Florence Travel Guide

• Florence at a glance

When you are in the city of Florence as a traveller, you know that you need enough time to explore the cultural, artistic and architectural beauty and depthness that reside in every nook and corner of the city. And to spend these days in comfort, Florence has enough hotels that cater to your needs in terms of budget, luxury and service. Right from the plush hotels that offer accommodation in upscale rooms with services that match global standards to the ones that are a gem for those backpackers and those travelling in a budget, the city of Florence is home to all kinds of hotels. Some of the best hotels in the city include Hotel Loggia Fiorentina, Hotel Santa Croce, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, and The St. Regis Florence among others.

• Revel in vintage decor and premium comfort in these luxury hotels in Florence

  Luxury hotels in the historic city of Florence don’t offer accommodation in hundreds and thousands of rooms, unlike other popular travel destinations around the world.

• Hotels in Florence that offer luxury at affordable prices

• Hotels in Florence that promise simplicity and comfort at a budget

To say the least, Florence is a gourmet paradise with its glamorous, edgy and bustling restaurants dotting its length and breadth. Throw in lots of ice-cream parlours, cafes and food joints, you have a perfect place to satiate the subtlest craving that may arise whilst you go shopping or sightseeing in the city. Take advantage of the wide range of dine-out choices available in Florence by taking the right cues from our food guide.

• Best cafes in Florence

• Best restaurants in Florence

City of the lily and the cradle of Renaissance, the places to visit in Florence will engulf travellers with mesmerizing experiences. Florence is home to some of the best museums in the world, containing some of the most famous masterpieces from Italy and across Europe. The Palazzo Pitti encloses as many as five museums; while the Uffizi Gallery houses the finest collection of Renaissance art in the world, among them paintings by Raphael, Giotto, Michelangelo and Botticelli. Housed in Florence's oldest building, the Bargello Museum also displays Italy's largest collection of Gothic and Renaissance sculptures. Walk across the medieval bridge of Ponte Vecchio for breathtaking views across the Arno River, or trek up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for panoramic vistas of the city.Soaked in art and history, the city of Florence will fill you up with interesting glimpses of the Italian culture.

• Top attractions in Florence

  The birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is like a living museum. At every step, you’ll discover historical sights and buildings with awe-inspiring art and architecture, but these are among the top attractions in the Italian city. The Duomo or the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the symbol of the city, and dates back to the 13th century. Nearby, the Medici chapels house Michelangelo’s artistic masterpieces, while the Palazzo Vecchio or city hall and the Piazza della Signoria were the centres of Florentine politics.

• Best museums and galleries in Florence

Your holiday in Florence is going to be far from average — and we have 21 amazing ways to prove it. We've collated a truly excellent list of things to keep you busy throughout your stay in Florence. From shopping in San Lorenzo Market to food fiestas and wine tasting, we guarantee you won't be bored for a second. (Oh, and there's also a mini-guide on cooking classes in Tuscan countryside thrown in). Click through to peek at all the events that made the cut. So, go ahead and virtually explore the possibilities of making your vacation a truly memorable one.

• 21 things to do in Florence

• Exploring the great outdoors in Florence

• Get entertained in Florence

When we’re on a holiday, to be fair, it takes a lot of time and energy to find something that'll be useful (and appeal to the beholder). And the fact that most of us travellers may be on a tight budget only makes it that much harder. Instead of scouring through all the streets and markets in a city like Florence, we've rounded up all the possible places you can visit for a good shopping experience. And just think, picks this good can save your time and you have enough hours at hand to party at those cool bars and clubs. No?

• Ponte Vecchio: a medieval bridge of shops

  Many centuries ago, bridges served many purposes. Aside from getting you over water, it was common for medieval bridges to have chapels and shops built over them, and many were fortified with towers and ramparts because bridges served important entry points to the cities. The Ponte Vecchio or the ‘Old Bridge’ over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, is a medieval stone bridge noted for still having shops built along it. The first bridge over Arno River was probably built by the Romans in stone and wood and is mentioned in a document that dates from 996. The bridge was swept away in a flood in 1117 and was rebuilt in stone only to be destroyed again by another flood in 1333, save for its two central piers. Consequently, the bridge was rebuilt again, twelve years later, designed by the Italian painter and architect Giotto’s most talented pupil Taddeo Gaddi, who was a painter and architect in his own right.

• Shopping in Florence for fashion lovers

• The complete guide to shopping in Florence

Florence has a number of lovely, win-win establishments where you can while away your night with super ease. And because these are the properties that boast of awesome fare, happy vibes, good company, fab music, as well as incredible food and drink, there really isn’t a reason not to go. To help you reach the right address, we’ve hand-picked the best of bars and clubs you need to visit while fun quotient is still alive. Ahead, find our guide on the cool, chic, sophisticated and sizzling bars too good to miss in Florence.

• Best bars in Florence

• Best nightclubs in Florence

• 36 hours in Florence

  Florence was thrust into the spotlight in February when its mayor, the dynamic 39-year-old Matteo Renzi, became Italy’s youngest prime minister. But the Tuscan capital he left behind appears to be flourishing. Once-neglected landmarks have been repurposed as contemporary cultural spaces.