If you want to add Florence to your travel bucket list, visit between March and May. This tourist hotspot is busy year-round, but spring has lower accommodation rates and lacks summer’s unpleasant crowdedness and heat.
The city shines during this shoulder season, as its numerous green spaces and gardens come alive with vibrant colors and blooms. Add these beautiful locations to your next Florence itinerary for a magical spring visit.
1. Stoll under wisterias at Bardini Gardens
This stunning Italian Renaissance garden at Villa Bardini is shrouded in a dreamy purple during late April. Stroll under the arched pergola and admire hundreds of these amethyst blooms, while the Florence cityscape glimmers in the backdrop.
Tickets for Giardino Bardini are €10 for adults, €2 for EU citizens 18-24 years old, and free for children. Additionally, entry is free for all visitors on the first Sunday of each month. If you’re studying abroad in Florence, bring your passport and show your student visa, and they’ll give you the €2 rate. This ticket is valid for one day and includes access to Villa Bardini, which houses a variety of rotating exhibitions, and the sprawling Boboli Gardens.
2. Get lost in Boboli Gardens
Despite numerous trips to Boboli Gardens, I still feel like I haven’t seen it all. Located directly behind Pitti Palace, these expansive gardens designed by the Medici family are a must-visit during spring.
Wander past Roman statues and imposing fountains, or explore the fragrant Lemon House. Don’t miss the cavernous grottoes, whose decadent interiors house ornate carvings and sculptures.
If you visit Bardini Gardens and Boboli Gardens on the same day, your ticket grants you access to both. If you’d like to include the Pitti Palace during your visit, tickets for Pitti Palace with Boboli and Bardini Gardens cost €22.
3. Admire rare blooms at the Florence Flower Show
Held annually in April, the Florence Flower Show at Giardino Corsini attracts vendors nationwide. Browse succulents, admire rare orchids and hydrangeas, or ogle centuries-old olive and citrus trees; you’ll likely go home with a new plant. The exhibits are tucked into the perfectly manicured Corsini Gardens.
Tickets range from €9-€15 depending on how many days you attend.
4. Pick tulips in Scandicci
Located just outside of Florence in the Castello dell’Acciaiolo Park is Wander and Pick, a pick-your-own tulip farm. This magical little garden is a slice of the Netherlands during Italian spring. Saunter along the concentric rows of varicolored tulips, where you can take your favorite flowers home for a donation of €1 per bloom.
Check out their Facebook page for the latest information on opening times.
5. Bask in the sunshine at the Rose Garden
The Rose Garden (Giardino delle Rose) is one of my favorite hidden gems in Florence. (Check out all of my favorite hidden gems in Florence here!) This quaint park just below Piazzale Michelangelo is the perfect spot to lay in the grass with a good book on a warm day and take in the views of the Duomo. Spring brings a pop of color as the garden comes alive with fresh rose blossoms.
6. Visit the tranquil cloister at Santo Spirito
The trendy neighborhood of Santo Spirito is home to a swath of cafes, my favorite Sunday markets (more on that here!), and a Renaissance church. Despite its unimpressive stucco facade, the Basilica di Santo Spirito features a gorgeous cloister that is widely unknown to visitors.
This church is free to visit and features impressive architecture by Brunelleschi and paintings by prominent Italian artists. But, a few extra euros grants you access to the sacristy with Michelangelo’s crucifix and a gorgeous cloister. The cloister’s halls are decorated with frescoes and inlaid tombs, giving its name “the Cloister of the Dead.” Sit on one of the many benches and bask in the Tuscan sun, taking in the landscaped garden and pond.
7. Escape the city at the Botanical Gardens of Florence
The Botanical Gardens of Florence date back to 1545 and are the third oldest botanical gardens in the world. Once belonging to the Medici family, these gardens are now under the care of the University of Florence.
The gardens span over two hectares and feature large glass greenhouses and outdoor plantings, including historical medicinal gardens from their inception. Tickets are available online and in person, running from €3-6 with discounts for students and children.
