Florence City Tours

Tours That Stay Outdoors

The cheapest Florence walking tours keep you outside. The Renaissance and Medici Walking Tour costs $13 per person for 2 hours and passes the central sights on foot, ending outside the Uffizi Gallery. The Florence Highlights Walking Tour costs $23 per person for 1.5 hours past six landmarks, and its listing excludes admission tickets.

Wheels also stay outdoors. The golf carts (Golf Cart Express $52, private golf cart $71.02), the highlights bike tour at $44, the e-bike ride to Piazzale Michelangelo at $33, the Vespa ride at $134.15 and the vintage Fiat 500 at $157.83 all climb to the hill viewpoints with no museum entry. The hop-on hop-off bus costs $25 for 24 to 72 hours and its ticket excludes attraction tickets. These suit a first afternoon, a layover or anyone who wants the views without queues.

Tours That Take You Inside

The tours that put you inside carry the ticket and a timed slot in the price. The Florence in a Day tour costs $109 for 3 hours and covers pre-reserved tickets to the Accademia, the Duomo Museum, the Baptistery and Giotto's Bell Tower, plus cathedral entry. The Duomo Guided Tour costs $19 with reserved cathedral entry on a 30-minute guided visit, and dome access plus the rest of the complex comes with the upgrade. The Duomo First Entry and Dome Climb costs $176 for 2 hours and enters the cathedral before public opening with the Key Holder.

For the museums, the Accademia and David Guided Tour costs $46 for 1 hour with a timed-entry reserved ticket and headset. The Uffizi Small-Group Tour costs $71 for 1.5 hours with the Uffizi entry ticket and headsets included. Pick these when the artwork itself is the reason you came.

Inside or Outside: Side by Side

This table lines up the seven core Florence city tours so you can see what each price buys. Prices, durations and ticket coverage come straight from each tour listing, so you can match a budget to a door that actually opens.

Official Ticket Prices to Set Beside Them

It helps to know what the entry alone costs. The Galleria dell'Accademia lists a full-price ticket of $22.16 (EUR 20), with a $4.43 (EUR 4) reservation fee when you book an entry time by phone. The Uffizi Galleries list a single ticket at $27.70 (EUR 25) bought on the day and $32.13 (EUR 29) bought in advance, and a $17.73 (EUR 16) ticket for visitors entering from 4 p.m. onwards.

Both museums close on Mondays. If you plan several museums in 72 hours, the Firenzecard costs $94.19 (EUR 85) and covers more than 60 museums with no reservation surcharge.

The Route a Walking Tour Takes

The classic route strings the historic centre together on foot. The Florence Highlights Walking Tour ($23, 1.5 hours) starts near Palazzo Medici Riccardi, walks past the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Florence Duomo Complex, Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza della Signoria and finishes at Ponte Vecchio with 10 minutes of sightseeing. The Renaissance and Medici Walking Tour ($13, 2 hours) covers the same ground plus Giotto's Bell Tower, Brunelleschi's Dome, the House of Dante, Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi, ending outside the Uffizi Gallery.

The Florence in a Day tour ($109, 3 hours) uses the same streets but enters the Accademia Gallery for a one-hour guided visit to Michelangelo's David, then continues through Piazza del Duomo, the Baptistery or the Duomo Museum, the Crypt of Santa Reparata, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio. Tickets for Giotto's Bell Tower climb are included, to use at your own pace.

Medici and Renaissance Stories

The Renaissance and Medici Walking Tour is the pick for the story of the family that paid for the Renaissance. It sets out from Piazza di San Lorenzo, beside the Basilica of San Lorenzo and Palazzo Medici Riccardi, both Medici strongholds. The guide covers Renaissance art and figures such as the Medici, Dante, Botticelli and Michelangelo, and the walk ends outside the Uffizi Gallery with tips on where to eat and shop.

It runs rain or shine, is wheelchair accessible and carries a 4.8 rating from 2,201 reviews.

Group or Private

Group size is stated on some listings. The Florence Highlights Walking Tour is a small-group walk with a private group option available. The Florence in a Day tour and the e-bike tour both run as small groups.

The Accademia and David Guided Tour offers private or small groups. Among the wheels, the Private Golf Cart Tour is private by design and wheelchair accessible, and the vintage Fiat 500 tour takes 3-4 people maximum on a private route.

The Accademia and the David

The Accademia and David Guided Tour costs $46 per person for 1 hour and includes the live guide, a timed-entry reserved ticket, a headset and an assistant at the meeting point. The listing also notes the group can stay inside until closing. The Galleria dell'Accademia opens 8:15 am to 6:50 pm with last admission at 6:10 pm and closes every Monday, 1 January and 25 December, so no Accademia tour runs on a Monday.

Arrive at the meeting point early, as latecomers are not admitted under museum regulations.

The Uffizi

The Uffizi Gallery Small-Group Tour costs $71 per person for 1.5 hours with the guide, the Uffizi entry ticket, headsets and meeting point assistance included. The guide covers Botticelli's The Birth of Venus and Primavera, Michelangelo's Tondo Doni and Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation. The Uffizi Galleries open Tuesday to Sunday 8.15 am to 6.30 pm, the ticket office closes at 5.30 pm, and the museum closes on Mondays, 1 January and 25 December.

