Florence on a Shoestring Budget | Why Florence Should Never Be Missed

michelangelos david wide angle
michelangelos david wide angle

 

Florence is a city of Italian art, culture, and history, and there are plenty of things to do and see that won’t break the bank. In this Florence travel guide, I explore Florence on a shoestring budget and am sharing free things to do in Florence. 

In the past as an artist interested in Renaissance art history, Florence was my end all dream. I used to enjoy painting nudes and studying the human anatomy and Renaissance art is known for it. If you are shy about seeing nudity, then Florence may not be the place for you. But I guarantee, the art will inspire you.

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Watch my Florence Walking Tour for Beginners video

This Florence travel video shows my walking exploration of Florence, where I stayed and what I experienced. It will give you a bit more visual ideas than this guide post as I spent more time filming than I did photographing my trip.

24 Hours Florence Travel Guide for Beginners

1. Explore the San Lorenzo Market

The San Lorenzo Market is a bustling outdoor market that offers a wide variety of products, including leather goods, really stylish Florentine clothing, and souvenirs. Lots of tempting shopping down the street with great deals. Open 7am to 2pm Monday through Saturday.

2. Visit the Mercato Centrale

The Mercato Centrale is an age old market and bustling two-story indoor market that offers a variety of local food, produce and wine. Visitors can wander through the stalls, try different foods, and soak up the market’s vibrant atmosphere. It can get overwhelming, but you’ll find produce vendors that display their best crops that are indicative of Italian dinner tables. One of my favorite vendors is the fungi or mushroom vendor. You can actually smell the mushrooms from here.I never knew there were so many different types of mushrooms in Italy.

The market is open 7am to 2pm Monday through Saturday. The eateries upstairs are open from 10am to midnight.

florence centrale mercato fungi mushrooms
florence market fungi mushrooms

 3. Church of San Lorenzo

In the small square of San Lorenzo-  named after Lorenzo Medici, who was the man who discovered Michelangelo at the early age of 12 years old- sits the Church of San Lorenzo.  It’s an old, humble-looking church from the outside but beautiful inside. The Medicis commisssioned it and it was for the Medici family. It is connected to the Medici Palace. 

Piazza San Lorenzp
Piazza San Lorenzo

 

3. Medici Palace, the Chapel of the Magi

This spot I really enjoyed, likely because it wasn’t buzzing with crowds. Instead, I found charming and peaceful…

The Medici-Riccardi Palace is the Medici family home. The architecture of it became the template for Florentine architecture. It has a rustic and stately, but foreboding fortress feel.  In the Palace, check out the Chapel of the Magi. It was the exclusive chapel of the Medici family, the only “private chapel” allowed by the Pope and it has a series of well-known frescoes.  The garden and the courtyard are free.

The Medicis were a very affluent and powerful family that commissioned a majority of work during the Renaissance period. Commissioning artwork or images was powerful due to illiteracy and the fact that imagery could be enjoyed by all.

The symbol of the Medici family it was the orange or circles. You will find the circles in Medici-commissioned artwork.

Check out my post on how to book cheap flights
florence tips medici garden WS
florence tips medici garden WS
medici garden 2
medici garden
medici cloister-like garden in the Medici Palace
medici cloister-like garden in the Medici Palace- an Orange tree is in the middle, a symbol of the medici family
medici family symbol
Oranges are the medici family symbol in Medici Palace

4. Take a guided walking tour of Florence

If there’s any city that you should take a guided tour, it’s Florence.  Florence has an insane amount of history from art, architecture and patronage power!  There are free walking tours in Florence that are led by volunteers. The guide I got was an art history student so it was perfect! I love doing these every once in a while because they are guided and Florence is a city that is rich in history and art that you want to go beyond the surface.  Although these walking tours are free, technically, it is expected that you make a donation or tip your volunteer guide for their time and efforts. I usually tip around 20% the cost of a tour.The cost of a paid guided walking tour is much more.

Pro-Tip: I highly recommend hiring a local guide or booking a day tour with GetyourGuide or Viator. Having a knowledgeable local expert guiding you will make your understanding Rome historical attractions much more meaningful, interactive and efficient.

Read more tips on how to travel on a shoestring budget

5. Visit the Duomo

The Duomo, officially known as the Florence Cathedral or Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, was built in 1296 and is one of Florence’s most iconic landmarks. It is a masterpiece of stunning  Gothic architecture. Some travelers like to go inside the Duomo and if you have time, then definitely check it out. You can explore the cathedral for free, but there is a fee to climb to the top of the dome.

