Boat tours on a traditional barchetto
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.1 miles]
A ride down the river Arno in a traditional wooden boat or ‘barchetto’ is one of the more unusual ways to see the city.
Best for ages: 4+ | £45 | 1 hour
Best places to stay:
Set on the south bank of the Arno river, the Ferragamo-owned Lungarno is a central, stylish and luxurious place to be based for a stay in Florence. Just make sure you get a room with a river view.
Sleek blue and cream interiors give a vaguely nautical feel to the place, and the close-up river views from the club-like Picteau lounge bar, the intimate, Michelin-starred restaurant and many of the 65 bedrooms and suites play into that.
Service is top-notch as would be expected from the Ferragamo brand.
While many of the main sights lie just across the Ponte Vecchio, this location also offers easy access to the boho-chic delights of the Oltrarno neighbourhood.
Borgo San Jacopo is a narrow yet busy shopping street lined with up-market fashion stores and jewellers. This area was badly hit during bombing in World War II, so the surrounding buildings range from Medieval tower houses to banal 1950s apartment blocks. Steps away is pretty Piazza della Passera and its network of ancient surrounding lanes. A short walk away, just behind Piazza Santa Felicità, is Le Volpi e l’Uva, one of the city’s best wine bars.
There is some traffic on Borgo San Jacopo, but not enough to create too much noise.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.1 miles]
A ride down the river Arno in a traditional wooden boat or ‘barchetto’ is one of the more unusual ways to see the city.
Best for ages: 4+ | £45 | 1 hour
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.1 miles]
Florence’s oldest bridge spans the Arno at its narrowest point and was spared from bombing by the retreating Germans after World War II. Thronged with tourists, it is famous for its glittering gold shops which replaced the original foul-smelling butcher’s shops in the 1590s.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.2 miles]
Footwear fantasies in everything from cellophane to gold, by Florence’s legendary shoemaker to the stars.
Best for ages: 10+ | £6
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.3 miles]
The world’s largest and most important collection of Renaissance and Mannerist art, home to 5,400 works spans art history from ancient Greece through to 18th-century Venetian painting.
Best for ages: 18+ | £10
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.1 miles]
For centuries, the Oltrarno neighbourhood south of the river has been known for its artisan workshops; it still is today.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.4 miles]
This 16th-century palazzo is home to one of Italy’s most innovative public art galleries. Rotating exhibitions showcase artists as diverse as Jeff Koons, Ai Wei-Wei and Bill Viola and Bronzino, Donatello and Pontormo. The ‘Strozzino’ gallery in the basement focuses on contemporary art and peripheral cultural events.
Best for ages: 18+ | £13
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.4 miles]
This imposing palace on Piazza della Signoria has been at the centre of power in Florence since its construction in 1299 and still functions as the town hall. Now partly a museum, its sumptuously decorated rooms reveal magnificent frescoes, coffered ceilings and hidden chambers. Book skip-the-line tickets online here.
Best for ages: 18+ | £8
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.6 miles]
An ex-cinema houses the fabulous private model railway collection belonging to the late Marchese di San Giuliano. The centrepiece is a 280-square metre model, one of the largest in Europe; the landscaping (from mountains to seascapes) is exquisite.
Best for ages: 4+ | £12
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
Tuscany, Italy
A heady mix of incomparable Renaissance art, gorgeous palazzos, Tuscan cuisine and home-grown haute couture.
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.