Florence Itinerary for Two Days: Self-Guided Walking Tour

As the birthplace of the European Renaissance, Florence is known for all things art. It houses world-famous masterpieces, such as The David statue by Michelangelo and The Birth of Venus painting by Botticelli. So, naturally, it’s a must in any first time Italy itinerary! And in this post, I’m providing a self-guided Florence itinerary for two days to talk you through all its main sites on foot.

When visiting Florence, many travelers recommend considering the Firenze Card, which covers a lot of attractions in the city. But for two days in Florence (or even three days in Florence), the card is not really worth it.

Instead of that card, I actually recommend purchasing the Brunelleschi Pass. This grants entry into the Duomo, a climb to the dome of the Duomo (the Cupola), a climb to the bell tower (the Campanile), entry into the baptistery, entry into the Duomo museum, and entry into the crypt beneath the church. It costs €30 if bought on the official website.

And now that that bit’s out of the way, let’s jump straight into my Florence two day itinerary!

Day One

Accademia Gallery

I wouldn’t normally start an itinerary with a museum. Since the only reason that most will enter this gallery is for one piece of art, it won’t be a super long or tiring visit. And since it is the furthest-north stop on this itinerary, it’s convenient to start your day from here.

The Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze is famous for The David, sculpted by the one and only Michelangelo. Entry will set you back €16. You can book in advance at the official site for an additional €4 fee

San Lorenzo Market

After admiring Italy’s most famous statue, head to Florence’s most famous market – San Lorenzo Market. Here, you can shop leather (for which Florence has been famous for centuries!) and eat in the indoor food stalls at the Mercato Centrale right next door. I went later in the afternoon, and a lot of the food stalls were already closed, so that is why I am suggesting this stop earlier in your day. 

And if you are hoping to snag some good quality leather while at San Lorenzo, or while in Florence in general, this guide is a pretty good starting point.

Cupola

After enjoying the markets, head to the Duomo. Find the entry to the Duomo’s cupola (its dome). Bruneschelli’s Dome, named after the architect who designed it, is actually the most impressive part of the entire Duomo. Architecturally, it was the first of its kind. He literally had to invent new tools and architectural systems to do it!

So you’ll definitely want to climb up the steps for the view from the top. You’ll have to select a specific time slot, though, when you buy your ticket. Otherwise, you will be turned away and asked to return. This entry is included in the pass I mentioned up top.

In addition to enjoying the view from the outside of the dome, you’ll have a chance to take in the massive fresco on the inside after you climb up. It depicts  “The Last Judgment” and was painted by Giorgio Vasari and completed by Federico Zuccari in the late 1500s.

Battistero di San Giovanni

This is the building right across from the main cathedral. The Byzantine-like mosaic inside was actually pretty cool in contrast to all the more typically-Renaissance paintings I saw while in Florence. This entry is included in the pass I mentioned up top.

Everyone will be snapping pics of the gold doors outside, but those are copies. The real ones are in the Duomo Museum! (If you want to enter the Duomo Museum, I would suggest doing so after exiting the Duomo on day two of this itinerary.)

Campanile di Giotto

Yes you already climbed up the cupola, but there’s another viewpoint nearby! This time, the view is of the cupola itself. This entry is included in the pass I mentioned up top.

Piazza della Repubblica

Finally, it’s time to leave the Duomo area (for today, at least!) Next, head to Piazza della Repubblica, which is about six minutes’ walk away from the Campanile. It is one of the main squares in Florence.

Piazza della Signoria

After that, walk five more minutes to the Piazza della Signoria. This square has a lot going on! The best part is definitely the Loggia dei Lanzi. It’s basically a free, open-air museum of dramatic sculptures that really should be in one of the museums. (Like really though, I’m super surprised these are just out there!)

Also in this square is a copy of the David statue, for those of you who decide not to pay to enter the Accademia Gallery and see the real thang. This statue is in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, which is also in this square.

Palazzo Vecchio

I didn’t enter except for the free courtyard. But I was very tempted to, since it apparently has a great view of the Duomo! I had entered a lot of Florence attractions at this point, so I decided to save it for my next trip to the city.

Ponte Vecchio

Your next stop is a big one! After you’ve enjoyed enough of the Piazza della Signoria, walk just a few minutes south to reach Ponte Vecchio. This iconic bridge has become synonymous with Florence itself!

