Florence may be one of the most popular cities to visit in all of Italy, but even in the highly-touristed Cradle of the Renaissance, there are still plenty of (semi) secret spots and hidden gems to discover... which is extremely helpful considering that Florence is more crowded with visitors than ever!
Florence has been one of our favorite cities for years (if you add up our 10+ trips, we’ve spent months there), and while it certainly still is, I have to admit that our most recent trip there in the fall of 2024 left us more overwhelmed by the number of crowds there than ever before.
We frequently found ourselves craving quiet corners and peaceful places where we could enjoy Florence off the beaten path, and we’re sure many other visitors feel the same way (I even added a section in our recommended one day Florence itinerary offering an alternate route to those looking for a bit of extra breathing room).
If you’re looking for fascinating hidden gems in Florence, we’ve rounded up some of the best secret Florence spots here, ranging from the truly obscure to some places that are reasonably well-known, but much less crowded than their more popular counterparts.
We originally published this blog post in partnership with Moon Guides, but we have significantly expanded it after many more trips to Florence.
Here’s how to make the most of Florence off the beaten path!
Table of Contents
Beautiful Hidden Gems in Florence, Italy
Step inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.
As the first major basilica you’ll pass after exiting the Florence train station (they do share a name, after all!), you might expect this to be one of the top places to visit in Florence… but while the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is certainly well-known, a very small fraction of travelers visiting Florence step inside.
I suspect that this is at least in part due to travelers hurrying past it to reach the iconic Duomo, plus the fact that there’s an entrance fee (7.5 Euro as of the time of writing), but this is a place worth pausing for!
A Dominican basilica dating to the late 1200s, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is best known for its 15th-century frescoes (especially the Filippo Strozzi Chapel and Tornabuoni Chapel). Its cloisters are also stunning and peaceful.
We were surprised by just how much there was to see here–there are various chapels off of the cloisters, not just in the main building–and how long we wanted to linger. The Spanish Chapel from the 1300s captured our attention in particular!
There was no line and no requirement to pre-book tickets here, either–a breath of fresh air in Florence these days!
Pay a visit to the oldest pharmacy in the world.
Tucked behind an unassuming door in the Santa Maria Novella neighborhood, a short walk from the basilica, sits the gorgeous Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy.
As the oldest and possibly most opulent pharmacy in the world, the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy is a great place to pick up a very memorable souvenir from Florence!
While you won’t find aspirin here, you will find many lovely soaps, perfumes, and lotions. Some of them are made from original recipes dating back hundreds of years–in the oldest case, to 1533!
Look up to spot the Bull of Santa Maria del Fiore.
When looking for secret Florence spots that lurk in plain sight, be sure not to miss the Bull of Santa Maria l Fiore.
If you are standing in line to climb the cupola of Florence’s Duomo (or if you just walk by the line), you’ll be able to look up and spot an unusual sight!
Underneath the dome, among the many carvings, one sticks out more than the rest: a bull.
No one is quite sure why this bull was carved into the third-largest cathedral in the world, but rumor has it that it may have been either a tribute to the working animals who contributed to the building of the Duomo, or an act of petty revenge by a spurned lover.
Personally, I find the second theory more entertaining!
Explore 16,000 pieces of armor–and more–at the Stibbert Museum.
Florence is covered in fascinating museums, but if you’re looking for hidden gems in Florence, the quirky Stibbert Museum should jump to the top of your list.
In the 19th century, wealthy Frederick Stibbert set out to acquire a massive private collection of interesting objects from around the world.
After his death in the early 20th century, the collection was gifted to the city of Florence, who opened the museum in Stibbert’s former home.
If you’re interested in historical armor, the Stibbert Museum is a must-see when exploring Florence off the beaten path!
It’s also located on the edge of town, a 30-ish minute tram ride or nearly 40-minute walk from the Duomo–in the opposite direction of the bulk of the top things to see in Florence.
