{"id":24907,"date":"2026-02-21T10:59:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T10:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/?p=24907"},"modified":"2026-02-21T10:59:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T10:59:30","slug":"rome-vs-florence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence","title":{"rendered":"Rome vs Florence &#8211; Which City is Right for You?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s the eternal question travelers have been asking for centuries: Rome vs Florence? Which city should you visit? It might depend on your tastes, expectations, or travel style. But let us break it down for you, helping to add some clarity to your decision-making process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In comparing Rome vs Florence, here are a few facts about each city:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome was legendarily founded in 753 BC. Florence was founded in 59 BC.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Florence has over 100 churches. Rome has more than 900.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome has about 2.8 million inhabitants. Florence has 380,000 denizens.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2025, Florence had 16 million visitors. That same year, Rome saw nearly 23 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you starting to see a pattern here? Rome is a big, bustling ancient metropolis and Florence is just a bit smaller.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_22599\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22599\" class=\"wp-image-22599 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Colosseum-at-2.jpg\" alt=\"Rome's majestic colosseum illuminated from within at night.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Colosseum-at-2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Colosseum-at-2-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-22599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">No matter which time of day you visit, the Colosseum is incredible.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence\/#Rome_Vs_Florence\" >Rome Vs Florence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence\/#Rome_Big_Bustling_Breathtaking\" >Rome: Big, Bustling, Breathtaking<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence\/#Who_Should_Visit_Rome\" >Who Should Visit Rome?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence\/#Florence_Stylish_Serene_Stunning\" >Florence: Stylish, Serene, Stunning<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence\/#Who_Should_Visit_Florence\" >Who Should Visit Florence?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence\/#So_Rome_vs_Florence_whats_it_going_to_be\" >So, Rome vs Florence, what\u2019s it going to be?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence\/#FAQs_%E2%80%93_Rome_vs_Florence\" >FAQs &#8211; Rome vs Florence<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence\/#Why_should_you_take_a_tour\" >Why should you take a tour?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/rome-vs-florence\/#What_time_do_the_tours_start_and_how_long_do_they_last\" >What time do the tours start and how long do they last?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rome_Vs_Florence\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome Vs Florence<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever the case, both cities are true wonders of the world. If you had to choose to visit Rome vs Florence, which city would you hop on a train for? After all, you can opt to take small-group guided tours of both <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/rome-in-a-day-tour\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/florence-tours\/florence-walking-tour-david\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Florence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, thus deepening your knowledge and appreciation of both. Besides that, in both locations you\u2019ll get invaluable skip-the-line access at attractions in both Rome and Florence. Whatever the case, here\u2019s some information about both to help you decide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21002\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21002\" class=\"wp-image-21002 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/rsz_florence.jpg\" alt=\"The sun setting over beautiful Florence with the duomo rising above the red rooftops.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/rsz_florence.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/rsz_florence-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21002\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sun setting over the beautiful skyline of Florence.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rome_Big_Bustling_Breathtaking\"><\/span>Rome: Big, Bustling, Breathtaking<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome, as historians like to often point out, is a palimpsest: a word that comes from the Greek, meaning something that has diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface. And this isn\u2019t just an onion-sized metaphor. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Eternal City is literally layered with the remnants and minutiae of 27 centuries of history, each generation adding their stamp until it gets buried by the next and the next and the next. So much so, that when the city is building a new metro\/subway line, as they are now with Line C that goes right through the historical center, workers regularly find ancient remains and then the archaeologists are called in to gently brush away the dirt to reveal the treasures of antiquity that have just been unearthed. You could say that building a new subway line in Rome puts the &#8220;eternal&#8221; in the Eternal City.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21967\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21967\" class=\"wp-image-21967 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Fontana-di-Trevi.jpg\" alt=\"A statue of the god Oceanus stands over Rome's famous Fontana di Trevi. Will this win the battle of Rome Vs. Florence?\" width=\"1200\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Fontana-di-Trevi.