Florence-where to stay and advice on itinerary

Can’t you visit San Gimignano and Siena on another day so you have more time for Florence? You are crowding too many important sites into one dingle day.
Without knowing your itinerary for Italy it is hard to make suggestions but what you have shared is not the best.

I don't know your budget, but we stayed here and absolutely loved it: https://www.palazzoalfieri.it/en/index.php

(We stayed during low season, so we got a good price. Our room and bathroom were HUGE.)

If interested, we had a nice spacious Airbnb within 10 minutes walking from train station. Also walked one morning to Ufizzi gallery along the Arno River. Very nice fall day. Buy your timed ticket before you go to avoid lines. A hop on hop off bus tour is fun if you have time. Your plan for guided wine tour sounds great. Does Rick Steves’ book have recommendations?

Suki- Unfortunately no I don't have much extra time. Our itinerary is as follows.

May 18-Arrive in Rome at 12pm, explore on own and sleep in Rome
May 19- Colosseum tour, sleep in Rome
May 20-Vatican tour, sleep in Rome
May 21 -Train to Naples, then ferry to Capri, sleep in Capri
May 22- all day in Capri, sleep in Capri
May 23- Ferry To Sorrento, car picking us up for Pompeii tour then back to Sorrento hotel
May 24- Car tour of Amalfi Coast, sleep in Sorrento
May 25-26- Weekend with friends for daughters wedding, 2 more nights in Sorrento
May 27- travel by train from Naples to Florence; arrive at 2pm, explore on own or open to ideas sleep in Florence
May 28-29, Florence for 2 full days- still deciding on final itinerary, 2 nights in Florence
May 30 12pm train to Venice, sleep in Venice
May 31- all day to explore Venice, no tours booked...will probably just explore and enjoy the experience, sleep in Venice
June 1- Fly home from Venice

I'd love any suggestions...I know it is a tight itinerary, but this is my first time to Italy and I wanted to see a lot. I figure if I experience a little of everything, then on my next trip I will know what areas I like best and will most likely spend more time in one area on my next trip! Thanks everyone :)

With 2 1/3 days in Florence I wouldn’t recommend day trips. Visit Siena and San Gimignano on your next Italian trip. Some museums are open on Monday. The Duomo complex is open as well as the Bargello. On Monday you could climb the Duomo and do the Duomo Museum and the Baptistery. On Tuesday go to the Uffizi and Accademia and maybe the Bargello. On Wednesday go to Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella.

Thank you Marco! Good suggestions. I'm still a little torn on wanting to see some of the wineries but you are probably right about just staying in Florence

Hi, Niki,

Florence is magical. You could spend three nights or three years...you will fall in love. If the museums are closed on Monday, see the churches. Visit the Duomo, climb to the top of the dome for an amazing view of all Florence. 463 steps! Now you can have gelato! Visit the Baptistery and the beautiful mosaics inside. Look at the famous (reproduction) doors and make a note that you'll see the real thing at the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore. https://duomo.firenze.it/en The Duomo complex seems to be open on Mondays. Double check that! Just walk through Florence and get acclimated. Rick's walking tours are great. https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/florence-itinerary

The Bargello seems to be open on Monday! https://bargellomusei.it/en/museum/museo-nazionale-del-bargello/ It has the most important collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture in the world.

The Uffizi Gallery is always busy. https://www.uffizi.it/en/the-uffizi You can get a timed reservation to enter. https://www.uffizi.it/en/pages/how-to-book-tickets You also might consider an evening visit on Tuesday--they are open until 10:00 p.m. on Tuesdays. The Uffizi is enormous, and you could spend hours there.

If you are a Michelangelo fan, don't miss the Accademia Gallery. https://www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.it/en/ Also closed Monday.

My suggestion for all the museums is that it's worth going first thing in the morning or finding a timed-reservation entry. If you know you want to see the Uffizi, Pitti Palace, and the Boboli Gardens, there is a 5-consecutive day ticket called the "PassePartout 5 Days" that will save you a few euros.

While you are visiting the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens on the other side of the Arno, have dinner in Oltrarno. Be sure to go to Piazzale Michelangelo for the postcard-perfect view of Florence https://www.timeout.com/florence/things-to-do/florence-oltrarno-guide

The tombs and monuments in Santa Croce are another highlight of Florence. https://www.santacroceopera.it/en/

This is a useful site for the sights: https://www.visitflorence.com/

Your hotel is a 10-minute walk from the Duomo and a 13-minute walk from the Uffizi, which seems convenient to me (I don't know the hotel at all). It seems to have great reviews and responsive staff (TripAdvisor). If you wanted a bit closer, we loved B&B Soggiorno Battistero. https://fortehospitality.it/en/soggiorno-battistero-en/

Eat all the gelato! https://www.visitflorence.com/eating-and-drinking-in-florence/gelato-in-florence.html

Siena is lovely. We took a bus from Florence to Siena and spent two nights there. Hotel Alma Domus. Room #5 has a great view. https://hotelalmadomus.it/inglese/index.php You could easily day trip to San Gimignano from Siena if you were interested in another night elsewhere.

I clearly have opinions...hope some of them are useful to you! Have a wonderful time! (just saw your recent posted itinerary--you will DEFINITELY have a great time!)

One more thing--I saw you were interested in a Vatican tour while in Rome. We LOVED this one at night--it felt like we were there as VIPs. https://www.thevaticantickets.com/vatican-night-tours/