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Brunelleschi’s famous cupola is touristy and not for anyone with vertigo, but the view from this Florence icon gives a first-time visitor a wonderful introduction to the city’s skyline. The steep stairs take you first to a narrow balcony, from which you can see the pastel Vasari-designed frescoes covering the dome’s inner surface, and then to the top, where you can marvel at the red-roofed cityscape below. The brilliance of the architecture is beautifully described in Ross King’s best-selling Brunelleschi’s Dome. Arrive just before closing time (6:20 P.M. during the week, 5 P.M. on Saturdays), and not only will you beat the crowds, but when you descend you will be practically alone in the haunting cathedral. The cupola ascent is closed on Sundays.

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Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiori)

The Uffizzi can be maddening, what with outdated galleries, uninspired audio guides, disgruntled staff, dimly lit halls and an insane timed-ticket system that puts you on a line no matter how savvy your planning. And who thought that the array of unrelated shops (including a wine store and a Ferragamo boutique) you have to traverse before exiting was a good idea? But of course the art is so extraordinary that all of these inconveniences quickly fade away. Most of the small rooms on the second floor interconnect in a horseshoe pattern, and mapping out a plan of attack is crucial. Don’t try to see everything: instead, pick a handful of galleries, and read up on the works beforehand or bring a good guidebook along (the audio tour is a complete waste of money). Indagare members can contact our booking teams to arrange a visit with an expert guide, including ones specially trained to educate and engage children.

The busiest gallery is the one that holds Botticelli’s Primavera and Birth of Venus. Like the Mona Lisa, in <a href="/destinations/europe/france/paris/">Paris</a>, these works always have crowds standing in front of them, but it’s worth waiting for your chance at an unobstructed view; they are stunning in their meticulous attention to detail. The da Vincis, Raphaels, Veroneses, Titians and Michelangelos also draw crowds. But don’t forget the other famous Renaissance names: Duccio, Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Lippi and Verrocchio.

Getting into the Uffizi is a notorious nightmare. Here are the four ways to manage it.
<ul>
<li>Without a Reservation. Line up at door 2, and be prepared to wait for hours.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>With a Reservation. Reserve a specific day and time online (www.b-ticket.com/b-ticket/uffizi). Take your confirmation printout to door 3, where you will be given tickets allowing you to line up at door. You still have to stand on line, but the wait is much shorter. There’s an additional €4 processing fee for this option. Do not be talked into ordering through your hotel; my husband and I did so, paying €20 per ticket, and still had to pick them up ourselves and stand on line.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>With a Guide. Sign up with Indagare’s preferred tour operator in Florence for a scholar-led tour, and even though you will still have to wait on the reserved-ticket line and contend with other visitors, you will be with an expert who can lead you to the most important rooms and answer all your questions about Renaissance painting.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>As a Donor. A gift of $500 to the nonprofit Friends of Florence, which funds the restoration of many historic sites in the city, gives you off-hour to the Uffizi, as well as to the Galleria dell’Accademia, during off-hours.</li>
</ul>

Facade at Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy - Courtesy Chris Wee

Galleria degli Uffizi

This massive palazzo (assumed to have been designed by Brunelleschi but also attributed to his student Fancelli) is surrounded by the sprawling <a href="/destinations/europe/italy/florence/oltrarno/activities/boboli-gardens/">Boboli Gardens</a> and is the largest museum complex in Florence. The offerings include the Galleria Palatina, which contains works by Raphael, Titian and Rubens; the Royal Apartments, fourteen rooms that were formerly the home of the Medici and Lorraine families; the Silver Museum; and the Costume Gallery, a fun smaller gallery to visit with children. Indagare members can contact our bookings team to arrange expert guides, including those specially trained to educate and engage children. Closed Mondays.

Aerial View -   Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy - Courtesy Sai L. Ko

Palazzo Pitti

These mid-sixteenth-century terraced gardens, behind the Palazzo Pitti, are a nice escape from the crowds in the centro storico. The gardens contain lots of sculptures, fountains and grand allées, making them a fun place to take kids. (Make a list of sights including the Neptune fountain, Egyptian obelisk and sculpture of the court dwarf Pietro Barbino and then make a game out of finding them together.) A fantastic café with a terrace is housed in a lime-green building originally constructed in 1775 for Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Hapsburg-Lorraine, hence its Germanic name: Kaffeehaus. Its hours vary, but it’s worth a stroll to the eastern edge of the gardens (near the exit to the Belvedere fort) to find out if it’s open.

Outside view - Boboli Gardens, Florence, Italy  - credit Stefan Bauer

Boboli Gardens

Riccardo Barthel's interior design shop in Florence was already a must-visit with a spectacular collection of antiques (mostly from the region) and custom pieces from entire kitchens to mosaic floors. Now the design guru has opened a terrific cooking school in conjunction with Arturo Dori, the former chef of foodie favorite Cavolo Nero, located above the shop with a state-of-the-art kitchen and dining room for post-lesson feasts, the space even has a grill for students to learn how to perfectly barbeque the region’s famous bistecca Fiorentina. Reserve a class well in advance and once there, don’t miss the kitchen-focused shop for chef-worthy knives, Tuscan tableware and delicate Florentine glasses.