I didn’t go inside. I felt like the stunning architecture outside was enough for me because there are so many historical architecture all over Florence and I had to pick and choose my battles. I also did not want to wait in line.

Tip: The queues can get pretty long if you want to go inside. Book Skip the Line tickets!

duomo florence

6. Baptistery of St. John

Across the Duomo sits the underrated Baptistery of St John. It is an octogonal building that showcases three stunning bronze doors, depicting scenes from the life of St. John. One of the doors – the Door of Paradise– is designed Lorenzo Ghiberti; the originals are now in the Duomo Museum.

Inside the baptistery is a relic that is said to be the index finger of St.John. It costs 4 Euro to enter the baptistery but it is enough to see it from the outside.

7. Explore Piazza Della Signoria & Loggia Della Signoria

Republica Square or The Piazza Della Signoria is the political center of Florence and it is a MUST. It was my favorite spot. It’s a large wide open public square full of activity. You have a fountain of Neptune that will make your jaw drop. I loved this square and you can spend time appreciating the sculptures and fountain.

The Loggia Della Signoria is an open air museum that contributes to the energy of the piazza and you cannot miss it. Due to this being the political square, there’s a lot of show a brute force, power and violence. There’s a Perseus who’s just killed medusa, Hercules and scenes from Roman myth portraying force, strength and violence. Of course, the replicas of Michelangelo’s David and the Rape of the Sabine. These are not the real artwork. The real McCoy is in the Galleria dell’Accademia. These outdoor copies can withstand being outdoors, acid rain, pollution and vandalism.

medusa piazza sculpture

rape of the sabine square florence
rape of the sabine square florence

7. Galleria della’ Accademia

On my last day in Florence, there was one attraction I knew I’d drop money on was a trip to Galleria della Accademia. Even though I’ve been there… twice! It’s the home of Michelangelo’s David and I could not miss a second date with David. Although there are many famous sculptures here- my second favorite sculpture there is Rape of the Sabine–  I could not miss a second date with David.

Tip: The queues get pretty long, although when I arrived, they went pretty fast. Still, if you want risk it and want to skip the line, I’d book advance tickets.

Watch my Galleria della Accademia tour video
In this video of my Galleria della Accademia visit, I take you from the queue to an inside tour of what to experience in the Galleria della Accademia if you have little time.

Here’s a few photos to commemorate my Galleria della Accademia visit.

 

michelangelos david wide angle
michelangelos david wide angle
real rape of the sabine in galleria della accademia
real rape of the sabine in galleria della accademia
michelangelos david wide angle
michelangelos david makes me swoon

 

8. Explore the Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous art museums in the world and the third most popular in Italy. It has two floors containing 45 halls that are home to famous Renaissance masterpieces such as Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Caravaggio’s Bacchus, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Annunciation. Admission is free on the first Sunday of each month, but there is a fee on other days.  Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Florence, Italy. Price: €20 for adults.

9. Stroll Across the Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is one of Florence’s most famous bridges and is the only surviving bridge from Florence’s medieval era. But it’s super crowded.  Along the way you’ll find the a lot of gold shops. Apparently before there was a lot of fish dealers working here and the smell was very strong. They ended up converting this into shops selling gold. To produce the smell of gold. Today the bridge is lined with goldsmiths and jewelry shops and offers stunning views of the Arno River. 

Pro-Tip: Truth time– walking on the Ponte Vecchio bridge, there’s nothing beautiful about it. It just a bunch of shops and tourists crowds and I would not take a photo on the bridge. Instead, I walked away from the bridge,  down a street alongside the Arno River and took a photo of the bridge at a distance. It’s one of those landmarks that is more beautiful when seen from a distance than when you’re on it. 

florence tips ponte vecchio WS
florence tips ponte vecchio WS

10. The Best View of Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo is a square located on a hill that offers the best panoramic views of the city and is the perfect spot to watch the sunset or set up a picnic.  It’s one of my favorite spots, because it has an open air replica of Michelangelo’s David sculpture. I love the David sculpture! This is the second replica next to the one at Piazza Della Signoria and the real McCoy is housed at the Galleria della Accademia.

This square is located on a hillside overlooking the city and is accessible by foot or public transportation. Price: Free.

view of florence from 2 piazza michelangelo

piazza michelangelo florence best view

11. Stroll along the Arno River

The Arno River is a central part of Florence’s history and culture. Take a leisurely walk along the riverbank, admire the city’s stunning architecture, and soak up the city’s vibrant energy. 

