Florence in 3 Days: Museum Tickets, Oltrarno Trattorias, and the Chianti Hills Worth Leaving the City For

Book the earliest timed slot available (usually 8:30am). The 463-step climb has no elevator and narrow spiral staircases that get claustrophobic. The reward is a view across Florence's terracotta rooftops to the Tuscan hills. Go first thing before the heat and crowds build. The interior fresco of the Last Judgment by Vasari is visible from the catwalk inside the dome.

Book a timed-entry slot online at least a month ahead. The David is in the main hall, visible from the entrance. Most people spend 20 to 30 minutes with the David and another 30 to 45 minutes in the rest of the museum. The unfinished 'Prisoners' sculptures by Michelangelo in the hallway leading to the David are fascinating and most visitors walk past them too quickly.

The Sant'Ambrogio covered market (Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio) is where Florentines buy groceries. The food stalls inside serve tripe sandwiches (lampredotto, €4 to €5), pasta plates, and panini. Trattoria da Rocco inside the market does a full lunch plate for under €10. This is genuine local food at local prices, a 10-minute walk from the Duomo.

Take bus 12 or walk uphill (25 minutes from Ponte Vecchio) to arrive about an hour before sunset. The panoramic view of Florence, the Arno, and the Duomo from above is the defining view of the city. Bring a bottle of wine from a local enoteca (€5 to €10) and join the crowd on the steps. Then walk down to San Miniato al Monte, the Romanesque church just above, which is less crowded and equally beautiful.

Book the first entry slot of the day (8:15am). Head straight to the Botticelli rooms (10 to 14) on the second floor before the tour groups arrive. The Birth of Venus and Primavera are in rooms that get four-deep with people by 10am. Caravaggio's Medusa and Titian's Venus of Urbino are on the same floor. The rooftop terrace cafe has a view of the Duomo and is a good mid-visit break.

The bridge is lined with gold and jewelry shops and is atmospheric but extremely crowded by midday. Walk across to reach the Oltrarno. The best photo of the bridge itself is from the Ponte Santa Trinita, one bridge west. Do not buy jewelry here unless you are a serious buyer. Prices are high and quality varies.

Via Maggio, Via Santo Spirito, and the streets around Piazza del Carmine still have working artisan botteghe (workshops) producing leather goods, marbled paper, gilded frames, and restored furniture. These are not tourist shops. Many welcome visitors who are genuinely interested. Stefano Bemer on Via di San Niccolò makes bespoke shoes and offers workshop tours.

Piazza Santo Spirito is the living room of the Oltrarno. Locals, students, and visitors share the square in the evening with a Negroni or Aperol Spritz. For dinner, Trattoria Casalinga on Via dei Michelozzi has been serving Florentine home cooking (ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, bistecca) at reasonable prices since 1963. Il Latini is the famous option (huge portions, communal tables, reservations recommended) but Casalinga is better value.

Several operators run morning departures from Florence returning by early afternoon. Look for tours that visit two to three smaller producers (not the big commercial estates) and include olive oil tasting. The drive through the Chianti hills between Florence and Siena, with its cypress-lined roads and stone farmhouses, is half the experience. Alternatively, rent a car and drive the SR222 (Chiantigiana road) yourself, stopping at estates marked 'degustazione' (tasting).

The largest Franciscan church in the world holds the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Rossini. The Giotto frescoes in the Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels are the real reason to visit. Most tourists walk through quickly, so the afternoon is less crowded than the morning. Piazza Santa Croce outside is one of the most pleasant squares in the city for sitting with gelato.

Vivoli near Santa Croce has been making gelato since 1930. La Sorbettiera in Oltrarno uses natural ingredients with no artificial colors. The rule for spotting quality: if the pistachio gelato is bright green, it is fake. Real pistachio gelato is a muted brownish-green. Avoid any gelateria with mountains of brightly colored gelato spilling over the bins.

The evening passeggiata (stroll) along the Lungarno (the road bordering the Arno) is a Florentine tradition. Walk from Ponte alle Grazie toward Ponte Vecchio as the sun sets and the buildings turn golden. The view of the Ponte Vecchio with the Vasari Corridor above it, lit by the last light of the day, is the image of Florence that stays with you.