What to do in Florence -
Top 12 Sights To See In A Day, Part 1

What to do in Florence when you're coming from a cruise port in Livorno and have very limited time? In this article I focus on the sights and attractions that let you experience the essence of the Renaissance capital!

Keep reading or go straight to...

• What to do in Florence in a day as a cruise guest?
• How can you see Florence in a day or a few hours?
• Admire Piazza Santa Crocce
• Walk along Arno river
• Cross the Ponte Vecchio Bridge
• Check out Piazza Pitti
• Visit Uffizzi Gallery
• Hang around Piazza della Signoria

What to do in Florence in day as a cruise guest?

One of the most common concerns of our cruise guests is What to do in Florence in a Day? Or, more precisely, a few couple of hours we have there.

They are aware that a certain time of the day will be lost on traveling to and from the port of Livorno, either :

• by train
• by bus
• or by one of the shore excursions.

If you still haven't decided on your means of getting from Livorno to Florence, please do that, as it is one of the most important factors of how much time in this wonderful city you actually get.

My suggestions on what to do in Florence are for cruisers who are…

• visiting Florence for the first time
• want to get a nice quick overview of the city
• don’t want to spend all day inside museums (we definitely don’t recommend spending the day inside the museums to the first time visitors, maybe just a quick skip the line tour).

How can you see Florence in a day or a few hours?

Can you, as a cruise guest really see and experience Florence in a couple of hours there? Yes, you can, and it is possible because of the following reasons:

• First of all, Florence is not as big and spread out as a city like Rome or Naples. On the contrary… it is relatively small, intimate, and easy to walk through as most of the historical center of Florence is a pedestrian area. Actually, this city is heaven for those who walk around with a cellphone glued to their face not paying attention to where they’re walking… no cars to hit you, maybe just an occasional cyclist.

• Second, just like Venice or Rome, Florence is a museum in the open too. There is so much beauty to enjoy while walking the streets and the piazzas. 

• Thirdly, Florence is a living city, too, not just a tourist oriented destination. You will see students rushing to classes on their bikes, street performers, sunny cafe patios full of people, street musicians, there are Chianti wines and olive oils to be tasted, shop windows packed with the latest fashion… take time and let all of your senses enjoy Florence - it will give you the rewarding feeling of having experienced the essence of this city. 

• Lastly, if you decide to take one of the professionally guided shore excursions from Livorno to Florence, having the knowledgeable local by your side will rise your experience to the next level.

So, let’s start with our suggestions on what to do in Florence in a day.

1) Admire Piazza Santa Crocce

Piazza Santa Croce or the Square of the Holy Cross is one of the main and biggest squares in Florence. It took its name from the historically important Basilica di Santa Croce or Santa Croce Church that dominates the square with its multi-coloured marble façade.

If you are arriving to Florence with one of the Florence shore excursions, this is where you will be dropped off by your tour guides (if on one of a “Florence On Your Own Tours” for example) and it is a great place to start your day.

This square is also where you will first be introduced to the world of 18kt gold that Florence is so famous for, even more famous Florentine leather as well as wine and delicatessen shops - there are many shops in the square and around it!

If you want to explore this square and its famous basilica part of your day in Florence, check the skip-the-line and guided tours I have hand-picked for you:

2) Walk along Arno river

Arno river is one of the symbols of Florence and an unavoidable image on almost all the postcards… with Ponte Vecchio bridge in the distance, of course.

Make sure you walk Arno river’s waterfront to admire the beautiful earthy and ochre facades along its banks.

Seeing this peaceful river, it is almost impossible to imagine the horrific floods it caused in Florence in 1966 when the embankments collapsed, lives were taken and literally millions of works of art and rare books were destroyed or seriously damaged.

3) Cross the Ponte Vechio bridge

Ponte Vecchio, or the Old Bridge of Florence, is a medieval bridge and one of the oldest ones of this type in Europe. It spans Arno at its narrowest point.

It makes a really picturesque sight when viewed from the banks of Arno river, that’s why we always like to stress to walk along the river and not just enter the bridge from the street that extends to it.

As the bridge has a row of houses on each one of its sides, when walking on it, it almost seems you’re just walking one of the more narrow streets of Florence.

Although once in the past full of butcher shops, it is now famous for its windows full of gold jewellery in all shapes and sizes.

Read more about this bridge in our article on Ponte Vecchio bridge and pick to take part in one of these tours/shore excursions that will surely take you over this bridge:

4) Check out Piazza Pitti

Piazza Pitti or the Pitti Square, just 3-4 minutes walk across the Ponte Vecchio bridge, was named after the rich 15th century family that first ordered the building of the palace that still stands at the top of the square - Palazzo Pitti.

In the 16th ct this palace was purchased by the Medici family, and today it houses 5 different museums/collections!

Behind the stern and rugged façade built out of massive blocks of stone is also one of the most charming spots in Florence, the famous Boboli gardens. 

This palace and the gardens are a great hideaway from the summer heat if you are visiting in July and August, so taking a quick skip-the line tour is not a bad idea:

5) Visit Uffizzi Gallery

This gallery is one of the oldest (since 1765!) and most famous museums of the Western World. The crown jewel of Italy’s museums.

The list of the artists whose work is displayed here sounds like a Who’s Who of Renaissance art.

Even if you are not a big art aficionado you would have heard of these guys: Michelangelo, Botticelli, Da Vinci, Raphael, Titian…

With 7,000 visitors a day (!) this place gets pretty crowded and you don’t want to spend half the day standing in line: that is why the only option to visit is to buy the tickets way ahead, online, and do a quick tour. I have done some research for the best options:

6) Hang around Piazza della Signoria

This piazza is easy to find, as it is right in front of the Uffizi Gallery!

Piazza della Signoria is a monument to the political power of Florence, the very centre of its civic life. Take time to admire the Palazzo Vecchio and the display of statues in front of it.

Here’s a little secret… there is Michelangelo’s David standing right there, in the open, for you to take a picture with it! Of course, it is a copy but an identical copy, and no one back home will know the difference! ;)

Piazza della Signoria is also a great place to do the touristy stuff… watch the entertainers, listen to the buskers, see the artists painting, or chill in one of its elegant cafes! Tip: keep an eye on your belongings when surrounded by crowds here. Read more in our article on Piazza della Signoria.