48 Hours in Florence, Italy

My first weekend trip during my study abroad program was to Florence, Italy with five of my friends from school. I fell in love with Florence as soon as we exited the train station. The city was absolutely beautiful everywhere I looked. I would soon fall even more in love with Florence throughout my short stay.

We arrived in the evening and made our way to our Airbnb, which was located in a quiet area away from the city center. This was my first ever stay in an Airbnb, and it did not disappoint! The place had a very modern feel but had some classic Italian touches too. After settling in we went to grab pizza from a nearby restaurant. As expected, it was amazing! We had some wine with dinner, but we all made sure not to overindulge since we had an early morning ahead of us.

The next morning, we woke up early and grabbed some pastries from a local bakery (which were also amazing). Then we made our way to the Duomo, albeit with a few hiccups along the way. We had prepaid for our tickets since we heard that this would speed up our wait in line, but we hadn’t thought to print these tickets before arriving (rookie travel mistake!). So, we had to scramble to find somewhere to print them. Fortunately a very nice man at a nearby tour company let us use his printer. Then we were finally ready to see the Duomo (well, to wait in line to see the Duomo).

View of the Duomo from a nearby side street

Even on a cloudy day, the outside of the Duomo was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. Visiting the Duomo is still one of my fondest travel memories, second only to the Sistine Chapel. Although it was gorgeous on the outside, nothing could prepare me for just how incredible it was on the inside. We wound our way to the top of the dome, taking in the many staircases and windows scattered throughout, the church down below, and the beautiful paintings on the ceiling of the dome. Just as beautiful was the view of the surrounding city when we finally made it to the top. I could see the city for miles and could have stayed at the top, taking in the scenery all day.

View from the top of the Duomo (facing Giotto’s bell tower)

While I had already seen enough of Florence to fall in love with the city, we had a tour to catch – to Tuscany! We took an afternoon trip to a winery in the Tuscan countryside, complete with a cellar tour and wine tasting. Our guide was very informative and personable and taught us all the basics of wine tasting – perfect for people like me who aren’t sommeliers! I would consider Tuscany a must-see during a trip to Florence. The countryside was just as beautiful as the city, and the wine was so good that I bought four bottles to ship home (when in Florence, right?). Before I knew it, the afternoon had gone by and we were headed back to the city.

The Tuscan countryside

We arrived back to the city just in time for dinner, where I had the most incredible pasta I have ever had. Seriously – I have tried finding the name of the restaurant multiple times since just so I can eat there again one day! Anyways, after dinner we went to a wine bar and enjoyed the evening before our last day in Florence.

Before I knew it, Sunday had arrived and we only had a few hours left to spend in the city. We chose to visit the Boboli Gardens, where we admired the landscaping and various sculptures. The gardens also gave us a different view of Florence than we had seen from the Duomo. And, it was finally sunny which was a plus! While the gardens weren’t my favorite attraction, they were fun to spend an hour or two visiting.

Boboli Gardens

As all vacations do, our time in Florence had come to an end. I was sad to leave the city behind and still hope that I will be able to visit again in the future. Everyone has their favorite cities, those that stick with them years after visiting and that they long to see again. For me, Florence is one of those places. I can only hope to be fortunate enough to go back again someday.