map Florence - http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence-151105/TravelGuide-Florence.html

1. Boboli Gardens - don’t miss paying a visit to the Boboli Gardens. In 1550, the Medici family purchased the Pitti Palace (also worth seeing) which came with a large park area that had not been landscaped. Niccolò Pericoli worked on the gardens from 1550 until his death in 1558 and they were made public in 1774. You can enjoy great views of the city from the hills of the garden and the rose garden here is worth a wander. Adorned with multiple statues this is a perfect representative of an Italian Renaissance garden.

2. Fiesole - A vacation in Florence won't be complete without visiting Fiesole, the famous Etruscan city lying on a hill just 3km from Florence downtown. Fiesole offers a panoramic view over Florence, but it also gives the opportunity to visit museums, churches or to take to country paths ideals for trekking or walking.

3. Mercato Centrale or one of the other markets. This 1874 building constructed by Giuseppe Mengoni, is Florence's most popular food market. It is constantly bustling with people buying anything from meat and cheese to fruit and flowers. Photographers will love the place and it’s worth experiencing no matter whether you are buying or not.

4. Climb up the Santa Maria del Fiore and Duomo or Giotto's tower to see stunning views of this ancient city. The remarkable Duomo, with its pink, white and green marble façade and characteristic dome, dominates the city's skyline. The building took almost two centuries to build (and even then the façade wasn't completed until the 19th century). This is the fourth-largest cathedral in the world.

5. Don’t miss seeing the tombs of Santa Croce. Buried here are the bodies of Michelangelo as well as Niccolo Machiavelli and Rossini and many other famous names linked to Italy’s past. The Basilica here is one of the largest churches in the city and like the tombs is worth seeing. Note: Don’t be put off as the floor of the tomb is covered with the old tombstones. There is no other place to walk other than stepping on the graves. Although this is very ‘non-U’ by many cultures, it doesn’t seem to bother the Florentines.

6.Whatever you do, don’t miss a visit to the Uffizi Gallery. This is one of two museums on most tourists' "must-see" lists. It's mobbed during the tourist season, so book ahead by calling Firenze Musei on: +39 055 294883.

7. Pay at least one visit to the Bargello. Originally a jail this building now accommodates the National Museum, part of which houses one of the most impressive collections of Renaissance sculpture anywhere in the world.