How to Spend One Day in Florence, Italy 🇮🇹 Top Things to Do, See & Eat

How to Spend One Day in Florence, Italy 🇮🇹 Top Things to Do, See & Eat

good morning guys today we’re starting 
off at the Piazza della Repubblica which is right in the heart of Florence 
now this is a great place to start your adventures because a lot of the 
attractions are just walking distance from this square so Karolina are you ready to 
start exploring Florence yes but first coffee that’s happy now i’m so happy right now look 
at this little cup oh you can pay later okay all right look at this little cup just 
a short walk from Piazza dela Repubblica and you arrive at one of the most striking 
landmarks in all of Italy the Florence Duomo walking up to it you can’t help but stop and 
stare the green white and pink marble is so bold and the closer you get the more details 
you start to notice it’s absolutely massive we’re about to climb Jotto’s bell tower but 
before we go in a couple of tips first don’t bring a large backpack or rucksack you’ll see why 
when we head up shortly you’ll be asked to check it in at a luggage storage point nearby and when 
it’s hot and crowded this can be a bit of a pain make sure to book your tickets in advance as 
you can see by the long cues this is a very popular thing to do in Florence now we booked 
our tickets through KLOOK and with this ticket we also got entry into the cathedral the Opera 
Deluo Museum the Baptistry and we even got a digital audio guide for the cathedral itself so 
it really covers you for your whole visit you can scan the QR code on screen or just use the link 
in our description below and don’t forget to use our code JAYKAROLINAKLOOK for a little discount 
too when booking your activities now let’s head inside and start the climb 414 steps to the top 
no elevator let’s see if it’s worth it it’s night there’s people coming down the same way so it’s 
just one way up four levels to go yeah so we are a little bit out of shape because this is just the 
midpoint and we are out of breath already and it is even narrower as we head to the top but this is 
why they don’t allow rrook sacks or backpacks to the top of the tower still 150 step still 150 
steps 150 150 150 yeah i can see the top guys we’ve made it oh wow and this view is going to be 
incredible this was so worth it we were just there at the Piaza dela Republica the only thing that’s 
a little bit disappointing is that we’re in this cage right now so our view out to the city is a 
little bit obscured which I guess is there for people’s protection so we can’t really complain 
about that but some places we go to there’s more of a maybe like a glass window yeah but it’s less 
restricted but what I love is all of these orange rooftops like it looks so charming the whole city 
of Florence has these orangey red rooftops very Italian wow we came to the main part so we have 
a direct view of the Florence Cathedral Duomo and there’s also people on top there yeah they 
have even less space than us but they don’t have a restricted view since Giotto’s bell tower is 
connected to the Duomo this is the perfect time to take in the cathedral itself it doesn’t matter how 
many times I see the cathedral it still surprises me the scale the detail it always manages to 
look even more beautiful than I remember and what’s fascinating is that this stunning facade 
isn’t actually original for centuries the front of the cathedral was left unfinished just plain 
brick the decorative marble front we see today was only added in the 1800s and you’ll notice some 
parts are under renovation at the moment which is pretty common for historic sites like this but 
even with the scaffolding it’s still one of the most impressive buildings in Europe and if you 
want to save time and skip the massive cues here at the Duomo you can book the Florence Duomo 
tour with skip the line access through KLOOK all right we’ve just stepped inside the Florence 
Cathedral and straight away it feels totally different from the outside the facade is colorful 
and detailed but in here it’s open calm and much more basic that was intentional the designers 
wanted the architecture and the dome to speak for themselves without too much decoration right 
above the original entrance there’s a clock and it runs backwards and what’s super interesting 
is that it’s a 24-hour clock that follows old Italian time where the day ends at sunset and 
when you look up you will instantly spot the most stunning Brunelleschi’s dome because it’s massive 
it’s the largest brick dome ever you might not spot it at first but there’s over 700 figures 
in these dramatic scenes of heaven and hell all pulling your eyes towards the sky just outside the 
Duomo is the Baptistry one of the oldest buildings in Florence and right in front of it you’ll see 
the famous gates of paradise these are actually replicas but they’re incredibly detailed the 
originals were made by Lorenzo Ghiberti in the 1400s and took more than 20 years to complete 
each panel tells a biblical story from the Old Testament and the craftsmanship is insane even 
Michelangelo supposedly called them the gates of paradise the real ones are now kept inside 
