Florence Help…..

Florence is so compact you can fit the Duomo Museum any day that works for you
I’ve not been since it was closed last time we were there but it’s the 1 priority I have for our Sept trip

Are you sure Baptistry is open?
Closed for renovations, haven’t seen any notice of when it will open

ETA
OH looks like it will be open yay!
https://duomo.firenze.it/it/scopri/battistero-di-san-giovanni

if you’re staying just 5 minutes from the dome, then the Duomo museum must be within 7 minutes, right? Which day works better for you, the 2nd or the 3rd? Looks like you’ll be slightly more in the neighborhood on the 2nd, unless you’d catch the Duomo museum on your way back to your place on the 3rd.

When are you getting back from Sienna on the 4th? Would there be time to fit the Duomo museum in, around your Sienna excursion?

Ok here is an updated itinerary since Accademia is only open Thursday to Sunday according to there website. What’s your thoughts? Thanks

Florence for 4 nights:
10/2-10/6

Oct. 2nd Saturday
Early Train from Venice to Florence arrive around 8:30-9am

Uffizi Gallery (8:15-6:50pm)
Galileo Science Museum (9:30-6pm)
Brancacci Chapel (10am-5pm)
Palazzo Vecchio (9-7pm)
Piazza della repubblica (La Strega Nocciola Gelato)

Oct 3rd
Bargello (8:45-1:30pm)
Accademia (9-6:45pm)
Florence Dome Museum (10-5pm)
Santa Croce Church (1-5:15pm)
Piazzale Michelangelo/ San Miniato
Ponte Vecchio

Oct 4th
Day Trip to Siena

Oct 5th
Florence Dome (8:15am-7:45pm)
Dome Cathedral (10:45-4:30pm)
Dome Baptistry (11:15-6:15pm)
Santa Maria Novella (10-5pm)
Medici Ricardi Palace (10:30-6:30pm)
Check out Piazza SS Annunziata
Basilica Santissima Annunziata

For your Day trip to Siena is that all you are wanting to see is the one town? I can recommend an all day bus tour that will take you to Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa with a lunch at a Winery included with Walk About Florence. It is a long day (12 hours) but you travel in an air conditioned bus and don't really need to worry about anything. It's a really great day trip and if your walking distance to the Duomo then your walking distance to the train/bus station where they depart.

I haven’t thought of doing a tour like you suggest. Did you feel on that tour that you had enough time to see what you wanted to see and didn’t feel rushed. I know it’s more of the highlights and more time in each place is better. Are you talking about the Best of Tuscany tour from walkabout Florence? And did you upgrade for the lunch and skip the line Pisa ticket?

Yes it was the Best of Tuscany in One day. Your correct in saying it is just a taste of each city but part of the stop in Siena included a walking tour of the city to the cathedral then we had time to wonder and shop, I thought it was just enough time in each place. In San Gimignano we had enough time to shop, grab an ice cream and sit in the main piazza and enjoy our ice cream and people watch a bit. When we went the lunch was part of it with no option to skip and we really enjoyed it, we also got a tour of the winery and have some beautiful photos of the vineyards. The Vineyard we went to was organic (not sure if it is the same one you will go to) and since I can only drink organic red wine it was really great. We did not choose the option to climb to the top of the Pisa Tower but the tour did include this really hilarious tram tour through the city, it was kinda rinky dink but we thought it was funny.

I also did the Best of Tuscany day tour. It is a very long day, but as was said the vineyard lunch is really nice, and having it all planned out was a good way break up the trip. A few other things we enjoyed was a tour called "nude and food" not sure what company it was but it was great to skip the line at the Accademia and then take a nice tour around the market, a few restaurants and tasting rooms. We also participated in a cooking experience at a cooking school instead of buying dinner. In the end, comparable in price, but nice was to spend an evening.

I would do the Bargello on the same day as the Uffizi. The two are very close to each other, and you could see the Galileo Museum on the same day as the Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce, et al.

I have been to Florence one time - in 2014. The crowds in the Uffizi were overwhelming at that time. In comparison, the Bargello was practically deserted - more beautiful art than people.

Thanks Prophet,
The Bargello is open later to on that Saturday till 7pm. So would you recommend going to the Uffizi first, than Bargello, and finish it off at the Chapel? Or start at the chapel and work our way back? This is an arrival day for us. But my plan is to take an early train from Venice to Florence and hopefully arrive by 9am

Jill- That is exactly why I booked the Best of Tuscany. One day of our 21 day trip where I did not need to figure out trains/busses, pre -book anything, try to catch the next bus for the next city and figure out where the bus stand is etc. It was nice to just pay one price, meet at the bus in the morning and then sit back and let someone else take care of everything else! I would suggest grabbing coffee and a pastry or some breakfast to eat on the bus because the first stop is like 2 hours away and if I recall you have to check in by 7:30.

So would you recommend going to the Uffizi first, then Bargello, and finish it off at the Chapel? Or start at the chapel and work our way back?

The Uffizi, Bargello, and Palazzo Vecchio are in close proximity to each other. As I recall, the Galileo Museum is on the other side of the river.

We didn't see the Brancacci Chapel - we saw the Medici Chapel instead. Back in 2014, the Firenze Card gave you "skip the line" access to the Uffizi with no reservation required. We showed up at the Uffizi on our arrival day in Florence. The "skip the line" line was so overwhelming that we just walked over to the Bargello and had an outstanding museum almost to ourselves.

Galileo is on same side of river, just behind Uffizi