Four hours in Florence
Florence was founded in 59 BC, and in the 2,000 years since, the capital city of Italy’s Tuscany region has produced an abundance of art, architecture and culture. It’s the birthplace of the Renaissance and home to some of history’s greatest minds and creators, including Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli.
Few cities pack as many masterpieces per square foot as Florence. The Uffizi holds over 100,000 artworks, a fraction of which are on display. Its landmarks are just as extraordinary: the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio—and that’s barely scratching the surface. It’s also the place that spawned fashion powerhouses Gucci, Ferragamo, Pucci and Cavalli.
Clearly, there’s so much to see in Florence. And I had exactly four hours to experience it.
I was sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas, which had docked that day in La Spezia. I had several shore excursions to choose from, including guided tours that combined Florence and Pisa, but I was determined to go around on my own. That meant picking between the two, and for me, it was an easy choice: Florence.
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Everyone I talked to agreed. “You have to go to Florence,” I heard over and over again.
I booked a tour that gave me time to walk around independently while guaranteeing they’d take me back to the ship on time. Our guide Natascha gave us a warm welcome, telling us, repeatedly, to let her know if we needed her help planning our visit.
Two-hour ride
I spent much of the two-hour ride to Florence staring out the window, admiring the rolling hills of Tuscany and its terracotta rooftops and fields of yellow flowers.
While on the road, Natascha approached each passenger to check if they had questions for her. I only had one: “Is it true that Vivoli serves the best gelato in Florence?”
“No,” was her emphatic reply. “You see it on TikTok, on Instagram, but no.”
She told me to go to a place called Perché No! instead.
I overheard a couple tell Natascha that they had purchased advance tickets to some museums and galleries. I know Florence has plenty of them but that’s not how I was going to spend my time there. My plan was to eat and drink.
The bus rounded a corner and I gasped. The bird’s-eye view of Florence was breathtaking.
We got off the bus and headed to Piazzale Michelangelo for a better look. I walked up to the bronze replica of Michelangelo’s famous marble statue of David, admiring his butt. It wouldn’t be the last time a statue’s behind captivated me that day.
Florence seemed to stretch endlessly below us—the Duomo and its enormous terracotta dome rising above the rooftops, the Arno snaking through the city.
We made our way downhill to San Niccolò, a neighborhood along the river, then crossed the Ponte alle Grazie to continue our exploration.
Wine windows
I smiled when I spotted an Amy Winehouse portrait on an alley wall. It showed my favorite singer wearing a scuba mask. Later, I would find out that it’s part of a series called “L’arte sa nuotare” (“Art Knows How to Swim”) by street artist Blub.
Natascha stopped our group to show us one of Florence’s buchette del vino or wine windows—little openings in the walls of old palazzos through which Florentines once bought wine.
We followed Natascha to Piazza Santa Croce, the historic square that’s the home of the Basilica of Santa Croce. The basilica, known as the Temple of the Italian Glories, is the burial place of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo Galilei.
I paused in front of the statue of Dante Alighieri which was built in 1865 to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the poet’s birth. I was obsessed with Inferno in high school so it felt like a little full-circle moment for my teenage self.
Natascha led us to Galleria Michelangelo, a leather shop that claims to be “the last business in town still having Florentine craftsmen.”
The owner told us that because of the great shopping there, “Florence is a woman’s paradise and a man’s disaster.”
He showed us some of their creations, and then, finally, we were let loose.
With Google Maps guiding me, I wandered through Florence’s alleys, walking in and out of shops, until I reached my destination: All’antico Vinaio. I was there for schiacciata, a flatbread that they stuff with all kinds of deliciousness.
There are many places to get schiacciata sandwiches in Florence, and strangers on the internet continue to fight over which place serves the best ones. All’Antico Vinaio, a legendary sandwich shop that has been around since 1991, is one of the hotspots. It’s become so popular they’ve had to open multiple stores on the same street to keep up with the demand.
I got lucky—the lines weren’t too crazy when I walked up.
They had a lot of sandwiches to choose from. I was hypnotized by the tantalizing display of ingredients behind the counter — rows of cheeses, cured meats and more.
I picked the Dante—schiacciata stuffed with capocollo, stracchino, truffle and arugula—and devoured it at the counter where a kind American family made space for me.
