One day in Florence: a mini tour full of wonders

Florence is one of Italy's favorite destinations for tourists worldwide, a place to enjoy artistic and cultural beauty, beautiful sights, exciting experiences and great food. 

The ideal way to visit this enchanting city would be to plan a vacation that lasts as long as necessary to explore all the museums, churches, historical points of interest, and natural areas, and that eventually makes possible to travel to neighboring locations, off the usual tourist trail, to experience the authentic Tuscany atmosphere. Keep in mind, for example, that only for the Uffizi Gallery you will need at least a half day, which is necessary to be inebriated by the splendor of all the works of art housed there!

Continuing to walk around the city, you will arrive at the banks of the Arno River and can cross it by walking along the legendary Ponte Vecchio, the Old Bridge.

A symbol of Florence, the bridge dates back to Roman times but took its present form only in the 14th century. At that time it was home to butchers' stores, but in order to bring it more aligned with the royalty of the Medici family, who used to walk across it, they were replaced by goldsmith workshops, which still make up most of the activities there.

It is covered on either side by the famous Vasari Corridor, designed precisely by Giorgio Vasari, a gallery overlooking the stores that allowed the Medici family to safely move from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti.

Ponte Vecchio is the perfect place to buy a precious gift, made by Florentine gold craftsmen, but also where to take fantastic selfies!

Another project commissioned by the Medici family is the fairy-tale Boboli Garden, a green space and a truly open-air museum just a short walk from the Pitti Palace.

An unmissable experience among the things to do in your one day trip from Florence is therefore a relaxing walk through the garden, admiring splendid sculptures, fountains, historic buildings and an endless variety of plants.

Indeed, here you can appreciate a rich botanical collection, several varieties of citrus trees, roses, orchids and palm trees of various sizes. In addition, in the spring months, the camellias garden, an area specially dedicated to these beautiful flowers, can also be visited - so we recommend choosing a visit between April and May. 

You can't plan a one day trip from Florence without including a lunch with the famous Florentine steak. This is a special tall and thick cut of veal, that is cooked on the grill. 

A typical dish of local cuisine, the steak was born in the Medici era as well, when it became a specialty linked to the feast of San Lorenzo, August 10, to the bonfires that were organized and on which the meat was cooked.

Today it can be enjoyed in every tavern and restaurant in the city exclusively rare, with vegetables on the side and with the accompaniment of a good glass of Chianti wine.

( Meanwhile, if you want to try cooking a Florentine steak at home here is the recipe. )

Let's leave the Renaissance for a few hours and jump forward to the present day. In the San Lorenzo neighborhood, you'll find the Selfie Museum, an interactive space where you can take fun and original photos and videos.

It is a more than 1,000 square meters area featured with colorful and distinctive settings created by contemporary artists from around the world, who were inspired by different artistic periods from all centuries.

This museum is an amazing experience for all ages, a funny idea among the things to do in a one day trip from Florence to look at art from a more engaging and more “practical” point of view.