Florence & Pisa 5-day Itinerary
Italy
Where to go and what to see in Florence to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Nicky Swallow.
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Overview >Bucket list experience:
Florence’s best food & drink
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Ribollita
Last updated: 19 November, 2022
The Florentines are quite traditional in what they eat and justly proud of their local cuisine which is hearty, rustic, and based on simple ingredients such as bread, pulses, meat and poultry, fresh veg and olive oil, all prepared with the minimum of fuss. Typical seasonal ingredients include artichokes and porcini mushrooms, wild boar, rabbit, pork, game and excellent beef.
Wash it down with one of the robust local red wines; Tuscany is Italy’s premier wine-growing region producing from Chianti Classico in the hills between Florence and Siena to the highly-rated (and highly-priced) Super Tuscans from the Bolgheri zone on the coast.
Meals are traditionally divided into antipasti (starters), primi (soup, pasta), secondi (meat, fish) and dolce (dessert).
What to try
Tuscan specialities include crostini (rustic liver paté on toast), bruschetta (toast laced with new-season’s olive oil), ribollita (vegetable, bean and bread soup), pappardelle con la lepre (pasta with hare sauce), arista (roast loin of pork) and the famous bistecca alla fiorentina (T-bone steak). Also see Nicky’s round-ups of traditional Italian foods you must try in Italy.
A local trattoria will usually offer a perfectly drinkable, cheap and cheerful house plonk (red is a better bet). More sophisticated regional wines include the famous Super-Tuscans, Brunello, Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile; ask the wine waiter for advice.
The Dining Scene
Florence’s eating and drinking scene is varied and lively taking in several white-cloth, Michelin-starred establishments serving gourmet food with all the bells and whistles, contemporary ‘osterie’ where young chefs riff on their Mum’s recipes and homely trattorias where they dish up textbook versions of Florentine classics.
For a quick bite, try one of the traditional tripperie (tripe stands) that are the Florentine equivalent of street food stalls; menus feature stewed or cold-dressed tripe and lampredotto (cow’s stomach), often eaten in a bun.
An enoteca (wine bar) is another good bet for a glass and a snack.
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Destination Guide >Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
Florence 3-day Itinerary
Italy
Where to go and what to see in Florence to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Nicky Swallow.
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Overview >Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -
Getting there & doing it
As a rule of thumb (although there are some notable exceptions), steer clear of the most touristy areas when you are searching for somewhere to eat in Florence. There are few good restaurants near the Duomo, for example, while neighbourhoods such as Santa Croce, the Sant’Ambrogio market area and San Niccolò are far more interesting gastronomically speaking, and this is where the Florentines go to eat.
The Oltrarno neighbourhood, south of the river, has a particularly buzzy and eclectic dining and drinking scene.
Experience
Florence Gelato Festival
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Gelato (ice cream) was invented in Florence in the 16th-century, where it first appeared during banquets at the Medici court. For five days in late May, this festival celebrates this fact with a festival dedicated to all things gelato (including frozen cocktails).
Best for ages: 8+ | Free | 5 days
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Experience
Florence’s Central Market
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
The first floor of Florence’s traditional produce market, Centrale Mercato, was transformed in 2014 into a dazzling food hall where producers offer everything from freshly-made mozzarella, truffle pasta, barbequed ribs, artisan bread and cheeses to hand-made chocolates. Pair a guided tour (to find ingredients) with a Tuscan cooking class after.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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Experience
Gelateria della Passera
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
This hole-in-the-wall ice cream shop (on pretty Piazza della Passera in the Oltrarno) dishes up some of the best gelato in the city centre, all made in small batches from fresh ingredients and without any kind of artificial flavourings. Think pistachio, pink grapefruit, zabaglione and coffee; flavours move with the seasons.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
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Experience
Le Volpi e l’Uva
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
This small wine bar specialises in wines from small, independent producers and always has something interesting on offer. Order one of the bubbling, melted cheese-topped crostini to soak it up; the one with truffle-infused sausage is particularly good.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
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Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Florence Food Tour: Home-Made Pasta, Truffle, Cantucci, Olive Oil, Gelato
Florence
Fun, informative and tasty 2.5 hour street food and sightseeing tour through the center of Florence led by a professional local guide. You w...
€35 | Rating 4.53 / 5 [58 ratings]
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Family-Friendly Cooking Class in Florence with Organic Ingredients
Florence
Learn how to cook your favorite Italian foods during this hands-on, 3 hours cooking class that's fun for the entire family. Under the guidan...
€56 | Rating 4.84 / 5 [26 ratings]
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Handmade Italian Pasta Cooking Course in Florence
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Follow ancient Italian traditions and learn the art of pasta making on this half day hands-on cooking workshop in Florence. After the hard w...
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Pastamania - Pasta making class
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Learn how to make homemade pasta easily and successfully. If you have flour and water you can make pasta and we will teach the secrets. We w...
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
AdAstra
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
An aristocratic mansion set in a magnificent private garden, AdAstra offers 16 beautiful rooms filled with antiques, up-cycled retro pieces and quirky design touches.
Official star rating:
Hotel Continentale Florence
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Cool, edgy Ferragamo-owned design hotel by the Ponte Vecchio in the heart of the city – the perfect base for sightseeing.
Official star rating:
Four Seasons Florence
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
A superb heritage hotel with impeccable facilities and services that occupies a frescoed Renaissance palazzo and former convent. Set in a majestic 11-acre park, 20 minutes from Florence’s historic centre.
Official star rating:
Grand Hotel Minerva
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
A centrally-located 4-star hotel with comfortable modern rooms, a rooftop pool, and rooftop bar which is an unbeatable spot for sunset cocktails.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Florence
Tuscany, Italy
A heady mix of incomparable Renaissance art, gorgeous palazzos, Tuscan cuisine and home-grown haute couture.
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Tuscany
Tuscany, Italy
The astonishingly beautiful region of Tuscany has it all: art cities and ancient hill towns, high mountains and long sandy beaches, alongside luxurious hotels and some of Italy’s best food and wine.
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