To witness the charms of Florence at night is a truly special experience.

Trust me, if you thought the city was a knockout during the day, just wait until you see the Florence skyline sparkle with twinkling lights as the sunset paints the evening sky.

However, if you’re somehow convinced that “day time is play time” and nightfall is for sleeping, then it’s my mission to open your mind to a little night magic, Florentine style!

So whether you’re a natural-born night owl or seeking some amusement after a day in Florence (beyond admiring the Duomo views from your hotel room), you’re in the right place!

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The Florence skyline is pretty remarkable at sunset, especially if you can snag a spot at one of the top places in town, such as by the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.

In fact, seeking out at least one sunrise or sunset while you’re in the city is a Florence travel tip you shouldn’t overlook!

While the sunset will be special from pretty much anywhere, here are some of the most spectacular sunset spots:

• Ponte Vecchio Bridge
• Piazzale Michelangelo
• Atop the Duomo
• Fort Belvedere
• Boboli Gardens
• Bardini Garden

How does the idea of sampling some fine Italian wine while watching the sun go down hit ya?

If you’re nodding and smiling, then this next activity will be right up your alley! A wine tasting walking tour will lead you to some of Florence’s most beautiful sights, from the Ponte Vecchio to the Oltrarno District, which come alive with twinkling lights at night.

Along the way, you’ll stop to enjoy both red and white wines – including Tuscany’s trademark Chianti – paired with tasty locally-prepared bites.

This enchanting tour will end at the magnificent Duomo where you’ll toast to the good life with your final glass – and enjoy a delicious plate of fresh crostini!

Enjoying the sunset with an aperitif is the Florentine way.

And not to worry – there’s certainly no shortage of incredible rooftop bars with jaw-dropping views of the city. In fact, I’ve dedicated an entirely separate blog post to just that!

(Well, that, and all of the other awesome places to check out Florence’s amazing skyline views.)

So make sure to hop over and check that out before you go so you don’t miss one!

If you’d like to take things up a notch, you should consider joining a more formal aperitivo tasting. This 2.5-hour tour will introduce you to fabulous Tuscan wineries in some of Florence’s wonderful under-the-radar neighborhoods.

During the tasting, you’ll enjoy a wine and food pairing with helpful commentary from a local sommelier.

While wine and cocktails are certainly wonderful, it would be a sin not to savor all of the delicious food while in Italy! Fortunately, Florence has plenty of wonderful options to choose from for a satisfying dinner.

Here are some top recommended restaurants in the city to put on your radar:

Traditional Tuscan/Florentine Classics:

• Da Ruggero
• Trattoria Sergio Gozzi
• Trattoria Mario
• Il Latini

Tuscan Focusing on Seasonality:

• Parione
• Il Santo Bevitore

Fusion of Traditional Tuscan & Modern Elements:

• Il Guscio
• Borgo San Jacopo
• Konnubio

Steakhouse:

• Regina Bistecca
• Perseus

Seafood:

• Cestello Ristoclub
• L’Angolo del Mare
• Fishing Lab alle Murate

If you’d prefer to connect with other travelers and dine in more of a group setting, you may wish to consider a fun restaurant and bar-hopping tour.

This experience will provide an introduction to several authentic local neighborhoods and some of the best wine bars and restaurants in the city.

As you uncover local delights with the help of a guide, you’ll sample Tuscan charcuterie and local wines while learning how Florence gained its recognition as one of the foodie capitals of the world.

Finish off the evening with the grand finale, bistecca Fiorentina, before indulging in a dessert wine and a delicious gelato.

If an all-you-can-eat buffet sounds a bit indulgent, how about balancing it with an evening walking tour?

This budget-friendly guided experience is the perfect opportunity to mingle with locals, learn about some of the most significant architectural sites in the city (like the Duomo and the Palazzo Vecchio, to name a few), and savor a buffet of Italian wonders!

Is a relaxed pub crawl experience more your speed?

Then the Original Florence Pub Crawl should fit the bill. You’ll have the chance to link up with other travelers, enjoy some fun games and free shots, and experience the best bars that Florence has to offer!

It wouldn’t be right to gush about tasty Tuscan cuisine without crediting one of the most delicious European desserts, gelato!

So…are you salivating yet?

If not, perhaps this picture will get the ol’ salivary glands going…

Personally, I’d love to tell you exactly where you can get the best gelato in the city, but sadly, I haven’t tried them all (though that would make for a really fun experiment and future blog post, no?)

Then again, part of the fun is the thrill of the chase, as they say! So why not follow your tongue and go on a fun gelato hunt?

P.S. If you do, please let me know about your findings in the comments! It can never hurt to keep a running list of the best gelato spots…

In any case, as long as you follow my two pointers above, it’s hard to go wrong with gelato in Florence. Personally, I can attest to the deliciousness of the gelato at Gelateria La Carraia.

But again, you should be good to go as long as you keep my insight in mind and avoid touristy areas with inflated prices.

In general, as you travel around Italy, it’s best to avoid gelato shops near super famous monuments.

If you’d prefer to “earn” your gelato, why not experience Florence at night with an electric bike tour?

(Side Note: I’d like to go on record as saying that gelato isn’t something you need to earn; by all means, treat yourself! I’m just saying that if a bike ride helps you feel more justified in eating gelato, I can totally jive with that, too.)

Plus, if your legs are tired after a long day, an electric bike is a super efficient and fun way to skirt around the city and take in all the gorgeous monuments at night.

…And then of course there’s the whole treating-yourself-to-gelato-after-it thing!

If jazz is your jam, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy in Florence at night.

