A perfect one-day tour of Florence

Allow about 8 hours: 45 minutes around the Duomo, 30 in Piazza della Signoria, 3 hours in the Uffizi and 90 minutes at Santa Croce, plus 35 minutes for walking, an hour for lunch and 40 minutes of arrival margin. The direct links between these stops total about 1.4 km; walking inside museums and travel from your accommodation are additional.

Start outside the cathedral. Walk around the dome, bell tower and Baptistery rather than treating the whole Duomo complex as one short visit. Continue towards Piazza della Signoria for the palace façade and the sculptures of the Loggia dei Lanzi.

Make the Uffizi the main visit, with time to follow the collection rather than rush from painting to painting. Fit lunch after the gallery and walk east to Santa Croce for the basilica, tombs and cloisters. Admission to the museum complex, not just a look across the square, is included in this budget.

For a slower day, finish after the Uffizi and lunch, and leave Santa Croce for another day. A dome climb or the Duomo museum needs its own time and, where required, a booked slot; replace another visit rather than squeeze it in. The Uffizi normally closes on Monday. Exact admission slots, church access and dated exceptions still determine the order.