4 Days in Florence: First-Timer Itinerary
Four days buys you a full extra afternoon in the Oltrarno that the 3-day version has to skip. Days one through three cover the Duomo complex, both galleries, Santa Croce and San Lorenzo at a comfortable pace; day four is a full Oltrarno day closing at Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset. Shorter trip? Drop to 3 days . More time? Move up to 5 or 6 days .
Book these before you go
- Duomo dome climb: reserve your timed slot at the official Duomo site
- Uffizi Gallery: browse slots on GetYourGuide , a month ahead in peak season
- Accademia Gallery (David): book through b-ticket.com , 3-8 weeks out
- Hotel: compare Oltrarno and Duomo-side options on Booking.com
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Duomo complex, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio |
| Day 2 | Uffizi, Santa Croce, Oltrarno evening |
| Day 3 | Accademia, San Lorenzo, Mercato Centrale |
| Day 4 | Full Oltrarno day, Piazzale Michelangelo sunset |
Day 1: The Duomo Complex And The Historic Core
- Booked Brunelleschi Pass slot up the dome first, 463 steps, then the Baptistery and Giotto’s Campanile with the same pass
- Piazza della Signoria and the free open-air statues around Palazzo Vecchio; the outdoor David is a 1910 replica, the original waits in the Accademia
- Cross Ponte Vecchio, jewelers and goldsmiths since 1593, for an Arno-side evening walk
Day 2: The Uffizi And Santa Croce
- Morning timed slot at the Uffizi (EUR 25), budget three hours for the Botticelli rooms and the full chronological circuit
- Afternoon at Santa Croce (EUR 9.50-10), tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli, plus the Pazzi Chapel if you have an extra 20 minutes
- Dinner in the Oltrarno, quieter and cheaper than anything on the Duomo side of the river
Day 3: The Accademia, San Lorenzo And Mercato Centrale
- Morning slot at the Accademia for Michelangelo’s David, book this one further ahead than the Uffizi, its capacity is smaller
- San Lorenzo street market for leather goods, then Mercato Centrale for lunch, ground floor until 14:00 Mon-Sat, the upstairs food hall until midnight daily
- A slower afternoon, Via Tornabuoni’s boutiques or a coffee break before the day’s ticketed sights catch up with you
What does a 4-day Florence trip cost in tickets alone? Figure roughly EUR 65-70 combined for the Duomo pass, Uffizi and Accademia, before a single museum add-on like Pitti Palace. Add EUR 150-220 a day for a mid-range trip and the ticket total stops being a surprise on day four.
Day 4: A Full Day In The Oltrarno
- Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens (EUR 22 combined same-day, EUR 25 booked ahead), a genuinely different pace from the Duomo-side crowds
- Santo Spirito piazza and the artisan workshops on the surrounding streets, leatherworkers, goldsmiths and bookbinders still working small storefronts
- A Chianina bistecca alla Fiorentina dinner if two of you can split an 800g-plus steak, priced by the kilo (EUR 45-70/kg mid-range, up to EUR 95/kg top-end), served rare by default
- Close at Piazzale Michelangelo, free, arrive 45 minutes before sunset; walk up from Ponte Vecchio in about 30 minutes or take bus 12 or 13
Save any Chianti or Val d’Orcia day trip for a longer stay built around a rental car, our Florence Italy guide covers that leg separately; these four days stay entirely inside the city and cover it properly.