Things to do in Florence and Rome:
Florence Duomo: Tickets for the Duomo cover the cathedral and all the surrounding buildings. Be sure to reserve a time to climb to the top of the cathedral in advance, because getting a Duomo ticket doesn’t guarantee a trip to the top. We actually missed out on the top of the dome because we didn’t reserve a time beforehand, although the view from the top of the Bell Tower was really good and the line for that was much shorter!
Uffizi Gallery: Florence is home to some incredible Italian art. This was our favorite museum of the trip!
Accademia Gallery: Don’t miss out on Michelangelo’s “David” and other sculptures while in Florence.
Piazzale Michelangelo: This square above the city offers an incredible view of Florence! It’s about a 30 minute walk from the city center (the photo above of the Duomo was taken there).
Climb St. Peter’s Dome: The best thing we did in Rome! The view from the top of the dome was seriously incredible. You can see all of Rome and into the Vatican gardens. We also spent time inside the Basilica after climbing the dome—I actually liked the cathedral more than the other Vatican buildings! The cathedral itself is free to go inside (unlike the Sistine Chapel and Vatican museums), but you can pay eight euros to climb to the top (ten if you want to take the elevator half way—you have to climb the second part no matter what). We went first thing in the morning to beat the long lines (the church opens at 7am, the Dome at 8am, so we went around 7:30am to get through security). Enter security to the RIGHT as you walk up St. Peter’s Square, then walk up to the church and take the first open door on the right. Follow the signs to the Dome. The counter to pay is at the back and they only take cash.
Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums: We booked a tour guide and it was nice to have someone point out the important things to us.
Colosseum, Roman Forum, & Palatine Hill: Book your tickets online in advance. A ticket to the Colosseum should cover entrance to all three locations. We didn’t book a tour guide for the Colosseum but it probably would have been cooler if we did. Instead, we listened to a Rick Steves podcast that acted like an audio guide. To be honest, we weren’t that impressed with the inside of the Colosseum, but when in Rome... ;)
Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, & Spanish Steps: We walked from one to the other in the same afternoon. They’re spread about 15 minutes from each other and you can break them up with gelato, lunch, or shopping. Bring a coin to throw into the Trevi Fountain and make a wish!
View St. Peter’s by Night: One of our favorite things was seeing St. Peter’s from the bridges at night. Two bridges down from the Vatican (close to the Pope’s Bunker) is a great spot to take a photo.
What to eat in Florence and Rome:
Gustapizza: Our favorite pizza in Florence. A friend recommended this to me as a lunch option and it was delicious! We got our pizza to go and ate it on some steps in a square just around the corner.
Trattoria 13 Gobbi: My husband and I still talk about this meal. The rigatoni and chocolate cake were unreal!
Geletaria la Carraia: Hands down the best gelato of the trip (and we ate A LOT of gelato). Both a friend and our Airbnb host recommended it and it did not disappoint! This place is just across the river, has a ton of flavors, and runs about 2-2.5 euros for a single scoop (you can get two flavors in a “single” scoop).
La Cattedrale bar Gelateria: Best gelato close to the Duomo (it sits on one of the corners of the square). This place had our favorite caramel gelato of the trip!
Le Carre Francais: We were more impressed with the food in Florence, but we were OBSESSED with this French bakery in Rome. We went three different times to get their chocolate filled croissants!
Italy travel tips:
Book everything online in advance. Even though Florence is a smaller city, it’s pretty touristy and you might miss out on seeing things if you don’t plan ahead.
Have extra euros on hand—a lot of places in Florence and Rome charge a euro to use the restroom.
Avoid any of the places that have gelato piled high. You’ll notice them especially at touristy places around the Duomo in Florence. If it can be piled up out of the containers, that’s not the right temperature for gelato to be at.