Interior View - Desinare Cooking School,Florence, Italy

Desinare Cooking School

See & Do

Florence has had its fair share of impressive hotel openings over the last several years, including the palatial <a title="Four Seasons Hotel Florence" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/italy/florence/off-the-beaten-path-florence/hotels/four-seasons-hotel-florence/">Four Seasons</a> in 2008 and lavish <a title="Il Salviatino" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/italy/florence/off-the-beaten-path-florence/hotels/il-salviatino-2/">Il Salviatino</a> in 2010. In early 2014, a new star has been born along the river Arno, belonging to none other than Florentine style mavens, the Ferragamos. Just steps from the Uffizzi and Piazza della Signora, Lungarno Suites has been remodeled into “Portrait Firenze,” a larger and sleeker version of the debut <a title="Portrait Suites" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/italy/rome/historic-center/hotels/portrait-suites/">Portrait</a> in Rome.

Upon entering Portrait Firenze, guests are immediately transported to their own pied à terre in the heart of the city. Michele Bönan – the mastermind behind <a title="Portrait Suites" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/italy/rome/historic-center/hotels/portrait-suites/">Portrait Roma</a>, <a title="J.K. Place Firenze" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/italy/florence/historic-center-florence/hotels/j-k-place-firenze/">JK Firenze</a> and <a title="Palazzo Vecchietti" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/italy/florence/historic-center-florence/hotels/palazzo-vecchietti/">Palazzo Vecchietti</a> – expertly crafted each of the hotel’s thirty-seven suites into chic mini apartments. Designed in gray neutral tones with pops of metallic, turquoise and black, suites feel comfortable and lived-in despite being brand new. Books sit on the shelves, framed photographs adorn the walls and cashmere throws are strategically placed, tempting guests. The real game changer, however, are the views, which from over half the rooms overlook the Ponte Vecchio, Arno and city beyond.

Bönan has brought Portrait to life, offering guests a throwback to Italy’s past and leap into the future. Throughout the hotel, vintage photographs portray the heyday of Italian fashion in the fifties and sixties. Spotlights on Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco, Maria Callas and Salvatore Ferragamo illuminate the rooms and public spaces. As a contrast, modern technology – iPad check-ins, ultra-flat screen TVs, and in-room Bluetooth – catapults guests back into the 21st century. The juxtaposition of old and new blend harmoniously to create one sexy hotel.

What the hotel lacks in amenities it makes up for in design. Gym fanatics may obtain passes to a local facility and spa-goers can book a treatment in their room or head to sister property <a title="Continentale" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/italy/florence/historic-center-florence/hotels/continentale/">Continentale</a> next door. The ground-floor restaurant, Caffe dell’Oro features an excellent breakfast spread and all-day dining, but with Florence’s top restaurants just steps away, guests typically dine off property.

Lounge at Portrait Firenze, Florence, Italy

Portrait Firenze

The Four Seasons Florence occupies two lovingly refurbished mansions with 116 rooms and suites spread between the main 15th-century Palazzo della Gherardesca and the 16th-century Conventino. The two buildings bookend a beautifully groomed eleven-acre park, where enormous trees offer shade and wildflower-dotted lawns create a veritable oasis in the midst of Florence. There’s a large outdoor swimming pool area (with adjacent whirlpool tub), a freestanding spa and a gym for guests.

No two of the Palazzo rooms are alike, and many offer original details, like friezes and bas-reliefs, as well as brightly colored frescoes and vividly painted ceilings. Considering the wealth of artwork and intricate architectural details including restored frescos, skylights, balconies and small terraces, it’s no wonder that the restoration of the palazzo and the convent took eight years (the Four Seasons opened in June 2008).

The public spaces are grand and formal and offer a nice place from which to escape the hustle and bustle of the city without sacrificing grand Florentine style. The gardens are a real highlight of the property as they are expansive and well manicured; in the early spring they are filled with blooming wisteria. The location is plus or minus, depending on what you’re looking for in a hotel. It’s about a 10-minute walk to get to the Duomo (but mentally, you feel removed from the busy centro storico). And to get to the excellent restaurants in the Oltrarno area, you need to take a taxi. On the other hand, the geographically removed setting allows you to enjoy the spacious grounds, outdoor pool and expansive spa with products from the local <a href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/italy/florence/historic-center-florence/shops/officina-profumo-farmaceutica-santa-maria-novella">Farmaceutica Santa Maria Novella</a>. The hotel’s Il Palagio restaurant, helmed by Executive Chef Vito Mollica, has earned one Michelin star.

Suite at Four Seasons Hotel Florence, Florence, italy

Four Seasons Hotel Florence

With just 45 rooms and suites, the Villa San Michele is a retreat perched in the hills of Fiesole, a ten-minute drive from the center of Florence. The rooms and suites are scattered throughout the outer buildings and main structure – a converted 15th century monastery with a façade by Michelangelo – and are traditionally decorated with rich dark woods, subtle floral patterns and antique furniture. The expansive specialty suites in the main building have beautiful views over the city (Napoleon stayed in one during a trip to Italy). Limonaia, built as the villa’s orangery in the 17th century, can be turned into a three-bedroom villa with private gardens and plunge pool for a larger family. The heated pool and large open garden are perfect for relaxing after a day of sightseeing, made easy by the private shuttles that run from the property into the city every half hour.

<a href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/italy/florence/off-the-beaten-path-florence/restaurants/la-loggia">La Loggia</a>, Villa San Michele’s renowned al fresco restaurant, has one of the most romantic views of Florence. Guests can enjoy meals on the terrace or try their hand at Tuscan cuisine in one of Villa San Michele’s famed cooking classes, and wonderful kid’s amenities make the property family-friendly. But the best way to spend one’s time is lounging in the pristine tiered gardens, sprinkled with lemon trees and white loungers

Exterior view - Belmond Villa San Michele, Tuscany, Italy

Belmond Villa San Michele

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