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Fontana-di-Trevi-768x546.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21967\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Early in the day may be the best time for you to visit the Fontana di Trevi. Photo credit: Chait Goli<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Italian capital is home to a very large handful of iconic sites. Here is\u00a0 brief breakdown of you can expect to discover in Rome:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colosseum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Colosseum:<\/a> One of the most recognizable structures on the planet, this nearly 1,950-year-old arena could accommodate more than 50,000 spectators who crammed into the space to watch gladiators fight to the death. ,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Pantheon: The Temple of All Gods was built by Emperor Hadrian around 125 A.D. and is the best preserved building from antiquity in Rome.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Trevi Fountain: Rome\u2019s most famous fountain is a Baroque masterpiece made even more famous by the films \u201cRoman Holiday,\u201d \u201cThree Coins in a Fountain,\u201d and \u201cLa Dolce Vita,\u201d all of which were made in the middle of the 20th century.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Piazza Navona: This oblong-shaped public space owes its shape to the fact that it was a stadium in ancient Roman times. Today, there are three lovely fountains crowning the square, the majority of which were designed by Bernini.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_10665\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10665\" class=\"wp-image-10665 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/RW_7145-4.jpg\" alt=\"Tour guide leading group in front of Rome's Pantheon\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/RW_7145-4.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/RW_7145-4-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-10665\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Pantheon, with striking stonework and columns, is even more impressive on the inside.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you do choose to visit Rome, the best way to tackle this bustling metropolis would be to take our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/rome-in-a-day-tour\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome in a Day Tour<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where you\u2019ll not only see many of these iconic spots, but you\u2019ll have a local expert showing you around, giving the backstory on each palace and regaling you with intriguing historical anecdotes. Rome may not have been built in a day but you can see a lot of it in one day! And did we mention you get skip-the-line access, so no waiting around like the rest of the tourists in Rome?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Should_Visit_Rome\"><\/span>Who Should Visit Rome?<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a first-time visitor to Italy, arriving in Rome is like cannon-balling into the swimming pool that is the Italian capital. It\u2019s the fast track to getting your bearings, where you\u2019ll be overwhelmed by the beauty, the historical depth, and the sheer chaos of this remarkable metropolis. For this reason, make sure you have a comfortable hotel room for when you need to reach some solitude away from the city\u2019s wild atmosphere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24099\" style=\"width: 1630px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24099\" class=\"wp-image-24099 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Walks_Rome_Rome-In-A-Day_WEB-RES-0014.jpg\" alt=\"A tour guide leads a small tour group of visitors along a cobbled street, with the Colosseum in the background.\" width=\"1620\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Walks_Rome_Rome-In-A-Day_WEB-RES-0014.jpg 1620w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Walks_Rome_Rome-In-A-Day_WEB-RES-0014-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Walks_Rome_Rome-In-A-Day_WEB-RES-0014-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1620px) 100vw, 1620px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-24099\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A walking tour is one of the best ways to explore a city, you can focus on the sights, not on the map!<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Florence_Stylish_Serene_Stunning\"><\/span>Florence: Stylish, Serene, Stunning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Rome is big, bustling, and potentially overwhelming to some visitors, Florence might be the Goldilocks of Italian cities: just right. Rome is walkable, Florence is infinitely more walkable, as it is smaller in size, and visitors can cover more of the historical city in a shorter amount of time. It\u2019s also cleaner, less chaotic, and perhaps a bit more ready for prime-time tourism than its crazier big brother, Rome, ever will be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome may get more tourists per year, but Florence also sees a hefty amount of visitors, particularly for its size. In other words, Rome had 8.2 visitors for every one inhabitant and Florence had 42 visitors for every one denizen in this Tuscan city. And while Florence may have more visitors per capita, it\u2019s still a more tranquil city and much easier to navigate than Rome.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23459\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23459\" class=\"wp-image-23459 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_VIP-David-Duomo_0115.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people walking on the rooftops of Florence's famous landmark while on a tour of the Duomo.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_VIP-David-Duomo_0115.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_VIP-David-Duomo_0115-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23459\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Duomo of Florence is an architectural wonder with many parts to explore.