Admission is free on the first Sunday of each month, when priority admission is suspended, so expect queues. The tour listing warns it is likely to sell out.

The Duomo and the Dome

Two Duomo options sit at opposite ends of the price range. The Duomo Guided Tour with Dome Climb Option costs $19 and includes reserved Duomo entry and a 30-minute guided tour with an English-speaking local guide. The upgrade adds access to Brunelleschi's Dome plus entry to the Bell Tower, the Baptistery and the Opera del Duomo Museum, usable for 72 hours after the tour. A strict dress code applies, with shoulders and knees covered.

The Duomo First Entry and Dome Climb costs $176 for 2 hours. It includes the Key Holder experience before public opening, exclusive early access to the cathedral with the lights turning on, a licensed English-speaking guide, reserved or dedicated cathedral entrance, dome access before the crowds and headsets. Children under 7 are not allowed. The dome climb is on foot: 153 steps reach the Terraces and 153 plus 310 reach Brunelleschi's Dome.

Both Museums in One Day

The Florence in a Day tour covers both in one morning for $109 over 3 hours: pre-reserved Accademia tickets for Michelangelo's David, then the Duomo Museum, the Baptistery, Giotto's Bell Tower tickets and cathedral entry, all with a guide and headsets. If you would rather build your own day, the Galleria dell'Accademia lists an Accademia plus Bargello 48-hour ticket at $28.81 (EUR 26) and a six-museum 72-hour ticket at $42.11 (EUR 38). The Firenzecard at $94.19 (EUR 85) covers 72 hours across more than 60 museums if your stay is longer.

Golf Cart Tours

The Florence Golf Cart Express Tour costs $52 per person for 1.5 hours in a small group limited to 10 participants. An English-speaking driver-guide, professional pictures and headsets are included, and stops run from the Medicean Villa of Poggio Imperiale and Arcetri to San Miniato al Monte, Piazzale Michelangelo and Bellosguardo. Children under 5 or under 3 ft 6 in cannot join.

The Private Golf Cart Tour of Florence costs $71.02 per person for 90 minutes with a licensed local guide and private golf cart transportation. It is wheelchair accessible, covers San Frediano, the Medici Villa in Poggio Imperiale, San Miniato al Monte, Piazzale Michelangelo and the Tower of San Niccolò, and is rated 5 from 736 reviews. Neither cart tour includes museum tickets, and none are needed: every stop is a viewpoint.

Bike and E-Bike Tours

The Florence City Highlights Bike Tour costs $44 per person for 3 hours with bike rental, helmet, bike bag, map and a local licensed guide included. It covers eleven central stops from the Duomo Complex and Santa Croce to Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi and Santa Maria Novella, and an e-bike option is available for riders 14 and older.

The E-Bike Tour to Piazzale Michelangelo costs $33 per person for 2 hours and is built for the climb, with the electric bike, guide, free luggage deposit and optional helmets included. Riders must be at least 4 ft 9 in tall, and in bad weather the tour automatically becomes a walking tour.

Vespa and Fiat 500

The Florence Vespa Ride with Wine Window costs $134.15 per person for 1 hour 30 minutes. You ride as a passenger while a driver handles the Vespa, so no licence is needed. The route passes the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Vecchio, climbs to Fiesole, Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte, and ends with a glass of wine at a wine window. Groups cap at 6 and ages run from 12.

The Vintage Fiat 500 Tour of Florence costs $157.83 per person for 1.5-2 hours in an original Fiat 500 Spiaggina, private for 3-4 people maximum, with private transportation and bottled water included. The route covers the Lungarni, Porta Romana and Piazzale Michelangelo, with an option to extend to San Miniato al Monte or Fiesole.

Wheels Side by Side

This table compares the wheeled day tours plus the night e-bike ride, all priced per person from their listings. The last column shows which tours actually make it up to the Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato hill, where the walking tours cannot follow.

The ZTL and Why You Ride With a Guide

Florence's centre sits inside the ZTL, the limited-traffic zone. The City of Florence lists its hours as Monday to Friday 7:30-20:00 and Saturday 7:30-16:00, off on Sundays and holidays, and from the first Thursday of April to the first Sunday of October it extends to 03:00 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Cameras read plates at every gate, cars need permission to enter, and parking inside is limited to hotel and private garages.

A rental car is a liability here, which is why a guided golf cart, bike or Vespa tour is the easy way up the hill: the operator handles the access, you get the view.

Food Tours

The Florence Street Food Tour with Wine costs $46 per person and runs 2.5 hours with a local guide. Tastings include several street food stops and a sip of local wine, walking from the Mercato Centrale to a bakery and local restaurants before finishing at Santa Croce. Morning departures include the market visit, since the market opens only in the morning.

