Is Florence Worth Visiting - Weigh The Pros & Cons Yourself!

Is Florence worth visiting? When we were plotting out itinerary through Italy, we carefully mapped out the different cities that we wanted to travel to. We had all off three weeks at our disposal. Florence was one of the locations that everyone talked about. A friend told me that I should not miss it. It made me wonder if Florence was seriously worth the hype.

People kept calling it the open air museum of Italy and it was. But with all the new regulations, planning a visit especially on a road trip was a bit difficult. Even the weather seemed unpredictable as it so often is. After carefully considering the pros and cons we decided to make a stop in the city.

In retrospect, I’m glad I visited. Florence is beautiful and unique but there are certain aspects of it that make it rather challenging to visit. Here’s my take on the pros and cons and you can answer the question for yourself at the end.

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Is Florence worth visiting – The Pros

1. It Is Filled With Gorgeous Architecture

One of the reasons why people call Florence the open air museum is because of the gorgeous architecture that can be found all across the city. The architecture is also pretty unique. The main Duomo is definitely the highlight and the square attracts thousands of people every day.

A rather interesting point that I noted is the use of multiple colors. They aren’t bright but they are present and the paint the city in beautiful soft hues.

Florence has also retained its old school vibe. While most people head to the old town area and talk about how beautiful the city is, I found that even if you head a little outside the popular tourist areas, you would still find a lot to admire.

2. Florence Has A Lot Of History

Ponte Vecchio is one of the oldest landmarks in the city

The history of Florence dates way back to when it was a Roman city in 59 BC. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe. You can see how the city has evolved over the years based just on the architectural styles alone. When you visit the museums, you can also learn about the influence of different cultures, how politics shaped the city etc. Each museum offers you a different piece of the puzzle.

There’s a lot to unpack here and you could spend days exploring it. I’m not very well versed in the history so I’ll leave you to do your research on it from other sources.

3. Plenty Of Museums

Is Florence worth visiting for the museums? This picture inside the Galleria dell'accademia will tell you the answer.

There are so many museums in Florence. I was so overwhelmed. That’s a lot coming from me because I love museums. The thing about Florence is that everything needs to be planned out in advance when it comes to the museums because otherwise you can’t get in.

Some of the popular museums that you should not miss are below and I’m linking them to the online ticket so its easy for you to book. Just note that for some, it is better to arrive a little early and you have to walk there through the crowds. So keep a bit of breathing space in between.

Gallerie Degli Uffizi
Galleria dell’Accademia (We almost didn’t get this one. It is one of the most visited museums in Florence. Here you can see Michelangelo’s David)
Florence Cathedral, Brunelleschi’s Dome and the Duomo complex (the Dome sold out by the time we tried to book it so we didn’t see up and close. Another reason I urge people to book in advance.)
Leonardo da Vinci museum

These are just a few museums that we covered during our two days in Florence. There are many more. We enjoyed every single one we visited because they are well kept, have great facilities and are kid friendly too. The only downside is that they are so popular that if you wait for too long you don’t get tickets. We booked ours a month in advance and still struggled.

Is Florence worth visiting for the museums? In hindsight I would say definitely. In fact, I would have stayed longer if I could have.

4. Plenty Of Cool Markets And Lots Of Shopping

If you want to head out shopping for some cool Italian leather or clothes or just souvenirs from Italy then Florence is a great place to do this. There are plenty of different types of markets. From the street market pictured here to the malls where all the swanky shops are and everything in between.

Florence is also a great place to pick up some of the local delicacies. We got some amazing wine, balsamic vinegar and chocolates at one of the shops in the neighborhood. It was like bringing a taste of Italy back home with us.

The shopping areas are pretty close by which makes it easy to visit the attractions and skip out for a shopping excursion in between.

5. The Food Has No Equivalent

Italian food won my heart from the start. The food in Florence was some of the best that I have had in my life. I just can’t even begin to explain how fresh and wholesome everything felt. One of the reasons is because a lot of the ingredients are fresh and harvested from the Tuscan countryside.

There are loads of great restaurants scattered through Florence. Many are extremely popular. The best way to make sure you get a table is to reserve one. Remember that the city has thousands of people flowing through it every day.

So is Florence worth visiting for the food? This is a definite yes from my end! I think one of my favorite parts about the city was the food. I’m biased though. I’m a big foodie!

6. There’s Always Music

Music is a large part of the way of life in the city. There are so many street performers. They generally are more active during the evening and the night. That’s when the streets really come alive. You’ll find them playing in the squares and even on the bridge. I’ve found them extremely talented.

But the street museums aren’t the only musical ones here. There are loads of performances that take place in the churches and other locations. Just keep an eye out because the acoustics of the old buildings really adds to the whole performance.

7. Florence Is Walkable

One of the main things that factors into my evaluation of any city is always how walkable it is. Florence was very walkable. It got hard only because of the crowds and because we had a stroller but for most parts it was easy.

Once you are in the city you can easily get from place to place. Things are relatively close by but I would still recommend wearing good walking shoes because we walked alot!

8. There Are Plenty Of Things To Do On A Budget

I’ve will talk about the cost of things in Florence in the next section but suffice to say that its through the roof. Luckily there are quite a number of free things to do in Florence that you can sprinkle in your itinerary to bring the costs down.

9. Centrally Located For Day Trips

Is Italy worth visiting? Weighing the pros and cons.

If you want to visit more than just Florence, you will find that the city is located close enough to many great places to visit as day trips. The Tuscan countryside is just one of the option. Many people head to Pisa from here and then there are various wine trips that are organized daily. These are just the tip of the iceberg.

Is Florence Worth Visiting – The Cons

1. It Is Expensive

Florence is really expensive. I’m not talking just about the accommodation but everything that comes along with visiting the city. The museums are expensive, the restaurants are expensive and sometimes you will find that even the transport is expensive.

We drove in because we chose to stay in the countryside. We found that driving in was also expensive because of the permits required which was a hassle to figure out.

2. Parking Is Crazy

Parking in the city is crazy. There are many parking lots but when we read the reviews about them, we found that many cars had been broken into. Things had been stolen, cars had been damaged and so on. We wanted nothing to do with that so we decided to take the safest option. That however was in the center and was expensive. It also passed through different zones which was difficult figuring out.

Is Florence worth visiting in this regard? Well I think this was one of my biggest peeves when it came to city and it isn’t one that you will have if you fly in. Would I still go back. Yes because the city has just so much to offer and would be great even for a second visit.

3. The Crowds

Like many of the big cities in Italy, the crowds are huge. We visited during the shoulder season and still felt overwhelmed. I’ve heard that it gets way worse in the peak season. While this is definitely one of the downsides to visiting Florence and puts many off, I think that traveling in the lesser crowded months would help mitigate it. It also helps put less stress on the city resources.

Is Florence worth visiting? In my opinion, I think that it really is despite the fact that it is expensive and it is crowded. The city has so much to offer on all different fronts. It is kid friendly and lively. In fact, its perfect in almost all seasons.