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FlorenceCulture & history

Our most recommended Florence Culture & history

Florence: Baptistery Renovation Site and Cathedral Tour

1. Florence: Baptistery Renovation Site and Cathedral Tour

Enjoy exclusive access to the Florence Baptistery renovation site with your tour guides and marvel at the breathtaking mosaics of the octagonal dome from a short distance. Then, explore the Florence Cathedral on a guided tour with skip-the-line tickets. Meet your guides at Piazza San Giovanni and admire the iconic marble facades and orange roofs of Florence's Duomo Complex. Begin your tour at the Florence Baptistry, which is currently being renovated. Once inside, gaze up at the octagonal dome adorned with golden mosaics dating back to 1225. Hear about this impressive structure and its place in Florentine history before putting on your helmet and following your guides up to the construction site. View the intricate mosaics from a short distance and witness pivotal biblical scenes unfold across the ceiling, including The Last Judgement. Then, continue to the Florence Cathedral and marvel at the breathtaking detail of its famous exterior. Bypass the busy crowds with skip-the-line tickets and step inside this gothic marvel and jewel of the Florentine skyline. See the vaulted ceiling stretch out above you as you begin your guided tour. Learn more about the cathedral's construction over the centuries as your guides show you the exquisite pieces of art within. Hear about the notable figures who played a role in shaping the cathedral into what it is today, from Filippo Brunelleschi to Giotto. Located in the heart of the old city, the UNESCO-listed Florence Cathedral and Baptistry epitomize Florentine heritage from medieval origins to the High Renaissance. Marvel at the Baptistry ceiling from an exclusive vantage point and wander through the ornate halls of the magnificent Cathedral.

Florence: Accademia Gallery Guided Tour

2. Florence: Accademia Gallery Guided Tour

Immerse yourself in the fascinating history of Italy, as told by its mesmerizing art. Embark on a guided tour of the Accademia Gallery in Florence and learn all about the artists behind each piece. Take in Michelangelo's world-famous David with your own eyes. Meet your guide and pay for your admission tickets, then step right into the Accademia Gallery without waiting in line. Begin your insightful stroll through the incredible collection, discovering majestic paintings by Filippino Lippi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and more. Hear secret stories about the artworks and artists featured in the gallery, as well as ancient tales of the powerful Medici family. Understand why the Renaissance was born in Florence and why this family was so important to Michelangelo. And, of course, come up close to the giant David.

Florence: Michelangelo's David Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket

3. Florence: Michelangelo's David Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket

Experience Michelangelo's David with a skip-the-line entry ticket for the Accademia Gallery Museum. Explore this pearl in Florence with access to all parts of the museum and an optional audio guide. This museum contains more sculptures by Michelangelo than anywhere else in the world. After skipping the ticket lines, start exploring masterpieces created by artists who lived and worked in Florence during the Renaissance, including Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, Pietro Perugino, Paolo Uccello, and many others. If you select the audio guide option, plug in your headphones to learn about the highlights of the museum as you explore. Continue to the Four Prisoners and the San Matteo in the hall of Michelangelo, an impressive room dominated by the David. Go to the Museum of Musical Instruments, where you can admire the piano known as the most ancient piano existing in the world along with the priceless Viola Stradivari, created for the Grand Prince Ferdinando Medici. Before the end of your visit, make sure to see the renovated Gipsoteca Bartolini, a showroom of sculptures and busts related to the sculpture Lorenzo Bartolini.

Florence: Skip-The-Line Uffizi Gallery Timed Entrance Ticket

4. Florence: Skip-The-Line Uffizi Gallery Timed Entrance Ticket

Discover masterpieces of art at one of Italy's (and the world’s) greatest art museums, and enjoy skip-the-line entrance at the world-famous Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Marvel at Italian Renaissance art by some of the greatest artists of all times. See paintings by Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Raffaello, Giotto, Cimabue, Masaccio, and others. Go to the gallery’s most renowned room to see the stunning collection by Botticelli. Admire his “Primavera” and “The Birth of Venus,” and reflect upon his representation of the birth of the goddess as she emerges from the sea foam. Escape the hassle and hurry of organized group tours, and explore at your own pace. You are free to stay inside the museum for as long as you like. To see more stunning art, add skip-the-line entrance tickets to the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens to your tour by selecting the option. After visiting the Uffizi, visit the palace and gardens in any order within the next 5 days.

Florence: Reserved Entry Ticket to the Boboli Gardens

5. Florence: Reserved Entry Ticket to the Boboli Gardens

The gardens extend over a vast area forming an open-air museum with antique and Renaissance statues, grottoes, and large fountains. Exploring its numerous and varied walks one is able to evoke the spirit of life at court. The Grotta del Buontalenti is an artificial cave filled with false stalactites and stalagmites, with statues of sheep, shepherds, and Romans goddesses. The cave is located close to the entrance of the Boboli Garden and at the end of the Vasari Corridor. 

