Looking to discover the most in one day? This tour takes you to Florence’s treasures of the Renaissance - the Accademia and the Uffizi, plus includes a short walking tour of the main sights of the city. Head to Via Cavour 36 Red, where your local, art-loving guide will be waiting for you! Then, follow your guide to the nearby Accademia Galleria (about a 5 minute walk), and skip-the-line upon entry.
First, your friendly and expert guide will bring you to the famous Hall of Prisoners. This hall is lined in Michelangelo’s forever unfinished sculptures. Your guide will explain this unique form of art called “non-finito,” in which you can experience the emotions of the characters, trapped in marble for eternity. Take a moment to admire the exact spots where the genius, Michelangelo, worked with his chisel and hammer. Your guide will share the interesting stories of each of the “Prisoners” in this hall, as the suspense builds to reach the finale - “David.”
At the end of the hall, your guide will introduce you to the unmissable "David," dominating above the tiny viewers. Weighing over 12,000 pounds and at 17 feet tall, it is one of the largest, and most important pieces of art of all time. Discover the secrets behind this epic sculpture, while you learn more about Michelangelo and his intriguing life. Did you know Michelangelo was only 26 years old when he finished “David”? Your guide will be there to answer your questions. Then, your guide will lead you to some of the other important masterpieces found in the Accademia Gallery. You will visit the intriguing and complex sculpture, “Rape of the Sabines,” by Giambologna. Then, you will visit various works of art by Renaissance masters such as Sandro Botticelli, Jacopo di Cione, and Pacino di Buonaguida. With a new appreciation for these masters of art, you will exit the Accademia Gallery ready to discover more of what Florence has to offer!
Finish your “Best of Florence” tour in the heart of Florence’s Renaissance glory - the Uffizi Gallery. Follow your guide ahead of the lines, as you enter one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world! Your guide will lead you through the elegant halls and rooms in chronological order, from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century - making sure you spend the most time at the most famous works, out of the nearly 2,000 masterpieces showcased in the Uffizi. Between halls, you can admire ancient Roman and Greece sculptures, the frescoed ceilings, and the lovely views from the large windows. Your Uffizi tour will begin in the 13th century, the birth of the Renaissance era. Discover fascinating Gothic artworks covered in gold, and beautifully depicting images of Madonna and the child. The breakthrough into the Renaissance began with Giotto, who used three-dimensional elements in his masterpiece, forevering changing artistic style.
It is impossible to visit the Uffizi without seeing the extensive and fascinating Botticelli collection, with their mystic scenes of nature. Spend plenty of time admiring the two most famous paintings, “The Birth of Venus,” and “Primavera.” Continue to the heart of the Renaissance, with works of art by da Vinci and Michelangelo. Although the paintings in the Uffizi are not their most famed works, it is still emotional to be inches away from masterpieces by men of their prestige. Enjoy learning all about the artists and the works, “Tondo Doni” by Michelangelo; and “Baptism of Christ” and “The Annunciation” by Leonardo da Vinci. The Uffizi Gallery will truly open your eyes to historic art, and you will undoubtedly finish this tour with a new appreciation for Renaissance art and the heritage of Florentine locals. Feel free to remain inside the Uffizi for as long as you would like after your tour has finished!
Next, your guide will lead you to the hall of International Gothic masterpieces, most notably, “Adoration of the Magi,” by Gentile da Fabriano. This was another turning point, when art began to tell a story, instead of simply depicting characters. Your guide will explain this exciting time in history in a vivid, storytelling manner. Then, continue through the centuries into the 1400s, when artists began experimenting with three-dimensional space. The best example of this progression in art can be found in “Battle of San Romano,” by Paolo Uccello. Your guide will point out two of the most famous works of art in the Uffizi, “Madonna with Child and Two Angels,” by Filippo Lippi; then, “Dukes of Urbino,” by Piero della Francesca. These artists began to idealize the features of men and women in paintings, which greatly influenced later artists including the magnificent da Vinci and Raphael.
Julia was very friendly very informative even funny at times. Loved the museum beautiful works of art set up very nice. So much to see what a great learning experience! I would recommend it to everyone!
Our guides were knowledgeable and interesting, with easy to understand English and perfect pacing. They answered questions and made the museum experience richer.
Probably best not to book mid day times. Museums are very crowded. There is a wait even with reserved group tickets.
