After cosplaying as a tour guide this weekend with my friends, I have curated the perfect itinerary to see Florence (IMO)!!!
Morning
If there is something I am sure about, it is that you need to sleep in a bit before hitting the streets of Florence. This is not an early city, and you don’t need to “beat the crowds” when wanting to see it all. That being said, sleep in a bit. Don’t start your day too early or else you risk the burnout when mid-day rolls around. If you want a big breakfast, head over to Rooster Cafe, not your traditional Italian breakfast, but filling. If you’re wanting a more relaxed breakfast, grab a cafe latte or cappuccino at the Vintage Cafe. After breakfast, go to the leather markets – a must-see when in Florence. Here, you can bargain leather bags & it’s always fun seeing how low you can go. If you chose the latter breakfast option, you are probably going to be hungry earlier (even if you did choose the Rooster Cafe). It is so important to me that you go to the Central Market for lunch. The bottom floor is full of vendors selling produce, cheese, fish, meats, etc. But the top floor is where many locals grab a quick and easy bite to eat. I highly recommend grabbing the Tuscan Burger with Pecorino cheese but be sure to explore all the options (and grab anything the vendors are giving out to sample!)
Mid-Day
After grabbing lunch, I would suggest making your way towards Ponte Vecchio to cross the river. Take your time though – pop into vintage shops on the way or the Gucci store if you’re wanting to treat yourself 😉 When crossing Ponte Vecchio, be sure to stop at the halfway point and look at the Arno River & the city around it. Across the River, you’ll find the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. These are very historic landmarks of Florence, as the Medici family inhabited the Palace (along with other families, but Medici were very influential for Florence). Spend a few hours exploring the Palace and walking around the Gardens – some of the best views of the city are from here!
Evening
After walking around the Palace and Gardens, make your way back to siesta, go to the Odeon Cinema to watch a movie, or pop into a cafe for another espresso! After feeling well-rested, go grab an aperitivo at La Ménagère. It’s like a bar inside of Anthropologie home section. If you’re a student, you even get 10% off if you sign up for emails (do it, you can always unsubscribe later). After eating all of the olives and exploring the store and flowers, finish the night off at my favorite restaurant – Fuoco Matto. It’s a trendier spot, but they perfect every dish. It is also very budget-friendly, whether you want an 8-euro pizza or 30-euro lobster tagliatella, you can have it all.
So yeah, it’s not the perfect day for everyone, but it’s the perfect day for me. Have fun exploring!
Arrivederci,
Hadley
DU Abroad 