Florence is my favorite city in Italy. Its Duomo is a must-see and probably still on Tauck's itinerary. The Uffizi should not be missed and adjacent to the museum is a beautiful piazza with many outdoor cafes...a wonderful place to sit and people watch.
Which Tuscany tour are you doing? By the date it looks like Tuscany & Cinque Terre.
First I would make a list of what you will see with Tauck, then, since there are so many things to see and do in Florence, Google "top 10 things to see" and decide what else you want to see.
Go to the Official "Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore" website https://duomo.firenze.it/en/discover/opera-duomo-museum and get a combo ticket to visit the Santa Maria del Fiore attractions- the Reparata, Duomo Dome (Brunelleschi's dome), Duomo Museum, Baptistry, and Giotto's bell tower. In the process you can select a head-of-the-line entry time to climb the dome. The tickets are good for one visit to each, but good for 48 hours. Entry to the Duomo itself is free since it is an active church and it looks like Tauck may take you to the Duomo Museum, but none of the other attractions. If you want to see the others, do not wait until you get there to get tickets- it is best to get tickets for everything now!!!!
And, if you want a change you can hire a driver to take you to Pisa for a tour of the Piazza dei Miracoli museums, duomo, baptistry, and leaning tower. Again, if you want to do that buy tickets now!
It took some research and planning, but we did all of that, plus took a Segway tour, during Classic Italy. Oh, and read the book "Brunelleschi's Dome" by Ross King.
Piazzale Michelangelo is the best place to see the sunset in Florence. It is across the Arno from Florence proper and high on a hill that provides spectacular overviews of this beautiful city.
Take time to find some of the smaller museums - we thoroughly enjoyed the Museo Galileo https://www.museogalileo.it/it/ and the Musei del Bargello http://www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it/ We visited the day our Classic Italy tour was scheduled to visit the Uffizi - I had been there before and my husband was not a fan of paintings, but finds sculpture and inventions and armor more to his liking.
Indulge in some gelato at a walk-up window or shop with a long counter - just make sure to look for the less vibrant colors, gelato should be natural, not full of food coloring to attract the tourists. If you need recommendations ask a local - the people of Florence are very proud of their city and eager to share with you.
We had amazing meals in Florence - one very special night for our anniversary we dined at Il Barretto The meal and the wine are still something we talk about 5 years later. We got a great lunch and a bottle of wine in the piazza just outside the Bargello - a sidewalk cafe where we could take a load off our tired feet and people watch. Be warned that if you order Bistecca somewhere it is huge - plan on sharing. Above all else ENJOY!
I know Forumers love bucket lists & must-sees, but do take a little time to just wander, take photos and enjoy the street life. The famous (and world's oldest) Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy is worth a visit for the gorgeous building alone.
A couple of tips: Like many places in Italy, there is a food gap between 2PM and 7PM. Many places will close during these hours. The advantage of staying in Florence is that you have the ability to enjoy the city and many of the sites before the day tours arrive and after the day tours have left. The large cruise shift bus in from the coast and that usually takes 60 to 90 minutes usually hitting the city around 9 or 10. The key is to hit the big three sites (Uffizi Gallery, Duomo and Academia(David)) as soon as they open or later in the day after 3. Take advantage of the many sites are open until 7PM. Please be aware that not all sites are open everyday nor at the same time each day. For example the Duomo is open on Tuesdays but the Duomo Museum is not. For the big three you need to book tickets in advance and show up during your reserved entry time otherwise you will be in a long line for tickets. You can buy tickets online directly from the museum or book through a tour. In between go to the other sites or do things outside like walking through the Oltrarno area or hang with a glass of wine or a gelato and people watch. Or even take a nap.
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Art, art and more art!
Florence is my favorite city in Italy. Its Duomo is a must-see and probably still on Tauck's itinerary. The Uffizi should not be missed and adjacent to the museum is a beautiful piazza with many outdoor cafes...a wonderful place to sit and people watch.
Enjoy your tour!
Florence is fantastic!!
Which Tuscany tour are you doing? By the date it looks like Tuscany & Cinque Terre.
First I would make a list of what you will see with Tauck, then, since there are so many things to see and do in Florence, Google "top 10 things to see" and decide what else you want to see.
Go to the Official "Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore" website https://duomo.firenze.it/en/discover/opera-duomo-museum and get a combo ticket to visit the Santa Maria del Fiore attractions- the Reparata, Duomo Dome (Brunelleschi's dome), Duomo Museum, Baptistry, and Giotto's bell tower. In the process you can select a head-of-the-line entry time to climb the dome. The tickets are good for one visit to each, but good for 48 hours. Entry to the Duomo itself is free since it is an active church and it looks like Tauck may take you to the Duomo Museum, but none of the other attractions. If you want to see the others, do not wait until you get there to get tickets- it is best to get tickets for everything now!!!!
And, if you want a change you can hire a driver to take you to Pisa for a tour of the Piazza dei Miracoli museums, duomo, baptistry, and leaning tower. Again, if you want to do that buy tickets now!
It took some research and planning, but we did all of that, plus took a Segway tour, during Classic Italy. Oh, and read the book "Brunelleschi's Dome" by Ross King.
There are no bad restaurants in Florence!
Thank you!!!!!
Did this tour in 2017….. Fantastic! Florence by far our favorite city!
Piazzale Michelangelo is the best place to see the sunset in Florence. It is across the Arno from Florence proper and high on a hill that provides spectacular overviews of this beautiful city.
Take time to find some of the smaller museums - we thoroughly enjoyed the Museo Galileo https://www.museogalileo.it/it/ and the Musei del Bargello http://www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it/ We visited the day our Classic Italy tour was scheduled to visit the Uffizi - I had been there before and my husband was not a fan of paintings, but finds sculpture and inventions and armor more to his liking.
Indulge in some gelato at a walk-up window or shop with a long counter - just make sure to look for the less vibrant colors, gelato should be natural, not full of food coloring to attract the tourists. If you need recommendations ask a local - the people of Florence are very proud of their city and eager to share with you.
We had amazing meals in Florence - one very special night for our anniversary we dined at Il Barretto The meal and the wine are still something we talk about 5 years later. We got a great lunch and a bottle of wine in the piazza just outside the Bargello - a sidewalk cafe where we could take a load off our tired feet and people watch. Be warned that if you order Bistecca somewhere it is huge - plan on sharing. Above all else ENJOY!
Thank you!!!!
I know Forumers love bucket lists & must-sees, but do take a little time to just wander, take photos and enjoy the street life. The famous (and world's oldest) Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy is worth a visit for the gorgeous building alone.
A couple of tips: Like many places in Italy, there is a food gap between 2PM and 7PM. Many places will close during these hours. The advantage of staying in Florence is that you have the ability to enjoy the city and many of the sites before the day tours arrive and after the day tours have left. The large cruise shift bus in from the coast and that usually takes 60 to 90 minutes usually hitting the city around 9 or 10. The key is to hit the big three sites (Uffizi Gallery, Duomo and Academia(David)) as soon as they open or later in the day after 3. Take advantage of the many sites are open until 7PM. Please be aware that not all sites are open everyday nor at the same time each day. For example the Duomo is open on Tuesdays but the Duomo Museum is not. For the big three you need to book tickets in advance and show up during your reserved entry time otherwise you will be in a long line for tickets. You can buy tickets online directly from the museum or book through a tour. In between go to the other sites or do things outside like walking through the Oltrarno area or hang with a glass of wine or a gelato and people watch. Or even take a nap.