Neighborhood 48H guide
Oltrarno: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Pitti Palace, Boboli and Santo Spirito.
Across the Ponte Vecchio, the Oltrarno is Florence’s artisan quarter: the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, Brunelleschi’s Santo Spirito on its café square, and, uphill to the east, Giardino Bardini, Forte di Belvedere and San Miniato al Monte above Piazzale Michelangelo.
Photo gallery
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Thomas Oboe Lee · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Txllxt TxllxT · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: John Samuel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daniel Lu (User:dllu) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Characterful and calmer, a short bridge walk from the centre.
Who it's for: Repeat visitors, food lovers and anyone after a quieter base.
Pros
- Artisans
- Evening squares
- Views
Cons
- Hills to the viewpoints
- Fewer hotels
- Cobbles
48H in the Oltrarno
Palace, gardens, views.
09:00 – Pitti Palace
Palatine Gallery and royal apartments.
11:30 – Boboli Gardens
Terraced Medici gardens behind the palace.
17:00 – San Miniato al Monte
Climb past Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset.
19:30 – Piazza Santo Spirito
Aperitivo on the square.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
See / do
See / do
Palazzo Pitti
Piazza de’ Pitti
The Medici palace, with the Palatine Gallery and royal apartments.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →See / do
Basilica di Santo Spirito
Piazza Santo Spirito
Brunelleschi’s last church, with a Michelangelo crucifix.
Photo: Thomas Oboe Lee · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Boboli Gardens
Piazza de’ Pitti
Terraced Renaissance gardens with fountains, grottoes and city views.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →Outdoors
Villa and Giardino Bardini
Costa San Giorgio 2
Terraced garden with one of the best views over the city.
Photo: Txllxt TxllxT · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Sunrise / sunset
Sunrise / sunset
San Miniato al Monte
Via delle Porte Sante 34
Romanesque basilica on the hill above Piazzale Michelangelo.
Photo: John Samuel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Hotel Palazzo Guadagni
Santo Spirito
Renaissance palazzo on Piazza Santo Spirito, with a loggia.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Oltrarno.
Since 1 January 2025, every Italian short-term and tourist rental must have a national identification code (CIN), shown in every online listing and outside the building. Hosts face fines of €800–8,000 for having no CIN and €500–5,000 for not displaying it. Before booking on Vrbo, check that the listing shows a CIN.
Browse vacation rentals in Oltrarno on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Florence
- Duomo — Brunelleschi’s dome and the Bargello.
- Signoria & Ponte Vecchio — The Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio and the old bridge.
- Santa Croce — Michelangelo’s tomb and a collector’s palace.
- Sant’Ambrogio — The Synagogue and Michelangelo’s house.
- Santa Maria Novella — The marble basilica and the station quarter.
- San Lorenzo — The central market and the Medici.
- San Marco & Santissima Annunziata — Michelangelo’s David and Brunelleschi’s loggia.