Experiential Guide • Florence 🇮🇹

Things to Do in Florence: Rooftops, Renaissance Art & Experiences

From a morning visit to the Accademia Gallery and the Cathedral to sunset views from San Miniato and a scenic aperitivo: the complete guide to experiencing Florence at its best.

Rooftops & Panoramic Viewpoints in Florence 🇮🇹

Real places, with address and position on the map

6 Places

Piazza Santa Maria Novella — Photo: Zairon · CC BY 4.0

Ognissanti & Lungarno

99%

Iconic Glass Rooftop & Arno View€€€€

Cosimo Rooftop Restaurant & Bar (The Excelsior) — formerly SE·STO on Arno

The rooftop of The Excelsior, a Luxury Collection Hotel (formerly The Westin Excelsior) was refurbished and renamed Cosimo in summer 2025: same address and vantage point as SE·STO on Arno, a rooftop garden with a glass structure and a 360-degree view of the Arno, the historic skyline and the Tuscan hills. Modern Tuscan cuisine, with homemade pasta and Florentine steak served tableside, and a cocktail list inspired by the Medici.

View: Fiume Arno, Ponte Vecchio & Cupola del Brunelleschi

Ponte VecchioCupola del DuomoCampanile di GiottoPalazzo Vecchio

Price range:€24 - €35 per signature cocktail / €110 dinner

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Santa Maria Novella & Centro

97%

Historic Skyline & Tuscan Flavors€€€

B-Roof (Grand Hotel Baglioni)

An iconic institution on the 5th floor of the Grand Hotel Baglioni. Multi-level garden terraces lined with stone balustrades frame close-up views of the Renaissance domes and tile roofs of Florence.

View: Cupola del Brunelleschi & Cappelle Medicee

Cupola del DuomoCampanile di GiottoCappelle MediceeBasilica di San Lorenzo

Price range:€18 - €28 cocktails / €70 - €95 Tuscan dinner

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Florence Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore — Photo: Jordiferrer · CC BY-SA 4.0

Piazza Signoria & Calimala

98%

Triple-Level Garden & DJ Beats€€€

Angel Roofbar & Dining (Hotel Calimala)

Spanning across three panoramic levels on top of the Gothic Palazzo Calimala. Features lush floral landscaping, sun beds, craft cocktails by international mixologists, and unmatched views from Palazzo Vecchio to the Oltrarno.

View: Torre di Arnolfo (Palazzo Vecchio) & Duomo

Palazzo VecchioCupola del BrunelleschiBadia FiorentinaBargello

Price range:€20 - €30 per cocktail & tapas

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Piazza Santo Spirito, Oltrarno — Photo: Armin Kleiner · CC BY-SA 4.0

Oltrarno & Santo Spirito

96%

Renaissance Loggia & Oltrarno Charm€€€

Loggia Roof Bar (Hotel Palazzo Guadagni)

An authentic aristocratic open loggia built in 1505 by Cronaca. Overlooking the bohemian charm of Piazza Santo Spirito and the green hills of Bellosguardo. Sip a Negroni in pure Florentine Renaissance grandeur.

View: Piazza Santo Spirito, Tetti dell'Oltrarno & Bellosguardo

Basilica di Santo SpiritoPalazzo PittiCollina di Bellosguardo

Price range:€16 - €24 per cocktail & appetizers

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Duomo & Bargello

98%

Direct Duomo Dome Intimacy€€€

Divina Terrazza (Grand Hotel Cavour)

Located on the top floor of Grand Hotel Cavour, this rooftop gives you an astonishing, intimate perspective directly into the ribs and terracotta tiles of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral.

View: Cupola del Brunelleschi (front-row close up)

Cupola del DuomoBargelloBadia Fiorentina

Price range:€18 - €28 per cocktail

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Ponte Vecchio and the Arno — Photo: MenkinAlRire · CC BY-SA 4.0

Ponte Vecchio & Signoria

100%

Ferragamo Luxury & Medieval Tower€€€€

La Terrazza Lounge Bar (Continentale Hotel)

Part of the Ferragamo family's Lungarno Collection, La Terrazza sits atop the medieval Consorti Tower. Offers front-row views of Ponte Vecchio, the Vasari Corridor, and the sunset over the Arno.

View: Ponte Vecchio, Corridoio Vasariano & Arno

Ponte VecchioCorridoio VasarianoFiume ArnoPalazzo Pitti

Price range:€25 - €38 per cocktail & luxury finger food

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Cocktail Bars & Aperitivo in Florence 🇮🇹

Locals’ favorite spots in Trastevere, Monti and the historic center

4 Venues

Piazza della Repubblica / Duomo#1

€14 - €18 signature cocktail or glass of Chianti Classico€€€

Caffè Gilli 1733

The oldest café in Florence: historic Belle Époque stuccos, Murano chandeliers, and a monumental carved wood counter. Here the ritual of the Negroni has deep historical roots.

