Example trip
A perfect architecture tour of Florence
A walk through churches, courtyards, civic squares and palace façades, distinguishing interior visits from exterior stops.
Add the places to My trip to shape the itinerary around your dates.
Day 1
From Santa Maria Novella to Palazzo Pitti
Make Santa Maria Novella Museum and Monumental Cloisters your first stop. From there, head to Piazza del Duomo. Then it’s on to Medici Riccardi Palace. After that, visit Piazza della Signoria. Round off your visits at Piazza Pitti and Pitti Palace.
Visit notes
You’ll explore Florence’s architecture, starting with the church and cloisters of Santa Maria Novella before walking to Piazza del Duomo to see the cathedral, bell tower and Baptistery from outside. At Palazzo Medici Riccardi, step into the courtyard and visit the Magi Chapel before continuing to Piazza della Signoria. Take a proper lunch break along the way, then cross the river towards Pitti. You’ll finish outside the palace, with time to look at its façade and the shape of the square.
Times and practical details
Allow about 7½ hours: 90 minutes in Santa Maria Novella, 45 outside the Duomo, 75 in Palazzo Medici Riccardi, 30 in Piazza della Signoria and 30 at the exterior of Palazzo Pitti, plus an hour of walking, 75 minutes for lunch and a pause, and 45 minutes of margin. Direct links are about 2.5 km; this is a route across the centre and river, not five interchangeable pins.
Start with Santa Maria Novella’s façade, church and cloisters, then walk towards the Duomo to compare the cathedral, bell tower and Baptistery from outside. A dome climb or the complete cathedral museum is not part of this short exterior stop.
Continue north to Palazzo Medici Riccardi for the courtyard and palace rooms, then south to Piazza della Signoria. Look at how the civic palace and Loggia frame the public square. Take a proper lunch break before crossing the river towards Pitti.
At Pitti, this route studies the façade and square rather than touring all the collections. If you want the Palatina’s interiors, replace the Medici palace visit with about 2 hours in the Palatina; do not count that as a 30-minute façade stop. Santa Maria Novella’s church access and the Medici palace’s Wednesday closure can change the sequence.
These are starting ideas. Visit lengths, opening times, tickets and travel still need to fit your dates and needs.
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