Rome vs Florence: Choosing Your Perfect Italian Destination

Which is better - sunrise or sunset? How about the majesty of the ocean or the mountains? Fine red wine or champagne? Impossible to answer, right? Well, choosing between Rome and Florence is similar - both cities offer up unforgettable experiences, and alongside Venice stand as the absolute must-visit destinations in Italy’s glittering array of attractions. Ideally you should visit both on a trip to Italy, but being realistic we know that not everyone has unlimited time on their hands! If you are trying to work with a tight schedule and can only pack one into your itinerary, how do you choose between them?

Whilst they are equally beautiful and equally interesting, each city boasts its own unique atmosphere. Rome is a sprawling open-air museum where ancient history and landmark monuments are immersed in the vibrant bustle of modern life. Visiting Florence, on the other hand, feels like stepping into the frame of a Renaissance masterpiece.

Ultimately, choosing one over the other depends solely on what kind of adventure you’re looking for. In what follows, we’ll take a look at which city best suits different travel criteria to help you make up your mind!

Go to Rome if you’re an ancient history buff

The Forum was the beating heart of ancient Rome

For those fascinated by ancient civilizations, Rome is the ultimate destination. The city is a living testament to the power and glory of the Roman Empire, with awe-inspiring monuments like the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon lying in wait around every street corner. Walking through these ruins, you’ll be transported back in time to an era of gladiators and emperors, of great statesmen, brutal dictators and honey-tongued poets. If ancient history is your passion, then Rome is the number one city in the world you need to visit.

Go to Florence to experience the Renaissance in the flesh

The Palazzo Medici-Ricardi transports us back to the Renaissance

Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and home to many of its most iconic buildings and artworks - just think of Michelangelo’s David for starters. The city itself feels like an open-air museum, with its stunning churches and palaces featuring brilliantly preserved sculptures and frescoes. The Uffizi Gallery, meanwhile, houses an array of masterpieces by every great Renaissance artist to have ever lived, including Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo. Of course, Rome is no slouch in this regard - the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms in the Vatican alone are iconic exemplars of Renaissance mastery - but things are indescribably different in Florence - here the Renaissance feels alive. Visit it with an expert guide with us.

Choose Rome for Awe-Inspiring Baroque Monuments

The theatrical Trevi fountain pulses with the drama of the Baroque

Where Rome really distinguishes itself is its amazing array of landmark Baroque art and architecture - a period not well represented in Florence. Rome boasts some of the most magnificent Baroque landmarks in the world, including the opulent St. Peter’s Basilica, the dramatic Trevi Fountain, spellbinding Piazza Navona and the gorgeous Spanish Steps. Walking through Rome, you’ll encounter grandiose churches and lavish palaces chock-full of masterpieces by Bernini, Caravaggio and all the rest. If you enjoy the OTT theatrics of the Baroque era, then Rome will leave you in awe at every turn.

If you only have a couple of days to play with, choose Florence

Wandering the streets of Florence is a delight

Florence’s compact size makes it the perfect destination for a short trip. With most of its key attractions - like the Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, and the Accademia - within easy walking distance of each other, you can easily explore the city’s rich history and art in just a couple of days - without relying on public transport or taxis. Even in a brief visit, you’ll get a true taste of the extraordinary flowering of the Renaissance in Florence. This is in contrast to Rome, which is large and sprawling - you’ll need to allow for much more time than you think to get around and travel between the sites, meaning planning is everything. You will in all likelihood feel rushed if you only have a couple of days here.

Choose Rome if you want a more varied trip

MMaxxi offers up cutting-edge contemporary art in a stunning Zaha-Hadid building

If you’re looking for a varied travel experience, however, Rome is the clear winner. While Florence offers an incredibly immersive deep dive into the Renaissance, Rome offers windows into every timeframe imaginable. Just think that you can explore the Colosseum and Roman Forum one day, then head to Vatican City the next for a completely different experience. Fancy lounging around instead in leafy parks, or going to see some cutting-edge contemporary art? Rome has you covered with the Villa Borghese and Maxxi. If you want a destination where every day brings a new adventure, then Rome is the ideal choice.

Choose Florence if you are planning on taking day trips

Jaw-dropping Piazza del Campo is the heart of Siena and site of the Palio

Both Rome and Florence are strategically located on the Italian peninsula - neither too far north or south, both cities are within easy striking distance of numerous other must-visit destinations. That being said, Florence gets our vote as a brilliant base for day trips. From here it’s an easy train ride to Pisa and Siena, while the fabulous medieval hill towns and rolling vineyards of the Tuscan countryside are no more than an hour or two away.

You might be surprised to learn that the seaside is easily accessible from Florence too. The Tuscan coastline is magnificent - particularly lovely is the Maremma region in the south, and the island of Elba. Although located in neighboring Liguria, the jaw-dropping towns of the Cinque Terre are also easy to visit on a day trip from Florence - just over 2 hours away by train.

