| When I visit a new city, I have a system. Day one is about the major sights – I’m going to be an unapologetic tourist, and I’m going to love it! The next day, I’ll sprinkle in leftover sightseeing and check out some places a friend, or ideally a local, recommends. The following day, I’ll stick to one beloved – and hopefully less crowded – neighborhood, strolling the streets, browsing the markets and ideally settling down at a cafe or bar where I can soak up the essence of the community. But that’s just my way of doing things. It’s not right or wrong, and I’ll bet you have your own preferred travel routine. Maybe it’s just showing up with no plan, taking the day one meal at a time. Or maybe spreadsheets and advance bookings are your love language. Or maybe it depends on the destination for you. Take a city like Florence, Italy: one day, you could be hitting the Duomo and lazing around the sculpture-dotted Boboli Gardens, and the next could be completely devoted to hunting down the tastiest gelato in town. Now, I know how I would spend my perfect day, but since we’re always looking for the next best thing here at Lonely Planet, I tapped my fellow editor Brekke Fletcher to share her perfect 24-hour itinerary, too. | | | Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, I'm a Brooklyn transplant and editor who can't get enough of trips that involve life-altering meals, trains, hiking boots and loads of opportunities to break out my camera. | | |  | Florence's old town | | | | We have an article for that! TLDR: pack a good pair of walking shoes, and otherwise, stick to the tram and buses in the city’s core. | | | Brekke’s pick: Four Seasons Hotel Firenze. Hands down, this is the most gorgeous place I’ve ever stayed: the architecture is stunning, and you can’t help but feel like a Medici taking breakfast on the terrace or strolling in the garden.
Ann Douglas’ pick: Sina Villa Medici. I stayed here last spring and fell in love with the poolside garden, which I could gaze dreamily at from my room’s balcony. The location is also convenient, right by the train station.
| | | Comfortable shoes, a tote for all the goodies you’ll pick up each day, and breezy but modest clothes – especially if you plan to go inside the Duomo. Oh, and Lonely Planet’s guide to Florence, duh. | Two fabulous days in Florence: one more luxury-inspired and the other spent tracking down the best vintage souvenirs.
| Brekke: High-fashion Florence | | Giardino 25 Gucci | | | | Breakfast on the hotel’s outdoor terrace is quite special; since the staple of many American diets isn’t really a thing in Italy, fuel up on eggs and cappuccinos in these stunning environs before heading out. | I am a lover of fashion, architecture and art, so I am in my element in Florence, a city where craftsmanship of all kinds is everywhere you look. Window-shop along the stylish Via de’Tournobuoni, the city’s fashionable main artery before hitting Palazzo Spini Feroni to visit Museo Salvatore Ferragamo (better yet book a guided tour in advance) to ogle the famed designer’s illustrious creations.
| | | Basilica di Santa Maria Novella | | | | I’m a sucker for bistecca, Florentine steak, and there’s nowhere better (or less fussy) to savor it than Sostanza, a rustic trattoria that hasn’t altered much since it opened in 1869. | End the night with an expertly crafted cocktail or a sweet treat at Gilli on Villa Roma. | | | Ann Douglas: Vintage and local favorites | | Boboli Gardens | | I’m a breakfast-at-the-hotel kind of girl in Italy (at the right hotel, the spread is dynamite), but if you’d prefer to eat out, grab a shot of espresso and a pastry at the nearest cafe, like Bar Piccioli, recommended by Lonely Planet contributor Angelo Zinna.
Plan your visit to Boboli Gardens, Florence’s most famous park, in the morning (it opens at 8:15am). The morning air is refreshing, and you can wander past flowerbeds, ornate fountains and sculptures, and gorgeous ponds without feeling like you’re stepping on other people’s toes. | Sure, you could satisfy every luxury inkling in your body at the Mall Firenze just outside the city, but it would be a shame not to dig through Florence’s wealth of local shops, filled with insanely beautiful vintage finds and locally made goods (at much more reasonable prices, too). Here are some of my favorites, but the actual list is truly longer than the number of reasons to visit Italy.
| | | - Bramada: Local products from small brands. I bought a pair of red velvet Mary Janes here and am always asked where they’re from.
- Tartan Vintage: Pricier designer brands, but beautiful pieces that will last a lifetime.
- Melrose Vintage: I could spend hours digging through this place’s denim supply, but it also has so many colorful unique vintage pieces.
- Uashmamma: Stylish washable paper bags. I like to travel with my silver crossbody.
- Galleria Michelangelo: For all your Florentine leather souvenirs!
| Somewhere in the midst of all that retail therapy, you’re going to get hungry, and Mercato Centrale, Florence’s oldest and largest food market, is your answer. | Sit down for a luxurious meal at Locale Firenze inside the former Concini Palace. The menu is fantastic (I scarfed down a scallop and squid ink risotto), but the ambience is the real reason to spend your dollars here. Dine in the palatial 16th-century rooms upstairs or head down to the 13th-century cellar for a truly unique experience. You could easily continue the night at the upstairs bar (named one of the World’s Best 50 in 2024), or… | Head to the southern side of the Arno River to the area around Piazza Santo Spirito, which is lined with cocktail bars (like MAD Souls & Spirits) to drink outside while enjoying the square’s lively atmosphere (also a great option if you’re more of the aperitivo type). | | | Photography credits: Brester Irina/Shutterstock, Iryna Makukha/Shutterstock (2), Andrei Antipov/Shutterstock, nelo2309/Shutterstock, renbrins/Shutterstock, Ann Douglas Lott/Lonely Planet, Chris Minerva/Getty Images | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
