Day trip from Bologna to Florence: the one-day plan

Is a day trip from Bologna to Florence worth it?

For most travellers based in Bologna, yes. High-speed trains run several times an hour between Bologna Centrale and Firenze Santa Maria Novella, and the station in Florence sits at the edge of the historic centre, so the journey costs you very little of the day. You can sleep in Bologna, eat dinner there and still spend a long day in Tuscany.

Florence gives you what Bologna does not: the Renaissance in its densest form, from the Uffizi and Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia to the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the palaces of Piazza della Signoria. The price is crowds and planning. Florence is far busier than Bologna, the Uffizi and the Accademia work with timed entry slots that sell out ahead in high season, and the city rewards a day with a clear plan rather than one spent drifting between queues.

Who this day trip suits

• First-time visitors to Italy who want to see Florence without moving hotel
• Art lovers who want the Uffizi and Michelangelo's David in one day
• Architecture fans drawn to the cathedral, Palazzo Vecchio and the Oltrarno palaces
• Travellers staying in Bologna who want a second region on the trip with a short ride
• Walkers who are happy to be on their feet most of the day on stone streets

Go if you are seeing Florence for the first time and want its art and architecture in one well planned day; if you already know the Uffizi or dislike crowds, Modena or Ferrara will give you a better day.

Other day trips from Bologna

• Modena25 minShorter ride and a much calmer town: the Ghirlandina Tower, the cathedral and Piazza Grande fill a relaxed day, and the Enzo Ferrari museum suits car fans more than any Florence gallery would.
• Ferrara26 minA Renaissance court town on a smaller scale: Castello Estense, the Palazzo dei Diamanti and the city walls give you that era without Florence's crowds and timed museum slots.
• Parma58 minA slightly longer ride than to Florence but a quieter city: the cathedral, the Baptistery, the Teatro Regio and Palazzo della Pilotta, a good pick if you already know the Uffizi.

Bologna to Florence day trip itinerary: from Ponte Vecchio to Piazzale Michelangelo

Day plan for: Tue–Sat

Take a high-speed train in the morning, start the walk at Ponte Vecchio around nine and let the tour carry the day until the evening view from Piazzale Michelangelo before an evening train back.

1. Morning08:02 – 08:39

   Take the Trenitalia train just after eight from Bologna Centrale and arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella before nine. Walk through the centre to Ponte Vecchio, about 20 minutes.

   This train gets you to Florence before the main museum crowds and leaves a full morning for the Oltrarno side of the tour.

2. Tour09:00 – 13:15

   Open the tour in your browser at Ponte Vecchio. The AI Tour Guide greets you, tells the story of the bridge, asks what interests you and leads you across the Arno to Palazzo Pitti and into the Boboli Gardens, then back over the river to Palazzo Strozzi, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and Mercato Centrale, and on to the Galleria dell'Accademia and Michelangelo's David.

   Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens belong together and take the most energy, so they come first, while you are fresh; the Accademia then closes the morning, so book a timed slot for late morning.

   1. 1Ponte Vecchio
   2. 2Palazzo Pitti
   3. 3Boboli Gardens
   4. 4Palazzo Strozzi
   5. 5Basilica of Santa Maria Novella
   6. 6Mercato Centrale
   7. 7Galleria dell'Accademia

   Start the Florence tour

3. Lunch13:15 – 14:15

   Lunch after the Galleria dell'Accademia and before Florence Cathedral. The easiest choice is the upper food hall of Mercato Centrale, which you passed just before the David and which is only a few minutes back on foot.

   The morning has been long on foot, the food hall offers almost every kind of dish, and eating there is better value than the restaurants around the Duomo.

4. Afternoon14:15 – 18:00

   The guide continues to Florence Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo, then to Piazza della Signoria, past Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi to the Uffizi Gallery. From there you walk on to the Basilica of Santa Croce and cross the river up to Piazzale Michelangelo. You have about forty minutes of slack before you need to leave: spend it on the terrace.

   The Uffizi sells timed entry slots, so book one for the late afternoon that matches this order, and go on to Santa Croce without a long break so the church still fits before the climb.

   1. 8Florence Cathedral
   2. 9Piazza del Duomo
   3. 10Piazza della Signoria
   4. 11Palazzo Vecchio
   5. 12Loggia dei Lanzi
   6. 13Uffizi Gallery
   7. 14Basilica of Santa Croce
   8. 15Piazzale Michelangelo
5. Return18:00 – 19:18

   Leave Piazzale Michelangelo by six at the latest and head straight back to the station, Firenze S.M.Novella. Take the Italo at about twenty to seven, back at Bologna Centrale at around a quarter past seven.

   Your high-speed ticket is bound to this train, so the buffer protects you from missing it on the walk back across the river.

Arrival to return departure: 10 h. Time for your visit: about 9 h.

Arrival 08:39, tour start 09:00: 20 min to walk to the start, 1 min spare.

Realistically you get about nine hours in Florence; if you arrive later, cut from the end of the tour, Santa Croce and Piazzale Michelangelo, and keep the order of everything before.

A Florence walking tour in one day, from Ponte Vecchio to Piazzale Michelangelo

Opening hours as of 1 October 2026.

