2 Day Florence Itinerary
Jun 6th, 2014, 08:57 AM
#1
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2 Day Florence Itinerary
My travel companion is only interested in limited time in Florence, as aside from the Duomo, Uffizi Gallery, Galleria dell'Accademia and Piazzale Michelangelo she's not THAT interested in anything else and would rather spend more time in other places. Unfortunately, we will also be there on a Monday and Tuesday which complicates the itinerary. I love museums and architecture and she loves art and architecture as well, but she's not someone who is enthusiastic about spending all day in museums. This is the itinerary I have. We will be reaching Florence on Sunday evening and leaving on Wednesday morning, so we have 2 full days there.
We are also traveling in early September, so I know it will be hot, but for those who went there during the same time in recent years, was it manageable at this time? We had originally hoped to go in May, but due to school and other commitments it was difficult.
(08) - Monday
Florence
- Duomo
- Ponte Vecchio
- Piazza Della Signoria
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Palazzo Vecchio - 9am- midnight (10 Euros)
(09) - Tuesday
- Uffizi gallery (opens 8:15-6:50) (6.50 Euros)
- Galleria dell'Accademia (opens 8:15-6:50) (6:50 Euros)
- Basicilica di Santa Croce (6 Euros)
These are other places I am interested in seeing. If time permits, which would you recommend the most?
- Orsanmichele
- Basilica di San Lorenzo
- Medici Chapel
- Palazzo Pitti
- Giardino Bardini
- Bargello Museum
We are also traveling in early September, so I know it will be hot, but for those who went there during the same time in recent years, was it manageable at this time? We had originally hoped to go in May, but due to school and other commitments it was difficult.
(08) - Monday
Florence
- Duomo
- Ponte Vecchio
- Piazza Della Signoria
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Palazzo Vecchio - 9am- midnight (10 Euros)
(09) - Tuesday
- Uffizi gallery (opens 8:15-6:50) (6.50 Euros)
- Galleria dell'Accademia (opens 8:15-6:50) (6:50 Euros)
- Basicilica di Santa Croce (6 Euros)
These are other places I am interested in seeing. If time permits, which would you recommend the most?
- Orsanmichele
- Basilica di San Lorenzo
- Medici Chapel
- Palazzo Pitti
- Giardino Bardini
- Bargello Museum
Jun 6th, 2014, 11:39 AM
#3
I've had hot weather and cold weather in Sept. Early Sept should be fairly warm though.
Depending on what time you arrive Sunday (and your hotel location), you might swing by the Accademia before it closes Sunday. I've never found it crowded in the afternoons. The longest I waited in line for tickets was about 15 minutes and that was a late June trip. YMMV. Many people don't spend much time there (only look at David and leave). I think some don't even realize there is an upstairs or bother to see the musical instruments, etc.
Depending on what time you arrive Sunday (and your hotel location), you might swing by the Accademia before it closes Sunday. I've never found it crowded in the afternoons. The longest I waited in line for tickets was about 15 minutes and that was a late June trip. YMMV. Many people don't spend much time there (only look at David and leave). I think some don't even realize there is an upstairs or bother to see the musical instruments, etc.
Jun 6th, 2014, 12:35 PM
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Unfortunately we won't be arriving before it closes on Sunday. I think we'd have just about enough time to check into our hotel and then wander the streets taking photos. I guess we can go to Palazzo Vecchio if we're not too tired, which may give us time for Basilica di San Lorenzo/Medici Chapels on Monday.
Jun 6th, 2014, 12:38 PM
#5
if it's open, I would suggest seeing Santa Croce on Monday, as your plan forthat day is actually pretty light. there is a terrific market [San Ambroglio] just north of Santa Croce itself with a great cafe which would be lovely for lunch.
after that you could stroll across the Arno to the the Giardino Bardini, which also has a cafe with a nice terrace and light lunches, if that fits into your timetable better.
the palazzo vecchio can be visited late at night as you have already noted so it should be easy to fit into the schedule. I agree that you may well find it easy to get into the Accademia if you drop past in the late afternoon.
on Tuesday, i know that your travelling partner isn't keen on seeing other places, but the Monastery of San Marco, on the other side of the square of that name has the most beautiful frescos of Fra Angelico and is lovely just to stroll around. [only opens in the mornings though]. you could then walk down Via Cavour to the Medici chapel and San lorenzo. that would fit in well with then spending the afternoon at the Uffizi.
after that you could stroll across the Arno to the the Giardino Bardini, which also has a cafe with a nice terrace and light lunches, if that fits into your timetable better.
the palazzo vecchio can be visited late at night as you have already noted so it should be easy to fit into the schedule. I agree that you may well find it easy to get into the Accademia if you drop past in the late afternoon.
on Tuesday, i know that your travelling partner isn't keen on seeing other places, but the Monastery of San Marco, on the other side of the square of that name has the most beautiful frescos of Fra Angelico and is lovely just to stroll around. [only opens in the mornings though]. you could then walk down Via Cavour to the Medici chapel and San lorenzo. that would fit in well with then spending the afternoon at the Uffizi.
