More about: Best Uffizi Gallery Guided Tours
It is by its own merits one of the most visited and relevant places in Florence. And if you are also an art lover, the Uffizi Gallery is a must-see. To see this impressive art gallery is best done through a guided tour.
Florence Uffizi Gallery Guided Visit
Book your guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery
Discover all the history and secrets of his works without queues and with a specialized guide.
The Uffizi Gallery, in Italian: Galleria degli Uffizi, is one of the best museums in the city of Florence, as it houses one of the most important art collections in Italy and, therefore, in the world. Specifically, it houses paintings made between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries with the signature of great authors such as Botticelli, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian.
In this guided tour, an art expert will show you the most important works and, of course, will put each and every one of them in context so that you leave with the feeling of knowing a little more about Italian art and culture.
How much do guided tours of the Uffizi Gallery cost?
The price of a guided tour depends on the modality we choose, that is, if it is a standard tour, private or combined with other types of plans. You can book a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery from $67 at Hellotickets. In this link I leave you all the information to purchase your tickets and visits to the Uffizi Gallery.
How long does the guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery last?
The standard guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery lasts about 1 hour and a half. This is more than enough time to get to know the essentials of the museum and see all its rooms.
However, after the visit we have time to return to see some of the works on our own. I recommend that you inform yourself beforehand about the layout of the gallery to improve your visit.
Private guided tours are usually longer and last about three hours. In this case, being a smaller group, the guides go into more depth on the questions you can ask them.
Is a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery worthwhile?
The simple answer is a resounding yes, it is worth booking a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery. There are three main points that make a guided tour a better option than a visit on our own:
- Include a professional and accredited guide: whenever you visit a museum with a professional guide the experience is more enriching. But in the case of museums in Florence, even more so. All Florentine museum guides need a special permit from the city to ensure maximum professionalism and knowledge. Something characteristic of one of the cities with the most artistic heritage in the world.
- Adaptation to all languages: There are guided tours in English, but in case you can not make one there is no problem. All guided tours include headphones with translator function and audio guide for countless languages.
- Fixed schedule and no queues: By hiring a guided tour you are guaranteed to enter at a fixed time and without queuing. If you visit the museum on your own, queues are almost obligatory.
What types of guided tours are available at the Uffizi Gallery?
There are three options for guided tours of the Uffizi Gallery: standard guided tour, private guided tour and guided tour with city center tour:
Standard guided tour
The most common option is to book a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery, from 67, includes the accompaniment of a professional guide, the entrance ticket and headphones to listen to the guide without difficulties.
- Duration: 1 hour and a half.
- Price: From 57€ for adults. Children under 6 years free.
Private visit to the Uffizi Gallery
The private visit to the Uffizi Gallery, from $130, is for those who want an exclusive guide for themselves or for a small group. The advantage is that it has no time and day limitations, as you choose it, and also includes the entrance without queues, the guide and audio guides on request.
- Duration: about 1:40 minutes.
- Price: from 125 €.
Combined visit to the Uffizi Gallery + Galleria dell'Accademia and tour of Florence
It is also possible to book a combined visit to the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery and a tour of Florence.
- Duration: about 4 hours.
- Price: from 134 €.
Are there guided tours of the Uffizi Gallery for children?
There are no special tours for children, but the normal guided tours are perfectly valid for the little ones. The professional guides will adapt the explanations without any problem if there are children in the groups.
Admission is allowed for all ages and children under 6 years are free of charge. All in all it is a good option to bring art closer to the little ones if you visit Florence with children.
Main works that you will see during the guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery has a collection of over 1,500 works of art spread over 45 rooms and arranged in the chronological order of their styles. Of all of them the works that stand out the most in the Uffizi Gallery and deserve special attention during guided tours are:
- Giotto's Madonna di Ognissanti: This large altarpiece dates from 1310 and the technique and representation used by Giotto for this work was a great revolution for the time. It shows the Virgin and child in a representation that broke with Byzantine standards.
- The Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccello: This painting is part of a triptych, specifically in its central part, parts of which are divided between the Uffizi Gallery, the National Gallery in London and the Louvre in Paris. Its representation of perspective was what brought this work and its author to fame.
- The Dukes of Urbino by Piero della Francesca: It portrays the spouses Federigo da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza in a diptych. It is one of the most famous works of the Italian Renaissance.
- The Birth of Venus by Botticelli: Possibly the most famous work housed in the Uffizi Gallery. Botticelli painted it between 1482 and 1485 and portrays the goddess Venus naked on a shell representing the birth of love and beauty represented in the figure of Venus.
- Botticelli's Spring: In the same room as the Venus, since it is a room dedicated exclusively to Botticelli's works, is the painting known as the Spring. It was commissioned by the Medici family and is a work of extreme beauty and mythological significance.
- The Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci: This painting is another example of the impeccable technique of the Italian master Leonardo da Vinci. So much so that the painting has been the subject of much study and research. It stands out above all for its great amount of detail.
These are the main works to see in the Uffizi Gallery but there are many others of such important authors as Titian, Raphael and Michelangelo. It is considered one of the most important museums in the world for a reason.
When is the best time to take a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery?
In the case of booking a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery you will have the possibility to choose a time. My recommendation is to do it early in the morning and early in the week, between Tuesday and Thursday, since there is less volume of visitors.
As for the season, it will always be better to visit the museum in the winter season from November 1 to February 28. During these dates, the number of visitors is lower.
Tips for visiting the Uffizi Gallery with a guided visit
The Uffizi Gallery is one of the must-sees in Florence and it is one of the best museums in the capital of Tuscany. To make the most of a guided tour, here are some tips that you may find useful:
- The best way to book a guided tour is to do it online and as far in advance as possible, since the schedules are closed and are only offered on Fridays and Saturdays.
- The museum has two seasons. Winter, from November to February, and summer from March to October. Visiting the Gallery in winter will always be cheaper and the crowds are usually smaller.
- The museum has a checkroom service for backpacks and large items. It is mandatory to leave your belongings here if they are too bulky.
- Itis not allowed to take pictures of the works of art due to copyright issues.
- Bring your own headphones if you hire an audio guide because, although they give you some, the ones they offer are disposable and of poor quality.
- If you hire a guided tour, always be at least 15 minutes in advance at the meeting point indicated.