In other words, even getting there will show you a side of the city that many tourists never see!
.jpg)
Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Learn the fascinating history behind Florence’s most famous building (without the crowds).
Though entrance to the Opera dell’Duomo Museum–the museum that is about, but not located inside, the iconic Cathedral of Santa Maria delle Fiore–is included with most tickets to the Duomo Complex, shockingly view visitors take advantage of it!
Tucked just across the Piazza del Duomo from the cathedral, the Opera dell’Duomo Museum is both fascinating and relaxed.
This is where you can learn all about how the Duomo was built, complete with models of the dome and even equipment from the building of it, and also see the original Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti (the golden doors currently on the Baptistery are a replica–and they’re much, much more crowded than the originals).
You’ll also find lots of art that once called the Duomo home in this museum, as much of it was moved after the flood of 1966.
Relax and soak in the views in the Bardini Gardens.
While the Boboli Gardens are easily the most famous in Florence, the Bardini Gardens are also incredibly impressive and one of the loveliest hidden gems in Florence.
Calling it a hidden gem feels very odd, in fact, because entrance tickets to the more-popular Boboli Gardens generally includes entrance to the Bardini Gardens as well!
Add in that visiting the Bardini Gardens requires an extra walk and more time out of a limited schedule in Florence, though, and the reality is most visitors skip it, leaving the Bardini Gardens significantly less crowded than their neighbor.
And yet, the views from the Bardini Gardens are fantastic–so much so that a visitor intent on avoiding the most congested places in Florence but hoping to enjoy a garden view could even reasonably opt to visit Bardini instead of Boboli!
There is one exception to which garden is more crowded, though: when the iconic wisteria tunnel in the Bardini Gardens is blooming in April, it is much more crowded than usual!
Get tickets to visit the Boboli and/or Bardini Gardens today!
Visit the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte… and possibly hear Latin and Gregorian chants.
Set just a bit higher than the famous Piazzale Michelangelo, the 1000-year-old Basilica (and Abbey) of San Miniato al Monte is incredibly beautiful both inside and out–and it also happens to boast one of the absolute best views of Florence.
Though most visitors to Florence stop climbing once they reach Piazzale Michelangelo, it’s really worth forcing yourself to climb just a bit higher to admire this less-crowded viewpoint.
This is especially true if you happen to time your visit with the Eucharistic celebrations (you can check the schedule here). There is absolutely nothing like hearing the chanting of monks in a medieval church: it’s one of the most memorable sounds of my life.
Not too picky on timing and want to simply enjoy the views without the climb?
If so, consider heading up how we did on our first visit to San Miniato al Monte: by vintage Vespa.
Book the Vespa tour we loved today!
Marvel at the Brancacci Chapel.
Lurking deep in the neighborhood of Santo Spirito on the opposite side of the Arno from the Duomo, far past where visitors will tend to wander in Florence without a purpose, you’ll find the stunning Brancacci Chapel inside the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine.
Painted in the 1420s, the chapel is considered a masterpiece of the early Renaissance and an inspiration for much of the work that followed it, earning it the nickname “the Sistine Chapel of the early Renaissance”.
Only 30 people are allowed to admire the chapel at a time, which gives it a peaceful atmosphere, but that also means that reservations or a wait are often required.
We went and had a coffee during the 45 minutes we had to wait for our entrance time, though you could also simply save time by booking a time slot online.
Step inside a medieval Florentine home.
When it comes to house museums, there are plenty throughout Europe… but not many as old and intact as Florence’s Palazzo Davanzati!
Built in the 1300s, Palazzo Davanzati is a fantastic place to visit in order to imagine life during Florence’s medieval period and on the cusp of the Renaissance.
As one of Florence’s more obscure museums, visiting can require a bit of planning ahead–especially if you want to tour the more elusive second and third floors of the museum (which you do).
