Florence Private Tour: Renaissance, Famous Families & Hidden Gems

So many things to do and to discover in city of Florence. Take this tour in the beginning of your stay and learn about its history, rules, artists, historical connections. We walked for 3h with knowledgeable Eduardo who speaks excellent English. Top notch explanations, he will make you discover Florence sightseeing gems out of crowds.

We had a great three hour tour with Mateo, who was very knowledgeable about all of the things he showed us in Florence. He was easy to talk to the tour was really well guided, and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to learn about the history of the city.

Laura is a gem. Very knowledgeable and knows Florence history. Highly recommended and a wonderful way to start a visit to Florence.

This was our first tour upon arriving in Florence from an overnight flight, so I wasn’t sure how alert we would be for a tour. However, Mario kept us engaged and moving the entire time. We appreciated the overview and history, but also the anecdotes that he shared. This was a great time.

Our tour guide Eduardo was easy to understand and was extremely knowledgeable regarding Florence, the history, the geography, the Medici family and their entanglements with the Vatican across 700 years. The only thing I would change is my wife and I should have done the private tour early in our trip, not later. So much history to absorb and the private tour was a great way to immerse yourself into Firenze.

Michele was very flexible, responsive, understanding and a true gentleman. It was clear how much he loves Florence and shared so much knowledge. One of our favorite tours with one of our favorite guides. Request Michele, you won’t be disappointed.

Cristina was a gem. She put together a fabulous walking tour, shared great stories, and gave us some great tips on other things to do. She had a smile the entire time and you could really feel how much she enjoyed having kids along.

Saw a different side of the city, far from the shops of the fashion district. Worth the money for the way our guide was able to work at our pace.

This was our first trip to Florence. To be honest when we first arrived, we thought Florence would be a one and done for us, but after our tour with Cristina, we are definitely going back! Cristina is native to Florence and her love and pride for her city is so evident and infectious. She is extremely well-versed about the city ‘s history and showed us all of the hidden gems including the most delicious gelato! When the tour was over, she recommended wonderful restaurants that we enjoyed and directed us to some really nice authentic local shops. We really enjoyed our day with Cristina and she completely turned our limited first impression to an authentic awesome experience that we want to revisit!

Dina was the best! We booked a Highlights and hidden gems tour in Florence for my husband and 2 kids 15/13. Dina was truly awesome. Communication was fantastic pre tour and during - she provided us with so many fun facts and interesting stories. (Ones you cant google!) We saw sights, learned the history and her restaurant knowledge is A+.Dina was so easy to be with, very personable and fun. She is also so kind and super helpful. My daughter, 13 missed the tour because she was sick. Dina had checked in with me to see how she was doing and if we needed anything. Wow! How incredibly thoughtful. Dina goes above and beyond. Don’t hesitate i highly recommend booking with Dina!!

We had a tour of Florence with Dina and from the moment we met, I knew we’d made the right choice. Dina is a rare combination of passionate, deeply knowledgable, charming and funny. I would have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone who is thinking of doing anything with "a local" in Florence. Her care, kindness and love for her city are unmatched in my opinion x

Thank you Dina for an absolutely superb tour of Florence. You were so informative and thoughtful, making new plans as we went along the tour to encompass the boys interests. We wouldn't hesitate to book again with you.

This tour was amazing! It would not have been the same in a large group! Giulia was a perfect guide! She was friendly and personable! She taught us so much! Then took us to a cute little place for snacks and drinks! It was a perfect day!!

The tour was very interesting and fun! We loved Matteo and all the stories about the families, the art, and the history! Recommend this tour!

Mateo was extremely knowledged and made what could be a boring/repetitive tour very fun. We walked on both sides of the river, went into two churches, and looked at a lot of art. We ended the tour with a stop at an interesting wine cellar.

Matteo was an amazing guide - Very knowledgeable! And he was so patient with our group which consisted of some elderly folks.

My wife and I met up with Maja in the morning at a square and strolled around Florence like friends on a walk. We had specified we did not need her to guide us thru museums and such, just the streets and the history. The morning was a delight and Maja was open to any possibility.

Our tour with Mateo was truly unforgettable! He guided us through Florence’s enchanting streets, revealing hidden gems and immersing us in the city’s rich culture. Mateo’s passion for Florence was infectious—he gave us fantastic food recommendations, must-visit spots, and insider tips on where to shop like a local. His knowledge and enthusiasm made us feel like we were discovering the heart of Florence alongside a friend. Mateo is a gem himself, and we couldn’t recommend him more highly!

