The 13 Best Florence Tours: Wine, Museums & More (original) (raw)
Beloved for its food, wine, art, rich history and alluring landscape, Florence, Italy, consistently draws travelers throughout the year. Seeing all of Florence's attractions by yourself can be daunting, so having a knowledgeable local guide show you around will help you make the most of your trip. U.S. News identified the following tours as the best available by analyzing both expert and traveler opinion. Whether you want a broad overview of Firenze or a deep dive into a particular facet of the city (like its food), these tours have you covered.
Caf Tour & Travel – Chianti Authentic Experience
Price: Adults from 49 euros (about 52);kidsfrom21.50euros(about52); kids from 21.50 euros (about 52);kidsfrom21.50euros(about23)
Duration: 5 hours
This daylong bus tour takes you to two Chianti wineries with views of the world-famous Tuscan countryside, where vineyards, olive groves, churches and castles pepper the landscape. Patrons laud the guides and drivers for their professionalism and insights. However, others note that the trip seems a bit rushed at times.
Tours depart the Piazzale Montelungo once or twice daily, year-round. (It runs on an abbreviated schedule in the winter.) If you want more privacy, you can also book semiprivate and private tours of the region with Caf Tour.
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CityWonders – Uffizi Gallery Semi-Private Renaissance Art Tour
Price: Adults from 68;kidsfrom68; kids from 68;kidsfrom63
Duration: 1.5 hours
No visit to Florence would be complete without a trip to the Uffizi Gallery to see works by masters like Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. Taking CityWonders' guided tour of the museum allows you to bypass the entrance line and gain insights from experts as they lead you through the collection. Another bonus? You're welcome to stay in the gallery until closing after the tour concludes. Audio headsets are provided so you don't miss a word of the commentary. Tour-takers consistently praise the English-speaking guides for their passion and knowledge.
Tours depart at 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Ticket prices vary depending on the season. Groups are limited to nine participants. CityWonders runs other tours in Florence, including a skip-the-line tour of the Duomo.
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Fat Tire Tours – E-Scooter: Panoramic Tour of Florence
Price: From 65 euros (about $70)
Duration: 2 hours
Highlights of this electric scooter tour include Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza della Signoria, the Arno River and Santa Croce. Tour-takers describe this as a fun way to see the sights and say the guides are friendly and informative. What's more, reviewers appreciate that groups are capped at eight participants.
Tickets include use of an e-scooter and a helmet, as well as instruction for using the vehicle. Participants must be at least 14 years old. Tours depart at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday to Monday as well as Wednesday. Fat Tire also offers biking and walking tours.
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Courtesy of Taste Florence Food Tour
Taste Florence Food Tour
Price: From $119
Duration: 3.5 hours
These food-focused walks take participants around the city to sample local specialties like wine, cheese, bread and olive oil. Over the course of the tour, you'll stop at six or more locales, including the Mercato Centrale, for delectable bites. Food connoisseurs tend to appreciate both the quality of the fare provided and the knowledge and humor of the guides.
Tours depart at 9:45 a.m. nearly every day (except Sundays) during peak months. The company offers a limited schedule in the offseason. Tickets include food and beverage samples. If you're an oenophile, check out the sommelier-led wine tasting offered by Taste Florence.
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Tuscany Bike Tours – Tuscany Bike Tour
Price: From 95 euros (about $102)
Duration: 6 hours
Before climbing on a bike for a guided tour of Chianti, you'll depart Florence via van and view enchanting scenery. Then, you'll get a safety orientation followed by a bike ride. You'll also enjoy an olive oil tasting and a glass of wine, plus a light lunch (which takes place in a villa). Cyclists enthuse about both the glorious views as well as the helpful, personable guides.
Tours occur almost every day at 8:30 a.m. from March through November. The cost includes lunch and a glass of wine, as well as use of a bicycle and helmet. Vespa and e-bike tours of the Tuscany region are also available, as are private bike tours of Florence.
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Walks of Italy – Florence in a Day with David, Duomo, Uffizi & Walking Tour
Price: From $126
Duration: 5 hours
If you only have a day to see Florence's top sights, consider this walking tour, which combines visits to Florence's must-see artistic and religious landmarks all in one outing. In between stops at the tour's main highlights, you'll see other top spots in the city like the Ponte Vecchio. You'll also get a break for lunch (at your own expense). Along the way, guides offer insights regarding the art and architecture on view. According to reviewers, the tour leaders are informative and personable.
Tour departure times and ticket fees will vary by season and day. Fees include skip-the-line access to the Galleria dell'Accademia (home of Michelangelo's David) and the Uffizi. Walks of Italy also offers food tours and a tour to Tuscany, among others.
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Florencetown/Towns of Italy – Wanna Be Italiano: Florence Cooking Class & Market Tour
Price: Adults from 119 euros (about 128);kidsfrom101euros(around128); kids from 101 euros (around 128);kidsfrom101euros(around108)
Duration: 5 hours
Travelers rave about this class, saying the recipes are spectacular and the teachers are capable and attentive. The experience starts with a trip to the Mercato Centrale, Florence's principal food market, to gather provisions for your meal. Once you've bought food, you'll make your way to the kitchen where a chef teaches you to make traditional Italian fare. Menus vary, but you'll likely prepare bruschetta, fresh pasta, sauces and a dessert during the class.