The ground and first floor of Palazzo Davanzati are open to anyone who buys a ticket, while the upper floors must be visited on a guided tour by museum staff at specific times.
If you’d like to add Palazzo Davanzati to your list of Florence hidden gems to explore, I highly recommend carefully reviewing the tour times and planning your visit accordingly!
Zairon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Step inside the Tempio Maggiore.
Florence’s beautiful houses of worship are naturally heavily weighted toward Catholicism, but the Great Synagogue is also stunning!
Intricately designed both inside and out, Tempio Maggiore is one of Florence’s newer houses of worship (it “only” dates to the 19th century), but it is a marvel.
In addition to visiting, be sure to also look for its distinct turquoise arch in Florence’s skyline when you’re admiring the city’s skyline!
Get beyond Florence’s most touristy market.
The iconic Mercato Centrale is vibrant, colorful, and a fun place to visit (we still stop by once on most trips to Florence)… but it’s also extremely crowded and dominated by tourists, as is the leather/souvenir Market San Lorenzo that surrounds it.
If you want to see a different side of Florence’s shopping, though, you can head a bit further afield!
For food, the Mercato Sant’Ambrogio is significantly more relaxed than Mercato Centrale, and parts of it (the outdoor produce stands, mostly) do still feel as though locals shop for food there.
Right next door you’ll find the Mercato delle Pulci (flea market), which is a great place to shop for a one-of-a-kind souvenir!
Depending on which day you visit, you’ll find plenty of seasonal farmers’ and artisans’ markets scattered throughout the city, too–the one in Piazza Santo Spirito was a delight when we visited, though this dog stole the show for us and we have more photos and videos of him than we do the market overall:
Seek out Florence’s wine windows.
While certainly not as hidden of a gem as they were pre-2020, you still need to explore a bit in order to experience Florence’s wine windows for yourself!
Dating back to the 17th century, wine windows are essentially a contactless way to sell wine by the glass, Renaissance-era style, that began as a way for nobles to sell their product without having to open an official shop.
Like so many business decisions over the centuries, this is said to have gotten its start primarily as a way to avoid taxes.
Fast forward to 2020 and beyond, and a combination of social media and a suddenly reinvigorated demand for a contact-free way to purchase wine made wine windows popular once again, though they’re still quite hard to spot if you don’t know where to look.
Here’s where to find active wine windows in Florence today!
Pay a visit to the Michelageno-designed Laurentian Library.
Also called the Medici Library, the stunning Laurentian Library was designed by Michelangelo and holds roughly 11,000 manuscripts from the Medici family’s library–and yet, it remains uncrowded and a small percentage of visitors to Florence stop by.
Part of the reason for this is that the hours are very limited (10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Monday through Saturday, as of 2025), so if you’re hoping to see it, be sure to plan ahead!
Though located inside the commanding Basilica di San Lorenzo (which is also a marvelous place to visit), the Laurentian Library requires a separate entrance ticket from the main basilica complex, which also serves to keep crowds down.
And, that advantage applies to the next Florence hidden gem we’ll highlight as well…
_(48768145868).jpg)
Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Marvel at incredible art in the Medici Chapels.
The first thing I noticed when I stepped inside the Medici Chapels was just how quiet it was.
It was a stark difference from the teeming hoards of visitors crowding around the nearby Mercato Centrale and immediately set the tone for my wonderfully peaceful visit (the fact that I was visiting solo while taking a break from parenting my toddler didn’t have an impact on that perception, I’m sure).
Also part of the centrally-located Basilica di San Lorenzo, and also requiring a separate entrance ticket from either the main complex or the Laurentian Library, the Medici Chapels are the final burying place of many of the Medici family members who once (unofficially, ish) ruled Florence, the chapels are opulent, and awe-inspiring, with soaring ceilings, intricate art, and even sculptures by Michelangelo.
A visit today includes time in the Medici Crypt, in the opulent Cappella dei Principi, and time in the far less ornate, but artistically interesting New Sacristy (home to Michelangelo’s statues).
