We will be in Florence for almost 3 days and have planned itinerary as below. Would be great if you could suggest / let me know if need to make changes considering the crowds in July and heat.
7/27 - Reach Florence by 12.00 pm
2 - 5 Accademia
5 - 7 Pointe Veechio Bridge
7 - 9 Piazzale Michelangelo
7/28 -
9 - 12 Duomo
1.30 - 2.30 Train to Pisa
3 - 6 Pisa
7/29
Cinque Terre - Day Trip
What do you want to see and do in Florence? If Renaissance art (such as the sculptures in the Accedemia) interests you, then you should get tickets to the Uffizi as well.
I assume you're planning to get advance tickets to the Accademia. I don't think your visit there will take three hours.
I'm guessing the Ponte Vecchio will be very crowded between 5 pm and 7 pm. Maybe visit there first thing in the day, before you go to the Duomo. And it's a bridge, it shouldn't take you two hours to visit.
Piazzale Michelangelo offer a beautiful view of the city. How are you planning to get up there? We walked, but then, it was May May when we visited, and not too warm out.
You have three full days in Florence, and you're planning to visit elsewhere for 1 1/2 days of that time. I would suggest that you spend more time IN Florence, but that of course is a matter of personal preference on what you want to see in each location. From what I have heard, the Cinque Terre is VERY crowded that time of year.
I do like the way you haven't planned too much each day. That way, you'll have time to stop at a cafe for a cool drink, or sit on a bench in a small park or outside a beautiful church.
Enjoy!
Thanks @Lexma . Yes we will be getting the tickets ahead both for Duomo & Accademia.
Cinque Terre has been on our teenagers list so will be hard to take it off :)
Piazzale Michelangelo - Planning to take the bus up and if all up for it will walk back or may take the bus back.
You do not have a Florence itinerary. You are actually only spending one day in Florence, taking into account your intended visits to Pisa and Cinque Terre. I would scrap both because of logistics, walk around Florence, see your list of sights and pop up to Fiesole.
I think you've overstated the times needed on your first day. The Accademia will likely only take 2 hours, unless you're a devoted Renaissance art lover. ( But if you were, you would have scheduled the Uffizi). Make sure you buy your tickets in advance.
Two hours for a bridge? Same thing for the Piazzale Michelangelo. I love a view, too, but not for 2 hours (even counting the tram time to get there). When are you planning to have dinner? Maybe between the bridge and the Piazzale?
If you're taking all morning for the Duomo, I assume you're getting tickets for entry to everything : Baptistry, Church, Crypt, Museum, Dome climb and bell tower? Don't forget that timed reservations are required for the Dome clime.
Are you really sure you want to do CT as a day trip? 2 1/2 - 3 hours each way by train ( with a change of train each time). Having only the afternoon - the hottest and most crowded time of day. With several of the hiking trails closed to the public. With so much to see and do in Florence, and with so many other day trip choices near Florence ( if for some reason you don't want more time in the city), I'd recommend you leave CT for another trip.
You are only spending two half days in Florence. I would stay there the entire three days. Pisa and Cinque Terre can wait on another trip.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187895-Activities-Florence_Tuscany.html
It would be best to stay in Florence the full 3 days, in my opinion...we all have our own interests, but...
1. The heat: this will allow you to take a rest, mid-day, and refresh. You need to slow down in the summer for your sanity, IMO.
2. The crowds: ditto
3. IMO, you are leaving a premier location to travel to a questionable mid-level site and a touristy non-site.
--Florence is great for strolling throughout the town in addition to its wonderful museums and historical house(s). Wandering into squares and churches, people watching and window shopping (I'm not a shopper.) If your teenagers need to hike, perhaps the walk up to the Piazzale would interest them although it is not difficult. Florence is a great city to let teenagers wander around on their own, when convenient. Hold harmless: Florence is one of my favorite cities so I'm partial. I've only visited a couple of times, but for quite a few days each time, and I have never yet wanted to leave the city. And once was with 15 year old, who returned there on her first trip sans parent when she was 18. Please see Florence rather than running around being hot, tired and rushed.
Thank you all for your responses !! truly helps in planning better.
If you are looking for a great restaurant at a reasonable price with a great view, I highly recommend "The Golden View" in Florence. You will need reservations unless you arrive between 6:00 and 6:30. They also do lunch. The view is of the Ponte Veechio Bridge. They have a website to make reservations and you can see the prices there. I also think you should spend all your time in Florence.
In May I went to the San Marco monestary. It was a memorable visit. On the second floor are the monks' cells. In each cell is a fresco by Beato Angelico. I spent an hour just viewing the frescoes. There are two corridors with about 20 cells in each. The first floor has his painting on panels. The outside courtyard was serene. Memorable!
As most of the others have said, you don't have a Florence itinerary here. It's sort of sad of spend the equivalent of only one day out of your 2.5 there? While we enjoyed the CT, we also stayed for 3 nights. I wouldn't spend the time it takes on trains to day-trip there, and I especially wouldn't do it during the summer season.
Pisa, IMHO, is also not worth missing more of what's available in Florence unless you're interested in far more than just the tower....which will require advance reservations.
Piazzale Michelangelo: go up early enough to visit San Miniato al Monte: very old and lovely. Closes at 7:00 or 7:30 PM, I believe. There are also one or two places off the piazzale for a sit-down and a beverage.
Ponte Vecchio: as suggested, do it in the morning as it was too crowded in the afternoon and evenings. To be honest, we thought the best of the bridge was not ON the thing but the exterior as viewed from other points.
San Marco: highly recommend. The Bargello is a another very good museum, if not wanting to take on the mighty Uffizi, and you have Santa Croce (where Michelangelo and Galileo are buried) Loggia Dei Lanzi/Piazza della Signoria, Santa Maria Novella, Mercato Centrale ..... or just a few of these with lengthy gelato breaks in between. :O)