the Opera Duomo Museum which is included with the clute ticket we mentioned earlier for Giotto’s 
bell tower so if you want to see the originals up close you can and it’s all a part of the same pass 
our next stop was the Galleria dell’Accademia home to one of the world’s most iconic sculptures 
Michelangelo’s David but outside total chaos there were so many different lines and it was 
just confusing luckily we had booked for KLOOK and followed the red line fast track priority and 
no waiting if you want to do the same we’ve left the link below and as always you can use our code 
JAYKAROLINAKLOOK for a little discount inside the Accademia Gallery it’s surprisingly calm but what 
shocked me was how fast it all happened you walk in and almost immediately as you turn left you’re 
in the passage the hall of the prisoners on both sides Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptures have 
body still trapped in marble it’s raw emotional like the stone is trying to breathe and then 
there he is David over 17 ft tall Michelangelo was only 26 when he carved it from a single block 
of marble it’s pure tension caught in the moment before the fight with Goliath every detail is 
alive the veins the stance the focus you don’t just admire it you feel it afterward we headed 
back towards the entrance and turned right into the musical instruments room totally underrated 
antique violins art keyboards and a piano built by the man who invented the piano itself Bartolomeo Cristofori and just when I thought I had seen everything there was STITCH a sculpture made 
of plaster right there in the museum a modern uninspected collab that I honestly loved you’d 
never guess looking on the outside of this church that this is one of the most important churches 
in Florence is called Basilica di San Lorenzo it was designed by Brunelleschi one of the fathers of 
Renaissance architecture but the interesting part is that the facade was actually never finished 
michelangelo himself even designed a front for the church but it was never built so today it 
still looks raw and bare but behind those walls are the tombs of the Medici Family Florence’s 
most powerful family during Renaissance Italy and guys we have made it to no other than the Central 
Market this is where the locals come to purchase their produce so we’ll get a little look into 
what the locals here in Florence are eating and just from a quick look inside of this market they 
are eating some really good quality fresh produce downstairs at the central market is where the 
magic really happens it’s where locals and tourists line up side by side to taste Florence 
and it doesn’t get more authentic than this one of the busiest spots is pasta fresca dal 1989 
where pasta is made fresh right in front of you we’re talking taglotelli tortillini noki then 
cooked to order with rich sauces and don’t worry the queue moves quickly and if you’re curious to 
try something truly local we came across a free tasting of Lampredotto Florence’s iconic slowcooked 
tripe dish and it was absolutely delicious upstairs you will find a buzzing food court and 
it is absolutely massive there are so many great options all dishing up some of Italy’s most iconic 
flavors you’ve got fresh truffle pasta creamy cheese wheel pasta made right inside a giant 
parmesano wheel wood-fired pizza straight from the oven and beautifully prepared auntie pasti it’s 
a paradise for food lovers but be warned it gets very busy at peak times it’s shoulder-to-shoulder 
with people trying to grab a table or queue up at the most popular stalls but honestly it’s busy 
for a reason just outside the central market you will stumble into Florence’s famous leather market 
rows and rows of stalls packed with jackets belts wallets and bags in every color you can imagine 
it’s busy a little chaotic but if you are willing to dig around there are some seriously beautiful 
finds especially if you’re after real Tuscan leather i actually picked up two of my dream bags 
here one smaller red one and a bigger black one and I’m completely obsessed i paid €60 for both 
but I definitely had to bargain for that price so keep that in mind if you are shopping here 
too tosskan letter is world famous for a reason and this market is a great place to grab something 
stylish authentic and genuinely special okay guys after seeing all of that food in Central Market 
we are extremely hungry and you might be wondering why we didn’t eat at the Central Market we would 
have loved to but we just didn’t have time today and that’s because we are going to be eating 
at a place called All’Antico which is a very famous Italian sandwich shop that actually started 
here in Florence which is also extremely popular so we’re hoping the queue it’s not as long as 
the ones we’ve been seeing just on this street over here what is this on our right hand side 
this is the Galleria dell’Accademia that’s our next stop and here we are guys the queue is not that 
long is this the end of the queue i think so perfect looking forward to it ciao one tart 
for one and one lassama you got the beautiful fresh bread that’s steaming away he’s slicing 