The Medici Chapels are one of those places that are technically among the best-known things to do in Florence… but an obscure entrance around the back of the cathedral and a fairly steep entry fee (9 Euro for a standard ticket as of the time of writing) keep the crowds down.
I visited 90 minutes before closing or so, and only shared the experience with a handful of other visitors!
Visit La Specola (Florence’s Zoological and Anatomical Museum).
As the oldest scientific museum in Europe, you know La Specola is just bound to be cool.
Best known for its 18th-century collection of wax anatomical models, La Specola is also home to various scientific instruments dating back several centuries, many taxidermied animals, and a wealth of knowledge on Italian contributions to science throughout the years.
As an example of just how wild the displays can get, the taxidermied animals include a hippopotamus that once lived in the Boboli Gardens as a pet of the Medici Family, who apparently had wildly bizarre taste in pets.
_-_Hyaena_hyaena.jpg)
Mariomassone, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Admire the views from the Rose Garden.
As you climb from the center of Florence up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, you’ll pass a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it subtle entrance to the Rose Garden.
If you’re hoping to explore a bit of Florence off the beaten path, though, it’s worth keeping your eyes peeled!
Free to visit and boasting absolutely beautiful views of Florence without the crowds of Piazzale Michelangelo, the Rose Garden is a delightfully peaceful place to relax.
The garden is open year-round, but the best time to visit is definitely between April and June, when the most roses will be blooming!
We took the below photo in May, and the whole garden both looked and smelled heavenly.
Climb to the top of Florence’s most elusive tower.
Built in the 1300s and originally part of Florence’s medieval defensive walls, the Tower of San Niccolo is a bit harder to access than the city’s other public viewpoints!
Open exclusively for guided tours on certain summer afternoons from June to September, its limited hours are worth working around if you happen to be in Florence at the right time of year.
I’m still waiting for the stars to align to get to climb the Tower of San Niccolo myself, but the sweeping views of Florence are supposed to be magical!
Savor the interior of Palazzo Pitti (and then keep walking).
Like the Medici Chapels, Palazzo Pitti has the curious distinction of being famous but relatively uncrowded–because most visitors pass right by in their hurry to experience something else!
Plenty of visitors stroll through a courtyard in the center of Palazzo Pitti in order to access the palace’s famous Boboli Gardens–but far fewer step slightly off the beaten path in Florence off the beaten path by touring the interior of the palace itself.
Touring the former home of the Medici is an excellent way to admire the stunning architecture as well as the impressive collection of paintings belonging to the palace, and we loved our visit.
As a bonus, once you stroll across the Ponte Vecchio and to the Palazzo Pitti, you’ll be on the very edge of what could be considered Florence’s touristic center.
Stroll further away from the Arno as you leave the palace, and you’ll find yourself in a much different–and much quieter–version of the Cradle of the Renaissance.
(And if you’re looking for a quick and easy lunch nearby, we can recommend Gusta Pizza!)
Tips for Enjoying Florence Off the Beaten Path
At its best, there’s a magic to Florence that goes beyond its bucket-list attractions.
If you’re hoping to enjoy the city to its fullest, here are a few tips we have for making the most of Florence off the beaten path!
Walk into random churches.
This is true in all of Italy, really, but it absolutely holds true in Florence!
There are many famous churches in Florence that are covered in art, worthy of a visit, and feature ticket counters… and there are also many, many quiet churches, also covered in art, that are free to visit and often nearly empty.
While the more famous churches are certainly well-known for good reason, the smaller, quiet, incense-scented, and frequently heavily-frescoed smaller churches are also wonderful places to visit.
They’re also excellent places to cool off, take a seat, and take a break while sightseeing!
The Church of Santa Trinita is one easily-accessed example, but this advice is less about a specific church than it is about a method of sightseeing, and there are dozens to choose from.