Whether you’re getting cozy in the local-favorite Florence Jazz Club or looking for some other awesome jazz venues throughout the city, you’re sure to find something that fits the bill!

Alternatively, if nightclubs are more your style, you’ll find plenty of places to enjoy the Florence nightlife scene.

Whether you want to enjoy a few drinks, dance the night away, or anything in between, you definitely won’t be bored in this lively city!

Does the idea of covering a lot of ground quickly (and feeling the evening breeze run through your hair) sound appealing?

Then you should consider joining a night Segway tour! Tour groups are intentionally kept small to help foster a more personalized experience.

On this 2.5-hour tour, you’ll hit some of the best spots in the city, including Republic Square, Signoria Square, and Brunelleschi’s Dome, while enjoying some other noteworthy landmarks in between.

For a uniquely stunning perspective of the city, you have to experience Florence by boat!

A cruise along the Arno River is one of the most peaceful ways to end the day in Florence. As you glide along, you’ll sip a delicious aperitivo and learn the ancient secrets of the river as told by an expert guide.

If the novelty of hopping aboard a vintage barchetto and cruising along on a romantic gondola ride appeals to you, you’ll relish your time as a seafaring sunset chaser!

With a city as rich in history as Florence is, you’ll likely want to pay a visit to at least one museum during your stay.

While afternoon tends to be the popular time amongst museum-hoppers, it can also be a much less enjoyable experience when you’re bumping elbows with tourists!

Fortunately, you have a couple of options if you’d prefer an early evening museum visit:

• Uffizi Gallery – Art gallery open until 6:30 PM daily (except Monday)
• Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze – Archaeological museum open from Tuesday – Sunday until 7PM (only until 2:30PM Saturday – Monday)
• Museo di Palazzo Vecchio – History museum open until 7PM daily (except Thursday)

If you’re fortunate enough to visit Florence during the summer, you can take advantage of an outdoor film night!

I mean, what better way to take in the night sky than to look up at it from a giant movie screen?

Although 2022 cinema locations and dates look as though they’re TBD for the time being, you can at least keep up with the Cinema in Villa schedule here. This is the event page for film nights at Villa Bardini.

One of the best things about exploring Florence at night is avoiding the typical daytime crowds.

From claustrophobia-inducing squares to over-touristed monuments, the mid-day pandemonium can quickly wear thin in a city as popular as Florence.

Fortunately, you won’t have to deal with this chaos come nightfall (at least not to that degree). This is why I recommend saving some of the more popular spots for the evening, when you can enjoy them without everyone else in town clamoring for a picture.

Here are some spots to consider visiting in the evening:

• Florence Academia & the Statue of David – Open daily until 6:15PM (except Mondays)
• Palazzo Vecchio – Open daily until 11PM (except Thursdays) from April – September
• Palazzo Strozzi (Strozzi Palace) – Open daily until 8PM (11PM on Thursdays)

If you’re at all familiar with my American Horror Story obsession (and my horror genre obsession in general), it should be no surprise that I love a good haunted city. So of course I have to include a spooky recommendation on this list, just in case you’re anything like me.

This fun, interactive game is a bit more like the game of Clue, as you’ll be solving mysteries and unlocking stories right from your phone. Plus, you’ll learn everything from ancient spells to the mysterious spirits and skeletons of Florence.

Although this is arguably one of the more unusual things to do in Florence, it can be a great way to stumble upon some interesting spots you may otherwise have never seen!

Simply decide whether you’d like to solve clues along with a group of fellow travelers or whether you’d prefer to split up and make a fun competition of it!

Also, if haunted histories and the paranormal are of interest, I highly recommend checking out my 3-day Savannah itinerary. This gorgeous Georgia gem is one of the most haunted cities in America!

There’s just something about strolling around Florence at night that’s so darn romantic!

Trust me, even if you’re visiting as a solo traveler, I’m sure you’ll feel the magic in the air once that sun starts to set.

Personally, I felt transported to the set of a Woody Allen film!

In any case, it’s hard to deny the beauty of the gorgeous Arno River. As the most famous river in Central Italy and the second most significant one in all of Italy (after the Tiber), the Arno runs through Florence and Pisa, dividing Florence into two separate parts.

Spanning an impressive 150 miles, the river offers numerous viewpoints for visitors to stop, savor, and capture the magic.

So if you’re all about free things to do in Florence, my personal recommendation is to head toward the Ponte Vechhio and stroll along the Lungarno delle Grazie. This lovely riverwalk area overlooks Pointe alle Grazie and the Ponte Vechhio. It’s truly magnificent at sunset and photos don’t even do it justice.

If you’re looking to level up your nighttime photography, Florence is the perfect place to practice.

In the evenings when crowds thin, you can venture into sparsely populated city squares or hike up to some of the best views of Florence and snap away to your heart’s content.

While we’re on the topic of photography, make sure to take a peek at my full photography equipment guide for all of my best recommendations (including exactly what my husband and I shoot with).

I hope these activity recommendations have inspired you to experience the magical city of Florence at night! It’s truly one of the best times to appreciate the unique beauty and history of this incredible city without crowds – and with cotton candy skies and starry nights as your backdrop!

Have you spent a night in Florence yet? What did you enjoy most? Let me know in the comments below!

Looking for some alternative ideas for your Florence trip? Check out my other guides:

• One Day in Florence: A Concise Itinerary to Maximize Sightseeing
• 20 Incredible Places to See the Florence Skyline
• 20 Fantastic Florence Hotels Near the Duomo
• 20 Best Day Trips from Florence (Within Two Hours)