Special treat: the Palazzo Vecchietti hotel is a suavely elegant townhouse in the middle of the city, with warm, stylish rooms named after Tuscan artists. Doubles from £260.
Mid-range: the Hotel degli Orafi is one of Florence’s best-value mid-range options, a friendly place between the Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi with a delightful roof terrace. Doubles from £120.
Offers two perfect platforms for a bird’s-eye view of the city – providing you can handle the climb. It’s 463 steps to the top of the dome and 414 to the viewing platform.
Stroll south of the Duomo for the mighty statues in the this square and self-glorifying frescoes inside the historic town hall, Palazzo Vecchio.
Lunch: freshly baked artisanal panini with your selection of gourmet ingredients. Budget around €10 for a panino and a glass of wine.
The famous Uffizi gallery, where masterpieces by Botticelli, Caravaggio, Rubens, and more will keep you occupied for hours. Expert tip: Pre-book online to beat the queue: telegraph.co.uk/florenceguide
Stroll across this ancient bridge, where despite the tourist tack most of the shops that line the sides belong to proper goldsmiths who have plied their trade here since at least 1345.
Dinner: for a really special meal, the chic-but-welcoming realm of chef Marco Stabile, a master of contemporary Italian/Mediterranean cuisine, is perfect. About €60 a head.
A glorious terraced garden and a museum dedicated to the extravagant, sculptural silk creations of Florentine designer Roberto Capucci, with wonderful views over the city.
Lunch: a good-value deli-diner where the day’s specials, cooked up by mamma Giuseppina, are scrawled on a blackboard.
Some interesting Medici collections of painting, sculpture and costumes. Alternatively, skirt around behind the palace for a stroll in the formal Boboli Gardens with their Baroque grottoes
Enjoy an aperitivo either in one of the bars and cafés that line Piazza Santo Spirito, or at Le Volpi e l’Uva with its carefully chosen selection of wines by the glass.
The decor of this Antinori-owned restaurant exudes sober elegance. Enjoy local specialities like ribollita soup or Chianina steak, with a wine from the family empire. Around €40 a head.
While exploring the Oltrarno, track down the cute (but well hidden) Gelateria della Passera which makes some of the best all-natural gelato in town – don’t miss the mojito and the chocolate orange.
