Five Stars

San Firenze Suites: Piazza San Firenze, 3A. +39 055 285 009. This lovely hotel overlooks the historic Piazza San Firenze in the heart of the old city, and is adjacent to Piazza della Signoria and just a few steps from the Uffizi Galleries and other principal monuments of Florence.

Lungarno Hotels: Borgo San Jacopo, 14. +39 055 27261. Located near the Ponte Vecchio in the heart of Florence, these spaces are modern, chic, and ideal for guests looking for truly luxurious accommodations.

Westin Excelsior: Piazza Ognissanti, 3. +39 055 27151. This hotel was named on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold Lists, and is located on the Arno river very near Florence’s main museums, churches, and shopping areas.

Four Stars

Hotel River: Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia, 18. +39 055 2343529. The Hotel River is in a beautifully refurbished Florentine building with a traditional charm and all the modern comforts, including free wifi.

Hotel Cellai: Via 27 Aprile 14, 52/R. +39 055489291. Hotel Cellai is located in the San Lorenzo area in an intimate and charming atmosphere, with high quality comfort and traditional Tuscan hospitality.

Hotel Balestri: Piazza Mentana, 7. +39 055 214743. The hotel is situated in the Santa Croce area, well positioned to reach the main attractions of Florence on foot within a few minutes, including the Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Vecchio and Brunelleschi’s Dome, or to even explore Florence’s Oltrarno area, the new beating heart of the city.

Three Stars

Hotel Martelli: Via de’ Panzani, 8. +39 055 217151. Hotel Martelli is housed in an elegant, historic building which once belonged to Florentine nobles. Both the Cathedral and Firenze Santa Maria Novella Train Station are 200 meters away.

Hotel Perseo: Via Cerretani, 1. +39 055 212504. Located very close to the Duomo, this small family run hotel offers travelers quiet, comfortable rooms decorated in a stylish contemporary design with many rooms that have fabulous views of the city.

Hotel de Lanzi: Via dell’Oche, 11. +39 055 288043. The Hotel De’ Lanzi is an establishment of notable history. Located in the heart of Florence close to Giotto’s bell tower, it is a short walk from all of Florence’s main attractions.

Two Stars

Hotel Santa Croce: Via dei Bentaccordi, 3. +39 055 217000. Hotel Santa Croce is immersed in the marvelous historical center, right in the heart of the artistic, cultural and commercial life of the city.

B&B A Teatro: Via G. Verdi, 12. +39 055 2638242. A Teatro B&B has a central location in Florence, opposite Teatro Verdi with comfortable rooms including air conditioning and come with a TV, minibar, and free Wi-Fi.

Windows on Italy: +39 055 268510. Windows on Italy is an agency with 30 years of experience in renting villas and luxury apartments for tourism in Florence and some of the most beautiful Italian locations such as Tuscan countryside and seaside, Milan, Sorrento, Rome and Siena.

Plus Hostel: Via Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, 15. +39 055 462 8934. Located near Piazza della Indipendenza, this lively hostel offers basic rooms and mixed dorms that come with a free hot breakfast buffet.

Hostel Santa Monaca Firenze: Via S. Monaca, 6. +39 055 268338. Located in the Oltrarno district, this hostel is located in a 15th-century convent, and offers mixed and female-only dorms with shared bathrooms.

Near SAI Office

Brac: Via dei Vagellai, 18. This is a library cafe dedicated to contemporary art, a space for contemplative thought and for the consumption of not only good food but for the consumption of art.

Dim Sum Restaurant: Via Antonio Magliabechi, 9r. Good dim sum and noodles. Make sure to get there early.

Duomo Neighborhood

Coquinarius: Via delle Oche, 11r. Great place for unique combinations of pasta and sauces,  big salads with options like bacon and avocado, as well as fresh and light “piatti unici” and good wine; ask for Igor or Niccola’.

Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori: Via dei Magazzini, 3. +39 055 293045. Family-owned and operated, serving typical Tuscan favorites made fresh daily by “mamma” (try the tiramisu with raspberry). Reservations are a must, so call ahead.

Sant’Ambrogio Neighborhood

Café and Trattoria Cibrèo: Via Andrea del Verrocchio. The trattoria is named after the famous cibreo, a typical stew from Florence that Caterina de Medici was said to enjoy so much that she even attempted unsuccessfully, to export it to France. The trattoria and café are less expensive than the restaurant, but all the food comes out of the same kitchen of famous chef, Fabio Picchi.

