Walking tour of Florence with guided skip-the-line Uffizi visit
Take a walking tour in the company of an expert guide to learn about the secrets and monuments of the historic center of Florence with its UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. Then, skip the line to access the legendary Uffizi Gallery and discover the treasures of the Italian Renaissance.
The tour starts from Piazza della Signoria with its imposing Palazzo Vecchio, the historic seat of the city government and the site of artistic disputes by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. From there you will reach the renowned square of Santa Croce with its church, famous for the funerary monuments of Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei and many other noteworthy Italians. Following the external path of the Vasari Corridor, you will cross the famous Ponte Vecchio, with its unique goldsmith shops, rebuilt after the tragic flood of 1966, and then reach the wonderful Palazzo Pitti, the building that was the residence of the Medici family first and then the King of Italy.
Your guide will then show you the most authentic part of Florence, the Oltrarno and the neighborhoods of S.Frediano di Santo Spirito, famous throughout the world for their artisan shops and for the ancient Torre houses still intact. From the Ponte Santa Trinita, you will reach Via Tornabuoni, the street considered as the "Salone della Moda", and Palazzo Strozzi, a beautiful example of splendid Renaissance architecture. After a stop at the Piazza della Repubblica, your guided tour will continue towards Piazza del Duomo, where you can admire the colorful marble decoration of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with its stunning Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's Bell Tower and the precious tiles of gold of the Baptistery's Paradise Gate. With a walk through the heart of Florence, your guide will lead you to the Uffizi Gallery, where you will have skip-the-line access. From the windows of the museum, you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Florence; the Museum houses the largest collection of Renaissance paintings in the world that belonged to the Medici family, who had their old offices here.
Your guide will tell you anecdotes and show you the portraits of many family members who have changed the history of Florence. Starting from Giotto, you will meet all the masterpieces of the most important artists of the Renaissance. You will learn about the construction of the Vasari Corridor, and you will have the opportunity to stop for a coffee or a cappuccino on the terrace overlooking the Piazza della Signoria, from which you will have a splendid view of Brunelleschi's dome. At the end of the tour, you can stay in the museum until closing time to have as much time as you want to admire your favorite works.