Time for gelato
I love walking in Florence. There’s always something interesting around the corner—store after store, square after square, statue after statue. I stumbled upon the antique carousel in Piazza della Repubblica. Steps away, a band with a horns section played an upbeat song.
It was time for dessert—gelato, of course. The afternoon heat called for it, and Florence, after all, is said to be where gelato was invented in the 16th century. Perche No! had a lot of flavors ready for scooping but I went for my usual order, no matter the city: pistachio and salted caramel.
They did not disappoint. Natascha was right—my cone was an absolute delight.
Everywhere, I spotted people in line for something delicious. But I was stuffed. It was time to drink. Ever since I became part of the bar industry, checking out the best cocktail bars has become a must whenever I travel.
I walked to Piazza della Signoria and spent way too much time staring at the marble butt of Hercules. The Fountain of Neptune was also glorious to behold.
But I was there for Gucci Giardino, Gucci’s cafe and cocktail bar, no. 29 on Europe’s 50 Best Bars 2026 and no. 91 in the world.
I grabbed a table by the window and ordered the Finché c’è speranza, a reimagined gin basil smash made with fresh kiwi juice and tequila instead of gin. A large ice cube, stamped with the Gucci logo, kept it chilled. It was refreshing—the perfect drink for such a hot day.
As is customary in Italy, my cocktail came with stuzzichini, or little bar snacks, including some olives from Sorrento.
Confession time: I’ve never liked olives. I was always convinced I hated them—I pick them off pizza slices and flick them to the side with my fork when I’m eating pasta. It turns out I just hadn’t met the right olive yet. Because I bit into one of those Sorrento olives and my tastebuds lit up. They were briny, plump, and intensely savory. I couldn’t stop nibbling on them.
I spent quite a bit of time at Gucci Giardino, nursing my drink, enjoying the olives, and staring out at Piazza della Signoria. Before I left I asked the bar team to sign a coaster for me to add to our coaster wall in El Gato.
On my way to the next bar, I passed by The Porcellino. People feed this bronze boar coins and rub its snout to wish for their return to Florence. It’s been rubbed so much its snout is much shinier than the rest of its body.
Birthplace of the Negroni
Florence is also the birthplace of the Negroni. It is believed that in the early 1920s, a count named Camillo Negroni asked bartender Fosco Scarselli to add a little gin to his Americano, creating what would become the classic cocktail.
Giacosa 1815 carries on this legacy, serving the count’s version of the Negroni along with many other versions of the drink.
The thing is, I’m not a Negroni girl. Spirit-forward drinks are not my jam. Luckily, Giacosa 1815 also serves a Bellini Negroni, a Negroni Colada and a Cosmo Negroni on the menu. I was considering ordering one of those lighter drinks but Sergio, who welcomed me to the bar, said, “Madame, since it is your first time, you should try our house Negroni.”
He promised that if I didn’t like it, he would replace it. Charmed by his confidence, I agreed.
Sergio served my Negroni Giacosa with a smile. It was a mix of Bombay Sapphire Gin, Martini Rubino and Campari. I stared at the beautiful red liquid in the glass, its ice stamped with the Giacosa G, feeling daunted. I took a tiny sip and, to my surprise, I really liked it. Negroni Giacosa is the first Negroni I actually enjoyed—and finished. I drank every drop.
My Negroni of course came with stuzzichini: pop beans, more delicious olives (I guess I love olives now) and little cheese-filled cones dotted with a bitter red jelly. Later, Sergio would tell me that it’s actually Negroni jelly. Brilliant.
I had to get a Giacosa coaster signed for our wall as well. I really enjoyed the team at Giacosa 1815, they were warm and funny.
There was another bar I wanted to go to—Locale Firenze. I’ve heard wonderful things about it, but alas, it opened at 6 and I had to be back on the bus by 4.
It was time to go.
I walked to the meeting place—the Apple store in Piazza della Repubblica—and then we all trooped back to the bus. Sad the visit was coming to an end, I walked silently, trying to absorb as much of the scenery as I could.
As the bus moved and the Tuscan countryside rolled past the windows, I leaned my head back, stuffed, buzzed and happy.
Four hours isn’t enough to fully explore Florence—but it’s more than enough to fall in love with it.
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