The Ultimate Florence in One Day Tour

While in Florence you can't miss one of humanity’s crowning artistic achievements. With skip-the-line entry to Michelangelo’s timeless David statue at the Accademia, you'll lay your eyes on what is probably the world’s most famous marble sculpture.

Hear the captivating narrative behind this symbol of the Renaissance, and pinnacle of artistic genius, as your personal art historian tells you all there is to know from symbolism to craft. You'll also have the chance to get up close and personal with Michelangelo at work on his “Prisoners” statues, enigmatic visions of the master’s creative process as he sought to “free” the figures that were trapped inside these massive blocks.

With the Accademia recent history now, you'll take to the streets of Florence to unlock their hidden secrets. On this walking tour of its fascinating sights you’ll make stops to admire the city’s breathtaking cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, crowned by Brunelleschi’s gravity-defying dome, as well as visit Piazza della Signoria to hear tales of the Medici and the struggles for political power in the city, all in the shadow of imperious Palazzo Vecchio.

Then wander towards iconic Ponte Vecchio spanning the banks of the shimmering Arno. All the while you'll head through magnificent piazzas and down alley-sized medieval streets to uncover the city’s magic with the indelible image of this marvelous open-air museum painted by your guide.

The Uffizi Gallery is home to the most comprehensive Renaissance collection in the world. Art aficionado or not, your senses will awaken when you step into the first masterpiece-laden corridor. See how one of the most influential periods in history began, in its home town, through the private collection of the family that was patron to it all. With skip-the-line tickets, you’ll be shoulder to shoulder with fascinating commentary from a Florentine art expert to trace every phase of its inception, crescendo and finale.

On this journey into the Uffizi Gallery's artworks, you'll ponder the iconography that characterized the late Middle Ages, with Giotto’s Madonna Enthroned, then follow your guide on a time-lapse journey to the late 1400s to see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Spring, plus flurry of Madonnas that are nothing less than exquisite. Examine the mystical naturalism of Da Vinci’s Annunciation, Papal politics in Raphael’s portrait of Pope Leo X, the tenderness of the Madonna of the Goldfinch, and the prose of Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo. Close the tour with Titian’s seductive Venus of Urbino, and the arcane gaze of Caravaggio’s Medusa. This Uffizi tour puts you at the center with perspectives you will not find on other tours.

This tour is divided into two parts. There will be an approximately 2.5 hour break for lunch (not included), or more sightseeing on your own between them. Your guide will provide you with local tips and info, as well as tell you where to meet for the second part of the tour.

Due to ticketing and logistics, the order of your tour may be inverted to maximize the quality of your experience. In these cases customers visit the Uffizi Gallery first, followed by the Accademia (Michelangelo's David) in the afternoon.