Spring 2025: With longer days and clear blue skies, Florence bursts into life in Spring. The Arno river gushes with snowmelt, wisteria and the fabled Iris Garden are in full bloom, and the city’s many parks and gardens flourish before the intense summer heat hits. Morning markets like Sant’Ambrogio and Mercato Centrale are just as colourful, laden with courgette flowers, artichokes, watermelons and peaches. It’s shoulder season, but there’s plenty to do with jazz concerts, fashion shows, and a new Tracy Emin exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi.
Small but perfectly formed, Florence is a city that feels stuck in time in all the best ways. When I moved here in 2020, I planned to stay for a summer – but like so many drifters and dreamers before me, I remained, fell in love with Italian life and built my home here. Now, it’s all about the day-to-day; finding Renaissance frescoes in obscure places, savouring a morning cappuccino and taking evening strolls along the Arno.
How long do I need in Florence?
Come for a weekend or stay for a lifetime, and Florence will continue to surprise and delight you. The city’s historic centre is small, walkable and easy to navigate in two to three days - stroll along the Arno River, cross the Ponte Vecchio bridge, pop into a few churches and museums and you’ve got the gist of it. Linger a few more days, though, and you’ll start to uncover its real magic, from hidden trattorias and low-key aperitivo spots to day trips out into the impossibly beautiful Tuscan countryside. However long you stay, just be sure to leave time to soak up Italy’s dolce far niente - the sweetness of doing nothing.
📍 Discover our ultimate guide to things to do in Florence
What should you not miss in Florence?
Don’t worry about trying to tick off all the art or visit every church. Hit the Uffizi Galleries for Renaissance classics (Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Botticelli are among the main stars here), peek inside the Duomo to ogle at its architectural grandeur, and take the short but steep climb up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a sunset view of the entire city. But in my opinion, the more time you’ve got here, the better. For all things big and small, read on for my list of the best things to do in Florence.
This guide was recently updated by Florence-based writer Phoebe Hunt. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.