Walking tour with aperitif in Florence

Picture for a moment a refreshing aperitivo in Florence in an exclusive café in the historic centre after a pleasant walk discovering the city’s wonders with an expert local guide. Does this sound interesting? With our guided tour of Florence, you too will live this fantastic experience and spend an unforgettable evening in Florence! 
Known since time immemorial as the 'Cradle of the Renaissance', the Tuscan capital houses nearly half of the country’s artistic and architectural heritage. Thanks to our aperitif walking tour in Florence and its historic centre – a roughly two hour-long walk - you will discover the treasures of the city, some of which are very famous, whilst others, though little known, are still very interesting.

Our Florence walking tour with aperitif will set off from one of the most beautiful squares in the city, PIAZZA SANTA MARIA NOVELLA, visited and appreciated every day by hundreds of tourists. Built in 1287, it soon became the centre of the city’s life and the location of performances, shows, tournaments and other typical competitions of the time, such as the folklorist 'Palio dei Cocchi', whose playing area was delimited by the two marble obelisks still present in the square. Each obelisk rests on four bronze turtles - probable designed by Giambattista - and supports, at the top, a golden lily, symbol of the city.
Piazza Santa Maria Novella is dominated by the Dominican Basilica, embellished by a charming Renaissance facade built around 1470 by Leon Battista Alberti. An interesting anecdote: this is the oldest original remaining façade in Florence, never restored or completed in later times, as was often the case with other major churches in the city. In addition to the wonderful external architecture, the Church of Santa Maria Novella is also of great importance for the splendid works of art preserved in the interior by great masters such as Giotto, Masaccio and Ghirlandaio.

Our guided tour of Florence with aperitif will continue to VIA TORNABUONI - the elegant street world-known as the locations of the boutiques of high-fashion designers and luxurious jewellers – and then to PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA, which has always been the centre of the city's political life. After several alterations, caused primarily by the construction of the Uffizi Galleries between 1560 and 1580, the square took on its present appearance: a majestic view adorned by numerous sculptures and important historical buildings, with Palazzo Vecchio being the most important one and presently housing the Town Hall Offices. Next to Palazzo Vecchio is the Loggia dei Lanzi, a small but spectacular outdoor arcade that houses important sculpture artworks such as Giambologna's 'The Kidnapping of the Sabine Women' and Benvenuto Cellini’s 'Perseo with the Head of Medusa’.

The next stage of our aperitif in Florence with tour will be one of the city’s landmarks, PIAZZA DEL DUOMO, where you will admire four famous architectural wonders. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, one of the largest churches in the world, built on the remains of the former Cathedral of Santa Reparata and constructed with green, white and red marbles; Brunelleschi’s Dome, an invaluable masterpiece that towers over the floor crossing of the cathedral; the 85 metre-high Giotto’s Bell Tower, considered Italy’s most beautiful one, and St. John’s Baptistery, known for its original octagonal shape and its three bronze doors of great historical and artistic value.

And after so much art and culture included in our Florence tour... an aperitif is just what you need to end the afternoon in the best way! From Piazza del Duomo we will head to the nearby PIAZZA DELLA REPUBBLICA, an ancient Roman forum, where you can still see the ‘Column of Abundance’, which was the crossing point of Roman cardo and decumanus. The medieval aspect of the square, with churches and tabernacles, continued until the second half of the 19th century: when Florence became the capital of Italy, an urban modernization project was started, that led to the demolition of the 13th century walls surrounding the city, the ancient towers, churches and artisans’ workshops. If you are curious to know what Piazza della Repubblica looked like in ancient times, we recommend you visit the Museum of Florence as it Was, housing prints and paintings depicting the square before its alteration.
Nowadays, evenings in Florence in Piazza della Repubblica are often enlivened by street performers and improvised performances that attract the attention of young and old: the square, with its time-honoured literary cafés, has always been a meeting place, especially for artists, writers and painters from the past. What better location to sip an aperitif in Florence, perhaps accompanied by several tantalizing snacks?

We are sure you cannot wait to relish this fantastic experience! So what are you waiting for? Choose the day and language and book our walking guided tour of Florence with aperitif ... fun is guaranteed!