For world-leading shopping, go to Rome

Head to the vintage shops on Via del Governo Vecchio for great bargains in Rome

Again, the choice here is a tough one. Florence is a mecca for leather goods and artisan boutiques, and the Made in Florence label is a byword for quality. The city’s markets are a real treat for bargain hunters, too. But Rome is one of the great shopping capitals of the world. Every single major label and designer has a flagship outlet (and often headquarters) in the city, many of them clustered along swanky Via Condotti at the base of the Spanish Steps.

For those with a more modest budget, the city features an array of great vintage stores (check out the Monti neighborhood in particular) as well as excellent markets - the weekly flea market at Porta Portese is vast and overwhelming, and something you should try to experience on your visit to Rome.

If you are a wine lover, choose Florence

Tasting wine at the source in Tuscany's vineyards

It’s not possible to visit a region in Italy that doesn’t boast its own strong local wine tradition, and Rome and Florence are no exceptions. That being said, Tuscan wine is one of the world’s biggest hitters, and if you’re serious about your vino then Florence is a city you need to visit. The city is surrounded by world-renowned wine regions like Chianti, Montepulciano and Montalcino, and making a day-trip or two to the vineyards outside the city to indulge in tastings of Italy’s finest reds is a must for any wine-conscious traveler.

Even if you don’t have time to travel out to wine country, you’ll be easily able to taste the best there is in Florence’s plethora of superb wine bars - often paired with delicious Tuscan cuisine.

If you’re addicted to the bustle of the big city, go to Rome

Epic people-watching at Rome's Spanish Steps

With over 3 million inhabitants, Rome is one of Europe’s great metropolises. It’s a huge, bustling chaotic mess that never stops moving. The streets are always busy, the piazzas buzzing and the bars packed, making for an always thrilling - but sometimes exhausting - experience. You’ll never be short of things to do or places to go, and the Eternal City is also surprisingly cosmopolitan.

Rome’s various immigrant communities, from Bangladeshi and Filipino to Eritrean and Senegalese, have made the city their own, and visiting ethnic restaurants, shops and cultural events can showcase a very different side of the historic old city. By contrast, Florence is more contained in every way, and not nearly as cosmopolitan.

Choose Florence (in low season) for a more peaceful experience

Florence's amazingly unspoiled piazzas are unique

Florence unfolds on a much more modest frame than Rome, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Florence’s small, compact layout makes it one of the most walkable cities in Europe. Compared to the traffic-clogged thoroughfares of Rome, Florence’s largely pedestrianized historic center is a delight. Strolling through Florence’s picturesque streets and piazzas, whether you are aiming for a specific site or are wandering aimlessly, is a wonderfully tranquil experience, especially outside of the tourist-heavy summer months - just feel your blood pressure going down as you move through the city, serenaded by church bells instead of car horns!

Visit Rome to uncover amazing secrets underground

San Clemente extends downwards like an archaeological lasagne

Rome’s history isn’t just visible above ground - testament to the city’s millennial history of reinvention and renewal, beneath its streets lies a hidden world of ancient treasures. Here you can explore catacombs and ancient tombs, subterranean churches and mysterious pagan temples that reveal the layers of Rome like some fascinating archaeological lasagne. From the eerie underground passages of the Catacombs of Santa Domitilla to the Mithraic temple beneath San Clemente and the crypts of St. Peter’s Basilica, underground Rome offers up a unique and hidden perspective on the city’s past.

To see the catacombs, check out our new Secrets Beneath Rome small group tour, where we head underground in search of Rome's eeriest hidden sites.

If you’re a foodie, well, choose both!

Divine orecchiette at Osteria Bonelli in Rome

We’re not even going to try to differentiate Rome and Florence based on their gourmet offerings. Put simply, these are two of the finest foodie destinations in the whole world - but each city offers up a very different cuisine. We find ourselves unable to choose between carbonara and wild boar ragu, between polpette alla romana and bistecca alla fiorentina, or between carciofi alla giudea and ribollita. Whichever city you choose, you can be sure that you will eat like a king!

How to travel between Rome and Florence?

Italy's train network is fast and reliable

If you do have time to visit both cities on your itinerary, then you’ll be pleased to know that it’s very easy to travel from one to the other. High-speed rail links mean that the journey only takes about 90 minutes, and both Termini station in Rome and Santa Maria Novella in Florence are centrally located. Maybe you can squeeze them both into your trip to Italy after all!

For 25 years, Through Eternity have been organizing itineraries showcasing the best of Italy led by our resident expert guides. If you're planning a visit to Italy this year, be sure to get in touch to help plan your perfect trip!

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