Florence's Oltrarno: How to Plan a Half Day Across the Arno

by Holiplanet October 20, 2026

by Holiplanet Published on October 20, 2026Updated on October 20, 2026

Is the Oltrarno worth a separate half day in Florence? Yes, if you want the other side of the city: the Oltrarno, meaning "beyond the Arno", is the district on the river's left bank, where a Medici palace and gardens, a Renaissance fresco cycle, a Brunelleschi church and working craft studios sit within walking distance of each other. You cannot do all of it well in four hours. Pick one anchor, such as Palazzo Pitti with the Boboli Gardens, the Brancacci Chapel or Santo Spirito, then add one lighter stop. The sections below help you choose, and show which closing days can change the plan.

What makes the Oltrarno different from central Florence?

Crossing the Arno changes the rhythm: the sights are spread across churches, a palace and a garden rather than concentrated around one square. The craft tradition is also part of the district's identity: the city's official tourism site, FeelFlorence, points visitors to workshops in the Santo Spirito, San Niccolò and San Frediano districts.

That makes the Oltrarno a good second-day or return-visit choice. If this is your first time in the city, start with our two-day Florence itinerary, then use this guide to go deeper on the far side of the river.

Which sight should you choose first?

Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens: for space and a long visit

Choose this if you want a palace, a painting collection and green air in one visit. According to the Uffizi Galleries website, updated on 15 October 2026, Palazzo Pitti is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8:15am to 6:30pm, and closed on Mondays. The Palatine Gallery shows the Medici painting collections in richly decorated rooms; the Royal Apartments, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of Costume and Fashion are also part of the palace. The site lists a single Pitti ticket at €16 on the day or €19 reserved in advance, and a combined Pitti and Boboli ticket at €22 or €25 in advance. It also warns of restoration works and a closed music room in the Palatine Gallery, so read the notices before you go.

The Boboli Gardens are directly behind the palace. The Uffizi page describes statues, grottoes including Buontalenti's grotto, large fountains and an 18th-century Rococo pavilion. The gardens are open daily from 8:15am, but they close on the first and last Monday of each month, and closing time shortens in autumn: 5:30pm after the clocks change in late October, then 4:30pm from November. If your afternoon is short, a garden-only visit (€10 on the day, €13 in advance) is easier to fit than the palace plus gardens.

The Brancacci Chapel: for one famous room

Choose this if you care about the early Renaissance and prefer a short, focused visit. The chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine holds frescoes by Masolino and Masaccio, with Filippino Lippi completing the cycle between 1481 and 1485, according to Visit Tuscany. The same source says the work was commissioned around 1425 by Felice Brancacci and that Masaccio left it unfinished. Opening days and booking arrangements can change, so check the Florence civic museums site before you plan around it.

Santo Spirito: for architecture and an easy stop

Choose this if you want a calm interior and a square for a break. FeelFlorence says the basilica was designed by Brunelleschi and begun in 1444, remaining unfinished at his death two years later, and that its sacristy holds a crucifix attributed to the young Michelangelo. Entry to the church is free, and a small museum ticket (listed at €2) covers the sacristy, cloister and refectory with its Last Supper fresco. The basilica's own website says it is open every day except Wednesday; check the visiting hours page for the current times.

Santo Spirito church facade and square in Florence in April 2019 — The facade of Santo Spirito, on the square of the same name.

Where can you see Oltrarno craftspeople at work?

Start in the streets around Santo Spirito and San Frediano. The tourism site Italia.it lists goldsmiths, engravers, bookbinders, marquetry makers, glassworkers and leather workers among the district's workshops. For a single address, FeelFlorence features Il Conventino at Via Giano della Bella 20, a restored former convent that now houses around 20 traditional craft workshops.

Treat these as working businesses, not attractions with fixed visiting hours. Neither source lists opening times, so walk in during normal shop hours, ask before going further than the doorway, and ask before taking photographs. Watching a craftsperson for ten minutes is a better use of time than collecting souvenirs from every window.

How do you fit the Oltrarno into your time?

These are planning allowances, not timed tours. With about two hours, combine Santo Spirito with a slow walk through the workshop streets. With a half day, choose the Brancacci Chapel or the Boboli Gardens as the anchor, then add Santo Spirito and the craft streets. With a full day, take Palazzo Pitti in the morning, eat in the Santo Spirito area, then end with the Brancacci Chapel or a garden walk before closing time.

Walking from the centre, you can cross the Arno by Ponte Vecchio; the palace and gardens involve a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes. If you are staying longer than a weekend, our Florence City Guide covers neighbourhoods and practical details beyond this half day.

What can spoil the plan?

Closing days are the main risk. The Oltrarno's main sights do not share one day off: Pitti is closed on Mondays, Boboli on the first and last Monday of each month, and Santo Spirito on Wednesdays. Check each date before you build the route, and keep the Brancacci Chapel's booking rules in mind. Weather can also change garden hours, according to the Uffizi site.

Which route suits you?

For art, choose the Brancacci Chapel and Pitti. For architecture and a slower pace, choose Santo Spirito and the workshop streets. For space, choose the gardens. Whichever you pick, leave the last hour unplanned: the Oltrarno rewards the traveller who stops for a coffee and watches the street.