I love Florence; it’s full of so many things to see and do! If you’re planning a trip to Florence and aren’t sure where to start, might I suggest:
Visit Il Porcellino
Visit the famous boar’s head statue in the Piazza del Mercato Nuevo; rub it’s snout, and put a coin in it’s mouth to find out if you’ll be back to Florence soon!
Get a custom-made, gold-plated Florence-themed charm bracelet
This was one of my favourite souvenirs from Italy—visiting Guiliano Ricci and making my own charm bracelet of famous Italian landmarks!
Walk over the Ponte Veccio
The buildings over the bridge were once homes; now they’re shops (mostly jewellers!) that connect over Florence’s river. It’s a beautiful sight, and very close to the Uffizi Gallery!
Experience Michelangelo’s David, the Birth of Venus, and the Caravaggio
Florence has so many famous pieces of art to discover! I wrote about the most famous ones and where to find them here.
Take a picture at a Florence photobooth
These old-timey photo booths are scattered around Florence; bring home a souvenir of an old-fashioned strip of photos!
Visit the San Lorenzo food halls
Whether you’re craving Italian food or want to try a delicacy from somewhere else in the world, the San Lorenzo food halls are massive and contain so many delicious treasures—including the best schiaccata I’ve ever had!
Marvel at the Duomo and Heaven’s Gate Portal
Florence is full of beautiful architecture, but none as stunning as the Duomo and Heaven’s Gate Portal.
Visit a bookshop inside a cinema
The Giunti Odeon is a bookshop by day with silent movie screenings, and a cinema and event space by night. Their shop houses English books, and plays English-subtitled movies for tourists, and is an excellent resting point if you need to get off your feet!
Go vintage shopping
There are so many vintage shops in Florence, full of both nameless and designer pieces. Prices aren’t for the feint of heart (my experience was, these sellers know what a fashion capital Italy is; they know the value in their stock and price accordingly). But I discovered a lot of pieces that I’d never seen before from Chanel, Prada, and Fendi!
Get a lemon gelato
My favourite treat in Florence is the lemon gelato, served in a frozen solid husk of a hollowed-out lemon. It’s not just because I think it’s cute to use fruit as a bowl; the fact that it was frozen solid kept the ice cream from melting. And it’s delicious!
What are your favourite things to see and do in Florence? I hope you’ll let me know in the comments—happy travels!
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