First day in Florence
Start the day with a walk downtown.
After standing with your nose in the air in front of the facade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Giotto’s Campanile, slip into the Baptistery before heading to Palazzo Vecchio, the city’s longtime political heart, to browse the Medici’s public and private rooms.
At lunch, tantalize yourself with a classy sandwich at ‘Ino.
After a quick, scenic coffee at Rivoire and a detour to the Loggia dei Lanzi, enter the Uffizi Museum for a few hours’ tour of the absolute masterpieces of art history.
On the way out, head to the haute couture boutiques on Via de’ Tornabuoni for daydreaming and then wait at Ponte Vecchio for the sun to slip and disappear into the Arno.
For a fancy aperitif head to Procacci, where for a few euros you’ll be a grand gentleman with a glass of excellent wine and a truffle paninetto.
Then you’ll be ready for a very stylish dinner at Amblé . If you’re still strong, you can end the evening by dancing until dawn at or head back toward the hotel, losing yourself in the city’s medieval alleys.
Day two in Florence
Wake up early in the morning and head to the Library of the Oblate for a cappuccino on the terrace overlooking Brunelleschi’s dome.
After wandering the corridors of the Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova , rich in works of art, push on to the Synagogue, whose refined Moorish decorations will make you think of the Thousand and One Nights.
A few steps away, the sober Church of Sant’Ambrogio will be just the right appetizer before a succulent lampredotto at the Tripperia Pollini kiosk.
To work off those lunch calories, walk to the Basilica of Santa Croce, which holds the remains of the most illustrious Florentines, from Petrarch to Galileo. Then take a short detour to the Bargello Museum;
and if you are a romantic don’t miss the Badia Fiorentina, where Dante fell madly in love with Beatrice.
After sunset, the Literary Café at the Murate transforms into one of the most interesting haunts in the neighborhood for an aperitivo with live music, while the best Neapolitan pizza in Florence awaits you at Santarpia’s for dinner.
Close out the day with a scenic stroll along the Lungarno
Day three in Florence
Comfortable shoes and an energetic breakfast will help youto tackle the third day.
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and the Museo Novecento will take you quite aamount of time, so you will have to go at a brisk pace if you also want to visit the Basilica of San Lorenzo with theMedici Chapels and the BibliotecaMedicea Laurenziana designedby Michelangelo.
Lunch is a must at the second floor of the Mercato Centrale. In case for dessert you want to delight in Michelangelo’s ‘real’ David, you will have to make your way to the Galleria dell’Accademia, which will be by the way an excellent intermediate stop before the Museo di San Marco, where in the shadow of the frescoes by Beato Angelico also lived that reactionary Savonarola, who ended up being burned in the piazza.
The cultural aperitif of the day will be on the roof of the Spedale degli Innocenti, Italy’s first orphanage and Florence’s most impressive belvedere.
In the evening choose between a dinner Berlin-style at La Ménagère and a dip in the unchanging andtraditional dishes at Cafaggi.
The Caribbean atmospheres and rums at Sabor Cubano will give you a well-deserved good night
Fourth day in Florence
Devote your last Florentine day entirely to the Oltrarno. Borgo San Frediano, with the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine, deserves a quick visit that will serve as an introduction to the solemnity of the Basilica of Santo Spirito.
From there, after having a sandwich prepared in one of the district’s many stores, head to the Pitti Palace and have a picnic lunch on the immense lawns of the Boboli Gardens.
In the afternoon, explore the workshops of the artisans who still populate this area and visit Specola, an amazing natural museum that adults and children alike will enjoy.
Then, climb up to the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, a Romanesque masterpiece steeped in charm and spirituality.
If time is on your side, then seek a front-row seat at Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the striking sunset among hundreds of stunned eyes.
A drink at Spiaggettais ideal after the day’s exertions, but if you’re looking for something more lively, you can head back toward Volume.
After dinner, end on a high note at the transgressive Montecarla