Jun 6th, 2014, 01:09 PM
#6
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If you're interested in art, I would recommend:
The Brancacci Chapel, in the Church of Santa Maria della Carmine, with frescoes that were one of the starting points of the Fiorentine Renaissance, including the masterpiece of Masaccio, the Expulsion from Eden.
San Marco, a museum in a former monastery, with the monks' cells frescoed by the Beato Angelico (usually called Fra Angelico in English).
The Church of Santa Maria Novella, with the Tornabuoni Chapel frescoed by the studio of Il Ghirlandaio, where Michelangelo was a young apprentice. It's thought that one of the may have been painted by the young Michelangelo. There are many other great works of art in this church; the crucifix by Giotto is a masterpiece of the late medieval period, on the cusp of the Renaissance, while the Holy Trinity by Masaccio is one of the earliest attempts to use perspective in a painting, and was very influential in the early Italian Renaissance.
Santa Croce, which has tombs of many of the great artists and writers of Italy, including Michelangelo's tomb, and more great works of art than I have time to recount.
Since you have so little time, and since your friend is not much interested in museums, I would suggest substituting some of these for the Uffizi, which is a huge museum, and very crowded in the summer. It takes hours to see it more than superficially, and when one has only two days in Florence, I think it's a shame to spend so much time inside. My daughter and I spent seven hours in the Uffizi a few years ago (in January, when it wasn't very crowded, and spread over two days) and still didn't see all we wanted to see. At least visiting some of the churches I've mentioned would allow you to have a nice walk around the city. The only one of these churches that would be best booked in advance is Santa Croce, which often has very long ticket queues.
I'm not particularly fond of the Medici Chapels in San Lorenzo; I find the sculptures a bit oppressive. I'm sure that's decidedly a minority opinion.
The Brancacci Chapel, in the Church of Santa Maria della Carmine, with frescoes that were one of the starting points of the Fiorentine Renaissance, including the masterpiece of Masaccio, the Expulsion from Eden.
San Marco, a museum in a former monastery, with the monks' cells frescoed by the Beato Angelico (usually called Fra Angelico in English).
The Church of Santa Maria Novella, with the Tornabuoni Chapel frescoed by the studio of Il Ghirlandaio, where Michelangelo was a young apprentice. It's thought that one of the may have been painted by the young Michelangelo. There are many other great works of art in this church; the crucifix by Giotto is a masterpiece of the late medieval period, on the cusp of the Renaissance, while the Holy Trinity by Masaccio is one of the earliest attempts to use perspective in a painting, and was very influential in the early Italian Renaissance.
Santa Croce, which has tombs of many of the great artists and writers of Italy, including Michelangelo's tomb, and more great works of art than I have time to recount.
Since you have so little time, and since your friend is not much interested in museums, I would suggest substituting some of these for the Uffizi, which is a huge museum, and very crowded in the summer. It takes hours to see it more than superficially, and when one has only two days in Florence, I think it's a shame to spend so much time inside. My daughter and I spent seven hours in the Uffizi a few years ago (in January, when it wasn't very crowded, and spread over two days) and still didn't see all we wanted to see. At least visiting some of the churches I've mentioned would allow you to have a nice walk around the city. The only one of these churches that would be best booked in advance is Santa Croce, which often has very long ticket queues.
I'm not particularly fond of the Medici Chapels in San Lorenzo; I find the sculptures a bit oppressive. I'm sure that's decidedly a minority opinion.
Jun 6th, 2014, 02:21 PM
#7
If you're interested in art, it would be a shame to skip the Bargello Museum.
FWIW, I'm also not a huge fan of the Medici Chapels. It may be blasphemous to say, but I enjoyed the floors and ornamentation more than the sculpture! Michelangelo had a lot of trouble depicting the unclothed female body.
In the rectory adjacent to the Basilica of Santa Croce is a Last Supper and Tree of Life by Taddeo Gaddi that pre-dates Da Vinci's Last Supper in Milan by about 100 years.
FWIW, I'm also not a huge fan of the Medici Chapels. It may be blasphemous to say, but I enjoyed the floors and ornamentation more than the sculpture! Michelangelo had a lot of trouble depicting the unclothed female body.
In the rectory adjacent to the Basilica of Santa Croce is a Last Supper and Tree of Life by Taddeo Gaddi that pre-dates Da Vinci's Last Supper in Milan by about 100 years.
