Florence

Introduction

I’ve only heard of great things about Florence, so you bet I took the chance to visit. And it didn’t disappoint! The food was great and the architecture was beautiful. I felt like it was a little bit crowded, but I think it’s because I went right after New Year’s. Even though I only had roughly a day and a half here, I would recommend it!

Getting around is super easy since Florence is a very walkable city. So you’ll probably be walking most of the time. However, taking the bus/tram is also easy. Just buy the ticket from the machines near the bus/tram stops and make sure you validate your ticket at the yellow machine when you get on the bus. The airport and/or rail station are close to notable tram stops, so I would stock up on tickets if you anticipate using public transportation since some bus stops don’t sell tickets.

*** bolded = highly recommended

food

Central Market - the market has a good variety of foods!
I Fratellini - it gives me very touristy vibes but I was so hungry so I just got their sandwiches and it was pretty good!
Fuoco Matto - I got a margarita pizza and a crispy sandwich. The sandwich was too small for what it’s priced at but the pizza was really good!

Attractions

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore - it’s super beautiful and makes for a great photo opp, along with Piazza del Duomo.
Piazza della Signoria
- Fontana del Porcellino - think you can skip this. The street vendors have totally commercialized the area and it’s literally just a pig statue.
Ponte Vecchio
Piazzale Michelangelo - I would recommend taking the bus up here right before sunset so you could get the daytime view and the nighttime view when all the lights are lit. Make the walk down to Basilica di San Miniato as a leisurely stroll.
Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence
Accademia Gallery - I would definitely recommend coming here to see the artwork and the statue of David di Michelangelo, but 1) buy your ticket online before going and 2) get there early. I did neither since I decided to go last minute and had to wait in line for 2 hours. The entry fee was also kind of expensive at ~$22 USD.