Florence
Brunelleschi's dome over a sea of red roofs, the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio on the Arno, villas in the hills on either bank, and a tram from the runway to the station.
- Arrival
- Florence Peretola · FLR
- To the city
- About 22 minutes to the centre by tram
- Private jets
- Peretola; Pisa or Bologna for larger jets
- Best time
- April to October
The city
The Renaissance, on foot.
Florence is a Renaissance city small enough to cross on foot: the cathedral under its dome, the Uffizi along the river, the Ponte Vecchio lined with goldsmiths, and across the Arno the Oltrarno, with its workshops and the Pitti Palace. Above the town, the hills of Fiesole and Bellosguardo hold villas and gardens.
April to October is the season, with days from 18 to 30 °C. July and August are the hottest, with afternoons best spent in the cool of a museum; May, June and September are the months for walking, and for dinner on a terrace above the river.
Arriving
A short runway close to town.
Florence has its own airport on the edge of the city, but it is small. One short runway decides which aircraft can use it, and larger jets go to Pisa or Bologna.
- Nice 45 min
- Geneva 1 h 00
- Riyadh 5 h 15
- Nairobi 7 h 35 long-range jet
- Los Angeles 13 h 10 long-range jet
When to go
April to October.
Florence sits in a basin among hills, hot in summer and cool in winter. From April to October the days run from 18 to 30 °C; November is the wettest month, with 114 mm of rain.
- 9° J 69
- 11° F 67
- 14° M 71
- 18° A 69
- 23° M 67
- 26° J 51
- 30° J 35
- 29° A 60
- 26° S 73
- 20° O 77
- 14° N 114
- 10° D 76
What to see and do
Days in and around Florence.
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Landmark
The Duomo
Brunelleschi's dome, climbed by a stair between its two shells for the view over the city.
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Landmark
The Uffizi
Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo in the gallery Vasari built for the Medici.
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Landmark
Piazzale Michelangelo
The terrace on the south bank where all of Florence lies below, finest in the last light.
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Culture
Galleria dell'Accademia
Michelangelo's David has stood in its skylit tribune here since 1873, flanked by his four unfinished Prisoners and a Medici collection of musical instruments.
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Culture
Museo Nazionale del Bargello
Built in 1255 for the city's magistrates, the palace became a sculpture museum in 1865 and holds both Davids by Donatello and Michelangelo's Bacchus.
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Nature
Boboli Gardens
Laid out by the Medici behind Palazzo Pitti, the garden climbs past Buontalenti's grotto, the Neptune fountain and an 18th century Rococo Kaffeehaus.
Official site -
Opera & music
Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Since 2014 this house on Piazza Vittorio Gui has staged the yearly opera and symphonic season and the Maggio festival, founded in 1933.
Official site -
Culture
Fiesole Archaeological Area and Museum
On the hill above Florence lie the excavated Roman theatre, baths and an Etruscan Roman temple, with Etruscan bronzes and Greek vases in the museum.
Official site -
Food & wine
Antinori nel Chianti Classico
Marco Casamonti's winery, opened in 2012 under a roof of vines, takes visitors on tours and tastings for a family making wine since 1385.
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Golf
Golf dell'Ugolino
Italy's oldest golf club moved to these Chianti hills in 1934, and Bernhard Langer won the Italian Open here in 1983.
Where to stay
Palazzi in town, villas on the hills.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Four Seasons Hotel Firenze A Renaissance palazzo with frescoed ceilings in the Gherardesca Garden, with an outdoor pool and the starred Il Palagio.
- Villa Cora Built by Baron Oppenheim for his bride in the nineteenth century, near the Boboli Gardens, with a heated pool open all year.
- Villa La Massa A Medici-era villa on the Arno in some twenty-two acres of park, open from late March to early November, with a shuttle to the Ponte Vecchio.
- Hotel Lungarno Run by the Ferragamo family on the south bank, with Picasso and Cocteau in the lounge and the Ponte Vecchio framed from its restaurant.
- Brunelleschi Hotel A private museum of the building's history, a top-floor view of the cathedral, and the two-star Santa Elisabetta inside.
- The St. Regis Florence A palazzo first planned by Brunelleschi, with some rooms looking onto the Arno.
- Collegio alla Querce A sixteenth-century farm that became a Catholic boarding school, now 83 rooms about fifteen minutes by car from the Duomo.
- Portrait Firenze Thirty-seven rooms and suites on the river beside the Ponte Vecchio, rated Five-Star by Forbes Travel Guide in 2026.
- Hotel Savoy Olga Polizzi did the interiors, and the trattoria downstairs, Irene, is named after Lady Forte.
- Hotel La Gemma Thirty-nine rooms near the Duomo, with Luca's, holder of a MICHELIN star, on the first floor and a Biologique Recherche spa.
- Sina Villa Medici, Autograph Collection An early nineteenth-century palazzo where the monastery of Sant'Anna once stood, its garden and pool shared with Harry's Bar The Garden.
- Il Salviatino A fifteenth-century villa of 39 rooms looking down on the city, with its spa in the old greenhouse and a shuttle into town.
- COMO Castello Del Nero A twelfth-century castle in the Chianti hills, with a COMO Shambhala spa.
- The Place Firenze Suites on the square in front of the basilica, with one MICHELIN Key and a bar and restaurant serving through the day.
- Hotel Bernini Palace While Florence was capital of Italy, deputies and senators met in its frescoed Sala Parlamento, now the breakfast room.
- Helvetia & Bristol Eleonora Duse stayed here on her visits to Florence, and its Winter Garden restaurant was a meeting place for writers.
- Villa La Vedetta A villa on the hill of Piazzale Michelangelo, with an outdoor pool and a restaurant of its own.
- Villa Le Maschere A villa resort in the Mugello hills whose wellness centre includes a Turkish bath.
- Grand Hotel Minerva Redesigned by Carlo Scarpa in the 1950s, with a rooftop pool open in the warm months.
Where to dine
Starred tables from Santa Croce to the Oltrarno.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- Enoteca Pinchiorri Three Michelin stars Italian Contemporary €€€€ Via Ghibellina
- Santa Elisabetta Two Michelin stars Creative €€€€ Brunelleschi Hotel
- Atto di Vito Mollica One Michelin star Italian Contemporary €€€€ Palazzo Portinari Salviati, Via del Corso
- Il Palagio One Michelin star Italian Contemporary €€€€ Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
- Borgo San Jacopo One Michelin star Modern €€€€ Hotel Lungarno, Oltrarno
- Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura One Michelin star Italian Contemporary €€€€ Piazza della Signoria
- Luca's by Paulo Airaudo One Michelin star Contemporary €€€€ Hotel La Gemma, Via dei Cavalieri
- Saporium Firenze One Michelin star Creative €€€€ Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini
Elsewhere in Italy
More reasons to come.
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Rome
The Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Vatican across the Tiber.
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Milan
The Last Supper, the roof of the Duomo, and the fashion weeks.
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Venice
Palazzi on the Grand Canal, and the islands of the lagoon.
- San Marino (Republic) A republic of its own on Mount Titano, some forty minutes by road from Rimini airport.
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Como
Villas and gardens along the lake, an hour north of Milan.
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Amalfi
Positano, Ravello and the coast road, with Capri offshore.
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Porto Cervo
Yachts, the Piazzetta, and the beaches of north-east Sardinia.
- Taormina A hill town over the Ionian Sea, facing Etna.
Flying to Florence?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.