Experiences are offered daily, starting at 9 a.m. (Note: Mercato Centrale is closed Sundays and bank holidays, so classes on those days include additional instruction and food tasting instead.) The cost of class covers the food that will be your lunch as well as two glasses of wine per person. Keep in mind that fees are slightly higher during peak season. Still hungry? Florencetown offers a wine tour of Tuscany, as well as other cooking classes.
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La Bussola Free Tours – Morning Free Walking Tour
Price: Free
Duration: 2.5 to 3 hours
While La Bussola's morning walking tour does feature some of Florence's major landmarks, it mainly focuses on the Medici family's influence and rise to power (it was the Medici family, after all, who owned, financed or commissioned many of Florence's landmarks). You'll also hear about Michelangelo and his works. Over the course of the 1 1/2-mile outing, guides share details of local history and tips for making the most of your Florence visit. Guides are regarded as informative, friendly and helpful.
Tours depart daily at 10:30 a.m. Tours are free, though tips for your guide are appreciated. La Bussola also conducts a slightly shorter evening tour, focusing on artistic greats like Donatello and Da Vinci.
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Grape Tours – Wine Time
Price: From 170 euros (about $182)
Duration: 5.5 hours
Grape Tours' Wine Time excursion departs at 10:15 a.m. from Florence and proceeds to Chianti for visits to two family-owned wineries. You'll learn about the history of the region and the process of making Tuscan wine. At each stop, you'll taste three or four different wines; at the second winery you'll also enjoy lunch. Tour-takers report learning a great deal about the wine-making process from entertaining guides. They also say lunch is delicious.
Participants must be at least 16 years old to join. Tours take place year-round daily. If you like to pair cheese with your wine, try Grape Tours' Chianti and Cheese tour.
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Tuscany Cycle – Tuscany Vespa Tour
Price: Drivers from 169 euros (about 181);passengersfrom99euros(around181); passengers from 99 euros (around 181);passengersfrom99euros(around106)
Duration: 5 to 6 hours
Explore the Tuscan countryside in quintessentially Italian fashion with this Vespa tour, which earns enthusiastic reviews from travelers. Tuscany Cycle's tour departs Florence (via van) at 10 a.m. daily for an excursion through the Chianti region. After reaching Chianti, you'll be taught how to ride a Vespa and follow your guide through the region before stopping at a winery for lunch and wine. You'll also have plenty of photo opportunities along the way, according to reviewers.
The fee includes lunch, wine, use of a Vespa and round-trip transportation from Florence. You must have a valid driver's license, but no prior experience operating a Vespa is necessary. Tourgoers applaud the driving lessons from the guides and the overall safety of the experience. Tuscany Cycle offers a variety of Vespa tours in Tuscany, as well as bicycle tours.
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Walkabout – The Best of Tuscany Tour
Price: Adults from 135 euros (around 145);kidsfrom120euros(about145); kids from 120 euros (about 145);kidsfrom120euros(about129)
Duration: 12 hours
After getting your fill of Florence attractions, take some time to explore the surrounding region of Tuscany. This tour combines a bus trip with walks through places like the medieval city of Siena and its art-filled Duomo, the hilltop town of San Gimignano and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Guides, generally considered equally insightful and entertaining, provide information regarding the architectural, artistic and historical points of interest seen along the way.
Tickets include lunch and wine at a Chianti vineyard; if you'd like the tour without lunch and wine, you can get a discounted ticket. The tour departs Florence at 8 a.m. Walkabout offers a variety of other tours in and around Tuscany as well as day trips to Cinque Terre.
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Italy on a Budget Tours – Pisa & Cinque Terre Day Trip
Price: From 139 euros (about $150)
Duration: 13 hours
Visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa and three of the five villages comprising Cinque Terre on this tour. After a 90-minute stop in Pisa, the tour proceeds to Riomaggiore (where travelers may opt to buy lunch). The next stops are the seaside villages of Manarola and Vernazza, where, weather permitting, participants can swim or lounge on the beach. Tour-takers find this guided experience a great way to pack a lot of sightseeing in to a single day.
Travel between the destinations is by train. Tours depart Florence at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (and on Sunday from June through September). Know that Italy on a Budget gears its tours to participants ages 18 to 39, and is therefore not suitable for children. The company also runs various other tours in Florence.
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Curious Appetite – Progressive Tuscan Dining Crawl of Florence
Price: From $149.50
Duration: 4 hours
Handmade pasta, Tuscan wines, gelato and the city's take on porterhouse steak, bistecca alla Fiorentina, are the focus of this leisurely culinary walk, which visits four eateries. Throughout the evening, experts offer commentary on regional cuisine, which participants describe as insightful and helpful. Some past patrons acknowledge that they wouldn't have found the visited restaurants on their own.
Tours depart Thursday and Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Sunday crawls are slightly more expensive than Thursday outings. Group size is limited to eight diners. In addition to its dinner crawl, Curious Appetite operates several other wine- and food-related tours in Florence.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A guided tour can be a great way to orient yourself around Florence, especially if it's your first time visiting. A tour can also be helpful if you want to see areas around Florence without the hassle of having to drive yourself.