This was our first withlocals tour and we were blessed to have the inestimable Matteo as our guide. He showed us the well known & lesser known gems of Florence, interspersed with fascinating historical (Game of Thrones are amateurs!) & personal stories, all weaving Florentine history together. There were so many highlights - a few would be Michelangelo’s crucifixion made when he was only 17yo, that art & politics are not separate (we see the Piazza della signoria with new eyes), and Matteo himself. Excellent recommendations for coffee, an enoteca, and an aperitivo were acted upon. We cannot recommend the knowledgeable, friendly & personable Matteo enough - if you were at a dinner party, you would want to be sat beside Matteo.

Michele was Amazing! We cannot praise him enough for his incredible personalised tour of Florence. Through the eyes of this knowledgeable and delightfully friendly local expert, we experienced many of the famous historical sights that depict the splendour of this beautiful city. But perhaps best of all, we were treated to a heartwarming sense of the real essence of Florence through its local people and its lesser visited places, where local culture abounds. Thank you Michele for memories that will last a lifetime!

Virginia was a fabulous guide. Super knowledgeable about the architecture and history of the main attractions. But she also added bits of insight into art and it’s development within the context of an evolving Florence. Lots of hidden gems along the way and very good recommendations for restaurants and gelateria off the tourist track.

I loved my tour with Virginia. Saw so much which was fascinating and beautiful in just a few hours and felt I was understanding what I saw. Virginia really gauged my interests and tailored the tour accordingly. She has a wonderful wealth of interesting history and art insight which she explains in a light, engaging way as well as great recommendations for the true Florence artisans.

Chiara was a fabulous guide, very personable and knowledgeable. She brought Renaissance Florence to life. The hidden gems were the highlight. Thank you Chiara for a wonderful tour and for the restaurant and gelateria recommendations. I would thoroughly recommend this sightseeing activity.

We did the 2 hour tour, Maria was excellent and gave us the perfect overview of Florence. I have no doubt we would have missed sights if we went about the city in our own. She also pointed out some great places to eat and shop. Maria was a wealth of info and a lovely person !

Cristina was a great tour guide. She took us for a walk around the city, explained the history, important buildings and art. She was humble, warm and fun. What we enjoyed the most was her love of the city and knowledge. She was awesome!!

Martina provided a tour of Florence that was completely customized to our interests. Her knowledge of city history and passion for storytelling made the city come alive for us. We got to visit some artisans working in their shops, which is something we would have never found in our own. You cannot go wrong booking Martina.

We met Maja at the agreed meeting point spot on time. During the following 3 hours Maja gave us a fascinating insight into the history and culture of Florence as we walked through the city. We would highly recommend others to follow in our footsteps.

Federica was very informative and knew a lot of history of Florence. Also she was sincere the whole time with us. We had a baby that couldn’t sleep and she accommodate us when needed. Not to forget she shared with us a list of good gelato to have in town. Thank you

Having a 3 hour private tour on our first morning was such a brilliant way to be introduced to Florence. Matteo was great, so friendly and informative showing and telling us about such a wide variety of topics from the birth of the city and it's evolution through time, to the best places to eat and drink, and a raft of sightseeing and experience recommendations for the rest of our trip. We all thoroughly enjoyed every minute, and truly felt we discovered hidden gems that we'd otherwise have not come across

First of all, our train to Florence was delayed, and our guide, Giulia, could not have been more accommodating. We met upon our arrival, and had the most magnificent walk around the old city. Giulia was knowledgeable, engaging and a wonderful storyteller. In a very short time, we felt we got a perfect orientation to the city. AND gelato!!! It’s was, for us, the perfect introduction to Florence.

Sometimes you meet someone with incredibly positive energy and enthusiasm who has the gift to makes you feel like a long lost friend. This is Zeynep! From the moment she met us at a convenient meeting point, she exuded the kind of warm vibe that makes you want to spend hours with her. Zeynep showed us Florence through her eyes with enough nuance and creativity to make it “not just another walking tour.” She took us to places that were more locally known (example, her favorite gelato store), mentioned some cute clothing stores we passed (which I visited myself later that day) and gave us a taste of the usual sites along with the not so usual (example: a bookstore/theater, the Jewish ghetto /synagogue). She also gave us a lot of invaluable advice about what we could do on our own, where to eat, and interesting museums off the beaten path. By the end, not only did we feel like we had gotten to know Florence on a more intimate level, but we truly felt as if we had made a new friend. This woman is so incredible. I had to give her a hug goodbye at the end.

We scheduled a private tour with Andrea (WithLocals) for a group of 10. I couldn't be happier with the choice. He is clearly very passionate about the city and it's history. He was able to keep the tour properly paced, made great suggestions for other places to visit later on our own and kept all members of our group very interested and engaged. I highly recommend Andrea! Our tour was simply fantastic.

Dina was great. Super knowledgeable but also super fun for a family tour to give more than just history. She gave incredible recommendations for other activities and restaurants to try!!