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also has some attractions that can rival those of Rome:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (aka the Duomo): One of the most iconic churches in the world, the Duomo boasts the largest masonry dome ever constructed. ,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uffizi.it\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Uffizi Gallery<\/a>: first opened to the public in 1769, the Uffizi has the greatest collection of Renaissance art on the planet, including works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Da Vince, Botticelli, and Caravaggio.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ponte Vecchio: Florence\u2019s iconic Gothic bridge, the only span to survive World War II, boasts jewellery shops and art dealers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Galleria dell&#8217;Accademia: most people come here to see\u00a0 Michelangelo\u2019s world-famous \u201cDavid\u201d sculpture.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_16830\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16830\" class=\"wp-image-16830 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/uffizi-gallery-tour-17-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Birth of Venus by Botticelli in the Uffizi Gallery\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-16830\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Uffizi Gallery is home to amazing artworks including &#8220;The Birth of Venus&#8221; by Botticelli.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s possible to see everything that Florence has to offer during one trip. But want to know a secret? If you want to get the most out of your time in Florence, take our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/florence-tours\/florence-walking-tour-david\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best of Florence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> small-group guided walking tour. You\u2019ll see all the sites above, get skip-the-line access, plus have a local expert to guide you around, giving you insider information on each place\u2014info that would be hard to learn by doing it on your own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Should_Visit_Florence\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who Should Visit Florence?\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don\u2019t want to be overwhelmed by buzzing scooters, restaurant barkers, chaotic car drivers, and big city buzz, Florence is the antidote to Rome\u2019s crazy atmosphere. It\u2019s quieter, softer, and a bit more tranquil. There\u2019s a certain refinement to Florence that you won\u2019t find in Italy\u2019s other big cities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23420\" style=\"width: 1930px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23420\" class=\"wp-image-23420 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_Alone-in-Duomo_0066.jpg\" alt=\"A group of tourists enjoys the breathtaking view of Florence\u2019s terracotta rooftops and surrounding hills from the dome\u2019s summit.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_Alone-in-Duomo_0066.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_Alone-in-Duomo_0066-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_Alone-in-Duomo_0066-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23420\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The breathtaking view of Florence\u2019s terracotta rooftops and surrounding hills from the Duomo summit.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_Rome_vs_Florence_whats_it_going_to_be\"><\/span>So, Rome vs Florence, what\u2019s it going to be?<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bustling Rome with its 2,000-year-old ruins sitting around or more tranquil and stylish Florence with its larger-than-life Cathedral?\u00a0 Rome vs Florence. Both cities could be ideal for first-time visitors to Italy. Both cities are crammed with iconic art, Renaissance palaces, plus-sized churches, charismatic locals, and incredible restaurants overflowing with red wine and pasta.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do we have to choose? Actually, you don\u2019t. There is regular train service between Rome and Florence, each train leaving every 30 to 45 minutes, taking only 90 minutes of travel. That\u2019s right, in the time it takes you to eat lunch at a trattoria in Tuscany or Lazio, you could go from Rome to Florence (or the other way around).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, in the eternal debate of Rome vs Florence, you don\u2019t have to debate. You can take our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/rome-in-a-day-tour\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome in a Day<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tour <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/florence-tours\/florence-walking-tour-david\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best of Florence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tour. Why have only one when you can have both?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21762\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21762\" class=\"wp-image-21762 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Wine-tasting.jpg\" alt=\"Two people toasting with a glass of red wine and a glass of white wine.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Wine-tasting.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Wine-tasting-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21762\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toast to the amazing cities of Rome, or Florence, (or both!), with a delicious glass of local wine.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs_%E2%80%93_Rome_vs_Florence\"><\/span><b>FAQs &#8211; Rome vs Florence<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_should_you_take_a_tour\"><\/span><b>Why should you take a tour?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small-group, guided walking tours are the smart travelers\u2019 secret weapon. Why? Because they pair with a local, someone who has been traversing that city for years and years, knows all the right people and places, and has invaluable insider\u2019s knowledge you\u2019ll never get from a guidebook nor AI. Plus, on both tours, you&#8217;ll have invaluable skip-the-line access, breezing right past those long lines and strutting in like a VIP.