Florence

Urban Riverfront

Population: 361k

Best Season to Visit:

Best Off-Peak Month to Visit: August (locals flee the heat; many restaurants clo

Famous For: Uffizi Gallery, Duomo and Brunelleschi's dome, Ponte Vecchio, Renaissance art and architecture, Accademia Gallery (Michelangelo's David), Leather goods, Tuscan wine, Arno riverfront walks

Train Access: Yes (Trenitalia regional and intercity rail)

Bus Access: Yes (ATAF (Azienda Trasporti Area Fiorentina) - local bus network)

Florence and Siena both sit in Tuscany's rolling hills, both claim Renaissance glory, yet Florence is the one that actually shaped Western art. Walk the Arno's north bank and you'll understand why: the Uffizi Gallery holds works that rewrote what painting could do, the Duomo's dome still dominates the skyline with an engineering audacity that feels almost arrogant, and the Ponte Vecchio—despite the crowds—remains a working goldsmith's bridge, not a museum piece. The city's real texture emerges away from the tourist spine. Wander into the Oltrarno district across the river and you'll find artisans still working leather in family shops on Via dei Serragli, the Boboli Gardens offering genuine solitude if you arrive before 9 a.m., and neighborhood trattoorie where locals actually eat. The Accademia Museum houses Michelangelo's David, but the sculpture's power hits differently when you're standing in front of it rather than seeing it in a guidebook. Florence demands walking—the centro storico is compact enough to cross on foot in 30 minutes, but dense enough that you'll discover a new palazzo or hidden courtyard every time you turn a corner.

VRBO Vacation Rentals
Learn More

With over 2 million bookable vacation rentals, Vrbo connects homeowners with families and vacationers looking for something more than a hotel for their trip. The Vrbo community offers families an array of rental property types such as condos, cabins, lake rentals, beach houses, and more. Discover properties in destinations that everyone dreams of visiting.

VRBO Vacation Rentals

Planning Your Trip to Florence

Weather: Florence experiences a humid subtropical climate with hot, dry summers (often exceeding 30°C/86°F) and cool, wet winters with occasional frost. Spring and fall offer the most pleasant conditions for exploring the city.

Festivals: Calcio Storico (May–June), Festa di San Giovanni (June 24), Pitti Immagine (January and June), Florence Marathon (November)

Best Things for Kids to Do: The Boboli Gardens offer 45 acres of lawns, fountains, and grottos where children can run without the suffocation of museum crowds; the Pitti Palace's costume museum (Museo della Moda e del Costume) fascinates kids more than traditional art galleries. Piazzale Michelangelo, a 15-minute walk uphill from the centro, rewards the climb with a panoramic view that makes the city feel comprehensible rather than overwhelming. The Museo Stibbert houses an eccentric private collection of armor and weapons that appeals to children in ways Renaissance paintings don't. Kayaking or paddleboarding on the Arno through the Cascine Park (via operators like Florence Kayak) gives kids a different angle on the city.

Hidden Gem: The Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine in the Oltrarno holds the Brancacci Chapel, where Masaccio's frescoes—painted when he was barely 20—demonstrate a command of perspective and human anatomy that wouldn't be matched for decades. Most visitors skip it for the Uffizi, which means you'll often have the chapel nearly to yourself, standing in front of paintings that literally changed how artists saw the world.

Accessibility: The centro storico's medieval street plan means cobblestones and narrow passages that challenge wheelchair users; the Uffizi and Accademia have elevators and accessible routes, though advance notice helps. The Duomo's interior is accessible, but climbing the dome is not. Public transit (ATAF buses) accommodates wheelchairs, and the train station has accessible facilities. The Ponte Vecchio and many bridges over the Arno lack ramps.

For the Runner: The Cascine Park offers a flat 3-kilometer loop along the Arno's western edge, popular with morning runners and less crowded than the centro. The Lungarno (the embankment running both sides of the Arno) provides a scenic 5-kilometer route from Piazzale Michelangelo westward, though it's narrow and shared with pedestrians. The Boboli Gardens' internal paths work for trail running, though entry fees apply.

Restaurants in Florence

Florence's dining landscape spans from Michelin-starred establishments to family-run trattorias serving Tuscan staples like bistecca alla fiorentina and ribollita. The city's restaurant density is exceptionally high, with options concentrated in the centro storico and expanding into neighborhoods like Santo Spirito and San Frediano. Reservation difficulty varies sharply by season, with summer requiring advance booking at most establishments above casual level.

Where to Stay

Florence's accommodation runs the full spectrum, from family-run pensioni in the Oltrarno charging €60–90 per night to five-star palazzos on the Arno asking €400 and up. The centro storico commands premium prices; neighborhoods like Santo Spirito and San Frediano offer better value without sacrificing walkability. Budget travelers cluster around the train station area, though that zone feels less authentically Florentine.

Best Hotels: Continentale sits directly on the Arno with rooftop views of the Ponte Vecchio and Duomo—the kind of location that justifies the €300+ nightly rate, a

Dog-Friendly Hotels: Continentale welcomes dogs with a dedicated pet amenity package and allows them on the rooftop terrace overlooking the Arno. Hotel Pendini permits dogs in standard rooms and provides water bowls and treats at check-in.

Florence

Planning Your Trip to Florence

Restaurants in Florence

Where to Stay

Recommended Reading