Florence dazzles visitors with its wealth of Renaissance architecture, art and history. As the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, this city is home to iconic landmarks like the Duomo, Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery housing Michelangelo’s David. Beyond its numerous museums and churches, Florence entices with its charming cafes, markets, vineyards and Tuscan cuisine.
| # | Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | See a Show at the New Opera House | Attend performances in the renovated Teatro dell’Opera. |
| 2 | Stroll Through the Expanded Uffizi Gallery | Explore new halls and Renaissance art collections. |
| 3 | Wander Through the New Museo della Lingua Italiana | Discover the history and evolution of the Italian language. |
| 4 | Take a Wine Tasting Class in Chianti Territory | Learn about and taste various Chianti wines. |
| 5 | Attend a Special Exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi | View Renaissance portrait paintings. |
| 6 | Marvel at the Restored Ospedale degli Innocenti | Visit the renovated historic Florentine orphanage. |
| 7 | Take a Food Tour of the Mercato Centrale | Experience Tuscan food traditions in Florence’s main market. |
| 8 | Browse the New Da Vinci Museum | Explore Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions and art. |
| 9 | Take in the New Flavors of San Frediano | Discover trendy foodie destinations in Florence. |
| 10 | Visit the New Botticelli Rooms at the Uffizi | Admire Botticelli’s masterpieces in a new exhibit space. |
| 11 | Take a Day Trip to Grotta Giusti Spa | Relax in a natural thermal cave spa. |
| 12 | Sign Up for a Pasta Making Class | Learn to make traditional Italian pasta. |
| 13 | Take a Day Trip to Fiesole | Explore the ancient Etruscan town with stunning views. |
| 14 | Get Lost in Florence’s Artisan Workshops | Join tours of local workshops and learn traditional crafts. |
| 15 | Attend Open-Air Shows at Teatro Romano di Fiesole | Enjoy performances in a 1st-century BC Roman theater. |
2024 is an exciting time to visit Florence with new cultural events, infrastructure improvements, and reopened attractions. Explore both the classics and latest happenings with this list of top things to do in Florence in 2024:
See a Show at the New Opera House
Name and Location: New Opera House, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: Florence’s historic opera house Teatro della Pergola has undergone renovations, reopening in 2024 with updated facilities and technologies to host world-class opera and ballet performances.
What to Expect: Visitors can take in a performance in the intimate, ornate opera house and admire its frescoed ceilings and chandeliers. Productions incorporate multimedia displays and improved acoustics.
Visitor Information: Tickets can be booked online in advance. Audience dress code is smart casual. Backstage tours are also available on select days by reservation.
The Teatro dell’Opera di Firenze, Florence’s opera house, has been undergoing a major renovation since 2016. Closed for several years, it is finally set to reopen in 2024 with state-of-the-art acoustics and staging capabilities. Attend an opera, ballet or concert in the magnificently modernized main theater or smaller performance spaces. Enjoy serenading arias in this revitalized cultural hub.
Stroll Through the Expanded Uffizi Gallery
Name and Location: Expanded Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: The Uffizi Gallery has increased its exhibition space by nearly 70%, allowing more of its vast art collection to be on public display. Expansions are still underway.
What to Expect: Visitors can now view hundreds of additional masterpieces from the Renaissance era and other periods that were previously in storage. More galleries also provide interpretive information.
Visitor Information: Advance timed entry tickets are required for the very popular Uffizi. Expanded evening and weekend hours provide more options to visit. Guided tours and audio guides are recommended.
The Uffizi Gallery houses one of the world’s finest collections of Renaissance art in Florence. While parts have been closed for expansion work, 2024 will see new halls opened housing paintings and sculptures that have not been exhibited before. Don’t miss the opportunity to view fresh treasures by da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli and more in the Uffizi’s newly unveiled rooms.
Wander Through the New Museo della Lingua Italiana
Name and Location: Museo della Lingua Italiana, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: This new museum celebrates the origins and evolution of the Italian language through interactive displays spanning history, literature, music, linguistics and technology.
