1. Discover Your Go-To Restaurant and Bar
The first thing you need to do is to make Florence home, and that means finding your go-to spots. You’ll find the blue crew hanging out on Monday Nights at Il Gatto e La Volpe for family style dinners, where you can always join us for courses of antipasti, pasta, and so much vino. But, we’ve got other favorites too! Check out these other restaurants, too
- Il Teatro on via Ghibellina
- Salumeria Verdi, lovingly known as Pino’s, on Via Giuseppe Verdi for incredible sandwiches
- Le Vespe Cafe, also on via Ghibellina for incredible breakfasts or salads!
Some of our favorite bars include:
- Red Garter (ps. Taco Tuesdays here with the blue crew!)
- Beer Haus Club
- Dragonfly pub
- Lion’s Fountain
And one of our favorite gelaterias? La Carraia on Via dei Benci near Santa Croce
2. Speaking of Bars & Restaurants, Head to the Hardrock Cafe for An Incredible Meal with a Live Queen Cover Band!
We’re all obsessed with the movie Bohemian Rhapsody and the music of Queen, so we’re bringing you a Queen experience live from the Hardrock Cafe. For only €30, you’ll get a 3 course meal including dessert, all while jamming out to a live Queen cover band. Your Euros doesn’t just pay for your meal, it includes a donation to the Mercury Phoenix Trust and gets you a Freddie Mercury mustache! Let’s Go!
Learn More and Book Tickets Here.
3. See all of Florence During Sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo
4. Take some day trips!
We’re heading to Cinque Terre for a day at the beach, plus the most incredible hiking views and we’re going on an authentic wine tasting tour through the Tuscan country side. Wanna come along? Learn More.
5. Explore Fiesole
Fiesole is a little hilltop town that overlooks Florence. It’s been considered a “getaway” for the upper class of Florentines since the 14th century, which is why Giovanni Boccaccio set The Decameron in its hills. The views are beautiful, so it’s worth either hiking up, or taking the bus!
6. Bike around the city
You could do an official bike tour, but we love just hopping on a mobike and riding down near the river, or exploring other neighborhoods we just can’t get to by foot.
7. Museum Hop
You’re probably familiar with the Uffizi, the Galleria dell’Accademia where you can see Michelangelo’s David, and the Pitti Palace. These are must-sees during your time abroad. Beyond that, there are even more museums with shorter lines. One of our favorites is the Scuola del Cuoio, or the leather school inside Santa Croce. It’s the largest geniune leather laboratory in Florence where you can watch as the artisans create the leather goods right in front of your eyes.
8. Check out the Boboli Gardens
Directly behind the Pitti Palace, explore the expansive Boboli Gardens. It’s full of sculptures and winding, flowery paths. Check it out ASAP before the weather changes, and now that it’s September, hopefully it won’t be too hot to enjoy a stroll outdoors.
9. Sip Spritz at View on Art
View on Art is a rooftop bar with spectacular views of the Duomo. You’ve GOT to go here, sip a spritz, or grab a glass of wine and snap a few shots!
10. Aperitivo!
Aperitivo, pronounced app-air-eh-tea-voh, is an incredible Italian tradition. It’s similar to the American Happy Hour, but only in that it happens in the early evening. Really, it’s if Happy Hour and Brunch had a baby. At the locations below, you can get one drink and all you can eat small plates from a buffet of delicious food, for a set fee. It’s often around €10-15.
Our favorite locations are:
- Kitsch
- Soul Kitchen
- Gallery
- Oibo
11. Grab a coffee and check out the view
Similar to View on Art, but now a great place to do homework. Check out the cafe in the Oblate Library
12. Climb Giotto’s Tower
Clearly most of our must do’s include getting bird’s eye views of our home city, but here’s another you can’t miss. When you climb the spectacular tower beside the Duomo, you’ll get views like these!
13. Haggle at the Leather Market
The Florence Leather Market is famous–for the ability to get incredible leather goods, like a leather jacket, at a great price. BUT, only if you know how to haggle it down. Brush up on your Italian and give it a try!
14. Shop “Off Season” Sales
September in Florence is prime for shopping. Many stores will have “Off Season” sales where they close out of their summer inventory. You’ll still have some warm weather days left in the season, so you might as well stock up on some cute stuff, especially if you came with minimum suitcases on your way over. Plus, if you’re traveling with us to beach locations like Amalfi, Croatia, Portugal, or Cinque Terre, you might as well at least look for a new swimsuit or dress.
15. Festa della Rificolona
Today, it’s a fun parade, but it’s rooted in deep tradition. Once upon a time, pilgrims would flock to the Basilica di Santissima Annunziata to celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary. In order to arrive to service on time, many would start their journey before dawn, and thus would need to carry lanterns to light their way.
This year, a market will be open in the square outside the basilica on September 6th and 7th, bursting at the seams with organic produce. Then, on the eve of the 8th of September, Florentines will carry their own beautiful paper lanterns through the streets of Florence from Piazza Santa Felicita to Piazza Santissima Annunziata. It all culminates with a party in the square!
