15 Best photo spots in Florence | The best Instagrammable Florence guide

Florence has been considered for many years the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Many artists have made masterpieces appreciated all over the World. Artistic Laboratory of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli and many more, Florence has some of the best photo spots in Italy.

This is our guide on where to find the best photo spots in Florence. More than just a list of the best instagrammable spots in Florence. Everything is amazing in the city of art. Strolling around the streets and alleyways, come out in wide square filled with masterpieces, domes, churches, statues and stunning building. Come with us discovering the photography locations in Florence and the best photos of Florence Italy.

PONTE VECCHIO

For sure this is the most instagrammable place in Florence. We will bet everything that Ponte Vecchio is on the top of your Instagram feed, looking at Florence photos.

This place is really crowded all day long. We stayed in Florence really short time and the only option to capture unforgettable moments on this bridge was to wake up early in the morning. Along the sides of this Bridges the shops of the most important gold sellers and jewellers. At night this place changes his face, becoming a nightlife hang out place in Florence. Check our galleries of the photo we get on Ponte Vecchio, for us, this was an amazingly inspirational place where take instagrammable photos of Florence.

Ponte Vecchio is the history of Florence

Not everyone knows that Ponte Vecchio is the history of Florence. The English translation of Ponte Vecchio is “Old Bridge”. This is the main bridge of the old town and crosses the river Arno, taking you to the other side of the city.

Despite this is not the only bridge in the city, this is the most popular. On top of this amazing bridge, you can see a construction. This is the Vasari Corridor. It was built in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo 1 Medici. The upper bridge was needed to protect the lord of Firenze from external attacks. It is the link between Palazzo Vecchio, the political centre of Florence and Palazzo Pitti, the residence of the Lord, passing by the Uffizi Gallery.

If you loved Florence, our best photo spots in Venice will be ideal for you.

VIEW OF THE RIVER ARNO AND THE BRIDGES OF FLORENCE

Another stunning point where take amazing photos of Florence is from one of the Bridges. We suggest visiting those places at the sunset or sunrise like us. This is pretty much the famous view you see of the Ponte Vecchio in postcards and other photos online, and there’s a reason for it – it’s a great view!  I spent a couple of sunsets shooting here and you can also turn around to look upriver for a slightly different perspective on the town.

This spot is upriver from looking at Ponte Vecchio from Santa Trinita Bridge. Easy to find. Two are the most important bridges that we will highlight, the Santa Trinita Bridge and Ponte Alle Grazie. The third less popular is Ponte alla Carraia, amazing as well. This one is a proper Instagram worthy place in Florence.

ARCADES OF UFFIZI GALLERIES

Looking for the amazing photo spots in Florence, we can’t miss writing about the Uffizi Gallery. This is one of the best Italian museums, it’s also one of the busiest in the world thanks to the wide collection of masterpieces. We get it in our personal list of instagrammable places in Firenze because of the awesome facades, the column that gives you the warm welcome to the collection is just stunning. We were so impressed, looking all around the statue of the most important artists that make great Florence and the whole of Italy. Our tip on how to shoot better this place is to take advantage of the light straining against the column.

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity and book the Priority entrance to the Uffizi here.

RIVERSIDE OF FLORENCE OLD TOWN

Like many great cities in Europe, like Vienna, Budapest, London or Paris, Florence is build up by the riverside. The river that is flowing in the middle of the city is the Arno, that divides the city into two different parts. On the right side of the river, there is a well known old town. Here you will find the Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Vecchio and the well-known churches.

We strolled around the riverside of Florence early in the morning, avoiding the crowd and the popular attractions of Florence. Along the riverside, you will find amazing photo spots of Florence. The sunset is another amazing time of the day to make the best of your photography skills, but Firenze is busy, especially in summer. Start your photo shooting of Florence from Ponte Vecchio up to Ponte alle Grazie, and be creative across the arches.

