RunCity

Florence on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 11 of Florence's best-known sights, including Santa Maria Novella, Baptistery of St. John, Florence Cathedral (Duomo) and more. It is about 5 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Florence leaderboard.

  • 11Stops
  • about 5 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 52 minRunning
Play Florence in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Florence
Photo: Giorgio Galeotti · CC BY 4.0

Florence is compact, and this route covers the centre in about 5 km, finishing with the climb to the city's best view. It starts at the green-and-white marble façade of Santa Maria Novella, near the main station, and passes the Mercato Centrale, the bonus stop, a market hall upstairs full of food counters. The Baptistery's gilded doors and Brunelleschi's dome on the cathedral come next, then Orsanmichele with statues in its niches and the Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signoria.

Through the long courtyard of the Uffizi you reach the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio with its jewellers' shops. Across the river, Santo Spirito sits on a square that is lively in the evening; the route then crosses back to Santa Croce before the last stop, Piazzale Michelangelo, high on the south bank with the whole city below. The climb is steep but short; bus 12 or 13 goes up if you would rather ride.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Santa Maria Novella

    Santa Maria Novella

    The green-and-white marble façade on its square.

    Photo: Armin Kleiner · CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. Mercato Centrale

    Mercato Centrale Bonus

    The iron-and-glass market hall full of food stalls.

    Photo: George M. Groutas · CC BY 2.0

  3. Baptistery of St. John

    Baptistery of St. John

    The octagonal baptistery with its gilded doors.

    Photo: Bradley Weber · CC BY 2.0

  4. Florence Cathedral (Duomo)

    Florence Cathedral (Duomo) Photo

    Brunelleschi's dome rising over the cathedral.

    Photo: Gary Campbell-Hall · CC BY 2.0

  5. Orsanmichele

    Orsanmichele

    The grain-market-turned-church with statues in its niches.

    Photo: user:Sailko · CC BY 3.0

  6. Piazza della Signoria

    Piazza della Signoria Photo

    Palazzo Vecchio and its tower across the square.

    Photo: Zolli · CC BY-SA 3.0

  7. Uffizi courtyard

    Uffizi courtyard

    The long arcaded courtyard leading to the Arno.

    Photo: Arek N. · CC BY-SA 3.0

  8. Ponte Vecchio

    Ponte Vecchio Photo

    The jewellers' bridge from the riverbank.

    Photo: Ingo Mehling · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Santo Spirito

    Santo Spirito

    The plain Brunelleschi church on its lively neighbourhood square.

    Photo: Lucarelli · CC BY-SA 3.0

  10. Santa Croce

    Santa Croce Photo

    The church façade across Piazza Santa Croce.

    Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

  11. Piazzale Michelangelo

    Piazzale Michelangelo Photo

    The whole city spread out below the terrace.

    Photo: Txllxt TxllxT · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Florence in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Florence on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 11 stops on this route add up to about 5 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Florence is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Florence?

    Open Florence in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Florence leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Santa Maria Novella and finishing at Piazzale Michelangelo. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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