One day in Florence: panoramic tour, historical center, traditional lunch, Uffizi and Accademia skip-the-line

One of the most complete guided tours of Florence’s historical center and its surroundings: Piazzale Michelangelo, Fiesole, a walk in the heart of the Tuscan capital, a visit to the Uffizi and the Accademia Gallery. Taking part in our tour of the museums of Florence and the historic center, you will enjoy a great advantage: reservations at the Accademia and the Uffizi will guarantee you a privileged access in both museums!

After meeting your guide at the meeting point, the panoramic Florence tour will start on board a comfortable GranTurismo bus on which you will reach two of the most beautiful and photographed panoramic spots in the world: the first is Piazzale Michelangelo, designed in 1869 by the Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi, which offers an incredible glimpse of Florence and the Arno while the second is Fiesole, the charming Etruscan town so dearly loved by Gabriele d'Annunzio... after having been there, we’re sure you’ll understand why!

After this exciting Florence panoramic tour of Fiesole, you will return to Florence by bus, destination MUSEO DELL’ACCADEMIA with skip-the-line entrance. Known above all as the home of the famous statue of David in Florence, this marvellous art gallery houses the world's largest collection of sculptures by Michelangelo and gold panels. During the visit to the Accademia Gallery in Florence, the guide will show you the main masterpieces of the vast art collection housed inside, which, in addition to the masterpieces mentioned above, boasts works of art from the Academy of Design and Academy of Fine Arts, as well as numerous paintings by the major Tuscan masters from the second half of the thirteenth century to the end of the sixteenth, plaster casts of Lorenzo Bartolini and Luigi Pampaloni and a collection of Russian icons.

After visiting the Accademia Gallery, our tour - one of the most complete guided tours of Florence and surroundings - continues with a walk in the heart of Florence that will take you to the splendid Piazza del Duomo, dominated by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto's Bell Tower and the Baptistery of San Giovanni.

At this point you will start to feel a bit peckish... so what could be better than to pick a restaurant in the center and enjoy a traditional lunch? After saying goodbye to your guide, who you will meet again in the afternoon, you will have some free time to have your meal and relax a bit. The menu includes a Tuscan bruschetta, a first course (pesto and Tuscan ragù), dessert, water and a glass of wine per person.

In the afternoon, your guide will reach you to take you on the second part of our Florence tour and its surroundings that will take place in the heart of the city. A fascinating walk will take you on a discovery of the best of Florence:

• PIAZZA SANTA CROCE. Dominated by the Basilica of Santa Croce, in the evening hours the square becomes the heart of the Florentine 'movida'. Santa Croce is the largest Franciscan church in the world and has 16 chapels, decorated by the greatest masters of the Renaissance period: inside it preserves the remains of famous people such as Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Rossini and Galileo and it is precisely for this reason that the Basilica is also known as the 'Temple of Italian Glories'. 

• Our visit to Florence will continue towards the magnificent PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA which, with its characteristic 'L' shape, houses some important sculptures such as the 'Neptune' by Ammannati, the equestrian statue of 'Duke Cosimo II' by Giambologna and 'Ercole and Caco' by Bandinelli.
  One of the most important buildings in Piazza della Signoria is Palazzo Vecchio. It currently houses the Museum of Palazzo Vecchio that includes magnificent halls with works of great historical and artistic value in addition to being the seat of the City of Florence. Next to Palazzo Vecchio you can admire the 'Loggia dei Lanzi', a splendid open-air gallery decorated with a series of arches reminiscent of Renaissance classicism: 'Perseus with the Head of Medusa’ by Benvenuto Cellini, and 'Abduction of a Sabine Woman' by Giambologna are just a few of the sculptures on display at the Loggia.  

• A must stop for those who visit Florence is undoubtedly PONTE VECCHIO, the oldest crossing of the River Arno and one of the icons of the city. Above the many goldsmiths that characterize the bridge stands the beautiful Vasari Corridor: built in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari from which it takes its name, this extraordinary passage allowed the Medici to move from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti without going through the streets of the city. Inside you can find the largest and most important collection in the world of self-portraits and some portraits of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The last part of the tour is dedicated to one of the most visited museums in the world: the UFFIZI GALLERY. Our skip-the-line entry will allow you to avoid the long queues that usually build up in front of the entrance and to dedicate yourself entirely to the guided tour of the treasures kept inside, such as ‘The Adoration of the Magi’ by Leonardo da Vinci,  ‘La Primavera' by Botticelli and the ‘Venus of Urbino’ by Titian, true masterpieces of Italian art. At the end of the guided tour of the Uffizi, you can stay inside the museum until closing time to see the works again or to visit the rooms not included in the tour.

An extraordinary complete tour of Florence that promises great emotions: the view of the city from above, the discovery of the most important places in the historic center and its two famous galleries, Accademia and Uffizi, without forgetting the typical Florentine lunch. 

Book now online one of the most complete and interesting guided tours of Florence, Italy!