There are many touristy things to do in Florence, from walking up the lookout at the Duomo, to the famed Boboli gardens, strolling down Ponte Vecchio for an eyeful of gems and gold, there are just as many things to do for free as there are paid. Going to the Uffizi is a day of itself. Without a tour group allowing advanced entry, consider paying for a friends of the Uffizi pass, in addition to letting you skip the line, which alone makes it worth the extra cost, you can access the museum any time throughout your stay and the pass gives access to other attractions throughout the city for free or at a reduced cost. Florence is covered with marks of its Renaissance history and contributions from the most celebrated artists of that era, a trip to the Uffizi is a deeper understanding of the movement and the history that left its mark on the world. Occasionally there are re-enactments that occur, heading up the steps of the Palazzo Vecchio which reminds people of the history that happened in and around the building where the Uffizi is housed.
Just walking around Florence is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the beauty and history the city is home to, for those on a shoe string budget there are even free museums with sculptures to enjoy for a truly Renaissance experience. Keep an eye for minor details on buildings that give hints to the past.
One thing to look out for in the major tourist Piazzas:
Ombrello?
Selfie-Stick?
Ombrello?
Ombrello?
AGHHHHHH!!!!!! NON! NON! NON!
It is so easy to get frustrated at the hawkers in Florence, they distract from the beauty and get in your face trying to sell you an umbrella even when youβre holding one. Engage with even one of them and you will be mobbed as an easy target, worse, attract the attention of those working with pickpockets. Not all of them are bad but they are like used car salesman. If you are trying to get from one place to the next walk with purpose, looking straight ahead and do not even bother to make eye contact or apologize as you turn them down. As a Canadian, it was difficult to do this and to be forceful with my βNoβ but they will quickly move onto the next person, no hard feelings, they just need to make a sale. Usually if one has seen you be direct as you turn down one of their fellow hawkers they will try to move onto easier targets. The most difficult to say no to are the older women who wrap you in scarves and try to keep you there, showering you with compliments, like sharks to blood more will come up to you. Hawkers are unavoidable in any Italian city but Florence more so. I only went shopping for touristy trinkets once, I needed every ounce of patience to get through it. Some people were lovely and others would not take no for an answer even going as far as to follow me through the market demanding to know why I did not want to purchase their wares, when it becomes clear that you are not going to be guilted into buying their wares they eventually leave.
Bartering works only in some situations, but I managed to get a couple hundred euros knocked off of a leather jacket because I made friends with the vendor. I passed his shop on the way to school every day and would say hello while gazing longingly at the same jacket, he caught me at a moment of weakness and I tried it on but confessed it was far too expensive so after a length of chatting and bartering I bought it.
Another place to get away with this is the leather market beside Piazza della Republica, the piazza with the carousel. Leather and fashion are big commodities in Florence and there is not a much better place to buy purses, shoes or leather jackets. I bought a pair of kitchen shoes in Florence and it took three years before they finally deteriorated, they are, to this day, hands down the best kitchen shoes I have ever owned. Only recently did I need to get the combat boots I bought in Florence resoled. I walked all over Europe and the Canadian Rockies in them. If you are looking for quality wardrobe staples there is no better place to find them than in Florence.