Florence with Teens: Top Attractions and Activities

While Rome and Milan have more direct flights, visiting Florence with teens is worth the extra travel time. This city is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance with art, lively markets, hilltop viewpoints, and unbelievably delicious gelato in abundance. Plus, Florence is well-located for some fun day trips in Tuscany and beyond.

Florence’s already thriving tourism industry has become even more crowded in recent years. There are so many options, it can be difficult to know which activities and tours to choose for your family trip. You don’t want to wait in long lines or choose activities aimed at younger children.

Don’t worry! These are all fun things to do in Florence with teens to help them forget about jet lag.

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Top Things to Do in Florence with Teens

1. Climb the Duomo’s Dome

Florence’s iconic Duomo is the main attraction of the city. This 15th-century pastel-colored marble church is as beautiful in person as it is in photos. Its several structures – the church interior and museum, the Baptistery of St. John (separate building), Brunelleschi’s Dome, and Giotto’s Bell Tower – dominate the skyline.

Whether you’re visiting with teens or small children, it’s unmissable. However, long lines snake through Piazza del Duomo to enter the free Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Even out of the high season! But you can see the dome, tower, or baptistery with a timed ticket. 

Plan ahead by booking on the Duomo’s official website. We recommend choosing the Brunelleschi Pass so you can climb the dome. Witness the best view across the city from the top! However, there are 463 steps to the viewpoint, so make sure your teens are up to the climb. 

Some guided tours of Florence’s Duomo include the Dome Climb and the priority entrance to the cathedral.

Florence’s Other Top Churches to Visit:

• Basilica of Santa Croce (the site of Galileo and Michelangelo’s tombs!)
• Basilica of San Lorenzo
• Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

2. See Michelangelo’s David

The statue of the biblical figure David is one of Michelangelo’s most revered works. For someone who also painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican Museum, that’s saying something! Take your teens to the 17-foot masterpiece at the Accademia Gallery near Piazza San Marco.

It’s a fairly small museum showcasing more sculptures created by Michelangelo and his contemporaries. However, it also gets extremely busy. Instead of spending your first full day in Florence in lines, book timed entry tickets from the official website.

Be quick – they sell out fast! You can often find them on other tour websites.

3. Eat at the San Lorenzo Market

Also known as Il Mercato Centrale, the San Lorenzo Market is a good place to eat in Florence with teens. Outside is mostly a leather goods market, but inside is a different story.

It first opened in 1874 as a large fresh food market. Most vendors on the bottom floor sell produce like fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish, and meat. These vendors are worth checking out if you’re renting an apartment and plan on cooking!

Most people should head up the escalators to the top floor. It’s an upmarket food hall with bars, bakeries, and restaurants serving Italian and international cuisine. Everyone can order from different establishments but eat together at the same table.

Other Markets in Florence:

• Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio (fresh food and restaurants)
• Mercato del Porcellino (mostly leather)
• La Rinascente Firenze (shopping mall)

4. Vespa Tour in Florence Hills

You might not let your teens ride a moped or motorbike back home. But you’re on vacation in Florence, so it’s ok, right? This four-hour self-drive Vespa tour will give you and your teens a unique experience!

Zoom up the hilly roads and ride through Florence’s secret side streets. Visit neighborhoods like Fiesole, the viewpoint from Piazzale Michelangelo, and end at a wine bar in Oltrarno. Don’t worry, your teens can drink espresso or soda.

Only 18-year-olds with a full driver’s license can drive the Vespa. However, there’s no problem for two people (one driver and one passenger) to ride on one vehicle. It’s the perfect way to ensure your younger teens have a great time flying around Italy too!

5. Stroll in the Boboli Gardens

Walk south of the Arno River and you’ll likely end up at Palazzo Pitti. This Renaissance-era palace was once the home of the Medici Family, one of Florence’s most powerful dynasties. The Pitti Palace is now the largest art museum complex in Florence.

However, you might not want to add too many art museums to your itinerary. Your teens will probably be more interested in visiting the vast green expanse behind the Pitti Palace: the Boboli Gardens.

These gardens opened to the public in 1766 and are a classic example of an Italian Renaissance Garden. Statues, large fountains, and even artificial caves are part of this 111-acre park’s design.