the meat over here and here are all of the ingredients they look so fresh tomatoes fresh 
cheeses beautiful oh this way this way for you okay ah this is for you summer yes look at 
this the size of my head that’s beautiful summer tufa and one chinato tartufa 
won last summer which one uh number one 23 hey man you have a meal there ah it’s 
s bummer it’s s bummer yeah you want to look this one nice watch right don’t chop his car don’t chop his car how much 
uh not Richard Mille Price no no no that’s it behind of you napkins and Okay beautiful 
thank you my friend thank you have a good day you too napkins over here okay guys it is getting 
extremely hot here in Florence it feels like 30° and I think it probably is this is my favorite 
drink here in Italy it’s called Chinotto cheers guys i love this one oh yeah super refreshing 
it’s looking got like a bittersweet taste it comes from some kind of specific orange tree 
now for the thing you’ve all been waiting for I went for tatufo one which is mortadella ham 
i think there’s some kind of like cheese like cream cheese inside of there and also of course 
truffles and also bracket and rola yeah rola and I went for la summer which is with paraham uh 
creamy mozzarella uh basil I think and some tomato tomatoes i don’t know where to start because 
this is so big but let’s give this one a go that crunch oh that bread is super 
crunchy this is so good like all of the flavors are coming in and I love that 
crunchy focaccia on top the creaminess of the cheese the freshness of tomatoes you got 
to get this sandwich when you’re in Florence refreshing beautiful now let’s try this tartupo m oh yeah i am a truffle lover m m next up on our day in Florence simply had 
to be the Uffizi Gallery one of the most iconic museums in the entire world and yes it 
gets busy especially during high season tickets can sell out for days so booking ahead is a must 
we used fasttrack entry to skip the line which saved us loads of time and as usual we booked 
for clock and if that helps you too we’ve left the link in our code jarina club down below for 
a little discount the building itself is shaped like a giant U which makes it surprisingly 
easy to navigate it was originally built as the offices of the Medici family so it wasn’t a 
museum at all back then but today it holds one of the most important collections of Renaissance 
art in the world at the heart of it all is Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus a painting you’ve 
probably seen in textbooks but in person it’s something else venus stands on a giant seashell 
just arriving at the shore surrounded by wind gods and soft flowing fabrics the colors the movement 
it almost doesn’t feel real right beside it is Primavera one of the most mysterious paintings 
in art history it’s packed with mythological figures in a lush springtime forest Cupid Mercury 
the 3 Graces and every detail is symbolic you could easily spend an hour just looking at 
that one painting once you spot a line make sure you stop by the Tribune too it’s a small 
octagonal room that once held the Medici Family most prized treasures the room itself feels like 
a work of art and we got so lucky we did catch a live restoration happening just in front of us 
you don’t often see that and it was amazing to watch a piece of history being brought back to 
life right in front of us even if you’re not an art expert the U ofi is an entire experience 
itself it’s not just a museum it’s like stepping into the creative soul of Florence right outside 
the Uffizi is Piazza della Signoria one of the most iconic squares in Florence it honestly feels 
like an open air museum everywhere you look there’s a statue a fountain a piece of history 
there’s even a replica of Michelangelo’s David standing where the original ones did right in 
front of Palazzo Vecchio the old town hall that still looks like a medieval fortress towering over 
the square you will also spot the fountain of Neptune celebrating Florence’s novel ambitions 
and under the lodia a whole lineup of powerful Renaissance sculptures mythological dramatic 
and full of movement but what really caught our eye this time was something unexpected a 
modern gold statue called Time Unfolding it shows a young girl holding a smartphone placed 
right in the middle of all that history it’s striking and kind of poetic a reminder that time 
doesn’t stop even in a place like this they say gelato was invented in Florence so we couldn’t 
live without trying some we found Perche No! a small family-run gelateria that’s been making all 
natural gelato since 1939 it’s a bit hidden but the flavors were incredible from classic favorites 
to some really unique ones we hadn’t seen before gelato you get a cone or a cup a 
scoozie the cone how many scoops which one uh €4 two so could I go for 
uh chocolate sorbet chocolate sorbet yes oh you caught us our ice creams are melting so 
we have to be very quick but I went for pistachio and hazelnut and I went for the unique lavender 
and chocolate m so good you can really taste the flavors in the pistachio and the hazelnut really 
strong flavors beautiful gelato and actually the name is called Perche No yes how do you translate 