Jun 6th, 2014, 05:49 PM
#8
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Wow, thank you all for the lovely suggestions. I'm having difficulty deciding. Ideally, I'd love to spend a few days there and see as much art as possible. Hopefully there will be a return trip in the near future.
bvlenci, I don't think we would be able to skip Uffizi. That is one that both of us agreed upon, whereas she is quite indifferent about many of the other galleries and chapels that I would like to see. That is why it was the top of the list for Tuesday, so we could spend as much time as we wanted and skip lunch, etc to get a decent chunk of time to see the other two places.
I tried to update the itinerary, but I might have gone a bit over my head. Please let me know what you think!
(08) - Monday
Florence
- Duomo
- Basilica di Santa Croce (6 Euros)
- Last Supper & Tree of Life
- San Ambroglio - lunch
- Santa Maria Novella???
- Ponte Vecchio
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Boboli Gardens (outside of Palazzo Pitti...)
- Moba Villa Bardini - aperitivo
(09) - Tuesday
- Galleria dell'Accademia (opens 8:15-6:50) (6.50 Euros)
- Uffizi gallery (opens 8:15-6:50) (6.50 Euros)
- Piazza Della Signoria - late lunch
- Bargello Museum???
- San Marco
- Negroni - aperitivo??? (find substitute)
The ??? is where I have to make decisions or iron out information. We need to figure out how to get to Piazzale Michelangeo and back, but in the time being I input the "walking" time.
bvlenci, I don't think we would be able to skip Uffizi. That is one that both of us agreed upon, whereas she is quite indifferent about many of the other galleries and chapels that I would like to see. That is why it was the top of the list for Tuesday, so we could spend as much time as we wanted and skip lunch, etc to get a decent chunk of time to see the other two places.
I tried to update the itinerary, but I might have gone a bit over my head. Please let me know what you think!
(08) - Monday
Florence
- Duomo
- Basilica di Santa Croce (6 Euros)
- Last Supper & Tree of Life
- San Ambroglio - lunch
- Santa Maria Novella???
- Ponte Vecchio
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Boboli Gardens (outside of Palazzo Pitti...)
- Moba Villa Bardini - aperitivo
(09) - Tuesday
- Galleria dell'Accademia (opens 8:15-6:50) (6.50 Euros)
- Uffizi gallery (opens 8:15-6:50) (6.50 Euros)
- Piazza Della Signoria - late lunch
- Bargello Museum???
- San Marco
- Negroni - aperitivo??? (find substitute)
The ??? is where I have to make decisions or iron out information. We need to figure out how to get to Piazzale Michelangeo and back, but in the time being I input the "walking" time.
Jun 6th, 2014, 06:02 PM
#9
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There are several buses that go to Piazzale Michelangelo. You can take the bus in both directions, or if you want to walk, take the bus up and walk down hill..
or you can take a taxi up and the bus or walk down,
its nice to go around sunset, so you can go later in the day if that works out for you.
you can get timed tickets in advance for the Uffizi and Academia ..the Bargello is generally not crowded,
Florence is a city where you can certainly have museum overload.. so allow time for wandering, shopping if you like, and leisurely eating
or you can take a taxi up and the bus or walk down,
its nice to go around sunset, so you can go later in the day if that works out for you.
you can get timed tickets in advance for the Uffizi and Academia ..the Bargello is generally not crowded,
Florence is a city where you can certainly have museum overload.. so allow time for wandering, shopping if you like, and leisurely eating
Jun 7th, 2014, 05:06 AM
#10
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On your Tuesday, group San Marco and the Accademia as they are very near each other. Go to the Accademia early and then to San Marco as the latter closes about 1:00. Eat lunch in the Piazza della Signoria and then visit the Uffizi. Be sure to get advance timed tickets to the Accademia and the Uffizi to minimize lines.
Your Monday looks quite busy. Prioritize so that you can fit in the most important sights. Hard to advise someone else but the Duomo and Santa Croce would be my first sights.
Your Monday looks quite busy. Prioritize so that you can fit in the most important sights. Hard to advise someone else but the Duomo and Santa Croce would be my first sights.
Jun 7th, 2014, 08:15 AM
#11
Monday you are dotting about a bit - santa Maria Novella will take you out of your way to Oltrarno, unless there is a handy bus, and you can do the ponte vecchio on the way back from the giardino Bardino; it'll probably be better then as the hoards of tourists who visit Florence in coaches may well have gone home. i'm sorry to say that I've never yet made it inside SMN - whenever I've tried, there has been a long queue. so that might interfere with your plans too; on a short trip, you don't want to be wasting time standing around in queues.
Jun 7th, 2014, 08:16 AM
#12
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Thank you both! I think the Boboli Gardens are closed on Monday as well (as you cannot seem to get tickets without buying them for the Pitti Palace). If I'm wrong, please advise! I would love to see them. In that case, we don't mind walking back from Piazzale Michaelangelo. We might skip a sit down lunch on both days if we need to maximize time.
