Florence, Italy

Best places to shop in Florence

5 markets, malls and shopping districts in Florence — what to buy, when to go, and the tourist traps to avoid at each one.

Last updated 2026-08-09

1. Ponte Vecchio goldsmiths

The bridge of jewellers, trading gold here since 1593 when the Medici expelled the butchers — Florentine goldwork in tiny shopfronts.

Where: Luxury
Map: Open in Maps
Best time: Daily 10:00–19:00
Cost: Luxury

Watch outGold on the bridge is genuine and hallmarked, but priced for the view. The goldsmiths on Via por Santa Maria and Borgo Santi Apostoli behind it sell comparable work for noticeably less.

2. San Lorenzo Market and Mercato Centrale

The leather stalls surrounding San Lorenzo, with the 1874 iron food market hall at the centre and a food court upstairs.

Where: Market
Map: Open in Maps
Best time: Stalls daily 09:00–19:00; Mercato Centrale food hall until midnight
Cost: Budget–Mid

Watch out'Genuine Italian leather' on the outdoor stalls is frequently split leather or bonded, imported and finished in Italy. Real full-grain leather has visible pores and an uneven back; ask to see the underside and check for a Vera Pelle stamp with a maker's name.

3. Oltrarno artisan workshops

The left bank's workshops — bookbinders, gilders, marbled-paper makers, shoemakers and restorers, many open to the street.

Where: Street Shopping
Map: Open in Maps
Best time: Monday to Friday 09:00–18:00; some close for lunch
Cost: Mid–Luxury
Tip: This is where Florentine craft actually happens. Marbled paper and hand-bound notebooks here are made on the premises, unlike the versions sold near the Duomo.

4. Via de' Tornabuoni

Florence's luxury street — Ferragamo's headquarters and museum, Gucci's home city flagship, and the Italian houses between them.

Where: Luxury
Map: Open in Maps
Best time: Monday to Saturday 10:00–19:30
Cost: Luxury

5. Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

The pharmacy founded by Dominican friars in 1221 — soaps, perfumes and elixirs still made to historic formulae, sold in the frescoed original halls.

Where: Luxury
Map: Open in Maps
Best time: Daily 09:30–20:00
Cost: Luxury