that why not so why not having ice cream in Florence exactly why not cheers Carolina cheers 
guys oh so good a few moments later and just behind us guys is Ponte Vecchio Bridge which we’re 
going to be going on shortly but we had bit of a freshen up because it is incredibly hot here in 
Florence and so we’re getting a bit sweaty with our day’s activities and Karolina decided to go 
in all black as you do on the hottest day of the week it’s not that smart I know but I wanted 
to be looking nice for the evening but anyways we came here because this is the oldest bridge 
in Florence and it actually survived World War II which is just insane yeah it’s dating back to 
1300s and actually what’s interesting is that back then there was butcher selling meat and all of the 
scraps they were putting into this into the river yeah so it’s actually a little Imagine the smell 
from that yeah i don’t want to so we’re going to take a closer look because apparently now it’s not 
butchers but all like jewelry shops selling gold and we have made it to Ponte Vecchio Bridge guys as 
you can see on either side of this bridge there are many jewelers see all the gold i love it we’re 
not buying anything today are we Karolina i did buy my bag so it’s Make sure you don’t step onto 
the uh onto these pictures yeah so one little tip with them things if you step on them they will 
try and sell you the painting because you’ve stepped on it and so they’ll be like “You need to 
pay for the work.” And actually they’re I think they’re quite cheap um like reprints they’re not 
even painted they’re not original but the funny thing is is that we saw someone just step on it 
like intentionally and we thought “Oh here we go he’s going to try and make her pay for it.” And 
I think she probably was maybe one of the locals maybe knows that it’s a bit of a scam let’s 
say and um he just left her alone but uh as you can see this is the reality you can get some 
really beautiful shots so let me sneak in here not a bad view that we have here 
Karolina yeah I love Tuscany so I’ve spotted this one eyeing up some gold 
what are you doing over here Karolina it’s so pretty it is indeed so the funny thing is is that 
I spotted a couple looking at gold well the lady was she came over and then the man the husband 
grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away the same thing I’m going to do to you you got your 
handbags today right yes so Karolina purchased some leather leather handbags and I love it was it 
outside the central market yes yes so while I was having a little bit of a rest Karolina was going 
on a shopping spree how much do you pay for two of your leather bags two bags for €60 so this one 
is for 30 but I did actually negotiate the price quite a lot yeah and you told them that uh I have 
the Indian boyfriend he knows all of the tactics a lot of the uh the sellers are from South Asia from 
like India or Pakistan or Bangladesh so they know how to sell things we’re currently on the hunt 
for some wine windows you might be wondering what are wine windows well you’ll see these tiny small 
windows around Florence i think there’s over 150 of them that have been preserved and what you 
can do is you can actually get wine from these windows they serve you a nice glass of red wine 
um but the whole idea of it was that back in the 1700s there was times like the plague where they 
wanted to limit social contact a bit like recent times with co I can see people with a glass of 
red wine in hand i think I can see it it’s this one over here so we’re at a place called BABAE yeah 
and there is a wine window right here that’s so interesting there’s menu outside just right there 
the line up that’s the line oh it’s over there yeah okay sorry all right we didn’t even realize 
there was a uh a line we did the same thing now this is a first guys so that’s that menu 
you’re talking about ah hello how are you good okay so what would you like to go for Karolina 
i’m going to go for Rosso okay one no for me could I get the Orange wine yes you want to keep the 
crops or return them uh return them look this is so interesting so can we pay by our card yeah oh 
perfect so it’s digital as well not like in the 1700s €17 ah Grazie how many glasses of wine do 
you sell here per day do you think i don’t know between 30 per hour 30 per hour wow more depends 
on like if you see the line now it’s high season returns for sure wine for you i appreciate that 
thank you so much you’re welcome have a nice day cheers Karolina as you do you’re going to take 
a photo with the wine windows here in Florence all right all right yes done okay next person 
in the queue you can see it’s very long cube what the heck oh she’s reversing into there oh my 
god she’s having a garage here that’s a perfect car for this city that’s where the city is oh 
there’s a car inside and she’s parking next to it wow that is awesome she’s a pro wow what a 
driver so I went for orange wine i didn’t know such a wine existed i was thinking about 
going for the Aperol Spritz but seeing as it was a wine window of course I had to go for a 