Ristorante La Giostra: Borgo Pinti, 18r. This restaurant takes pride in its Royal Lorraine heritage, and ensures the preservation of its traditions with the close attention to the quality and boldness of flavors found in Tuscan cuisine.

La Divina Pizza: via Borgo Allegri, 50r. Interesting combinations topping a sour dough crust, order small bites on a wooden platter to taste all they have to offer. Vegan pizza available.

Santo Spirito (Oltrarno) Neighborhood

Osteria Santo Spirito: Piazza Santo Spirito, 16r. Situated in the very edgy area of Piazza Santo Spirito, this tavern creates a wide range of Italian dishes to satisfy your hunger and while deviating away from the typical pastas and pizzas.

Trattoria Casalinga: Via dei Michelozzi, 9r. Family run and locally loved, this busy unpretentious place is one of Florence’s cheapest trattorias.

4 Leoni: Via de’ Vellutini, 1r. Always a good choice from the “pietanze” is the gran fritto dell’ aia, made of fried chicken, rabbit and vegetables, straccetti all’aceto balsamico, fried brain, schienali and artichokes: all real delicacies for culinary lovers.

Il Santo Bevitore: Via di Santo Spirito, 64/66. The legend of the Holy Drinker is a novella by Joseph Roth, turned into a very famous Italian award-winning film in 1988. The name of the restaurant comes from that, as there is also a quote by Joseph Roth under the name of the restaurant.

Florence is a quaint Italian city with all the movement and activity of city life and the tranquil pleasures of the Tuscan region. The historic center is divided into major neighborhoods: Santa Croce/ Sant’Ambrogio, San Lorenzo/ Duomo and Santo Spirito/Oltrarno. Each neighborhood has its own personality and offers a different experience in Florence.

Resources:

Rick Steve’s Audio Tour: Enjoy time in the city at your own pace with one of these podcasts which include a Renaissance Walk Tour, Accademia & Michaelangelo’s David, and Uffizi Gallery Tour.

Firenze Turismo: From hikes to museums, parks and more, this site is a great resource for fun activities in Florence and the surrounding area.

Visit Florence: Refer to this site for other suggestions and tips about planning your trip to Florence.

Activities:

Tuscany Bike Tours: Tuscany Bike Tours offers one day bike tours just south of Florence in the heart of the Chianti wine region.

In Tavola: In Tavola aims to spread the rich food and wine culinary traditions of Italy and the Tuscany region through an incredible variety of dishes and recipes to all interested in learning the secrets behind the traditional Italian kitchen.

Food Studio: Florence Food Studio is a cooking school in Florence with the aim of teaching Tuscan traditions through classes with an expert chef.

Ciao Florence: Offers day trips, tours, hikes and other fun activities departing from Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, Milan, Siena, Bologna, Sorrento and more. SAI students receive a 15% discount on bookings with code SAI15.

Prestige Rent: Another tour company that offers tours and day trips with smaller, more intimate groups.

Tickets & Passes:

All state run museums in Florence are free the first Sunday of every month. The museums can be a bit crowded on these days, so plan accordingly for large groups or long entrance lines.

Firenze Card: Firenzecard is the official museum pass of the city of Florence. It costs €85 and is valid for 72 hours starting from the first entrance. This pass allows you to enter each museum once and includes visits to permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.

Transportation:

The best way to get around Florence is on foot. There are also other convenient options for moving around and some options for traveling outside of Florence.

Taxi: you can reserve or call a taxi through one of the two taxi cooperatives active in the city by using the following apps or phone numbers. The TaxiMove app is associated with +39 055 4390 or the AppTaxi app which is associated with +39 055 4242. You can also find taxi stands located around the city and in major squares indicated by orange signs.

Bus: Local buses are another option for getting around the city. Tickets can be purchased at any Tabacchi shop, cost €1.70 must be validated on board and are valid for 90 minutes.

Train: Follow the links above to book tickets for either the Private (Italotreno) or state-run (Trenitalia) train companies, to nearby towns or other Italian cities.

Private Car: If you are looking for private transportation outside of Florence for an excursion, or to the Pisa airport, SAI recommends using a private car run by Gioia Gualtieri. She can take guests in a sedan or minivan of 8 people plus driver to explore Tuscany. Call +39 333 1199993 or email giogua [at] icloud.com for a quote and to set it up.