Must try: The classic Florentine Negroni prepared to perfection with Tuscan botanicals

Local tip: Take an outdoor marble table at golden hour to admire the illuminated triumphal arch of Piazza della Repubblica.

Via Roma 1r, 50123 Firenze

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Piazza Santa Croce — Photo: Palickap · CC BY 4.0

Santa Croce / Bargello#2

€22 - €28 experiential signature cocktails€€€€

Locale Firenze (World's 50 Best Bars)

A Renaissance palace featuring frescoed ceilings on the ground floor and 13th-century medieval cellars below. World-class avant-garde mixology led by master cocktail creators.

Must try: Renaissance cocktail served inside the 13th-century subterranean vaults of Palazzo Concini

Local tip: Ask the bartender for a private view of the medieval stone cellars excavated in the 1200s.

Via delle Seggiole 12r, 50122 Firenze

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Santa Maria Novella / Piazza San Pancrazio#3

€12 - €16 cocktails with rare Italian artisanal spirits€€

Manifattura (100% Italian Spirits & Amari)

A tribute to the excellence of Italian herbalism and historic distilling. 1950s walnut bar counter, vintage vinyl gramophone sounds, and passionate staff.

Must try: Twist on the Negroni made with artisanal Tuscan vermouth and alpine herbal bitters

Local tip: Zero foreign spirits: this temple serves exclusively vermouth, amari, and botanical distillates from the Italian peninsula.

Piazza di San Pancrazio 1, 50123 Firenze

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Santo Spirito / Oltrarno#4

€16 - €20 bespoke prohibition cocktail€€€

Rasputin (Secret Speakeasy)

Florence's premier authentic secret bar: crimson velvet, dripping wax gothic candelabras, and vintage jazz for an intimate, timeless evening.

Must try: Smoked oak rye cocktail with amber vermouth and botanical bitters

Local tip: Look for the discreet brass bell beside an iron grate near Santo Spirito; knock softly.

Piazza Santo Spirito area (Secret Oltrarno Doorway), Firenze

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Recommended Experiences & Activities in Florence 🇮🇹

Free tours, art masterpieces and wellness, picked by the editors

4 Experiences

Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo — Photo: Andrzej Otrębski · CC BY-SA 4.0

Art & Museums

€45 / person (ticket included)2 hours

Uffizi Gallery: Masterpieces by Botticelli, Leonardo, and Michelangelo with Art Historian Guide

Priority skip-the-line access and guided tour of the treasures of the Uffizi Gallery. Discover the secrets of Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation, and Michelangelo's Tondo Doni.

Piazzale degli Uffizi 6, Florence Center

Booked priority skip-the-line access

Detailed explanation of Botticelli's Venus

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Unique Experiences

€38 / person1 hour 45 min

Brunelleschi's Dome & Secret Terraces of the Florence Duomo with Exclusive Climb

Climb the 463 steps between the two shells of the largest masonry dome ever built in the world. Admire Vasari's Last Judgment frescoes up close and enjoy the highest panoramic view over all of Florence.

Piazza del Duomo, Florence

Reserved climb without waiting through medieval secret passages

View just centimeters away from Vasari's frescoes

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Art & Museums

€32 / person1 hour 15 min

Accademia Gallery: Michelangelo's Original David and the Prisoners

Experience the thrill of standing before Michelangelo's original David, sculpted from a single block of Carrara marble. Discover the unfinished masterpieces of the Prisoners and the 19th-century plaster cast gallery.

Via Ricasoli 58/60, Florence

Priority skip-the-line ticket

All the anatomical and historical details of David

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Cloister of San Lorenzo — Photo: Yair-haklai · CC BY-SA 4.0

Food Tours

€55 / person (all tastings included)2 hours 30 min

Street Food & Historic Trattorias: Lampredotto, Schiacciata, Cantucci, and Chianti DOCG

A culinary journey through the popular neighborhoods of San Lorenzo and Sant'Ambrogio. Taste the lampredotto sandwich with green salsa, the famous stuffed Tuscan olive oil schiacciata, Pienza pecorino cheeses, cantucci with vin santo, and a glass of Chianti in historic wine bars featuring a wine window.

Mercato Centrale / San Lorenzo Neighborhood, Florence

6 culinary stops with over 8 authentic tastings

Visit to the legendary working wine window

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