From Florence: Day Trip Pisa, Siena & San Gimignano w/Lunch

6. From Florence: Day Trip Pisa, Siena & San Gimignano w/Lunch

Experience the wonders of Tuscany on one memorable day. Leave Florence for a 12-hour excursion and see the beautiful landscapes, architecture, and artworks of the region. Treat yourself to some local cuisine, and choose a guided tour in your language to learn even more about the historic area. Begin with Pisa and visit its stunning Piazza dei Miracoli. Admire the Baptistery, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, and, of course, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. After your free time in Pisa, head to a typical Tuscan winery in the Chianti Area and enjoy a delicious lunch with some local wine. Explore the city of Siena and visit to Piazza del Campo, where the Palio di Siena horse race is run, and Piazza del Duomo, where you will see the exterior of the magnificent cathedral. Enjoy your last stop in San Gimignano, a UNESCO medieval town, world-known for its Vernaccia di San Gimignano. The system of towers of San Gimignano tells the glories of the powerful families. Between saffron fields and typical indigenous vineyards, the city knows how to offer postcard views.

Florence: Skip-the-Line Accademia Guided Tour

7. Florence: Skip-the-Line Accademia Guided Tour

Immerse yourself in Florence's famous Accademia. Take a tour of the gallery to encounter its outstanding collection of gothic and renaissance paintings and other artworks. Visit Michelangelo’s famous David statue. See further famous works by the great artist such as The Prisoners, as well as other masterpieces of renaissance art. Hear informative commentary from your expert English-speaking guide, who will bring each work back to life with inside stories of one of the world’s greatest artists.

Florence: Entrance Ticket to Pitti Palace

8. Florence: Entrance Ticket to Pitti Palace

Step inside Florence's Pitti Palace and explore the Palatine Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art with your priority ticket. Marvel at historic collections, such as the Treasury of the Grand Dukes and the Medici Collection. The original palazzo was built for the Pitti family in 1457, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. Today, the lavish Renaissance palace hosts an extraordinary collection of art.  Admire some of the incredible works amassed by the Medicis during their rule. See works from Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, Pietro da Cortona and Rubens. From the windows, catch views of Brunelleschi’s Santo Spirito Basilica and the Boboli Gardens.  Explore some of the most important museums in Florence on your visit to the Pitti Palace. Visit the Palatine Gallery on the first floor and discover a broad collection of 16th and 17th-century paintings, and the Royal Apartments, containing furnishings from a remodeling done in the 19th century. Then, head to the second floor to see the Gallery of Modern Art and admire the fine collection of paintings and sculptures, mostly Italian, dating from the late 18th century to World War I. The elegant rooms, which were inhabited by the Lorraine grand dukes, are decorated with works of the neo-classical and romantic periods.

Florence: Accademia Gallery Priority Entry Ticket with eBook

9. Florence: Accademia Gallery Priority Entry Ticket with eBook

Make the most of your time in Florence with a priority entry ticket to the Accademia Gallery. Admire one of the world's most famous sculptures, Michelangelo's David, and see some of the sculptor's other works. Skip the long lines and enter the gallery via a separate entrance. Your reserved ticket allows you to skip the ticket office and avoid the worry of whether or not tickets will be available. Visit the main hall to see Michelangelo's statue of David and some of his unfinished works still bearing his chisel marks. Discover the Gipsoteca which houses original plaster models made by 19th-century Florentine sculptors. Then, explore the other galleries of the museum and see masterpieces by medieval and Renaissance painters. Go up to the top floor to admire huge Medieval altarpieces before concluding your visit.

Florence: Entry to Brunelleschi's Dome and Cathedral Complex

10. Florence: Entry to Brunelleschi's Dome and Cathedral Complex

Enjoy a facilitated entrance to Brunelleschi's Dome, part of Florence's Cathedral, with this ticket. Meet the local assistant at the meeting point, present your voucher, and receive your tickets to begin your experience. First, if you do have a backpack, use the free luggage storage because they are not allowed to visit. Second, enter the Dome and climb 463 steps to reach the top. Marvel at the egg-shaped architecture of the Dome, which was the largest structure in the world at its time. While visiting the Dome’s interior, enjoy an opportunity to see the many frescoes and stained-glass windows. Admire Zuccari and Giorgio Vasari's frescoes of the Last Judgment, and enjoy a beautiful panorama over Florence and its surroundings from the summit.

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What people are saying about Florence

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 17,022 reviews

Ufizzi Gallery with its master pieces and David in the Academia are a must when you visit Florence! Take a guided tour as we did, because it is impossible to know so much as your guide will tell you. For the Ufizzi Gallery our guide was Christian, who was excellent in telling the history of the most famous paintings with so many details. For the Academia and David tour our guide was Martina. We hade a sublime 90 minutes lecture for David, Michelangelo and the Academia. After the tour we've visited the chambers with musical instruments and saw old original keyboard instruments from Bartolomeo Cristofory. Fortunately our guide Martina has told us for those chambers, otherwise we would have missed them.

What a great exhibition of the art of the Florentine mosaic - the individual cutting of the marble to make intricate images, and displayed in a grand fashion.

We ended up being the only people on our group tour. Our guide was personable. Knowledgeable and fun. We enjoyed every minute of it.

Smooth entry procedure. The ticket pick-up is across from, to the right of, the entry and not well-marked.

This is one place you should get an advance ticket. Glad we did.