Those determined enough to walk to the back of the garden will be treated to a beautiful view of Florence. It’s the perfect place to be on a sunny day!

You can purchase tickets to just Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens, or both. One good thing about visiting only the gardens is that you probably won’t need to reserve a timeslot in advance. 

6. Secret Food Tours

Food tours are a great way to taste different local dishes recommended by a local expert. When traveling in Florence with teens, tours are also a good way to encourage them to sample more adventurous food!

There are many incredible dishes to dine on here from bistecca to truffle pasta! Maybe don’t tell them what lampredotto is until after one bite.

Secret Food Tours Florence will allow you to eat as local Florentines eat. Over three hours, your tour guide will take your family to street food vendors, delis, a fiaschetteria, and a gelateria.

It’s suitable for all ages above four, so your teens will be well-catered! There are small group sizes (12 maximum) and vegetarians will have a good time too. Consider a private Florence food tour if anyone in your family has allergies or other dietary requirements.

Florence Restaurant Recommendations:

• Ristorante Pensavo Peggio – Homestyle Tuscan food. Download the Google Translate app for the menu!
• La Giostra – 16th-century building serving mouth-watering Florentine steaks
• Ristorante del Fagioli – Known for being family-friendly, unpretentious, and welcoming

7. Day Trip to Pisa

One unexpected great thing about traveling to Florence with teens… is being able to leave! There are many small-group tours and convenient public transportation. Leave enough time in your itinerary for at least one day trip.

Siena, San Gimignano, and Lucca are great day trips from Florence. However, my favorite day trip for teenagers has to be Pisa.

Seeing the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa will be a core memory for your kids. Plus, it’s a super small, safe city. Depending on their age, it’s a great place to allow them some independent time.

Trains depart from Florence Santa Maria train station to Pisa Centrale every half an hour. The journey takes around one hour (for regional services). Some of the best things to do in Pisa include seeing the Keith Haring Mural and walking along the Pisa City Walls.

8. Tour the Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the world’s top art museums. It’s in a former palace and dates back to the 16th century. Inside, you’ll find well over 150,000 artworks including famous paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures.

These are some of the most notable works:

• “The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli
• “Annunciation” by Leonardo da Vinci
• “Medusa” by Caravaggio

Even if your teens aren’t huge art lovers, you can offer them a different perspective by booking a tour. Context Travel’s skip-the-line Uffizi Gallery crash course tour is ideal. Your local guide will answer any questions and focus on the most interesting pieces.

Other Florence Museums to visit:

• Leonardo da Vinci Museum (better for younger kids)
• Galileo Museum
• Bargello National Museum

9. Stroll along Ponte Vecchio (or inside it!)

The Ponte Vecchio bridge is one of the most unique structures in Florence. Dating to medieval times, this covered bridge is lined with jewelry shops that look like small pastel huts. While you’ll want to stroll across the bridge, admire it from afar too. 

Some of the best views are from the bridges on either side: Ponte Santa Trinita and Ponte alle Grazie. There’s also a window in the Uffizi Gallery overlooking the bridge, so ask your tour guide to point it out.

When you cross the Ponte Vecchio bridge, watch your belongings. It’s usually very busy and a popular place for pickpockets to hang out.

As of December 2024, you can also walk inside the bridge! The Medici family wanted an undisturbed walkway from their house (Palazzo Pitti) across the Ponte Vecchio to the government building (Uffizi). Architect Giorgio Vasari built the walkway in 1565 from Boboli Gardens to the Uffizi Gallery. It’s known as the Vasari Corridor.

The corridor closed for repairs in 2016 but it’s reopened. Book tickets through the official website to walk through the corridor and see the artwork along the walls. 

10. Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class

One of the best things about visiting Italy with teens is that they’re probably already a fan of Italian cuisine! Pizza, pasta, risotto, gelato… It’s all so tasty.

So, your trip to Florence is the perfect time to sign your family up for cooking classes. This pizza and gelato-making class is ideal because it includes dinner and dessert. Plus, Florence is the birthplace of gelato!

Learn in a fun group setting where your kids can meet new people and receive instruction from a professional chef. It’s a three-hour class and, of course, you can eat the food you make at the end.

