Florence in a Day With David, Duomo, Uffizi & Walking Tour

Florence is a small city with a big history and this tour lets you explore it all: in just one day.

You'll start with skip-the-line tickets to the Florence Accademia, home to Michelangelo's David. After learning the story behind the world's most recognizable statue, you'll also see some of Michelangelo's unfinished Slaves for a fascinating peek inside the tortured mind of the great artist. Having an expert art historian on hand pays dividends here - Michelangelo was not just the most talented artist to come out of the Renaissance, he was also the most fascinating. Who else would defy a pope? And more than once!

After the Accademia, your Florence In A Day Tour continues to the Cathedral, a.k.a. Florence Duomo, where your guide will tell you the story of its enormous dome and how it went from a near catastrophe to the greatest building achievement of its age. You'll also see the Florence Baptistery, home to the set of bronze doors that were thought so beautiful, Michelangelo called them the "Gates of Paradise".

N.B., The Florence Duomo does not offer skip-the-line tickets so unless the entrance lines are very short, we do not step inside. If you do want to go in, your guide will give you some tips on when to go in order to beat the lines.

When lunch rolls around, your guide will recommend some of their favorite eateries nearby and give you ample time to go relax and refuel before regrouping in a central spot.

In the afternoon you'll skip the lines into the (incredibly busy) Uffizi Gallery to see some of the best paintings from the Renaissance. The Uffizi makes for a fantastic visit because its galleries are organized chronologically. As you move through the rooms, your guide will be able to demonstrate the development of artistic styles from Medieval times to the Renaissance and after. They'll show you how modern paintings bursting with colors and emotions developed from the flat, cold, compositions of the middle ages. Don't expect a lecture: our guides are much more fun than that. Their focus is on injecting character into your experience of the Uffizi (and everywhere else), so you understand not just the paintings, but the masters and the culture that created them.

Florence is one of Italy's most atmospheric cities and its streets are bursting with history and beautiful architecture. Outside of the obvious big attractions, this is a big part of your Florence In A Day Tour: street life. You'll enjoy a guided walking tour of the city, visit an outdoor sculpture gallery, a leather market, the remarkable Ponte Vecchio and see the Vasari Corridor, made famous by Dan Brown, from outside (the inside is rather unremarkable anyway). You'll hear tales of the notorious Medici family outside their fortress-like palace, and come to understand why it was Florence, not Rome, that was the cradle of the Renaissance.

There's a lot to see in Florence, and a lot of stories to be told. If you're short on time our full-day tour is a great option, optimizing your time with skip-the-line access at the major attractions plus small group sizes and headsets to guarantee maximum interaction with your guide.