Your tour starts early, near the Accademia Gallery, where your local guide will provide you tickets for heading right inside and see Michelangelo’s ‘David’ before the crowds show up. As you stand beneath him, your guide will tell you the story of his creation, as well as the story of its creator, the genius, Michelangelo Buonarroti. On the way out, you’ll pause by Michelangelo’s unfinished ‘Slaves’ to see the signs of his artistic process and learn more about the struggle that consumed much of his life.
With a 15-minute walk, you'll head to the Uffizi Gallery, while strolling around the city. Once reached Piazza del Duomo, you’ll stand in the shadow of one of the largest domes in the world. You’ll also see the famous Florence Baptistery Doors, cast in bronze by Lorenzo Ghiberti and admired so much by Michelangelo, that he dubbed them the ‘Gates of Paradise’. You’ll also see Palazzo Vecchio, one of the main palaces of the powerful Medici family, plus the outdoor sculpture gallery at Palazzo della Signoria.
Finally, you’ll head inside the Uffizi Gallery, home to the world’s greatest collection of Renaissance paintings. It’s also one of the most overwhelming collections in the world, often stifling visitors with art fatigue. You'll be shown to a lineup of the most significant, interesting, and just plain beautiful paintings in the museum.
The works you visit are arranged chronologically, so your visit ends up being a crash course in the development of western art, including lesser known works by artists like Duccio and Giotto, and bona fide classics by artists like Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael and da Vinci. By the time you finish, you won’t just have seen an art museum, you’ll have gained a better understanding of European art.
With the tour finishing up just before lunch, your guide will happily give you some recommendations on where to eat and what to see if you want to keep exploring.
Expert Walks of Italy tour guide
Gratuities