Florence Gelato Recommendations:

• Perché No 
• Gelateria dei Neri
• Vivoli Gelateria

Florence Pizza Recommendations:

• Gustapizza
• New Bridge Pizza
• Berberè Pizzeria Santa Croce

11. Discover the Medici in Palazzo Vecchio

You will inevitably stroll through Piazza della Signoria during your trip to Italy. Apart from Piazza del Duomo or Piazza della Repubblica, it’s Florence’s main square. You’ll find a replica of Michelangelo’s David and several other famous sculptures.

But it’s Palazzo Vecchio and the Arnolfo Tower that dominates the square. Built during the 1400s, it dates back to medieval times and was an important building during the Renaissance.

Your teens might like visiting Palazzo Vecchio as it’s more like a preserved stately home than strictly an art museum. Visit the apartments once lived in by the Medici family and a mask made of Dante’s face.

Book tickets on Palazzo Vecchio’s official website here. Plan ahead if you want to climb the 311-foot/95 m Tower. If you’re visiting only the palace in spring or over winter break, you may not need to buy a timed entrance slot in advance.

Other Florence Palaces to visit:

• Palazzo Medici Riccardi
• Palazzo Strozzi
• Palazzo Davanzati

12. Pose in Vintage Photo Booths

This is a nice thing to do in Florence with teens that will barely take up any time. As you wander around Florence city center, you might notice a vintage-style photo booth or two. The majority date back to the 1950s and 1960s and would have been used for passports and other official documents.

Most aren’t native to Florence. They were a passion project of local film production designer, Matteo Sani. In 2011, he decided to take a sabbatical and rescue unused analog photobooths in Eastern Europe. Today, these fotoautomatica machines are a cool – some may say hipster! – activity in Florence. 

They cost around 2 euros per strip of four photos. As you might expect, they don’t take credit cards!

Type these addresses into Google Maps to find your nearest machine:

• Via del Proconsolo, 19r, 50122
• V. Dell Agnolo, 117, 50122
• Via Santa Monaca, 1, 50124
• Largo Fratelli Alinari, 50123

13. Day Trip to Cinque Terre

Do you have another day free to explore Italy outside of Florence? The five villages of Cinque Terre along the Ligurian coast are a sure-fire winner with teens. It was Instagram’s favorite place for a few years so they’ll have seen images of these beautiful fishing villages.

The journey from Florence to Riomaggiore (the southernmost of the five towns) is around 2 hours. It’ll be an adventurous but long day! A good way to make it less stressful is by booking a private Cinque Terre tour with Context Travel.

Visit four of the five villages with a friendly guide. Discover the history behind the charming, colorful towns and find all the best photo spots.

14. Create Your Own Perfume

Did you know that the art of perfumery originated in the Renaissance courts of Florence? It’s a great spot to learn about the history of perfume making and create your own 30 ml/1 ounce bottle.

Master perfumers at Antica Spezieria Erboristeria San Simone in the city center teach workshops on aromas and scent notes.

After a two-hour experience, you’ll learn exactly what scents you like best. While you might think this workshop will only appeal to teen girls, everyone likes to smell nice!

15. Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

If the weather is playing ball, arrange to spend the last evening of your last day in Florence at Piazzale Michelangelo. This square is south of the Arno River on a hill. It is one of the best places to see a panoramic view of Florence’s cityscape.

Arrive in good time if you want to catch the sunset. It takes around 30 minutes to walk from Piazza del Duomo to Piazzale Michelangelo. The last section is a moderately steep hill and the paths to the top can be confusing.

While sunset is the best time to see this amazing view, it’s beautiful at any time. Accessing the square is completely free. You can usually ask one of the many other people admiring the view for a family photo. There will be no better souvenir to remember what a good time you had on your Florence family vacation!

Don’t Miss These Amazing Activities in Florence with Teens

Florence blends education, adventure, and discovery. In the morning, you could be marveling at some of the world’s most famous artworks. In the afternoon, you might be zipping down Florence’s narrow streets on a Vespa. And in the evening, you could be digging into your third gelato of the day. You know, for “research” purposes to seek out the best in the city.

This guide offers inspiration and tips so you can plan a fun trip to Florence with teens. It’s the perfect place to make family travel memories!