1. 
   1Stop 1

   Ponte Vecchio

   The medieval stone bridge over the Arno, the old crossing that takes you straight into the Oltrarno.

   Price

   Free

   Location

   Ponte Vecchio on Google Maps ↗

2. 
   2Stop 2

   Palazzo Pitti

   A massive Renaissance palace on Piazza Pitti, a short walk from Ponte Vecchio, whose collections belong to the Uffizi museum group.

   Hours

   Mon: closed
   Tue–Sun: 08:15–18:30 (last admission 17:30)

   Website

   uffizi.it ↗

   Price

   €16

   Location

   Palazzo Pitti on Google Maps ↗

3. 
   3Stop 3

   Boboli Gardens

   The historic grand-ducal garden of Palazzo Pitti, rising behind the palace towards the Forte di Belvedere.

   Hours

   Daily: 08:15–16:30 (last admission 15:30)

   Website

   uffizi.it ↗

   Price

   €10

   Location

   Boboli Gardens on Google Maps ↗

4. 
   4Stop 4

   Palazzo Strozzi

   A city palace filling the block between Via Strozzi, Piazza Strozzi and Via Tornabuoni in the middle of the historic centre.

   Hours

   Daily: 10:00–20:00

   Website

   palazzostrozzi.org ↗

   Price

   €15

   Location

   Palazzo Strozzi on Google Maps ↗

5. 
   5Stop 5

   Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

   A Dominican church begun in 1290 that took almost two hundred years to finish, counted among the key Romano-Gothic churches of Tuscany.

   Hours

   Mon–Thu: 09:00–17:30
   Fri: 11:00–17:30
   Sat: 09:00–17:00
   Sun: 13:00–17:00

   Website

   smn.it ↗

   Price

   €7.50

   Location

   Basilica of Santa Maria Novella on Google Maps ↗

6. 
   6Stop 6

   Mercato Centrale

   The covered market between Via dell'Ariento and Piazza del Mercato Centrale, with a food hall upstairs serving almost every kind of dish.

   Hours

   Mon–Fri: 09:00–15:00
   Sat: 09:00–17:00
   Sun: closed

   Price

   Free

   Website

   mercatocentrale.it ↗

   Location

   Mercato Centrale on Google Maps ↗

7. 
   7Stop 7

   Galleria dell'Accademia

   The art museum that holds Michelangelo's David, the one statue many visitors come to Florence for.

   Hours

   Mon: closed
   Tue–Sun: 08:15–18:50

   Website

   galleriaaccademiafirenze.it ↗

   Price

   €20

   Location

   Galleria dell'Accademia on Google Maps ↗

8. 
   8Stop 8

   Florence Cathedral

   Santa Maria del Fiore, the main church of Florence and the symbol of the city.

   Hours

   Mon–Sat: 10:15–15:45
   Sun: closed

   Price

   Free to enter the cathedral basilica itself (no ticket or reservation required)

   Website

   duomo.firenze.it ↗

   Location

   Florence Cathedral on Google Maps ↗

9. 
   9Stop 9

   Piazza del Duomo

   The square dominated by the cathedral, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery of San Giovanni.

   Price

   Free

   Location

   Piazza del Duomo on Google Maps ↗

10. 
    10Stop 10

    Piazza della Signoria

    The W-shaped square in front of Palazzo Vecchio, named after the palace's old name, Palazzo della Signoria.

    Price

    Free

    Location

    Piazza della Signoria on Google Maps ↗

11. 
    11Stop 11

    Palazzo Vecchio

    The Old Palace, still Florence's town hall, overlooking the square where a copy of Michelangelo's David stands.

    Hours (optional interior visit)

    Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun: 09:00–19:00
    Thu: 09:00–14:00

    Website

    cultura.comune.fi.it ↗

    Price

    Optional entry · Palazzo Vecchio: €18

    Location

    Palazzo Vecchio on Google Maps ↗

12. 
    12Stop 12

    Loggia dei Lanzi

    An open arcade full of statues on the corner of Piazza della Signoria, beside the Uffizi and open at any hour.

    Price

    Free

    Website

    uffizi.it ↗

    Location

    Loggia dei Lanzi on Google Maps ↗

13. 
    13Stop 13

    Uffizi Gallery

    The state museum at the heart of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, the group that also includes the Vasari Corridor and the collections of Palazzo Pitti.

    Hours

    Mon: closed
    Tue–Sun: 08:15–18:30 (last admission 17:30)

    Website

    uffizi.it ↗

    Price

    €25

    Location

    Uffizi Gallery on Google Maps ↗

14. 
    14Stop 14

    Basilica of Santa Croce

    The principal Franciscan church of Florence, the last interior of the day before the climb to Piazzale Michelangelo.

    Hours

    Mon–Sat: 09:30–17:30
    Sun: 14:00–17:30

    Website

    santacroceopera.it ↗

    Price

    €10

    Location

    Basilica of Santa Croce on Google Maps ↗

15. 
    15Stop 15

    Piazzale Michelangelo

    The terrace in the Oltrarno hills with the view of Florence printed on countless postcards, a fitting end to the day.

    Price

    Free

    Location

    Piazzale Michelangelo on Google Maps ↗

Getting back from Florence to Bologna