Tamar gives an insider’s look at Florence and day trips to beautiful Tuscany!
Florence
Activities
I was very lucky and had the opportunity to LIVE in Florence for a year! I could share a million things you can do/see/eat here, but I will stick to a few top picks. The very best way to see the city is to walk around. Florence is a small city so you can get from one side to the other in about half an hour on foot.
Piazza Della Repubblica
Go to Piazza Della Repubblica and take a ride on the beautiful merry go round. It’s a beautiful square with cafes and shops.
Florence Cathedral
Right around the corner from Piazza della Repubblica is the famous Duomo of Florence and Baptistry. You can climb up the steps of the church to the dome and have an incredible view of the city.
Mercato Centrale
The Mercato Centrale is a great spot for foodies. The first floor is full of stalls like a farmers market where you can find anything from fruits and veggies to fish to cheese and meat or olive oils. Then the second floor is an upscale food court and a great place to stop for lunch.
Piazzale Michelangelo
My all time FAVORITE spot in Florence is Piazzale Michelangelo. It is a bit of a trek to get up there, but you will find the most incredible views of the entire city. (See header image above!)
Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery is an amazing museum to check out. It has rooms and rooms of art dating back to the 12th-17th centuries.
Restaurants
To be honest, I never went out and had bad food in Florence, so really you can’t go wrong no matter where you go. Here are my top picks:
Best Pizza
Gusta Pizza – ask for the heart shaped pizza
Pizza Man – the one a bit outside of town
All Antico Vinaio
All Antico Vinaio is the best panino. You can customize your sandwich with lots of different meat/cheese/veggie options. And they are only 5 euros each! But there is almost always a very long line. Try to go at an off time so you don’t have to wait too long.
Gelateria Edoardo
Gelateria Edoardo is the best gelato by far, and I had a lot of gelato.
Torcicoda & Trattoria da Mario
Florence is famous for their special steak that they cook rare, Bistecca alla Fiorentina. If you like that, the best ones are at Torcicoda (fancy place) or Trattoria da Mario (more casual).
Transportation
Walk walk walk!!!
Day Trip: Tuscany
In March, my friend Emily and I found a great tour, MyTour Italy, that took us to 3 great locations in Tuscany — Sienna, San Gimignano and Chianti. A bus picks up the group from near the train station in Florence and drove us to each of these cities.
San Gimignano is a beautiful medieval town. Sienna is great to walk around and visit the church that is very ornately decorated. And finally in Chianti, we visited a vineyard and had a wine tasting that was great.
Siena Cathedral
Piazza del Campo, Siena
Wine tasting in Chianti
Day Trip: Pisa & Lucca
My boyfriend Danilo and I took a little day trip from Florence to visit Pisa and Lucca. We took a train and went to Pisa to see famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. We were there in August and it was PACKED with tourists. The tower is incredible.
After that we took another train and went to the medieval city of Lucca. I fell in love with the city! It is famous for its tall historic walls that go all around the city and are so wide that you can walk or ride a bike along them. It is such a characteristic little town with lots of great shops and restaurants. They also have a lot of music festivals so make sure to check out events going on.
Walls around Lucca
Restaurants
We were starving when we were in Pisa, but couldn’t really find a great spot because they all seemed pretty touristy/low quality so we just settled for a sandwich. Nothing special. I would highly recommend eating in Lucca because there were a TON of very cute cafes and restaurants.
Transportation
We took a train from Florence to Pisa, then Pisa to Lucca, and finally back to Florence from Lucca. It was very convenient to get around as there are many different departures throughout the day so you can take your time in each location.
Other Travel Guides you might Like:
Rome, Tuscany, Naples & Sicily, Italy – 2 Weeks in Italy: Rome, Tuscany, Naples & Sicily
Cinque Terre & Rome, Italy – Rome to Cinque Terre: Hikes, History & Pasta
Tuscany, Italy – Must See Towns & Things To Do in Tuscany
Oia, Santorini, Greece – Guide to Oia: Where to Stay in Santorini
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