wine yeah it’s quite the atmosphere here like everyone is just holding the glasses and drinking 
on the street but it’s so cool i would never believe that I would have kei from the like hole 
in the wall from a wine window cheers cheers guys oh that’s actually very nice so good for sunset we made our way up to Patzale 
Michelangelo one of the best sunset spots in Florence the walk uphill does take a bit of 
effort but trust us it’s absolutely worth it and we’ve made it to the top guys and it was only 
like 10 15 minutes it wasn’t that bad i must be out of fitness because I found it a little 
a little bit tiring i was a little bit sweaty at the top but as you can see everyone has got 
here early for the majestic views overlooking Florence yeah they’re all securing the spot and 
from the top you get these beautiful postcard perfect views of the entire city the duomo 
the river and all the bridges glowing in this golden light and we weren’t the only ones with 
this idea I’m afraid it gets seriously crowded here at sunset but there’s a reason for that the 
atmosphere is something special with that warm light over the rooftops the city feels like 
it’s glowing and while we were enjoying the view we stumbled on a classic scam you’ll see not 
just in Florence but across many European cities it’s the old bull under the cup trick and trust 
us it’s a setup it might look like a fun street game with people betting and winning cash but the 
truth is they’re all in on it the players cheering from the crowd most of them are working together 
to lure you in i played along for a quick second and they didn’t seem to mind probably thought I 
was just a curious tourist but the moment they realized we were filming they weren’t happy at 
all no photo okay all right and that tells you absolutely everything you need to know about 
this scam so just a heads up if you see this going on watch for entertainment but don’t fall 
for it you won’t win it’s designed so you lose and for dinner we came to one of the world’s 
best steak restaurants right here in Florence this place is serious about its meat as soon as 
you walk in you’re greeted by massive cuts of steak on display beautifully marbled dry-aged 
and ready to be grilled we came here for one thing the famous “Bistecca alla Fiorentina” it’s a thick 
cut t-bone steak that’s a Florentine tradition and we ordered the Scottona version known for its 
tenderness and rich flavor thanks to the quality of the beef and inside the restaurant there 
was a nice ambiencece quiet warm and inviting the decor was simple but elegant with wooden 
furniture white tablecloths and wine bottles lining the walls it felt classic without trying 
too hard the steak is sold by kilo and our rator recommended we go for 1.3 kilos which came to a 
grand total of €93 as soon as it hit the table you could tell this was something special it 
arrived sizzling hot cooked rare as it should be but just a touch of salt on top no sauces 
no gimmicks just pure beefy perfection the size of this thing is absolutely on the side we 
ordered grilled vegetables and fries simple but exactly what you want with a steak like this 
the meat was juicy smoky and incredibly tender every bite melted in your mouth and as 
you can probably guess we didn’t leave a single scrap behind and the total bill came 
to €121.60 around $131 it wasn’t cheap but it’s definitely one of those experiences you have 
to try at least once when you’re in Florence

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🎟️ Planning a trip to Florence? These are the top activities we recommend booking in advance – save using our discount code JAYKAROLINAKLOOK at checkout here https://bit.ly/3T20dUx
🔹 Florence Duomo Ticket – https://bit.ly/4kzPlt5
🔹 Giotto’s Bell Tower Ticket – https://bit.ly/4dYWDEk
🔹 Uffizi Gallery Ticket – https://bit.ly/3HK9Q7A
🔹 Galleria dell’Accademia Ticket – https://bit.ly/3FTizDU
🔹 Palazzo Pitti, Boboli and Bardini Gardens Ticket – https://bit.ly/3FTiWyi
🔹 Palazzo Vecchio Ticket – https://bit.ly/3FKUEXp

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Food Spots We Visited
📍 All’Antico Vinaio (Florentine Schiacciata) – https://maps.app.goo.gl/krNv2XLDHwsJh2UH8
📍 Perché no!… Gelateria – https://maps.app.goo.gl/6VAhzc52i3jx7pFF9
📍 BABAE (Wine Window) – https://maps.app.goo.gl/JoPBfUaDYBCqAzFo6
📍 Trattoria Dall’Oste (101 of World’s Best Steakhouse) – https://maps.app.goo.gl/WgKN7ow93AxsjtkD8 (NEED RESERVATION)

🇮🇹 More Italy Videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmkjxjKI72o0dqzXmYrabEGG5VygnTeJh

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CHAPTERS
0:00 Piazza della Repubblica
0:13 Espresso Bar
0:42 Giotto’s Bell Tower
3:31 Florence Duomo
5:17 Baptistry + Gates of Paradise
5:59 Galleria dell’Accademia
7:41 Basilica di San Lorenzo
8:17 Central Market & Food Court
9:54 Leather Market
10:39 All’Antico Vinaio (Famous Florentine Sandwich)
Medici Riccardi Palace
14:17 Uffizi Gallery
16:14 Piazza della Signoria
17:10 Perché no!… (Gelato Stop)
18:39 Ponte Vecchio
21:47 Santo Spirito (Wine Window)
25:17 Piazzale Michelangelo (Best Sunset Spot)
27:10 Florentine Steak

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