Emily's Favorite Tours

Having a hard time choosing which tours to do? Here’s the short list of my personal favorite tours to give.

City Walking Tour combined with a visit to Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia Gallery. 

A walking tour is the best way to experience the history of the city while seeing the Cathedral complex, Piazza Della Repubblica, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, and the Uffizi. We’ll see all monuments from the outside. You will also have the option to head across the river and visit the Oltrarno area to see the Pitti Palace and walk through the quintessential Florentine streets of this artisan neighborhood. I like to take the opportunity to show you my favorite pockets of Florence and give you a bit more of a “local’s experience” including pointing out my favorite artisan shops, bars, restaurants, gelaterias, etc. It is by no means an intensive walk; we will take our time strolling around the city and will plan ample time for a coffee break. The tour finishes with a visit to the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s marble sculpture of David up close and personal.

Other options to add onto a Walking Tour instead of Michelangelo’s David include a visit inside the Baptistery or a tour of the medieval city hall, Palazzo Vecchio. All of these options would add on about an hour to the walking tour and you have the same option to do the tour in 3 or 4 hours.

Evening Stroll Through Florence: Wine and History

A great way to avoid the midday heat and the crowds! Join me for an evening walking tour around Florence. With this tour we have the option to jump right into the walking tour or start with a glass of wine at a local enoteca where I will give you the historical overview of Florence will sipping on local wines. On this walking tour we will see the Cathedral complex, Piazza Della Repubblica, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, and the Uffizi. We’ll see all monuments from the outside. You will also have the option to head across the river and visit the Oltrarno area to see the Pitti Palace and walk through the quintessential Florentine streets of this artisan neighborhood. Just like with the day time walking tour, I like to take the opportunity to show you my favorite pockets of Florence and give you a bit more of a “local’s experience” including pointing out my favorite artisan shops, bars, restaurants, gelaterias, etc. During the summer months it may be possible to include a late-night visit to Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia Gallery. Ask me for more information.

The Cathedral Complex: including Baptistery, Cathedral, and Cathedral Museum. 

A visit to Florence is never complete without a visit to the monumental Duomo. The Duomo, or cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore, with Brunelleschi’s soaring dome rising above, is still the symbol of Florence today. The earliest building on the complex is the 11th century baptistery that contains breathtaking 13th century ceiling mosaics and once held the famous golden Gates of Paradise. The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum), recently renovated, houses the original Gates of Paradise of the Baptistery along with works by Donatello, Michelangelo, and many more. Entrance into the Cathedral depends on the entrance line wait times (up to 2 hours in the high season). If we do not enter the Duomo in person we will see a great view of the interior in the Cathedral museum.

The Michelangelo Tour. 

A Florentine by birth, Michelangelo spent the first part of his life in Florence. This is where he trained to be an artist and where many of his early works still remain today. On this tour we will explore the biography of Michelangelo, the ultimate Renaissance artist, through his many works spread throughout the city of Florence. This tour will start off at the Casa Buonarroti, built by Michelangelo’s nephew and heir, where we will see his earliest known works.  We will then enter the Bargello museum to view Michelangelo’s Bacchus, as well as sculptures by Donatello that had a great impact on Michelangelo, before continuing on to see Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia Gallery and Michelangelo’s sculptures in the New Sacristy in the Medici Chapels of San Lorenzo.

The Rise Of the Mendicant Orders: Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella. 

One of my personal favorites, on this tour we will step back in time to the late medieval period when the population and economy of Florence underwent a major boom in the late 13th century. Unlike the more modern museums in the city, these churches allow you to experience the artworks still in their original context. Santa Croce was built by the Franciscan Order to serve the city’s poor while Santa Maria Novella was built by the Dominican Order on the opposite side of the city. Although built at the same time, the churches reflect the diverse needs of the two very different mendicant (or begging) religious orders.

The Oltrarno: Artistic Traditions from the 15^th Century to Today

This tour takes us into the southern side of the city to the “other side” of the Arno river. Today the Oltrarno is known for its artisan traditions and workshops. Walking around the area, you will notice it gives off the feeling of being transported back to an earlier time. The tour combines visits to 15^th century monuments, like the Brancacci Chapel and Santo Spirito, with visits to local artisan workshops. The workshops visited on the tour are catered to your interests and depend on opening times.