The Duomo side of Florence is one big queue. Cross the Ponte Vecchio or the Ponte Santa Trinita and you're in Oltrarno - workshops, gardens, neighborhood bars - which is the Florence you came for if you didn't know it yet.
Stay In San Frediano
San Frediano around Piazza del Carmine is the right base. Hotels and apartments are smaller, cheaper, and quieter than the centro. Walk to the Brancacci Chapel - Masaccio's frescoes are some of the most underrated things in Italian art, and there's never a line.
Morning coffee at Ditta Artigianale. Pastry at S.Forno. Lunch later, slowly.
The Garden Day
Boboli Gardens are the obvious move, but Giardino Bardini is better - smaller, less crowded, with the best Duomo view in the city from the upper terrace. Spend an afternoon there with a packed lunch from Mariano (best panini in the city, in the centro near Piazza degli Antinori but worth the walk over the bridge).
Evenings That Don't Need A Plan
Wine at Le Volpi e l'Uva or Il Santino. Dinner at Trattoria Cammillo for traditional, or Essenziale for modern Tuscan if you want to impress. Late-night gelato from Gelateria della Passera on the way back over the bridge. The view down the Arno from Ponte Santa Trinita at midnight is, somehow, still underrated.
Practical Notes
- Best month
- Late April or October
- Stay area
- Oltrarno / San Frediano
- Recommended stay
- 4 nights