So you’ve done it all: stood before Michelangelo’s David, climbed Brunelleschi’s Dome, crossed the Ponte Vecchio shoulder-to-shoulder with the crowd.
But Florence isn’t a city you can check off in one visit. The longer you stay — or the more often you return — the more it opens up, revealing treasures that most visitors miss. This is the Florence where locals wander, where history whispers from quiet cloisters, and where a glass of wine at sunset feels like the city is yours alone.
If this is your second, third, or even fifth trip, here’s what to see after the must-sees.
Casa Buonarroti: Michelangelo’s Family Home
Most people don’t realize Michelangelo had a family home here in Florence — or that you can still walk through it today. Casa Buonarroti is a small, intimate museum filled with his early works: drawings, wooden models, and the raw sculptural studies that show the genius in formation.
Unlike the crowded halls of the Accademia, here you’ll likely share the space with just a handful of visitors. It’s less about polished masterpieces and more about understanding the man behind the marble.
Practical info: Located on Via Ghibellina, the museum is open daily except Tuesdays. Tickets cost around €8.
Insider tip: Don’t rush past the sketches — they reveal more about Michelangelo’s restless mind than any finished statue.
Dante Alighieri House Museum
In the heart of medieval Florence lies the house of Italy’s greatest poet. The Dante Alighieri Museum takes you back to the 1200s — narrow stone alleys, wood-beamed rooms, and the world that shaped the Divine Comedy.
It’s not a large museum, but for literature and history lovers, it’s a chance to imagine Florence before the Renaissance: a city of guilds, towers, and fierce rivalries.
Practical info: Located a short walk from the Duomo, open every day except Monday, tickets cost about €5.
Insider tip: Stop by in the late afternoon when the area is quieter — the medieval streets around Dante’s house feel like stepping into another time.
Leonardo da Vinci Interactive Museum
Florence is packed with art, but sometimes you need something more playful. This museum showcases working reconstructions of Leonardo’s inventions — flying machines, bridges, military devices — all based on his original drawings.
Kids love it, but adults find themselves just as fascinated. You can crank gears, lift weights, and see Leonardo’s imagination brought to life.
Practical info: There are two Leonardo museums in Florence; the interactive one is on Via dei Servi. Tickets cost about €8–10.
Insider tip: It’s a perfect stop if you’re traveling with children who’ve had their fill of Renaissance paintings.
Palazzo Medici Riccardi
Before the Medici became the rulers of Florence, this was their family home. Modest from the outside, inside it hides one of the city’s most beautiful frescoes: Benozzo Gozzoli’s Procession of the Magi.
The jewel-like colors, the tiny details, and the portraits of the Medici themselves make it one of the most underrated art treasures in Florence.
Practical info: Located on Via Cavour, just a few minutes from the Duomo. Tickets are around €7.
Insider tip: Go early in the morning — the chapel is small, and it’s best experienced in silence.
Villa Bardini
Most visitors head to the Boboli Gardens and never make it here — but Villa Bardini offers something special. The terraced gardens climb the Oltrarno hillside, filled with fountains, flowers, and some of the best panoramic views of Florence.
In spring, the wisteria tunnel explodes into bloom, one of the most photographed sights in the city. Inside the villa, you’ll also find rotating art exhibitions.
Practical info: Tickets include access to both Bardini and Boboli Gardens, around €10.
Insider tip: Time your visit for late afternoon — the view of the Duomo glowing in golden light is unforgettable.
Forte di Belvedere
Built in the 16th century as part of Florence’s defenses, this fortress is now one of the city’s most underrated viewpoints. From its massive terraces, you get a full 360° panorama over Florence, the Arno Valley, and the surrounding hills.
When open, it also hosts contemporary art exhibitions, blending Renaissance stone with modern sculpture.
Practical info: Check opening dates — it’s seasonal and not always accessible. Tickets are usually €3.
Insider tip: Bring a bottle of water and stay for sunset. It’s far quieter than Piazzale Michelangelo, and the views are just as spectacular.
San Miniato al Monte
Everyone knows Piazzale Michelangelo for its view. Few climb higher to San Miniato, a Romanesque church with a façade of green and white marble and an interior filled with mosaics.
