This 3-hour Best of Florence private tour offers a compact but relaxed introduction to the most famous Renaissance city. With a local expert leading the way, you’ll check off your bucket list of the city’s highlights, such as the famous Duomo, the Signoria square, and the Ponte Vecchio bridge, while listening to the intriguing stories behind the monuments.
More than that, this tour takes you on an adventure to Oltrarno— the other side of the Arno River. You’ll have an authentic taste of Florentine life, quite literally, as you savor the locals’ favorite gelato or cappuccino!
Meeting your guide on the Republic square, you’ll start your exploration of the city from its Roman foundations. A few steps away stands the city’s most glorious monument, the cathedral, known locally as the Duomo for its impressive dome. You’ll not only admire its beauty, but learn about the engineering feat and the intriguing history behind this marvel. Have a close look at the magnificent gate of the baptistery and its relief sculptures that have brought the city to the Renaissance.
After a stop at the leather market to meet the city’s beloved mascot, you’ll reach the bank of the Arno River and enjoy the best vantage point for the picturesque old bridge known as Ponte Vecchio. Over the bridge, the secret corridor built by the Medici family takes you to the Uffizi Courtyard and, once the city’s political centre, the Piazza Signoria. Today, it has become an open-air gallery dotted with beautiful sculptures, including a copy of Michelangelo’s David that marks the entrance to the historic city hall, where this masterpiece was meant to be.
Beyond the historic heart, this walking tour sets you apart from the pack by taking you to the other side of the Arno, the Oltrarno. Not only will you admire the purist aesthetic of theSanto Spirito Church and the monumentality of Medici’s Pitti Palace, but you’ll also visit the artisans’ neighborhood and enjoy a relaxing coffee break among the locals – all in an intimate private tour!