Florence is a magnificent Italian city for a family visit. Much of the city can be covered on foot, and for the most part its terrain is relatively flat. Not only that, but the area itself is a friendly introduction to Italian city life, with plenty of things to see, do and of course eat!
While there are plenty of attractions within the region of Tuscany in which Florence is located, including Pisa and its famous Leaning Tower, the countless world-class Tuscan wineries and delightful medieval villages such as San Gimignano, this article is focuses on a two day itinerary within the Florence city walls. You won’t need a car for this, just a good set of walking shoes, a water bottle for each family member, and a backpack filled with your daily essentials including umbrellas, hand sanitizer and snacks.
Now that you’re ready to roll into your Florence adventure, let’s see what Day 1 has in store for you.
Look out for Clet’s Streetsign Art
Before you even set foot on Florence’s cobbled streets, I highly recommend taking a moment with your family to explore some online examples of Clet’s street art, so that you know what to look out for.

Wait, who’s Clet?
Clet Abraham is the most famous street artist in Florence, and his medium, is street signs. You’ll love walking through the streets of Florence and noticing his artworks right across the city. Some are downright amusing, others can be thought provoking or political, and they are always entertaining and a great family talking point to break up the walk. And if you really enjoy Clet’s works, visit his studio (you can slot this in on day 2 of this itinerary on your way to Piazzale Michaelangelo).
Climb Giotto’s bell tower in the Piazza Del Duomo
The Piazza Del Duomo is a truly iconic part of Florence. The large piazza is bordered by cafes, restaurants and bars and is a hive of activity as street performers and artists entertain the thousands of passersby each day. But the main attraction here is the Gothic inspired Duomo and it’s surrounding structures including the huge dome of the Florence Cathedral, nearby baptistry, and of course, Giotto’s Bell Tower.

Now, the first important note! Ever since the Covid epidemic, ticketing for the Bell Tower requires you to book your tickets online and select a timeslot in order to climb the Bell Tower, you cannot simply rock up. I recommend booking at least a week in advance to find an appropriate timeslot. If you aren’t following this itinerary in order, you may
The climb itself is a bit of adventure. With 414 narrow stone stairs to ascend, it will certainly help the entire family work up an appetite. Thankfully, there y platforms placed periodically up the tower, where you can catch your breath and admire the views.

Once at the top, you’ll be treated to 360 views of the entire city as you stroll around the top platform of the tower. The tower is almost exactly the same height as the Duomo church next door, which means you can avoid their longer queues and still get the same view. Savour the moment, rehydrate, and see if you can spot some the city’s most popular attractions from above, a great little game to play with the entire family before you make your way back down.

If you have time, I also highly recommend visiting the Cathedral or Duomo di Firenze. The sheer scale of the ornate detailing both inside and out, plus the acoustics when filled with the sound of chatter or music, is remarkable.
Gelato
No matter what time of day it is, gelato is a totally acceptable snack when in Italy! You’ve all totally earned a sweet treat after all of those stairs, so head on over to the nearest Gelato shop that catches your eye. One gelato we really enjoyed in this area is pictured below, offering some really unique flavours we hadn’t seen elsewhere such as strawberry cheesecake.

Lego Shop & Chocolate Fountain
The trick with family holidays is to ensure that everyone is enjoying themselves, and 99% of children enjoy nothing more than playing with Lego. The Florence Lego store is located in the city’s main shopping precinct, and includes interactive areas and impressive builds featuring local icons so that the kids can get their Lego fix (hopefully without even needing to buy anything, depending on your willpower!)

Just up from the Lego shop is the Venchi. Never heard of it? We hadn’t either until the Willy Wonka-esque molten chocolate fountain caught our eye. This iconic wall of chocolate is every chocolate-lovers dream, flowing endlessly right in front of your eyes!
Put Money in the Bronze Pig’s Mouth
Il Porcellino, which is Italian for piglet, is the local nickname for what is actually an iconic bronze boar. Located at the back of the leather markets known as Il Mercato Nuovo, this bronze fountain draws a constant crowd, as tourists and locals alike flock to rub his snout and put a coin in his mouth. In fact, this swine has seen so many visitors that his old snout shines just like fresh new bronze, and is almost wearing through.

If the water washes the coin from the pig’s mouth and it falls into the grate below, you will have good luck and you will be sure to return to Florence. If not, well….just try again until good luck comes your way! The coins collected are gathered periodically to support a local orphanage.
Carousel
In the lively Piazza della Repubblica nearby, you’ll find this beautiful antique carousel. With just 20 hand painted horses, and two flower pots boasting fresh flowers, this is a merry-go-round from the history books. And with a ride priced at less than 2 Euros per child, this is a great chance to enjoy a different side of Florence’s bygone eras.

