Florence Walking Itinerary: Two Routes Through the City on Foot

Florence is one of the most walkable cities in Europe. The historic centre is compact, largely car-free, and mostly flat until you cross the Arno and start climbing toward the hills. You do not need a car and rarely need a bus. What you need is footwear that can handle ten kilometres of stone paving without deteriorating your mood by midday.

This guide lays out two distinct routes on foot: one through the historic centre north of the Arno, one through the Oltrarno to the south. Both are self-contained and can be done on separate days. If you have plenty of energy, they can be combined into a single long day.

Why walking is the right way to see Florence

The ZTL, the restricted traffic zone, covers the entire historic centre and limits what vehicles can do legally in the city. Buses run on limited routes and are rarely faster than walking for short distances inside the zone. Cycling is possible but the combination of irregular cobblestones and tourist foot traffic makes it impractical in the most densely visited areas.

The deeper reason to walk, though, is what you notice. Florence’s buildings reward close attention. The carved corbels over doorways, the heraldic stone shields mounted on palace facades, the vaulted archways leading to private courtyards: these are visible only to someone moving at walking pace and looking up from the street. A bus or a bike does not give you this.

Walking also corrects the most common tourist error in compact historic cities: taking transport to cover distances that are faster on foot. The Duomo to Ponte Vecchio is 900 metres. It takes about 12 minutes. The time you spend finding a bus stop and waiting exceeds the walking time.

Route one: the historic centre

This route begins at Santa Maria Novella station and ends at Piazza della Signoria. Total distance: approximately 1.8 km. Walking time with stops: around 2.5 to 3 hours.

From the station, walk east along Via dei Banchi. After four minutes, you reach Piazza Santa Maria Novella. The church of Santa Maria Novella faces the square: open Monday through Thursday 9:00-19:00, Friday 11:00-19:00, Saturday and Sunday 9:00-17:30, entry 7.50 euros. The facade was designed by Leon Battista Alberti and completed in 1470. Inside, Ghirlandaio’s fresco cycle in the Tornabuoni Chapel and Masaccio’s Trinity (the first mathematically correct use of one-point perspective in Western painting, from around 1427) are the highlights.

Continue east toward Piazza del Duomo, about 8 minutes from the church. The square demands at least 30 minutes: walk around all four sides of the cathedral exterior rather than just viewing it from one angle. The south facade, visible from Via dei Servi, is less photographed and worth seeing. The Baptistery’s east doors, the Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti (the ones visible today are high-quality reproductions; originals are in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo), face the main entrance of the cathedral.

Walk south along Via dei Calzaiuoli, Florence’s main pedestrian street. This 600-metre stretch connects the Duomo area to Piazza della Signoria. Midway, on your right, is Orsanmichele on Via dell’Arte della Lana. It opens at 10:00 with free admission. The exterior niches contain guild-commissioned statues by the major Renaissance sculptors, including Donatello, Ghiberti, and Verrocchio. The interior is free and quiet.

Arrive at Piazza della Signoria. This is Florence’s civic centre, unchanged in its essential character for 700 years. The Loggia dei Lanzi at the east end is a free open-air sculpture arcade. The Palazzo Vecchio on the north side of the square is open 9:00-23:00 in summer and 9:00-19:00 in winter (entry 12.50 euros). The copy of Michelangelo’s David stands in its original outdoor position, where the original stood from 1504 to 1873.

From Piazza della Signoria, continue five minutes west along the Arno embankment to Ponte Vecchio.

Route two: the Oltrarno to San Miniato

This route begins at Ponte Vecchio and ends at the church of San Miniato al Monte. Total distance: approximately 3.5 km with about 70 metres of elevation gain. Walking time with stops: approximately 2 to 2.5 hours.

Cross Ponte Vecchio and walk south along Via Guicciardini. Turn right almost immediately onto Piazza Santa Felicita. The small church here opens at 9:30 with free admission. It contains Pontormo’s Deposition (c. 1525-1528), one of the most striking Mannerist paintings in the city. The figure of the young man supporting Christ, shown from behind, is frequently reproduced. Seeing it in the quiet of this small chapel is a different experience from seeing it in a print.

Continue south and west to Palazzo Pitti. The piazza in front gives a strong sense of the building’s scale: the main facade is 205 metres wide. The Galleria Palatina opens at 8:15 and costs 16 euros. The Boboli Gardens entrance is around the left side of the palace and costs 10 euros separately. If time is limited, the gardens alone are worth the detour for their Renaissance design and city views.

Walk east for about seven minutes to Piazza Santo Spirito. This is the social centre of the Oltrarno, with a small daily market in the mornings and several bars and restaurants around its edges. The basilica of Santo Spirito at number 30 opens at 10:00 with free admission. Brunelleschi designed the interior, and the proportions of the nave arcade are considered some of the most precise in Italian Renaissance architecture.

From Piazza Santo Spirito, head southeast toward Piazzale Michelangelo. The most interesting route goes via Via di Belvedere, past the old city walls and the Forte di Belvedere. This section is about 1.5 km and climbs steadily for 25 minutes. The fort is occasionally open for temporary exhibitions.

From Piazzale Michelangelo, follow the signs uphill for a further 10 minutes to San Miniato al Monte. The church opens at 9:30 with free admission. The Romanesque facade, in white and green marble, dates from the 11th century. The interior retains original floor panels and an inlaid marble choir screen. The terrace in front of the church offers one of the finest views of Florence, with fewer visitors than the piazzale below.

Distances you need to know

Walking distances from Santa Maria Novella station to key points:

• Station to Piazza del Duomo: 900 metres, about 12 minutes
• Station to Ponte Vecchio: 1.5 km, about 18 minutes
• Station to the Uffizi: 1.6 km, about 20 minutes
• Station to Piazzale Michelangelo: 3.5 km, about 45 minutes
• Duomo to the Accademia: 650 metres, about 8 minutes
• Uffizi to Ponte Vecchio: 250 metres, about 3 minutes
• Palazzo Pitti to San Miniato al Monte: 1.5 km, about 25 minutes uphill

These are direct distances on the most logical routes. Real times vary depending on crowds and how many times you stop.

What to bring for a walking day

Good footwear is the most important item. Florentine streets are paved with pietra serena or irregular stone sets, both of which are hard on feet over long distances. Running shoes or light walking shoes are appropriate. Leather-soled shoes or sandals are not.

Carry a small water bottle. Drinking fountains called nasoni are found throughout the city, marked on most paper and digital maps. The water is drinkable and free.

Download an offline map before you leave your accommodation. Mobile signal can be poor in narrow streets and museum basements. Google Maps and Maps.me both allow offline area downloads.

Dress in layers in spring and autumn. Florence temperatures in April can range from 10 degrees in the morning to 22 degrees by midday. Both conditions are possible on the same day.

A daypack large enough for water, a light jacket, and your tickets is sufficient. If you are arriving or departing on your walking day, most central accommodation offers luggage storage.

Your starting point for both routes

The Key is at Via Cittadella 22, five minutes from Santa Maria Novella station on foot. Both routes described here begin within easy walking distance of that address. You can leave your accommodation and be at the start of either route within minutes, without any transit.

Full details at The Key.