river.
Map - 10:15 AM
Cappella Brancacci
Masaccio's Brancacci Chapel frescoes, the paintings that literally taught Michelangelo and Raphael; timed entry, about 30 minutes, book ahead.
Map - 12:30 PM
Trattoria Cammillo
Old-school Oltrarno trattoria since 1945; order from the daily specials. Open Thursday to Monday.
Map - 2:30 PM
Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens
Pitti Palace's Palatine Gallery holds Raphaels and Titians in their original gilded rooms; finish with a wander through the Boboli Gardens.
Map - 7:30 PM
Borgo San Jacopo
Dining room over the Arno facing the Ponte Vecchio; book a window table. Dinner only, closed Mon and Tue.
Map
Day 3: Uffizi, Bottura, Pinchiorri
Botticelli in the morning, Massimo Bottura at lunch in the Gucci palazzo, the Pantheon of Santa Croce in the afternoon, and Enoteca Pinchiorri's full tasting menu to finish.
- 9:30 AM
Vivoli
Florence institution since 1930, order the affogato at the wine window, a true local ritual.
Map - 10:15 AM
Uffizi Galleries
Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo, Michelangelo, the non-negotiable Renaissance hit.
Map - 12:30 PM
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura
Massimo Bottura's kitchen inside the Gucci palazzo on Piazza della Signoria; order the Emilia burger.
Map - 2:30 PM
Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence
Giotto frescoes, Michelangelo's tomb, and Galileo's, the grandest pantheon in Florence.
Map - 7:30 PM
Enoteca Pinchiorri
Annie Féolde's dining room in a Via Ghibellina palazzo, with one of the great wine cellars of Europe; take the full menu.
Map
Where to stay
Hotel Savoy
Hotel Savoy sits on Piazza della Repubblica, a short walk from every day of the plan and the kind of address that needs no explanation.
Portrait Firenze
Portrait Firenze on the Lungarno is the city's most quietly luxurious stay, ideal for the Oltrarno days and well-placed for everything else.
Make Florence your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Uffizi Gallery: weeks ahead
- Galleria dell'Accademia: weeks ahead
- Brunelleschi's Dome: weeks ahead
- Florence Baptistery: weeks ahead
- Giotto's Bell Tower: weeks ahead
- Museo dell'Opera del Duomo: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Restaurants on Piazza del Duomo, Via de' Calzaiuoli and the Ponte Vecchio ends with photo menus and touts serve the city's worst food at its highest prices.
- Much San Lorenzo leather market stock is imported and low grade at artisan prices; use the Scuola del Cuoio or Oltrarno workshops for real leather.
- Ponte Vecchio gold carries a tourist markup; admire and compare prices elsewhere before buying serious pieces.
- Bistecca is priced per 100g with minimum cuts around 1kg and always served rare; confirm weight and price per etto before ordering.
The full Florence travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around