What to Expect: Engaging exhibits demonstrate the development of the Italian language using multimedia simulations, recordings of dialects/accents, and language-based games and artificial intelligence.
Visitor Information: Timed tickets can be booked online in advance. The museum is easily accessible near the Duomo and offers visitor guides in multiple languages.
A new museum dedicated to the history and evolution of the Italian language is slated to open in Florence in 2024. Displaying ancient manuscripts, texts, paintings, and multimedia exhibits, it will showcase the development of Italian and its cultural significance. Learn something new about Dante’s literary legacy and how contemporary Italian reflects the country’s diverse regional origins.
Take a Wine Tasting Class in Chianti Territory
Name and Location: Wine Tasting in Chianti Region
History and Significance: The Chianti region is renowned for its iconic red wine made from Sangiovese grapes. Local vineyards offer tastings showcasing Chianti along with other Tuscan varietals.
What to Expect: Guided wine tasting tours provide an overview of Chianti winemaking and a sampling of wines paired with local foods like cheese, olive oil and salumi. Multi-day tours visit numerous wineries.
Visitor Information: Book Chianti wine tours in advance online. Transportation options vary from self-drive to shuttle van service. Tastings take place at estate vineyards and cellars.
The rolling hills of the Chianti wine region surround Florence with world-class wineries. Sharpen your palate by taking a wine tasting class at Villa Vignamaggio or Castello Verazzano. Learn to discern Chianti Classico from Riserva and different varietals while sampling award-winning pours straight from the source. Gain new appreciation for flavors that have defined the Tuscan countryside for centuries.
Attend a Special Exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi
Name and Location: Special Exhibits at Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: Palazzo Strozzi hosts major temporary exhibits by prominent artists, overlapped with other exhibits on Renaissance art, fashion, and design. Recent renovations expanded gallery space.
What to Expect: Current and upcoming exhibits feature works by Monet, Picasso, and more. Visitors can admire these special collections as well as Palazzo Strozzi’s unique Renaissance architecture.
Visitor Information: Timed tickets can be booked online in advance for specific exhibits. Open daily except Mondays. An onsite cafe offers panoramic terrace seating.
Palazzo Strozzi hosts blockbuster art exhibits in the heart of Florence. In 2024, a special exhibition focused on Renaissance portrait painting will showcase works by Raphael, Bronzino, Titian and more masters. Discover how portraiture styles developed as fame and status became recorded through art. See familiar Renaissance faces in a new light at this can’t miss show.
Marvel at the Restored Ospedale degli Innocenti
Name and Location: Ospedale degli Innocenti, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: This historic orphanage features Renaissance architectural design by Brunelleschi and ancient frescoes. Recent restorations repaired damage and degraded artwork.
What to Expect: Visitors can see Brunelleschi’s elegant portico up close and admire the newly restored frescoes by Ghirlandaio and other Renaissance masters.
Visitor Information: Timed tickets can be booked online. Guided tours offered in multiple languages provide insight into the building’s history and artwork. Closed Mondays.
An historic Florentine landmark founded in 1445 as an orphanage will reopen to the public after 10 years of restoration. The Ospedale degli Innocentifeatures a distinctive portico designed by Filippo Brunelleschi with terra cotta roundels by Andrea della Robbia. Appreciate the architecture and art where generations of children once lived in this beautifully revitalized building.
Take a Food Tour of the Mercato Centrale
Name and Location: Mercato Centrale, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: This huge indoor market has vendors offering a wide range of Italian cuisine. Expanded in recent years, it now has more food stalls, restaurants, and an upper-level food hall.
What to Expect: Food tours and cooking classes introduce visitors to the fresh seasonal ingredients, baked goods, wine, cheese and street snacks at Mercato Centrale. The vibrant market buzzes with locals and tourists.
Visitor Information: Mercato Centrale is open daily year-round except Sundays. Food tours and cooking classes should be booked in advance online. Cash is needed for food purchases.
