Florence is full of stunning places to visit, so we have chosen for you a mix of tourist and less tourist things to see and do in Florence.

Are you visiting Florence right now? Or are you planning to do it soon? Well whatever the case, this is the perfect list for you if you don’t want to miss the 10 things to do in Florence.

We have chosen for you a mix of tourist and less tourist things to see and do in Florence.

#1 Do a tour with the Free Tour Florence – Another Florence association

The first place of our “10 things to do in Florence” list is occupied by our free walking tours. Do you want to see Florence with the eyes of a local? Then join one of our “off the beaten path” tours! All our guides live in Florence and are truly passionate about this amazing city.

The tours we offer are not the result of a standard script but they are an artisan product, created by our tour guides that work together to support Another Florence. The tour guides of the Free Tour Florence – Another Florence association have degrees in different disciplines and different guiding styles, for this reason each tour is different and represents the result of their hard work.

#2 Climb the Florence Cathedral and the Giotto’s campanile

One of the 10 things to do in Florence is to enjoy the beautiful view of the city you can have from the top of the Florence Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore. After 463 steps you can reach the top of the Brunelleschi’s dome where you can admire the beautiful frescoes made by Giorgio Vasari.

If you want to have an amazing perspective of the Brunelleschi’s dome from the outside, we suggest you to climb the 414 steps of the Giotto’s campanile, from where you can see the best angle of the Cathedral.

#3 Visit the Uffizi Gallery

At the third position of our “10 things to do in Florence” there is the Uffizi Gallery. Located in the historic center of Florence, the Uffizi Gallery is one of the most important museums of the world and the most visited in Italy.

The building, designed by Giorgio Vasari, Alfonso Parigi and Bernardo Buontalenti, was born to host the offices of the Florentine magistrates but over the centuries different sections of the palace were used to exhibit paintings and sculptures collected by the Medici Family.

Here you will find masterpieces made by Giotto, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and many other artists.
During the high season we recommend you to book the ticket in order to have a shorter wait.

#4 Eat like a local in the San Lorenzo Market

If you want to taste Florentine and Tuscan flavors, one of the things you have to do in Florence is to go to the San Lorenzo Market. Here you will find bakers, butchers, fishmongers, cheesemongers, selling local products such as olive oil, wine, spice.

The San Lorenzo market is the oldest and biggest closed market in Florence and on the first floor there is the “Mercato Centrale”, an area with many different booths where you can eat the products they sell downstairs with a fair price.

#5 Things to do in Florence – Visit Piazza della Signoria e Loggia de’ Lanzi

Piazza della Signoria is one of the most famous Florentine squares and the center of the political life in Florence. Actually it is the seat of the Old Palace, Florence’s town hall, but also a place full of history and art.

Here you can admire not only the copy of Michelangelo’s David (the original is at the Galleria dell’Accademia), but the beautiful sculptures of the Loggia de’ Lanzi, such as the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna, Bellini’s Perseus with the head of Medusa and many others.

For all these reasons we think that visit this square is one of the things to do in Florence!

#6 Cross the history through the Old Bridge

At the sixth position of our “10 things to do in Florence” list there is one of the most famous bridges in Europe, the Old Bridge. In the past this bridge was occupied by many shops such as butchers but today it hosts beautiful jewelries.

Above the Old Bridge there is a structure called Vasari Corridor that connects the Old Palace (Florence’s town hall) with Palazzo Pitti. The Vasari Corridor was built in 1565 upon commission of Cosimo de’ Medici the Duke of Florence and designed by the Florentine artist Giorgio Vasari.

#7 Visit the Boboli Gardens

The Boboli Gardens is not only a huge park but also an open-air art museum and it is certainly one of the 10 things you have to do in Florence! The park hosts centuries-old oaks, fountains, sculptures from the 16th to the 18th century, and it is one of the most favourite place of the Florentines in search of a peaceful shelter from the hot summer in Florence.

Among the things you can visit at the Boboli Gardens there are the amphitheater with an Egyptian obelisk brought from Luxor, the Giardino del Cavaliere where in May you can admire beautiful roses and the 18th century Kaffehaus.

#8 Escape from the crowds at Bardini Garden

Far away from the crowds the Bardini Garden is a hidden gem where you can find some peace.
This garden has been recently restored and slowly rediscovered by Florentine and visitors and it is one of the things to visit in Florence if you want to go off the usual tourist track.

Born as a fruit orchard the Bardini Garden today is a beautiful garden surrounded by a magical silence and stunning architectures. Here you can admire roses, camellias, brightly colored azaleas and many other flowers, together with the large baroque stair which ends in a beautiful belvedere, from where you have a stunning view of the entire city.

#9 Enjoy the Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

Located in the Oltrarno district of Florence, the Piazzale Michelangelo is a stunning belvedere that gives you probably the best view of the city. This square was designed by the Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi in 1869 during the redevelopment of the Oltrarno district and it is for sure one of the 10 things to do in Florence.

Grab something to drink and enjoy a stunning view at sunset. You can reach the Piazzale Michelangelo by car, through the three-lined Viale Michelangelo or by walking the stairs from the Giuseppe Poggi Square.

#10 Drink a Coffee at the Oblate Library

Our last but not least suggestion about the 10 things to do in Florence, concerns the Oblate Library. Have you climbed the 414 steps of the Giotto’s campanile? Or the 463 steps of the Brunelleschi’s dome as we suggested you at #2 of the list? Then you deserve a break!

The Biblioteca delle Oblate is one of the Florentine’s public libraries and on the roof terrace you can find a nice cafeteria where you can have a snack or an aperitif with an amazing view of the Brunelleschi’s dome.

Join one of the tours provided by the Free Tour Florence – Another Florence association and you will be able to see some of the places we suggested you on our “The 10 things to do in Florence” list or to ask to our guides how can you reach them!