The Central Market Food and Wine Tour costs $105.97 per person and lasts 3 hours in a group of up to 8. It covers the San Lorenzo Market with 9 food tastings and 6 drinks, then a private wine tasting and food pairing at one of Florence's oldest wine shops, and ends with gelato. Paid tickets start at age 4.

Night Walks and Rides

The Dark Mysteries and Legends Night Walk costs $13 per person for 105 minutes. The route runs from Piazza San Marco past the cathedral, the Palazzo del Bargello and Piazza della Signoria to Ponte Vecchio, with stories of Medici murders and ghosts. It is open only to adults 18 and over.

The Florence Night Tour by E-Bike costs $65 per person and runs 2 hours in a group limited to 10. Riders climb to Piazzale Michelangelo for the evening view, then pass Brunelleschi's dome, the Basilica di Santa Croce and Piazza della Signoria. The bike rental, helmet and rain vest are included.

What the Bus Does and Doesn't Do

The Florence Hop-on Hop-off Bus carries attraction tickets as an exclusion, so entry to museums and the Duomo is not covered. Line A takes about 1 hour with stops at Santa Maria Novella Train Station, Santa Croce, Piazzale Michelangelo, Porta Romana and Piazza Indipendenza. Line B takes about 2 hours and reaches Fiesole.

Its 3.8 rating from 7,491 reviews is the lowest on this page. Both lines circle the avenues and the hills outside the pedestrian centre. Use it for the hills and the outer sights such as Fiesole and Piazzale Michelangelo, and cover the centre itself on foot.

In winter Line B runs only on weekends and holidays, plus every day over the Christmas weeks.

From the Airport and the Station

Florence airport is about 5 km from the city centre. Tram T2 (Vespucci) links Santa Maria Novella station to the airport and runs on to Piazza San Marco, near the meeting point of Florence in a Day: David, Duomo and Highlights. Trams run about every 5 minutes.

From Santa Maria Novella station, most walking-tour meeting points lie within a short walk.

Meeting Points

Renaissance and Medici Walking Tour meets at Piazza di San Lorenzo. Florence in a Day meets at the Statua di Manfredo Fanti, Piazza di San Marco, and asks you to arrive 15 minutes early. Accademia and David Guided Tour meets at Via Ricasoli 39, beside the Accademia Gallery, and Uffizi Gallery Small-Group Tour meets at the Statue of Nicola Pisano on Piazzale degli Uffizi. Duomo Guided Tour with Dome Climb Option meets at Piazza del Duomo 19. On wheels, the Florence Golf Cart Express Tour starts at Piazza della Calza 3 near Porta Romana, the Private Golf Cart Tour of Florence at the corner of Piazza Goldoni by Ponte alla Carraia, and the Florence Street Food Tour with Wine at Piazza dell'Unità Italiana. The Florence Hop-on Hop-off Bus starts at Largo Fratelli Alinari beside the station. Vintage Fiat 500 Tour of Florence is the exception that offers pickup.

Opening Hours

The Uffizi Galleries and the Accademia Gallery publish their own hours and ticket prices, and the same office covers Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. The table sets the official single-ticket price in dollars with the euro figure beside it, against the price of a guided tour that already includes the ticket.

Free Days and Cheaper Tickets

The Uffizi Gallery is free on the first Sunday of each month, and during free days priority admission is suspended, so queues run long. A late entry costs less: the Uffizi ticket is $17.73 (EUR 16) for visitors entering from 4 p.m. onwards. At the Accademia Gallery, under 18s enter free with ID, and EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay $2.22 (EUR 2).

The Firenzecard

The Firenzecard costs $94.19 (EUR 85) and gives 72 hours of access to more than 60 museums from the first entrance, with no surcharge on reservations or special exhibitions. Family members under 18 enter free on the same card. Firenzecard Restart adds 48 hours to an expired card for $31.03 (EUR 28), digital only.

It works well if you plan several museum visits in three days, less well for a single gallery.

A One-Day Plan With Tours

Start with a morning museum tour. The Accademia and David Guided Tour is a 1-hour timed-entry visit for $46, or Florence in a Day: David, Duomo and Highlights covers the Accademia plus the Duomo complex in 3 hours for $109. At midday, take a walking tour past the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio.

The Renaissance and Medici Walking Tour runs 2 hours for $13 and the Florence Highlights Walking Tour runs 1.5 hours for $23. In the afternoon, ride to the hill across the river instead of walking up. The Florence Golf Cart Express Tour takes 1.5 hours for $52 and the E-Bike Tour to Piazzale Michelangelo takes 2 hours for $33.

In the evening, close the day with the Florence Street Food Tour with Wine for $46 over 2.5 hours.

• Michelangelo's David inside the Accademia Gallery
• The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with Brunelleschi's dome
• The Florence Baptistery and Giotto's Bell Tower
• The Duomo Museum and the Crypt of Santa Reparata
• Palazzo Medici Riccardi and the Basilica of San Lorenzo
• Piazza della Repubblica
• Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio
• The Loggia dei Lanzi
• Ponte Vecchio
• The panorama from Piazzale Michelangelo