Florence holds the Renaissance in a city you can walk end to end. Browse the museums, the markets, and day trips into Tuscany.
These tours trade depth for convenience: a lot of Tuscany in a single day, none of it for very long. Whether that’s a bargain or a blur depends on what you want from the countryside.
A festival can reorder a Florence trip around something the city still does for itself, from the Easter cart explosion to the summer football played in Renaissance costume. Time your visit well and you’ll experience Florence while it’s being lived in, not just visited.
A local bus climbs from the Duomo to Fiesole in about half an hour, where Florence spreads out below as the evening light changes. The hill town itself is every bit as rewarding as the view.
Florence has a way of raising your standards the moment you arrive, so it pays to pack a few things that rise to it. The right accessories, chosen to travel well and dress up an outfit, let you look the part without hauling a wardrobe. In a city this stylish, a little intention with what you bring goes a long way.