If we are arriving at some place by the time it opens, would a reservation be necessary? I'd rather book one than risk it, but costs are also adding up. We tried looking for a 3 museum pass or something like that, but the only thing we keep coming across is a 72 Euro Firenze card, and since we are only going to have 2 days, one of which being a Monday, it doesn't seem to be worth it.
If we are arriving at some place by the time it opens, would a reservation be necessary? I'd rather book one than risk it, but costs are also adding up. We tried looking for a 3 museum pass or something like that, but the only thing we keep coming across is a 72 Euro Firenze card, and since we are only going to have 2 days, one of which being a Monday, it doesn't seem to be worth it.
Jun 7th, 2014, 12:37 PM
#14
the only "priority" that know about is prebooking the Uffizi and the Accademia galleries, or buying a "firenze card" which sells itself on being 72 hours, 72 museums and €72. It includes both the Uffizi and the Accademia so you wouldn't need to pre-book them and you could fit them into your schedule when it suited you:
http://www.firenzecard.it/index.php?lang=en
however although it does include transport, unless you are capably of seeing at least 6 places on each day, IMO it is very poor value, especially as you are only going to be there for 2 days anyway.
But it does include SMN, and has a very handy list of all the museums etc and their opening hours:
http://www.firenzecard.it/images/fir...ri_mensili.pdf
there are a few reviews on line if you are interested.
http://www.firenzecard.it/index.php?lang=en
however although it does include transport, unless you are capably of seeing at least 6 places on each day, IMO it is very poor value, especially as you are only going to be there for 2 days anyway.
But it does include SMN, and has a very handy list of all the museums etc and their opening hours:
http://www.firenzecard.it/images/fir...ri_mensili.pdf
there are a few reviews on line if you are interested.
Jun 8th, 2014, 10:23 AM
#15
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Thank you! But I don't think we would get the Firenze card, just because we are only there for 2 days and 1 is a Monday.
I think we would have to remove SMN entirely, but I was wondering if it would be reasonable to substitute it with Santa Maria della Carmine.
(08) - Monday
Florence
- Duomo
- Basilica di Santa Croce (6 Euros)
- Last Supper & Tree of Life
- San Ambroglio - lunch
- Santa Maria della Carmine
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Boboli Gardens (outside of Palazzo Pitti...)
- Moba Villa Bardini - aperitivo
- Ponte Vecchio
Would we be able to see Boboli Gardens on Monday? If not, we will just go to Bardini.
I think we would have to remove SMN entirely, but I was wondering if it would be reasonable to substitute it with Santa Maria della Carmine.
(08) - Monday
Florence
- Duomo
- Basilica di Santa Croce (6 Euros)
- Last Supper & Tree of Life
- San Ambroglio - lunch
- Santa Maria della Carmine
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Boboli Gardens (outside of Palazzo Pitti...)
- Moba Villa Bardini - aperitivo
- Ponte Vecchio
Would we be able to see Boboli Gardens on Monday? If not, we will just go to Bardini.
Jun 8th, 2014, 12:43 PM
#17
>>>i'm sorry to say that I've never yet made it inside SMN - whenever I've tried, there has been a long queue<<<
I've cut through that piazza quite often coming from the train station and never seen lines there. I wonder if something special was going on when you saw the lines. SMN is just across the river from Santa Maria del Carmine really. Just cross the Ponte Carraia. Besides the buses to Piazzale Michelangelo, there are the little buses that run around the historic center you can hop when needed. They might come in handy on a tight schedule. Maybe buy some tickets to have on hand.
http://www.ataf.net/System/files/map...%208.04.13.jpg
I've cut through that piazza quite often coming from the train station and never seen lines there. I wonder if something special was going on when you saw the lines. SMN is just across the river from Santa Maria del Carmine really. Just cross the Ponte Carraia. Besides the buses to Piazzale Michelangelo, there are the little buses that run around the historic center you can hop when needed. They might come in handy on a tight schedule. Maybe buy some tickets to have on hand.
http://www.ataf.net/System/files/map...%208.04.13.jpg
Jun 8th, 2014, 01:40 PM
#18
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Since you are both interested in architecture, be sure to visit the Pazzi Chapel in Santa Croce - Brunelleschi's design. And, I second the Bargello for the great sculptures as well as the fantastic Della Robbia's .
Jun 8th, 2014, 06:38 PM
#20
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Thank you all for the help! I think what we're going to do is reserve Santa Croce for later in the day and go to the Duomo first, then walk to SMN to see what the lines are like and if we find we won't get in then walk to Santa Maria Della Carmine or if we do get in, skip Santa Maria Della Carmine and then go to Santa Croce.
