Birthday in Florence what to add with Accademia

You will get to see multiple other Davids if you go to the Bargello (my favorite museum in Florence)! Also, Piazzale Michelangelo is worth it for the views of Florence and, of course, another David.

Museo San Marco, the Dominican monastery with Fra Angelico’s frescoes in situ, is very close to the Accademia and is open Saturday mornings until 1pm or so. If you want to see it, it’s worth booking in advance so you are sure of getting in.

Also nearby is Piazza Santissima Annunziata, the only Renaissance square in Florence according to Rick’s Italy guidebook which has a nice description of what you’re seeing. And on the top floor of the Museum of the Innocents building is Caffè del Verone, a rooftop cafe with nice views (check opening times).

We grouped all of these sights with the Accademia and it a made a nice day.

Enjoy Firenze!

Another vote for the Bargello. Since it’s largely sculpture with be a good comparison.

Looking further into the dates/attractions/hours I will have to include both Uffizi and Accademia on my birthday as they are both closed on Monday and I want to avoid the free museum Sunday. I'll be departing Florence early on Tuesday to reach Naples.

I will now need to decide on how to book those timed tickets to avoid crowds. I have no clue, but think perhaps Uffizi at the 8:15am time slot and the Accademia at 5pm may work best, giving me almost 2 hours. This will be on a Saturday, so busier than during the week.

That is a lot of museums in three days. I don't do more than one museum a day when traveling. After spending three hours in a museum, I am museumed out.

Good plan, but you have a lot on your menu.

If you do Uffizi at 8:15am and Accademia at 5:00pm, maybe go up the Duomo in the early afternoon. This way your brain will get a museum break.
I couldn't do 3 museums in one day. If you can, then maybe add the Bargello, So Uffizi, Bargello, up the Duomo and Accademia.
In your must-see list, I would put Boboli Gardens, Medici Chapel, Palazzo Medici and Palazzo Vecchio (inside of it) at the bottom of the list in case you cannot see it all.
I would add the good amount of time to just walking around the city center, Museum of San Marco and the Brancacci Chapel to your list.

We went to see the Benozzi Gozzoli chapel on a free Sunday when there were huge long lines for the big attractions. It’s one of my favorite places in Florence.

Some people never get museumed out and I am one of them. But do prioritize just in case! I found the Boboli gardens boring (and I am a gardener).

I would hate to add anything to that, but perhaps instead of the Medici Chapel/Church of San Lorenzo (underwhelming without a guide), you could hike up to San Miniato to watch the sun set over Florence, then pop into the church to listen to evening vespers (Gregorian chant, 6pm when we were there last March) and tour the crypt. Afterwards, we walked back down to town (traffic is crazy if you try to do this by car) and went to dinner around 7:45. It was magical.

I really enjoyed the Bargello, too. I wound up taking a tour in French (all that was available), and I learned a lot.

Thank you for all of the replies, it is always appreciated.

"If you do Uffizi at 8:15am and Accademia at 5:00pm, maybe go up the Duomo in the early afternoon. This way your brain will get a museum break.
I couldn't do 3 museums in one day. If you can, then maybe add the Bargello, So Uffizi, Bargello, up the Duomo and Accademia. Some people never get museumed out and I am one of them. But do prioritize just in case! I found the Boboli gardens boring (and I am a gardener)."
I am a lover of museums, and if enjoyable and time allows, 3 in one day would be doable for me. The Airbnb I have booked is next to the Bargello and is only a 12 minute walk to the Accademia, 4 minutes to the Uffizi and 7 minutes to the Duomo. I will save the Duomo for another day during my visit. I have decided to leave off the Boboli Gardens, but definitely keeping Pitti Palace. The Medici Chapels are a must, but I can leave off the Church of San Lorenzo.

"I would add the good amount of time to just walking around the city center, Museum of San Marco and the Brancacci Chapel to your list."
I will look into these to see if they may be of interest.

"I would hate to add anything to that, but perhaps instead of the Medici Chapel/Church of San Lorenzo (underwhelming without a guide), you could hike up to San Miniato to watch the sun set over Florence, then pop into the church to listen to evening vespers (Gregorian chant, 6pm when we were there last March) and tour the crypt."
I would love to hike up to San Miniato and have now added Porte Sante Cemetery to my list (hoping to find the gates unlocked). I love funerary art and this cemetery looks wonderful. I have also thought about the vespers at San Miniato, if it fits into my itinerary that would be a unique experience.

You are my type of traveler! Florence can be exhausting with all there is to see, and you are smart to organize and prioritize as you are. The last thing you’ll want to do is wait in line. My mom and I are passionate art lovers who had a similar jam packed itinerary and survived. I have just a few notes.

Having the timed ticket for the Accademia and Uffizi are critical. This will be a long day but you have a nice block in the afternoon to catch your breath. Seeing the David takes both less and more time than you think, you will not be disappointed. The bigger challenge may be saving your legs on Friday.

Controversial statement: you do not need ti go inside the Duomo. There is a constant, crazily long line of tourists and tour groups waiting to get inside. But all the best art is on the outside of the cathedral, and in the Duomo Museum. See the museum and the baptistery, and pass on going inside (and definitely don’t climb the dome.) If you were ever going to kill your legs climbing anything in Florence it should be Palazzo Vecchio… so you can look at the Duomo!

An even better view is from San Miniato. Treat yourself to a taxi up one evening. The hike down is relatively easy, but you could also grab a cab from the lower viewpoint.

Santa Maria Novella is massively underrated in my opinion. Keep it on your high priority list.

Someone else mentioned the Brancacci chapel. It’s the only thing not on your list I would push for. It’s an early Renaissance masterpiece by Massacio, and a pleasant walk through Oltrano to get there.

Happy Birthday in advance!