Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

Climb the 414 steps to the top of the Campanile, or up the Duomo itself for a 360-degree view of Florence. Drive up to Fiesole and look down across the entire town; if you have time to linger, gaze across those iconic terracotta-tiled rooftops while you lunch at Il Salviatino’s La Terrazza restaurant (+39 055 904 1111).

Arts and culture

Sixty per cent of the world’s most important works of art are housed in Italy – half of them are in Florence. You’d have to try very hard to have a bad time just following your feet, but there are a few things you won’t want to miss. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, aka the Duomo, was completed in 1436, and its dome is a celebrated feat of engineering. The castellated Bargello palace contains an unrivalled collection of Renaissance sculpture. The famous Uffizi Gallery houses breathtaking Botticellis, Michelangelos and Leonardos. Book tickets in advance (+39 055 294 883; polomuseale.firenze.it).

Something for nothing

Stroll across the Ponte Vecchio and spend a morning on the Oltrarno (the other side of the river): browse Via Maggio’s antiques shops; peek at 16th-century altarpieces in Brunelleschi’s Santo Spirito church; and hang out in the shady piazza afterwards.

Shopping

The Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo is a huge covered food market crammed with every local speciality. The market on Sundays around Piazza San Lorenzo can be disappointing; try hunting for antiques among bric-à-brac at the daily Piazza dei Ciompi flea market instead. There’s also a huge market at Cascine Park on Tuesday mornings. Elio Ferraro is a vintage legend – his carefully curated couture collection is beautifully displayed among mid-century marvels on Via del Parione (+39 055 290425; elioferraro.com). Via Tornabuoni is luxury-label heaven; for cutting-edge designer clothes, Luisa Via Roma (+39 055 217826) is a high-fashion multi-designer boutique. Poke your nose into Farmacia Santa Maria Novella (+39 055 216276) on Via della Scala for the finest handmade fragrances: this amazing perfumery has been producing sensational scents since the 13th century.

Daytripper

Rent a vintage car and head for the hills (+39 0578 263298; zephyrus.it): spend a day in San Gimignano, famed for its fortified towers, cobbled streets and grand views; or Siena, a perfectly preserved mediaeval city. Pisa, home to the improbably leaning tower, is only 86km away.

Perfect picnic

The historic centro is more blessed with piazzas than parks: find yourself a little enoteca (not Enoteca Pinchiorri, though, unless you’re in the mood to splash out €12,500 on Pétrus), and linger alfresco over a glass of good wine and a snacking plate of antipasti. Alternatively, take your pasta-à-porter to Cascine Park, or Piazzale Michelangelo for a heart-stirring view of the city.

Walks

Behind the Palazzo Pitti, the beautiful Boboli Gardens offer meandering walkways, shady arbours and statue-littered lawns – and provide the template for almost every noteworthy formal garden in Europe.

Children

Book a private tour with Florence Guides, who have tailormade sessions for art-quisitive kids: (www.florenceguides.com). Speed freaks head to Mugello (mugellocircuit.it), an hour away, to watch Ducatis, Aprilias and Ferraris scream round the track.

Activities

Overwhelmed by the number of sights to see? Hire an expert: art historian Camilla Baines arranges private viewings (info@thetuscanconcierge.com); Florence Guides (florenceguides.com) are knowledgeable and entertaining. See it all from the water as you’re punted down the Arno in a vintage barchetto, with Florence River (florenceriver.it); romantic night cruises for two can also be arranged. Exercise-hungry desperados could jog in Cascine Park (also lovely for a riverside stroll, hack, cycle or swim).

And

Just under two hours' dive from Florence, Modena is not only home to some of the world's finest balsamic vinegar, it also houses the Umberto Panini collection, the biggest collection of Maseratis on the planet; call in advance (+39 059 510 733).