Top sights in Florence

The most popular museums, churches, and attractions in Florence

If you only have limited to to spend in the Cradle of the Renaissance, here are the top, must-see sights of Florence.

Uffizi Galleries ★★★

Renaissance painting 101, a cornucopia of Old Masters (Giotto, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, etc.), plus the über-famous paintings of Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Allegory of Spring. One of the world's top galleries, and an absolutely un-missable Florence sight... » more

The amazing dome atop the Duomo (catehdral) of Florence

Brunelleschi's dome ★★★

This ingenious and noble dome atop the Florence cathedral is an unparalelled feat of Renaissance engineering, and a climb up between it layers offers an amazing peek into the genius of its architect, Brunelleschi. The dome is also the crown jewel of the Duomo grouping, which also includes the cathedral itself, the baptistery's Gates of Paradise, and a museum of statues by Michelangelo and Donatello... » more

Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence

Michelangelo's David (Accademia) ★★★

So much more than just Michelangelo's David (but, yes, that is here), this fine arts academy houses works by Botticelli, Giambologna, and Andrea del Sarto as well as several more Michelangelo sculptures that are, to many, more interesting than the David: a group half-finished Slaves that showcase the master's carving technique... » more

Piazza della Signoria ★★★

A lively, statue-studded square lined with cafés and home to the Gothically imposing, fortress-like Palazzo Vecchio, off which stretches the "U" of the Uffizi Galleries, Florence's great art museum... » more

The San Lorenzo leather street market in Florence

San Lorenzo leather market ★★★

The streets around the Medici family church are now filled with a daily outdoor market of leather goods, T-shirts, and other excellent Florentine souvenirs. I get much of my holiday shopping done here (who doesn't appreciate a leather wallet or belt straight from Florence?)...... » more

Half-day cooking class ★★★

Instead of just returning home to rave about the amazing Tuscan dishes you had in Florence, why not return home armed with the skills and recipes to be able to replicate them?... » more

Ponte Vecchio ★★★

Hanging off either side of this ancient bridge over the Arno are strings of teensy shops selling gold and jewelry, some of them dating back to the Renaissance... » more

Santa Croce ★★★

This big ol' Franciscan barn of a church sports frescoes by Giotto, the tombs of many famous Tuscans—including Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Rossini—and, oddly enough, has one of the city's finest leather school in the back... » more

Bargello ★★

What the Uffizi is to painting, the Bargello is to sculpture. It's packed with Renaissance statues and carvings from Donatello, Michelangelo, Luca della Robbia, Giambologna, and more, all of it evocatively installed in the stony halls of the city's medieval prison... » more

Walking tour ★★★

Learn more than any guidebook (or website) could provide with your very own Florence giude. Stroll the medieval streets learning about everything from the Medici and Michelangelo to Dante and Galileo... » more

The Galleria Palatina painting museum in the Palazzo Pitti of Florence

Pitti Palace ★★

A half dozen museums (including a killer painting gallery called the Galleria Palatina that acts as a kind of "Uffizi: Part II," covering the late Renaissance and baroque eras) and the lovely landscaped Boboli Gardens... » more

A Tuscan feast ★★

Sit down to a traditional Tuscan dinner of five or six courses lubricated by plenty of excellent wine that will last for hours, leave you stuffed for days, and give you a meal to recount for the rest of your life... » more

Santa Maria Novella ★★

A church containing some of the seminal works of the early Renaissance, including Masaccio's Trinità fresco, the first use of true perspective in Western art... » more

Eating gelato ★★

Florence makes some of the world's best ice cream, called gelato, and no visit is complete without indulging. Gelato is a Florentine institution—a creamy, sweet, flavorful food item on a different level entirely from what Americans call "ice cream."... » more