Statue of David in the Piazza della Signoria
There are statues and sculptures all over Florence, but enter the Piazza della Signoria and you’ll strike the jackpot of outdoor art. Here in this bulsting square is a loggia, or outdoor room, where many sculptures are on display for all to see. Each piece has its own story and meaning, making this a must-visit….and the best part is, it’s absolutely free!
This square is also home to the Palazzo Vecchio, just across the way from the loggia. Outside the palace, left of entrance stands a life-sized replica of Michelangelo’s David. Many people think this is the Statue of David, since he seems so perfect, but David’s real home is in Galleria dell’Accademia. The replica stands tall and captivating nonetheless and is a popular location for tourists. On the opposite side of the palace entrance you’ll also find Bartolomeo Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus; another historical sculpture which is great to view from all angles.
Street Musicians near Piazzale degli Uffuzi
Continue walking towards the river down wide corridor towards Piazzale degli Uffuzi and you’re bound to come across a talented classical musician or two. Depending on the day, it may be an enchanting opera-singer, a talented violinist or perhaps even a duo. You’ll be mesmerised by the talent and the acoustics of the stoney and deeply spiritual surrounds. To this day this area is still one of my most vivid memories of Florence.

Pizza For Dinner
After a big day in one of the nation’s most culturally rich cities, it’s only fitting to top off the day with an authentic Italian pizza. There’s plenty of options to choose from including Pizza Napoli 1955 just a short 200m walk away from Piazzale degli Uffuzi. The kids will love the thin and fluffy heart-shaped pizzas here, with a sprinkling of great service on top!
After such a big day, it’s time to head back to your accommodation for a rest before Day 2 kicks off.
Cross the Ponte Vecchio (and sketch it!)
Ok, so you may not find this particular activity mentioned on any other family itinerary, but we were inspired by many of the art school students and thought we’d try it out for ourselves. Firstly, before you head out, make sure you have a sketchpad and pencil for each family member packed in your daypack, then head towards the Ponte Vecchio.
The Ponte Vecchio is one of the most revered bridges in urban Italy, dating back to 1345. Even back then, this historic medieval river crossing was home to many shops including blacksmiths, tanneries and butchers, now replaced with elaborate jewellers and luxury boutiques. You’ll enjoy a slow stroll across the bridge, along with hundreds of other visitors, admiring glistening gold necklaces and other high-end eye candy.

Once you’ve made your way across the bridge, take left turn and walk along the Arno Riverside walkway until you’ve found a suitable vantage point of the bridge, then pull out those sketchpads and start chanelling your inner artist.

This is a great family activity, as you bond over a common viewpoint and eventually compare each other’s artworks. Who knows, you may even want to frame your pieces of history when you get home!
Walking to the top of Piazzale Michaelangelo
After a relaxing session sketching, it’s time to give your legs a workout. A little over 1 kilometre way, albeit uphill, sits The Piazzale Michalangelo atop the hill on the southbank of the Arno, just east of the Florence city centre.
The approach is a scenic mix of gardens and fountains, with wild poppies and other flowers growing freely making it a delightful walk that the family will enjoy. Once at the top, entry to the Piazzale is free, and you’ll be treated to some of the finest panoramic views of the city along with another bronze replica of Michaelangelo’s David.

This is a great spot to grab a family photo, admire the expansive views and spot some of the places you’ve visited over the past 24 hours.
Epic Sandwiches for lunch
We stumbled across this epic hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop called Panini & Vini on the start of the walk back towards Florence city centre, and highly recommend it for a low-fuss yet super tasty lunch. The sandwiches here are in a league of their own (in fact we still talk about them to this very day!), made to order on delicious fresh panini, with a huge range of traditional Italian fillings to suit even the fussiest of eaters. As an added bonus, cold beers are also available over the counter too!

Da Vinci Experiential Museum
For our final stop on this 2 Day Florence itinerary, we’ve got an absolute cracker. We’re headed to the Leonardo Da Vinci Experiential Museum. Not to be confused with the other non-interactive Leonardo Da Vinci Museum, which is home to many works revered by art conniesseurs, the experiential museum contains many of Leonardo’s physical inventions.

A word of warning – this is a bit of a walk from the previous stop so you may want to take public transport if the legs are starting to get a bit weary.
Once you arrive, you’ll be treated to space full of interactive displays, mostly made from timber and other simple elements typical of the era. Each has been recreated from Da Vinci’s drawings, ready for visitors to admire and try out for themselves. It’s a wonderous hands-on experience the whole family will enjoy, and a fantastic way to captivate young minds with historical elements. You’ll easily spend an hour or two in here as you tinker with all of the ingenius contraptions.
And that’s it – two days of fun for the whole family in Florence. Please feel free to leave a comment below about your own experiences in this fantastic Italian city.