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_time_do_the_tours_start_and_how_long_do_they_last\"><\/span><b>What time do the tours start and how long do they last?\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/rome-in-a-day-tour\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best of Florence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tour starts at 9 am and lasts three hours. Just in time for you to relax a bit and then head to a trattoria for lunch (which our guide can happily offer some local recommendations).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re in the Eternal City, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/rome-in-a-day-tour\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome in a Day<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> begins at 10:15 am and goes until 5:45 pm\u2014that\u2019s 7.5 hours of insider info on Rome.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>When is the best time to go to Rome and\/or Florence?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The better question is: when is it a bad time to go? We say there\u2019s never a bad time. That said, going there June through August, you\u2019re going to see a lot more tourist traffic and it\u2019s going to be quite warm. November to March is less crowded with more affordable hotel prices, but expect it to be colder. The shoulder seasons, April and May or September and October are just right, a nice balance between fewer crowds and good weather.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23415\" style=\"width: 1930px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23415\" class=\"wp-image-23415 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_Alone-in-Duomo_0013.jpg\" alt=\"A cheerful tour guide speaks to a small group in front of the ornate facade of Florence's Duomo, basking in warm sunlight.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_Alone-in-Duomo_0013.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_Alone-in-Duomo_0013-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Walks_Florence_Alone-in-Duomo_0013-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23415\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You will learn a lot on a guided tour with our local experts!<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>Want to experience the best of Rome and\/or Florence without the stress of planning it all yourself?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you choose to visit Rome or Florence, you can hop on our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/rome-in-a-day-tour\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rome in a Day<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tour or<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/florence-tours\/florence-walking-tour-david\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best of Florence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tour and you\u2019ll get to see the artistic glories of one of these amazing cities in the most relaxed and comfortable way. Skip the line at popular attractions, get expertly curated information from your local guide, and then go home with a much greater appreciation of Italy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Or, if you cant decide between Rome vs Florence then let us help you visit both. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Head to Rome and spend a few days enjoying the Eternal city, and then take advantage of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/rome-to-florence-overnight-tour\/?utm_source=woi_florence_tuscany_cta&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=overnights_2026&amp;utm_id=overnights_2026\">Rome to Florence &amp; Tuscany 2 day Tour.<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Including high speed return train, a 4-star hotel and an expert guide who will take you for a <\/span>fabulous first day in Florence and a splendid second day exploring Siena, San Gimignano, and Chianti in the Tuscan countryside.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s the eternal question travelers have been asking for centuries: Rome vs Florence? Which city should you visit? It might depend on your tastes, expectations, or travel style. But let us break it down for you, helping to add some clarity to your decision-making process.\u00a0 In comparing Rome vs Florence, here are a few facts [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":22293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[101,64,76,18],"ppma_author":[181],"class_list":["post-24907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-culture","tag-culture","tag-florence","tag-museums","tag-rome"],"authors":[{"term_id":181,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"david-farley","display_name":"David Farley","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Farley_AuthorPhoto.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Farley_AuthorPhoto.jpg"},"user_url":"","last_name":"Farley","first_name":"David","job_title":"","description":"David Farley is a West Village-based food and travel writer whose work appears regularly in the New York Times, National Geographic, BBC, and Food &amp; Wine, among other publications. He\u2019s the author of three books, including \u201cAn Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church\u2019s Strangest Relic in Italy\u2019s Oddest Town,\u201d which was made into a documentary by the National Geographic Channel. You can find Farley\u2019s online homes at https:\/\/dfarley.com\/index.html and https:\/\/www.tripout.online\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24907"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24907"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24924,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24907\/revisions\/24924"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24907"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=24907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}