How to Spend 3 Days in Florence, Italy

Florence, Italy, is one of the most magnificent, inspiring, art-filled cities you will ever visit. This is the kind of city that you think about all the time for the rest of your life.

There’s SO much to see in Florence, and it can be overwhelming — so I’ve put together a 3 days in Florence itinerary for you that includes visits to all of the best places in the city.

Florence is a city that I know very well. I lived here 20 years ago and continue to visit as a travel writer, teaching other people on how to travel better in Italy.

Florence has so much to do, it can feel a bit paralyzing — and for that reason, I recommend travelers spend three days in Florence at the bare minimum. With its entire city center a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and so much art that seems to spring up from the pavement, any less than three days would be spreading yourself thin!

Between 10 million and 16 million tourists visit Florence every year, and honestly, there’s not really a low season anymore, except maybe January. I most recently visited in March and there were huge crowds everywhere.

Despite the throngs of people, though, Firenze is magical. The city charms me as much today as it did 20 years ago.

So here is a three-day Florence itinerary that I think will work very well for you. I hope you enjoy it!

Before Your Trip

• Book everything in advance. Florence is busy year-round and tickets sell out days (if not weeks) in advance. Official websites usually charge a few euros as a booking fee, which is worth it for the time spent in lines. Otherwise, skip-the-line tickets are priceless. 

• Check the current sunset time so you know what time to get to Piazzale Michelangelo during your three-day Florence itinerary. The latest sunset is around 9:00 PM in June and the earliest is 4:30 PM in December. 

• Public transport isn’t necessary. If you’re a mobile person, this Florence itinerary keeps walking distances to a minimum and you can call Ubers if you have a particularly long distance between sites.

• Keep an eye out for the replicas of Michelangelo’s David. The real one is in the Accademia Gallery — the others are around the city!

Day 1: Best of Florence

Accademia Gallery and Statue of David

You’ll start…