This trip was great specially tour guide and whole team. We have lost before coming to meeting point . I have txted my guide. The are so nice and helpful. Thanks
Disappointing tour with inflexible guide. Weather meant walking to 2 different places was difficult. The company was not at all accomodating about this. When I called to ask to meet at the destination they said it was 2 separate tours that we had to attend ourselves.
I’d like to give this five stars but I can’t. The reason is that the Uffizi guide was good but she should be giving an art history tour not a highlights tour. We missed out on the entire first floor. Missing seeing key artist like Rembrandt and Cavaggio. When we asked her about moving along to other exhibits she suggested that we take three hour private tour. 😳 I certainly don’t expect to see every piece of art in a 90 minute guided tour but I don’t expect an entire floor to be left out. Key time could have been saved if we started the tour at the museum and didn’t have to walk 10-12 minutes to the museum and then wait for tickets and getting through security. So a 90 minute tour is really closer to 60-75 minutes, if security is quick. The Accademia tour guide was fantastic. Enough information without too much. Be prepared to still wait to get in. The museum is small so only so many people in at one time so that you can actually see the exhibits.
Overall the tour was good for visiting the two famous galleries . We started the first part of the tour to The Accademia reasonably promptly and the guide was knowlegable so we were very happy with the coverage. Then it was a quick walk across the main squares to the Uffizzi gallery . I would have like this to be more informative as we passed many important sites. We arrived at the Uffizzi gallery and it was chaotic. It took almost 30 minutes of waiting outside in the sun before they found a guide for our group. The tour of the gallery was OK , our guide obviously had her favourites and spent perhaps too much time at some paintings rather than a flowing tour. We could stay on at the gallery but we were tired after almost 6 hours of walking and standing so we headed straight back to the hotel. Could content and concept but needs better organisation .
This tour lacked deep understanding of the galleries. The tour started 30 min late, and half of it was in Spanish (probably because not enough English speakers signed up for the EN tour) which wasted a lot of my precious time in Florence, repeating everything said in another language, as opposed to concentrating on what we where there to learn and absorb. Our guide (wish I’d remember her name) seemed new, as she couldn’t find the entrance to the first gallery, and requires assistance from a colleague. Overall it was a very disappointing tour, and sadly I did not get any value from it.
The overall tour was fantastic. Both guides were super knowledgeable and personable. We would use they again. The location of the office on the ticket needs to be more precise. We got lost and had to ask another tour company for directions.
We did the all day tour and it was well worth it. Three different guides for three different stages worked well. All were very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The walking pace was a stroll and relaxing. The guides tended to hunt out shade when they could. The meal was ok – two types of pasta after a starter with a glass of wine and a refreshing sorbet for afters. The headphone and radio you use has around a 15m range so you could be elsewhere in the room or on the street and still hear the guide. A very good tour and I learnt a lot.
We had such a great time with Elvis - he was the most gracious host! He went above and beyond for my family and agreed to see us for a tour last minute, despite the fact that his day was coming to an end. He was professional, fun, personable and helpful. He is an amazing photographer as an added bonus. I couldn’t have asked for a better service and actually the best I have received in Florence yet. His car was clean and noticeably well kept. Nothing was better about our trip to Florence than riding in style with Elvis who is knowledgeable and friendly with everyone everywhere we went. He is well known by the locals and well respected. Elvis will take you to all of the beautiful locations in the area that you would never find on your own. He really goes above and beyond to ensure you have a great experience! Hands down - I recommend him for a one-of-a-kind experience. You will not be disappointed! Julia USA (Florida)
We did the morning tour of Accademia and Uffizi in the afternoon. Wow the statue of David was amazing as was the rest of the tour. The skip the line is well worth it even though we had to line up for a bit at Uffizi but it was a very busy day(certainly not the tour company’s fault) Our tour guide on both occasions was Larisa and she was great, very knowledgeable and guided us through with ease. The headsets played up a bit on the second tour due to so many fequencies being used but all in all we enjoyed the tours.
Very good tour with very good guides, Sandra at the Academy and Alfonso at the Uffizi. Highly recommended.
The quality of the SARA guide made a difference. I felt like a little girl eager to keep learning while my eyes were impressed.
Excellent availability and guide collaboration. A visit that is worth it. Pretty interesting for those who like art and painting.
Silvia is a very good guide. I've learned so many things because of how well he explains everything. Highly recommended.
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