Florence itinerary check - May 1-3 including free Sunday!

Slash half of these planned destinations. You are WAY over-subscribed! Every place you mention will take much longer than you anticipate - particularly if you want to not just see, but SAVOR what you are seeing.

Example:

Uffizi (first thing, all morning)
Palazzo Vecchio
Santa Croce Basilica
Late afternoon Shopping

NO. How about this?

Uffizi (first thing, all morning)
Palazzo Vecchio
Late afternoon glass of wine somewhere (mom loves wine)

Another example:

Medici chapel (our apt is next door)
Bargello
Pitti Palace (walk over by Vasari Corridor if possible)
Boboli and Bardini gardens
San Miniato basilica

Ummmm... how about this?

Medici chapel (our apt is next door)
Pitti Palace (walk over by Vasari Corridor if possible)
Boboli and Bardini gardens

... and then you might have time to eat a thing! And have a coffee or a wine! And take a bathroom break!

Florence isn't large and things are pretty close together, but all of the locations you mention are soooooo rich with things to see and experience that I think you are going to really short change everything by rushing through so much.

As Rick himself often says, "assume you will be back."

Hope you have a lovely time!

Thx for your advice Volva. It does feel like I’m trying to fit in way too much, agreed on that. I’ll add that for us our ‘must sees’ are Accademia, Duomo and Uffizi (like everyone else in Florence). The other museums and basilicas were if time allows and my daughter and I might split up in the day too (e.g. she’s more interested in the Uffizi than Palazzo Vecchio so she might stay there longer than I would and I might go to the Palazzo alone, similarly for Santa Croce basilica she might go shopping instead). Any thoughts on the Vasari Corridor on the free Sunday? Worth it if we have to line up at Uffizi? Since we’ll be booking Uffizi for Saturday morning we don’t really need to return there other than the Vasari Corridor if it’s worth it. Also this itinerary doesn’t allow us see Michelangelo’s secret room in the Medici chapel (it will be closed on the free Sunday) - has anyone seen that and is it worth considering? Daughter says it’s not a top must see for her…but since we’re staying next door to it it’s not too difficult to move our visit to another day to allow for it either…

Yes I’m sure we’ll need a return visit to Florence no matter what… pretty much everywhere in the world really…thx for sharing your thoughts. Maria

mariart, I don't think Michelangelo's Secret Room is a possibility for you as the only day/time showing tickets still available on your dates is Monday May 4th at 18:00 PM, and there's only one ticket left. You also may not be back from your day trip by that time.

Aside from that - and being an art geek like you - I'd consider skipping the Boboli Gardens on May 3rd. They're VAST, and San Miniato is, IMHO, more important so I'd be sure to include that one. I wasn't personally a fan of the Medici Chapels - too over-the-top opulent for my tastes - or the Michelangelo sculptures in the New Sacristy but then, I think his depictions of the female form too often look oddly like body builders with pasted-on melons. HA! The Vasari Corridor is devoid of art, if that makes a difference whether to do it or not?

May 2nd looks fine.

May 1 will be a stretch depending on how much time you expect to spend at each. I''d think about skipping the dome climb; you'll get a nice view from San Miniato without puffing up 463 steps in an enclosed space! 🥵 I'm happy to see that you have San Marco on your list; we loved that one. Wish you had time for a quick look at Ghirlandaio's frescoes in Santa Trinita.

https://www.feelflorence.it/en/points-interest/chiesa-di-santa-trinita

I actually really like Medici Chapels and take most of my visitors there. I agree about paring it down though.

Thx for the information and good advice everyone. It’s admittedly hard to slow down with such amazing art here, but I’ve given the itinerary a rethink and made some changes.

First I’ve picked an earlier train from Naples so we now should arrive to Florence at 4pm on Thursday April 30. It’s not much more time and I’d never book anything or plan a big museum visit on a travel day, but it’s possible that we might be able to visit one place. Thanks Kate for your suggestion of Santa Trinita and I’m thinking we might be able to see this on the Thursday late afternoon as it appears to open until early evening (and it does look beautiful).

So some itinerary changes:

May 1:
Accademia (just booked for first thing morning)
San Marco
Duomo climb booked for late afternoon (not for the climb per se Kate but to try to see the cupola frescoes more up close)
Wine break

May 2:
Uffizi (just booked for first thing morning)
Palazzo Vecchio (me only while daughter shops)
Santa Croce late afternoon
Wine break

May 3 (free Sunday):
Medici chapel (first thing morning, we’re next door so we’ll see it but not the secret room this visit)
Bargello
Pitti palace late afternoon
gardens are ‘a maybe’ if time
San Miniato early evening (agreed that I don’t want to give this up)
Wine break

I know it’s still a lot but since we’re starting our days at 8am and many places are open until 7pm I think we can see and appreciate two or three ‘big’ places in a day comfortably and still find time to eat, drink and use a bathroom (we’ll make time for wine!). But we’ve now booked our ‘must sees’ and we’ll see how we’re doing each day after those (and the weather can alter how far we go especially in Oltrarno as I’m not inclined to linger in the gardens if it’s raining).

Just curious if there’s anything special happening for May 1st? I’ve read somewhere that there are some ‘flag throwing competitions’ in Florence on this day but no idea what that is about or if anyone has seen it to comment? It might be something to watch while sitting on a patio…

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Maria

Maria, your focus on art is why I've suggested Santa Trinita. The Florentine contemporaries pictured in Ghirlandaio's "Life of Francis" fresco cycle were painted from life, warts and all, right down to the style of their clothing per the era. Among those contemporaries in different scenes are Lorenzo (Medici) the Magnificent, 3 of his sons, the chapel's patron, Francesco Sassetti, and his family, and (allegedly) Ghirlandaio himself.
http://www.churchesofflorence.com/santatrinita.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassetti_Chapel

Lorenzo Monaco's "The Life of the Virgin" fresco cycle is interesting too. Anyway, lots to look at in this one, and I suggest some reading-up in advance!

Not that you don't already have too much on the list (HA!) very near San Marco is Piazza della Santissima Annunziata with the church of the same name and Brunelleschi-designed Spedale degli Innocenti with its famous della Robbia tondi on the facade. A look down the street from the piazza the provides an interesting view of Brunelleschi's crowning achievement: the dome of the cathedral.

https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-monuments/piazza-ss-annunziata.html

But back to the church.... It's another full of artistic treasures, and many Renaissance-era Florentine artists are buried in the crypt of the basilica's Cappella di San Luca: a funeral chapel designed created especially for members of the Academy of Design. Too many treasures to list but it's well worth reading up on and stopping by for a look-see!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santissima_Annunziata,_Florence
http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/Santissima-Annunziata.html

Via Cesare Battisti connects Piazza San Marco with Piazza della Santissima Annunziata.