12. Fun Souvenir Shopping at Pylones

Souvenir shopping? One of my favorite stores is actually a chain I’ve seen first in Barcelona, Pylones.  This store has a lot of cute and innovatively cute things. It’s the ultimate store for adults who just wanna have fun in their daily life . Watch my video for a taste of the cuteness!

souvenir shopping in florence
souvenir shopping at pylones florence

13. Explore the Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio was once a historic palace that’s converted into a museum. It’s located in the heart of Florence and offers stunning views of the city. Admission is €12 for adults and €2 for children, and the address is Piazza della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy.

14. Eataly

If you’re a connoisseur of Italian food and want to bring back precious eats from Italy, Eatly is an Italian gourmet food specialty shop chain in Italy. For those who want to have a good gastronomical experience, it’s a great spot to shop food souvenirs to bring back to your Italian food lover friends. While the items in this store are pricy, it is free to peruse. I enjoy walking through it to get an idea of Italian food sensibilities and what ingredients are important to Florentine cooking.

Watch my Florence Walking Tour for Beginners video

This Florence travel video shows my walking exploration of Florence, where I stayed and what I experienced. It will give you a bit more visual ideas than this guide post as I spent more time filming than I did photographing my trip.

Day Trips from Florence

Florence (aka Firenze on the train timetables) is a fabulous home base for a couple of great destinations for solo female travelers. I used Omio to book my train tickets so I didn’t need to worry about remembering to validate my train tickets as the online booking sends me a mobile reservation!

15. A Day Trip to Cinque Terre

I did not know how easy it would be to Cinque Terre as a solo female traveler but voila! A trip to Cinque Terre is absolutely doable and unforgettable. It does not cost a lot, except for a train ticket and day pass.

My Cinque Terre video shows you how I do it and read my Cinque Terre trip guide for more detailed information. However, if you want book a guided day trip to Cinque Terre, it would certainly enhance your appreciation of the cities.

Pro-Tip: Before booking your tour, inquire whether you will have guided support in the areas you want to learn about. Ask about transportation and how they treat you as a solo traveler if the tour is full.

16. A Wine Tasting Trip to Tuscany

This is not free nor is it necessarily cheap as for travelers it requires renting a car or booking a day tour. Nevertheless I wanted to list it. Unfortunately, you cannot get there by train and there is a bus into Tuscany but I’m not sure where it ends at or its timetable. 

Tuscany is a beautiful region that’s known for its picturesque countryside and charming towns, like San Gignano. There are many Tuscany day trips available from Florence. I took a tour with The Tour Guy and I loved the wine tasting and sampling experience at a local vineyard, but I wish the tour of San Gignano was locally-guided vs self-guided, because I wanted to walk away having known more about San Gignano. It was also a very full van and as a solo traveler I had to share a seat with the driver and guide, which I wasn’t fond of because it was uncomfortable. I realized that some operators feel that travelers would prefer the time to explore on their own but as i’m a solo traveler, if i’m on a tour, I take it specifically to be guided and gain a stronger understanding of a place. Each traveler has different needs. 

Pro-Tip: Before booking your tour, inquire whether you will have guided support in the areas you want to learn about. Ask about transportation and how they treat you as a solo traveler if the tour is full.

tuscany vineyard
tuscany vineyard
Watch my Tuscany wine tasting and San Gimignano tour with The Tour Guy

In this Tuscany travel video, I document my experience of taking a Tuscany wine tour and self-guided tour of San Gimignano. This video was done in collaboration with The Tour Guy.

Getting an Italy SIM card

Having a data plan while traveling Italy is helpful for hailing Uber and booking trains, transportation and activities at the last minute. Italian SIM cards are not always sold at the airports in Italy. When I arrived in Italy, I had to wait for operating hours to find a local telecomm shop in Ravenna that sold SIM cards. I brought my passport, waited in a queue with Italians needing help with their data plans and then, I was up and running in 10 minutes. It was a bit of hassle and I didn’t save that much at all. (See my Ravenna travel guide).

I recommend saving time and money by getting an Italy Prepaid SIM cards or eSim to save time hunting down local Sims and plans.  I prefer using Airalo E-Sim because I can activate it before or upon arrival at the airport.  They have a regional plan as well for country hopping travelers.

Using florence's metro
Using florence’s metro

Is Florence safe for solo travelers?

Firstly, one should always use travel street smarts. Crime happens everywhere. Secondly, always research common scams. Florence has its fair share of pickpockets and gypsies to beware of.

Read my essential guide on how to avoid Italy pickpockets
rome tips beware of pickpockets sign
rome tips beware of pickpockets sign

What did you think of this Florence trip guide? I know I missed so many things– what would you recommend as best things to do in Florence?

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