Florence’s main market hall brims with fresh produce, meat, cheese and artisanal products. Embark on a new food tour launching in 2024 that includes tasting regional specialties at various vendors while learning about Tuscan food traditions. Enjoy behind-the-scenes access to sample from cheese mongers, bakers, olive pressers and other craftspeople cultivating Florence’s culinary landscape.
Browse the New Da Vinci Museum
Name and Location: Leonardo da Vinci Museum, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: This new museum is dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci’s life and diverse genius. High tech displays allow visitors to engage with reproductions of the inventor and artist’s groundbreaking works.
What to Expect: Multimedia exhibits invite visitors to examine da Vinci’s inventions, artwork, paintings via touchscreens and virtual reality. Original sketches and models bring his innovations to life.
Visitor Information: Advanced timed tickets required. Located steps from the Duomo. Offers visitor guides in multiple languages. Family friendly experience.
Marking the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death, a new museum dedicated to the Renaissance master’s inventions and art opens in Florence in 2024. Highlighting his genius for engineering and design, models reconstruct his conceptual sketches along with displays of rare drawings and codices. Appreciate the breadth of Da Vinci’s mind through prototypes based on his forward-thinking concepts.
Take in the New Flavors of San Frediano
Name and Location: San Frediano District, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: Florence’s San Frediano neighborhood has emerged as a hip new foodie destination, with trendy restaurants, cafes, bars and niche shops opening along its medieval streets near the Oltrarno district.
What to Expect: Food tours sample San Frediano’s creative cuisine – updated Tuscan classics, street food, craft cocktails, natural wines, and artisanal gelato. Quirky boutiques and street art round out the area’s vibrant character.
Visitor Information: San Frediano buzzes in the evenings when eateries open. Reservations recommended. Many establishments offer outdoor seating in warmer months. Cash preferred.
Once a working-class neighborhood, the San Frediano area has transformed into one of Florence’s trendiest foodie destinations. Explore new restaurants, cafes and markets showcasing creative twists on Tuscan cuisine and ingredients. Try tripe sandwiches, lampredotto alla Fiorentina, and other updated versions of local fare in this blossoming culinary enclave.
Visit the New Botticelli Rooms at the Uffizi
Name and Location: Botticelli Rooms at Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: Spaces in the Uffizi Gallery have been newly dedicated to Renaissance master Botticelli, allowing more of his iconic paintings to be exhibited together with educational features.
What to Expect: Devoted Botticelli rooms in the Uffizi’s Early Renaissance halls display his masterpieces like Primavera and The Birth of Venus along with interpretive info and his influences.
Visitor Information: Viewing the new Botticelli rooms is included with general admission timed tickets to the Uffizi Gallery booked in advance online. Guided tours add context.
Sandro Botticelli is one of the most renowned Florentine Renaissance painters. In 2024, the Uffizi Gallery will open nine new rooms dedicated solely to his oeuvre including the masterpieces Primavera and Birth of Venus. Admire these delicate figural works in a more intimate setting along with his frescoes and drawings that have rarely been displayed.
Take a Day Trip to Grotta Giusti Spa
Name and Location: Grotta Giusti Spa, Monsummano Terme, Italy
History and Significance: This historic spa offers therapeutic thermal waters, steam caves, and comprehensive wellness treatments. It has been revitalized with renovated facilities and expanded outdoor mineral pools.
What to Expect: Visitors can relax in warm thermal pools, book massages and mud treatments, or experience the natural steam grottos. The spa provides a full-service wellness escape near Florence.
Visitor Information: Day passes must be booked in advance online and include spa access and selected treatments. Extended resort packages also available. Transportation available from Florence.
About 45 minutes from Florence near the town of Monsummano Terme lies Grotta Giusti, a natural thermal cave spa retreat. Renovations adding new contemporary pools and treatment areas will finish in 2024. Experience the relaxing and therapeutic powers of its limestone caverns and thermal waters piped in from the depths below this Tuscan hillside. Emerge refreshed after a day at this unique subterranean oasis.