It was originally a passageway so the Medicis (a super rich family that basically made Florence… well, Florence) didn’t have to walk with the commoners on their commutes from their palace. Since then, shops have been added to the bridge and create the look it has today. Prepare for major crowds on this bridge!

Ponte alle Grazie

Once you’ve crossed Ponte Vecchio and reached the other side of the Arno River, walk along the river until you reach Ponte alle Grazie. From this bridge, you get a very nice view of the Ponte Vecchio (with a lot fewer crowds!).

Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze

After snapping your pics, cross the Ponte alle Grazie back to the original side of the river that you’ve been on all day. Walk a few minutes towards the Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze. I didn’t enter this church, since admission was not free. But I do think it’s in a picturesque area that warrants passing by, before grabbing something to eat and closing out your busy first day in Florence.

Day Two

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

Bright and early in the morning, in order to beat the line, head to Florence’s Duomo, called Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. Since entry is free, it attracts a lot of people! It’s the third largest church in the world, was instrumental in the Renaissance, and is the symbol of Florence.

Crypt of Santa Reparata

This is included in the Duomo combo ticket that I mentioned up top, which was the only reason I saw it. But once I got there, it was actually much more than I expected! It’s basically church ruins from 405AD inside the main church. The unfortunate thing about the crypt is that you have to wait in the same line as for the free Duomo entry. So that is why I am timing these two activities together. If you are not interested in viewing the crypt, you can go straight to the next stop below.

Lunch Break

Now would be a good time to grab lunch, before you enter the most time-consuming attraction of this whole two day Florence itinerary. If you feel short on time, a filling sandwich might be the perfect alternative to a sit-down-meal. I enjoyed one from this sandwich place, right behind the Duomo. Not only is it really fairly priced, but you get to sample the meats and cheeses before selecting them for your sandwich! So it feels kind of educational as well!

Uffizi Gallery

Now that you’ve gotten some food in you, it’s time to continue on with your Florence itinerary. Next stop: the Uffizi. Uffizi actually means “offices” in Italian, which makes sense, because this building used to be the Medici’s offices. Now, it’s a museum, and a world-famous one at that! Its most-famous art piece is the Birth of Venus painting by Botticelli.

Entry costs €25, plus €4 for the skip-the-line online booking fee on the official site. Everything I read beforehand swore up and down that wait times are upwards of three hours. But when I went (mid September, early afternoon) there was no line in sight. So you can decide if you want to roll the dice on this or not!

Vasari Corridor

Okay, so you know that iconic bridge I mentioned in day one of this itinerary? And the passageway inside? Well, this is that passageway! You can enter it starting from the first floor of the Uffizi Gallery and walk across the Arno River via the inside of the Ponte Vecchio bridge. So cool! Entry to this corridor is purchased in combination with a ticket to the Uffizi for a combined price of €43, plus €4 for the required online booking fee on the official site.

Palazzo Pitti

The exit from the Vasari Corridor is at the Buontalenti Grotto in the Boboli Gardens at Palazzo Pitti. So naturally, that will be your next stop.

Normally, palace equals royalty…not in Florence! This palace belonged to the Medicis (shocker). I personally have seen way too many European palaces at this point. So I forwent paying the €16 entry fee (€22 if seeing the gardens as well) and only observed from outside.

But I did regret maybe not having arrived earlier in the day than I did, to buy just a Boboli Gardens ticket (€10)! Because the gardens looked very nice.

Regardless of which you decide to enter, you can purchase the ticket online in advance from the official site (the same site as for the Uffizi) for an additional €3 fee. But it was not very crowded at all when I was there.

Piazzale Michelangelo

This is the best viewpoint in all of Florence – hands down! I recommend trying to time your visit with sunset, which is why I have it at the end of your day. But it’s gorgeous anytime. (I went three times during my visit to Florence… so I would know.)

It requires an uphill walk and is the furthest out you’ll get from the city center. So make the trek worth it! Bring some snacks and hangout for a while like everyone else does. Then, find a little spot, and watch the sunset over the beautiful little city that you have just spent two days exploring.

What Do You Think of This Florence Two Day Itinerary?

Do you have any questions or thoughts? Let me know in the comments section below.

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