Inside, you’ll hear Gregorian chants floating through the golden apse. Outside, you’ll find one of the most peaceful spots in Florence, with the whole city laid out at your feet.
Practical info: Free to enter, open daily. It’s a short but steep walk above Piazzale Michelangelo.
Insider tip: Time your visit with vespers — the chants transform the space into something timeless.
Cappella Brancacci
Hidden in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, the Brancacci Chapel is one of Florence’s great artistic landmarks — and yet most tourists skip it. Here, Masaccio painted frescoes that revolutionized Renaissance art, inspiring generations of artists.
Michelangelo himself studied these walls in secret, and you can see why: the emotion, depth, and realism are breathtaking.
Practical info: Tickets are €7. Closed Tuesdays.
Insider tip: Watch the introductory video before you enter — it helps you understand why these frescoes were so groundbreaking.
Chiostro dello Scalzo
A cloister few visitors ever find. Here, Andrea del Sarto painted a cycle of monochrome frescoes that are delicate, quiet, and deeply moving. Best of all, it’s free.
Step inside, and you may be the only person there — a rare feeling in Florence.
Practical info: Open mornings only, free entry. Located near Piazza San Marco.
Insider tip: Go on a weekday. It feels like discovering a secret corner of Renaissance Florence.
Giardino delle Rose
Just below Piazzale Michelangelo lies a rose garden that blooms with color and fragrance each spring. Scattered with sculptures, it’s free to enter and rarely crowded.
It’s the perfect place to catch your breath after the climb to the viewpoint above.
Practical info: Free, open daily. Best in May and June.
Insider tip: Pack a picnic and stay a while — locals often come here to read or relax.
Sant’Ambrogio Market
Florence isn’t just museums and monuments — it’s food, noise, and daily life. Sant’Ambrogio is the city’s true neighborhood market, where locals shop for vegetables, cheese, and fresh fish.
Grab a plate of tripe or pecorino from one of the simple stalls, sit outside with a glass of wine, and watch Florentines go about their day.
Practical info: Open Monday to Saturday until around 2pm. Closed Sundays.
Insider tip: Come around lunchtime for the best atmosphere — but be ready to eat like a local, not a tourist.
Biblioteca delle Oblate
Few tourists ever climb to the top floor of this former convent — but students know it well. Today it’s a public library with a rooftop café that looks directly at the Duomo.
Order a coffee, find a table, and enjoy one of the best views in Florence for the price of an espresso.
Practical info: Open daily except Sunday. Café prices are standard, around €2–3 for a cappuccino.
Insider tip: Come early evening when the light is soft — it’s one of the most peaceful ways to end the day.
Museo degli Innocenti & Caffè Verone
The museum tells the story of Florence’s first orphanage, designed by Brunelleschi. But even if you skip the exhibits, don’t miss the rooftop café. From here, you can see over Piazza Santissima Annunziata without the crowds or high prices of hotel terraces.
Practical info: Museum entry €8, but the café is accessible separately.
Insider tip: Come at sunset — it’s one of Florence’s most affordable and relaxed aperitivo spots.
Fiesole & Settignano
When you’re ready to escape the city entirely, hop on a bus into the hills. Fiesole, just 20 minutes from the center, offers Roman ruins, quiet piazzas, and sweeping views. Settignano, smaller and less visited, feels like a sleepy Tuscan village — and it’s where Michelangelo spent part of his youth.
Practical info: Bus 7 to Fiesole leaves from Piazza San Marco. Tickets €1.70.
Insider tip: Go in the late afternoon, then stay for dinner in one of the hillside trattorie. The view of Florence lit up at night is unforgettable.
The Best Way to Spend 48 Hours in Florence: A Genuine Local Guide
Only 48 hours in Florence? Challenge accepted! And a hearty congrats to you – because if you’re reading this, you’ve already made the smart decision to visit Florence,
Florence doesn’t end with the David, the Uffizi, or the Duomo. In fact, once you’ve seen those, the city really begins.
On your second visit, you’ll discover gardens where locals read in the shade, markets where the food is loud and messy and wonderful, and frescoes that changed the world of art — and yet stand almost alone today.
That’s the Florence we know and love. And once you find it, you’ll understand why people like us never stop exploring this city.