Sign Up for a Pasta Making Class
Name and Location: Pasta Making Class, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: Pasta is integral to Tuscan cuisine. Cooking classes provide hands-on lessons on making fresh pasta shapes paired with traditional sauces, all with local ingredients.
What to Expect: Participants learn pasta techniques from a chef and enjoy eating their handmade fettuccine, ravioli and more. Classes may include wine and local specialties like olive oil.
Visitor Information: Pasta making classes can be booked online or through tour companies. 3-4 hour small group classes take place in cooking schools around Florence and Tuscany.
Master the art of homemade Italian pasta in a hands-on cooking class. Learn to properly knead dough and use a pasta roller to create noodles like pappardelle, tagliatelle and ravioli. Discover secrets for infusing pasta with flavor like squid ink and spinach. Then enjoy the fruits of your labor with a glass of Chianti as you feast on your creations.
Take a Day Trip to Fiesole
Name and Location: Day Trip to Fiesole, Italy
History and Significance: Fiesole is a small historic town in the hills above Florence with Etruscan ruins, Roman baths and picturesque views. Its archaeological area and charming village make for a popular day trip.
What to Expect: Visitors take in panoramas of Florence from Fiesole, explore Roman remains and the local museum, browse shops and cafes, and relax in the Tuscan landscape.
Visitor Information: Fiesole is a short public bus ride from central Florence. The archaeological area has an entrance fee. Allow 3-5 hours to enjoy the sights at a leisurely pace.
Just a short bus ride up a Tuscan hillside lies Fiesole, an ancient Etruscan town with stunning views over Florence. Wander amid Roman ruins in the archaeological area before appreciating Renaissance churches and villas. Dine al fresco at a local trattoria while gazing at a panorama of Florence and its surrounding green hills – Bellissimo!
Get Lost in Florence’s Artisan Workshops
Name and Location: Artisan Workshops, Florence, Italy
History and Significance: Florence is renowned for its history of artisan craftsmanship in leather, jewelry, paper, ceramics and more. Local workshops practicing these specialties offer demonstrations and classes.
What to Expect: Visitors can tour workshops to see master artisans at work. Hands-on classes provide the chance to craft leather goods, paper, jewelry under guidance.
Visitor Information: Advance reservations required for shop tours and classes. Multilingual guides provide background on each art form. Purchasing products is optional.
Dozens of small workshops creating products like paper, jewelry, ceramics and textiles are hidden down side streets away from Florence’s main tourist drags. Join a new experiential tour in 2024 that gains access to craftspeople keeping traditional techniques alive. Watch them turn leather into embossed handbags, twist gold into necklaces and dye silk into scarves as Italy’s heritage gets made before your eyes.
Attend Open-Air Shows at Teatro Romano di Fiesole
Name and Location: Teatro Romano di Fiesole, Fiesole, Italy
History and Significance: This ancient Roman theater in Fiesole has been restored to host open-air performances, recapturing the theater’s original entertainment purpose. Events take place May through September.
What to Expect: The summer festival features concerts, theater, and dance with the ruins as a scenic backdrop. Cheap seats on the grass allow casual enjoyment of the shows.
Visitor Information: Performance schedules and tickets can be found online. Visitors already in Fiesole can buy same-day tickets. Light layers and bug spray recommended.
Fiesole’s newly restored 1st century BC Roman theater will reopen for performances in summer 2024 after adding new seating and facilities. This picturesque spot overlooking the Tuscan landscape will host concerts, plays and dance showcases. Pack a picnic and enjoy the setting sun while taking in Italian culture al fresco during a memorable summer night.
From new museums and rebuilt landmarks to exciting festivals and delicious food, Florence offers irresistible experiences in 2024. Absorb the stimulating art, history, culture and cuisine that make this city the crown jewel of Tuscany. Treat your senses and feed your passion for Italy in the cradle of the Renaissance.