DUOMO OF FIRENZE AND THE BRUNELLESCHI’S DOME

You can see the amazing Duomo of Florence from kilometres. The Dome of Brunelleschi will be your directional point for all your stay in Florence. The amazing Cathedral of Florence is another pin on our list of most instagrammable places in Florence. This area starts to be crowded with tourists since early morning, even around the sunrise we found many people hanging around. You can reach the top of the Dome and enjoy the view of Firenze, this is a top thing to do in Florence in your visit.

Don’t miss this incredible experience and climb the Dome. Book the ticket here.

CAMPANILE DI GIOTTO | Florence Bell Tower

You can’t miss visiting the Campanile of Giotto, this building is standing just next to the Duomo of Florence. The tall building is not the ideal for taking photos, but still really photogenic and it is an amazing photo spot in Florence. We suggest shooting this beauty from the bottom, taking the best of the tallest building. The colours of this building and the marble are unique, is hard to find a masterpiece like this around Europe. We have included this spot not just because is stunning. For us the Campanile of Giotto is an unforgettable spot in Florence, and even who has never been here looking at it will understand where is.

THE GATES OF THE PARADISE

For many, those doors are the beginning of the renaissance period of Florence. If you don’t know, this was the most prestigious moment in the history of Florence. The Gates of the Paradise, are two doors on the entrance of the Baptistery, just in front of the Cathedral of Florence. The details designed on the doors will take you long looking at that. Come here early in the morning looking for the right time for a clean shot.

PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA | The best photo spots in Florence

This is just one of the main squares of the city, but for sure is not second for the charm and great history. Piazza della Signoria is a blast, one of the top photo spots in Florence. This square is the centre of the old town, always crowded with tourists. In this place, you can find many other touristic and popular spots in Florence. The Loggia della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio are the next two on our top list of photography places of Florence. You will find here a perfect replica of the David of Michelangelo and the fountain of Zeus on the other side.

LOGGIA DELLA SIGNORIA

This place is just on the right side of Piazza Della Signoria, looking at Palazzo Vecchio. This is the right place to take rest after a long walk through the narrow alleys of Florence. Inside this space, you will see many masterpieces of the best Florentine Artists. The entrance to this space is totally free, get inside to admire the masterpieces and check the details.

PALAZZO VECCHIO

As we said before Piazza della Signoria is the main place of many attractions of Florence. One of the most popular is Palazzo Vecchio, actually used by the local council, is a top photo spot in Florence. You can get inside the main courtyard of the Palace, to admire the details of the internal spaces. The David of Michelangelo, a replica of the statue from the Accademia, is just outside to great you before enter in. This space deserves your shot, be ready to find a clean shot in this crowded place.

THE FOUNTAIN OF PORCELLINO | THE PIG STATUE AND MARKET

Italy is well known for the superstition and gestures, in our list of top instagrammable places in Florence we couldn’t miss the Pig Statue or wild boar for us. This is places close to the square market, between the Duomo Square and Ponte Vecchio. This is a popular attraction in Florence, it is essentially a bronze fountain. The fountain of Porcellino of Florence is coming from the novel of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Bronze Hog”. While you are there, don’t miss to visit the amazing market in the old town. The stalls in this market sell everything, but fine leather goods are the best local products.

The legend behind The Bronze hog statue of Florence

Like every city with a great history behind, even Florence have its part of romance and legends. Visiting the fountain of Porcellino, you have to know the correct way to follow the legend, pulling the coin. First of all, you have to put a coin into the boar’s gaping jaws. Your intent need to be to get it right in the middle of the statue, letting the coin falling down the hole. This will give you good luck. If you rub the nose of the big pig you will ensure a return to Florence one day.

PIAZZA DELLA REPUBBLICA | Best photo spots in Florence

This amazing square has inspired many travellers for years. There are no special landmarks in this place, but all together make it absolutely stunning and an Instagram worthy place in Florence. This piazza is huge, close enough to Mercato Nuovo, it shows up a triumphant arc on the external part, in the middle a fancy carousel rich of light and a great instagrammable spot in Florence. This is the Square of the Republic, so it needs to be absolutely stunning to the visitors. Chill out here until the sunset is coming, the open square give you various prospectives.