Matteo was wonderful. It was pouring rain when we arrived for the tour. He was more than happy to do whatever we felt was best. He was very patient with everyone considering we had 5 teenagers and my parents with us. There were 9 of us total. He gave us brief overviews of things we preferred to not have so much depth and wonderful recommendations for restaurants, shops and leather products. We took his recommendations on dinner and my husbands leather jacket and we were more than happy with service and product at both. Matteo is very knowledgeable and can give you whatever type of personalized tour you prefer. We appreciated the information and were able to see so much more of Florence with Matteo guiding the way during our brief stopover. We appreciated the day so much! Grazie Matteo!

Matteo was so helpful in taking us all around the city and telling us how to enjoy tourist traps. He showed us everything we wanted to see and more and even gave us extra time. He also takes great pictures.

Ivana was so helpful from even before our booking. During our time together she was kind and patient. She has so much knowledge to share. Our time in Florence was greatly benefited by our tour with Ivana, she is highly recommended!!

Martina provided our family with a walking tour of Florence and was wonderful throughout. She had extensive knowledge of the city's history and culture and was an excellent communicator. Before the tour, Martina offered numerous suggestions for dining and sightseeing, making it the perfect way to begin our visit to Florence.

We had a great tour with Zeynep Arzu in Florence, who explained us the story of the city and big families like Medici while showing us the hidden gems! We learned very interesting details that made us see the city with different perspectives. Her tour has nothing to do with traditional “must-do” things that are driven by social media, but rather unknown details and places which gave the city its spirit. Zeynep has great energy and she is super in her storytelling, which makes her one of my favorite guides that I ever travelled with. Highly recommeded to everyone if you really want to understand Florence! Thank you Zeynep ☺️

Our guide was amazing! She found us tickets to a once-year-year sporting event. Made our whole trip!

We booked a tour directly with this outfit. In fairness, I inadvertently entered an incorrect email when I made the reservation. When realized my mistake I reached out to their help desk. The desk for back to me several hours later, found the booking, confirmed who, when and where to meet. We had several back and forths, so to speak. The night before the tour we hit a WhatsApp message from one of the local guides noting he was sick with flu and had to cancel. He also noted that he assumed Withlocals would reach out and assign a new guide. Oddly, this person, Zeynap, was not even supposed to be our guide. A lady named Valentina was supposed to be. We never heard from Withlocals. We went to the meet up spot, sent several messages to Withlocals and Valentina (who was designated in our confirm as the person who was supposed to be our guide) via either the official help email or on the App. Never heard from Valentina either. Amazingly, when I reached out to Zeynap this morning, he offered to reach out to the company. Anyway, use this outfit and/or hire Valentina in Florence at your own risk.

Zeynep's knowledge and passion for the city shines through her masterful storytelling of history that makes it engaging and memorable. My husband and I along with our adult children were dialed into everything Zeynep had to share and she showed us places we never would have gone to on our own. Next time we're in Florence, I hope she is still working to show us around places we didn't get to the first time.

Cristina was a wonderful guide. She is personable, knowledgeable, and super helpful. Our first day in Florence would not have been the success it was without her. She also provided some fantastic recommendations for the rest of our stay. We will definitely book a tour with Cristina the next time we visit Florence.

We had a great time learning much about Firenze. Martina was fantastic! We enjoyed the tour and getting to know her. She was so kind to provide a list of recommended restaurants for us to enjoy while we continued our holiday in the area. Thank you!!

Martina is a delight! She's very well informed, charming, and definitely lots of fun. She was also very helpful with a return we needed to make at one of the shops. We had a wonderful time with our new friend, Martina.

Seeing and learning through a compassionate local, Omar was excellent! He took his time and explained hidden treasures and answered all our questions and more.

We had a great tour and would recommend the tour but more importantly Federica is the guide to choose. Great information and so open with information. We have her scheduled for another tour later.

Zeynep Arzu was the BEST informative and personal guide for our walking tour of Florence. Zeynep went above and beyond sharing her history knowledge of the charming city of Florence to include many architectural details of the homes of the ancient families palaces, and a most excellent dinner recommendation. I highly recommend Zeynep for your personalized walkabout in Florence. ♥️🇮🇹

We did the Florence Highlights and Hidden Gems Tour with Zeynep! She was great. Zeynep was engaging, super knowledgeable and funny. I highly recommend you tour with Zeynep!!

I spent the afternoon with Zeynep learning about the history, art and culture of Florence. Spending the afternoon with Zeynep was such an amazing way to explore Florence, and I visited places that I certainly would not have seen had I been on my own. Zeynep's passion for Florence was undeniable. She was so knowledgeable and FUN! By the end of our time together, I felt as though I had made a new friend.