Don’t wait in long lines for a panino.
A panino–a Tuscan sandwich made with cured meats, cheeses, and other assorted delicacies–is a simple, delicious, and traditional lunch in Florence, and is particularly enjoyable when served with a glass of wine.
It’s not, however, worth spending hours of your time waiting in line for… because there are amazing options around nearly every corner!
There are many famous panini shops in Florence (All’Antico Vinaio has transformed itself into a global chain in the years we’ve been visiting Florence, for example), but while they’ve all been delicious, so have many other shops with cozier atmospheres and short waits.
Personally, we like Il Panino del Chianti and Il Cernacchio and tend to visit the latter on almost all of our trips to Florence.
Pick a piazza and people-watch as the sun goes down.
There’s something downright magical about sitting on the edge of a piazza, watching people stream by as you chat, relax, and potentially enjoy a scoop of gelato.
Depending on our mood, this can include anywhere from the famous Piazza della Signoria with its crowds and buskers, to out-of-the-way tiny spots.
Across the Arno from the Duomo, Piazza della Passera (home of the sublime Gelateria della Passera) and Piazza Santo Spirito are two great options that are less crowded than places like Piazza della Signoria and Piazza della Repubblica.
Like exploring less crowded churches, though, this tip is less about recommending any specific piazza than the advice to simply keep exploring until you find one you like: there are plenty to choose from!
Keep walking.
Overwhelmed by the crowds at restaurants, in piazzas, and at attractions?
Keep walking, especially on the Oltrarno side of the river (opposite side from the Duomo).
Florence is a fairly small city, and it packs an amazing number of beautiful places to visit into that small footprint.
You’re never far from the next cool thing to see, especially if you’re looking simply to enjoy the ambiance of the city instead of a specific spot!
This advice is true for many kinds of exploring in the city, but it’s especially true for coffee bars and gelato shops (here’s what to know about coffee in Italy, including finding the perfect bar).
Choose a more obscure day trip option.
This is a bit beyond the scope of this blog post, but one of the best ways to beat the crowds when exploring the area surrounding Florence is simply to choose a more offbeat day trip!
While places like Pisa and San Gimignano are among the best day trips from Florence for good reason, there are truly hundreds of options at your fingertips if you’re looking to get creative.
One of the easiest ways to avoid the crowds on a day trip from Florence is simply to rent a car for the day (we recommend shopping different companies via this website) and then visiting places with easy train access or lots of tourist buses.
Consider getting lunch in Montefioralle, for example, or strolling around Volterra, or stopping by the Appenine Colossus.
Want an uncrowded city you can visit by train? Try Perugia or Parma (yes, like the cheese–you can even tour a parmigiano-reggiano factory there!).
Visit in January.
This may not technically be a piece of advice about hidden gems in Florence, but odds are high that if you’ve read this entire blog post about getting off the beaten path in Florence, you’re hoping to avoid crowds while there!
So, here’s my most practical piece of advice for that: if you haven’t booked your trip yet, pack a coat and plan a trip over the winter–especially in January and February.
Florentine weather is pretty mild overall, and the city is beautiful in the rain when it comes.
By visiting during the closest thing to an offseason that 21st century Florence has, you’ll spend far less money to enjoy a far more relaxed trip.
If you’re committed to spring or fall (they are beautiful), opt for late March or early November instead of April or October.
Read More About Visiting Florence (+ Italy)
If you found this guide to hidden gems in Florence helpful, we would love to continue to be part of your travel research here at Our Escape Clause!
You can browse our 100+ Italy blog posts here, or check out these guides:
- 21 Practical Tips for Renting a Villa in Tuscany
- Florence or Rome: Which Classic Italian City is Right for You?
- 7 Days in Italy: 7 Epic Itineraries for a Week in Italy
- How to Take a Flawless Florence to Siena Day Trip
- Is Climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa Actually Worth It?
About Kate Storm