Do you want to spend more days in Florence? See what to do in Florence in 2 days.

BASILICA DI SANTACROCE

Just a few minutes away from Piazza della Repubblica there is the Basilica of Santacroce. This church is well known for the tomb of Michelangelo, which embellished Florence with his works. Not just Michelangelo is in Santacroce, but this Basilica contains many other artists of Florence, Galileo Galilei is buried here. You can’t miss this spot, while there is Dante Alighieri, who made well known Florence, welcoming you into another masterpiece of Florence. The colours of the outside of this church have inspired us to take it on the top 10 photo spots in Florence.

Are you looking for more inspirational photography itineraries? See our guide on where to find the most instagrammable places in Venice!

SAN LORENZO MARKET

Another amazing market in Florence, maybe the most popular. Here you will find a great bargain. Focus yourself on the homemade products, especially leather jackets, wallets, pursue and many other objects. This is a crowded place, so be careful to the crowd. On the side of the market, you will find foodie spots for everybody.

A big covered market is an insane place where enjoy your Florence street photography. Take it to the next level, getting lost inside the colours, flavours and smells of the market while looking for your next instagrammable spot in Florence. Remember that spots locals in daily life are like taking the essence from them, photographing Florence and Tuscany from the heart.

While you are discovering San Lorenzo Market, why don’t check our list of the best cooking class to attend in Florence.

PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO

Are you looking for the best landscape in Florence? A well high point where take a nice and wide shot of the city is Piazzale Michelangelo. An open square from the top of the hills of Florence. On one side you can see the beauty of the city, on the other side of Piazzale Michelangelo, there is the country yard of Florence with vineyard and fields. This is more than a simple square dedicated to Michelangelo, it’s a huge terrace where sit and relax, enjoy tasty ice cream and take some of the best postcards of Florence. This is for us one of the top instagrammable spots in Florence. Get up to the hill is hard, hundreds of steps divide you from the top. Of course, the pick time is at the sunset, but head here on time to find a nice spot. Enjoy the amazing photo spot in Florence

Florence street photography locations

As we aim to give as many advice as possible of photography locations in the World, we will help you to find the right spot to get your photography skills up. There are many Instagram spots in Florence, but street photography is more than that. The market is always a good place to hang out, eat great food and drink a beer, but those are also a great window to see the real local life. San Lorenzo Market is the ideal to fill your gallery of Florence street photography locations.

Are you fancy to snap some night photography of Florence? Ready for you a couple of places to snap. From Ponte Vecchio, you will have the best long exposure on the river, that make great reflections on the water. If you can hike up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo you will catch the light of Florence from an advantage point.

Best Rooftop views in Florence

With an amazing skyline is easy to think about where to find the best rooftop views in Florence. Many hotels in the city offer a great terrace, with a panoramic bar in Florence. Those are also the best places to take photos of the sunset in Florence enjoying a cocktail on the side of a clear blue pool. The Empire Rooftop view is the most popular, with a stunning view on the Dome of Florence is for sure the best photo spots in Florence.

There are many other good photo spots in Florence with a rooftop view on the city, such as the Bar La Terrazza with a landscape on the Arno River. B-Roof is a posh bar and restaurant, ideal for a fancy romantic dinner in Florence. Here for sure, you will get the best Florence skyline. With these tips, you will enjoy your time in Florence Italy.

We suggest to you to check well your next accommodation in the Tuscany city, there are some of the best hostels in Florence that has got an amazing rooftop view.

If you enjoyed our best photo spots in Florence, you might also like our itinerary on where to find the most instagrammable places in Venice!

Just 15 of the best photo spots in Florence

Florence has been just one stop in our recent trip to Italy, an unforgettable journey along some of the masterpieces of the beautiful southern country. We spotted some of the photo locations in Florence, but remember that you can find it just strolling around and get lost.

The best photography spots in Florence Italy, are not just around the popular things to do in Florence, but behind every corner, there is the real-life of a place. Check where the locals eat, buy and spend their time. We hope to come back soon to Florence, and wake up early again enjoying the sunrise, one of the best of our life.