Best Uffizi Gallery Guided Tours

It is, on its own merits, one of the most visited and important places in Florence. And if you are also passionate about art, the Uffizi Gallery is an absolute must-see. The best way to see this impressive art gallery is on a guided tour.

The best option

Florence Uffizi Gallery Guided Visit

Book your guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery

Discover the full history and secrets of his works without queuing and with an expert guide.

From £51 at Hellotickets

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 13th and 18th centuries by great artists such as Botticelli, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian.

On this guided tour of the Uffizi, an art expert will show you the most important works and, of course, put each and every one of them in context so that you leave with a greater understanding of Italian art and culture.

Recommended if... you want to see the museum's most iconic works with explanations from an expert guide who will help you better understand their historical and artistic value.

The price of a guided tour depends on the type of tour you choose, i.e. whether it is a standard tour, a private tour or a tour combined with other types of plans. You can book a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery from £51 at Hellotickets. Here is a link with all the information you need to purchase your tickets and tours for the Uffizi Gallery.

The standard guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery lasts approximately 1 hour and a half. This is more than enough time to see the museum's highlights and visit all its rooms.

However, after the tour, we have time to go back and see some of the works on our own. I recommend finding out about the layout of the art gallery in advance to get the most out of your visit.

Private guided tours are usually longer, lasting around three hours. In this case, as the group is smaller, the guides can go into more detail on any questions you may have.

There are three options for guided tours of the Uffizi Gallery: standard guided tour, private tour and guided tour with city centre tour:

Standard guided tour

The most common option is to book a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery, starting at 51, which includes the services of a professional guide, admission, and headphones so you can hear the guide clearly.

• Duration: 1 hour and a half.
• Price: From £57 for adults. Children under 6 free.

Private tour of the Uffizi Gallery

The private tour of the Uffizi Gallery, starting at £109, is designed for those who want an exclusive guide for themselves or a small group. The advantage is that there are no time or day restrictions, as you choose them yourself, and it also includes skip-the-line admission, a guide and audio guides on request.

• Duration: approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.
• Price: from €125.

Combined tour of the Uffizi Gallery + the Accademia Gallery 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: approximately 4 hours.
• Price: from €134.

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 visiting on your own:

• It includes a professional, accredited guide: Visiting a museum with a professional guide always makes for a more enriching experience. But in the case of museums in Florence, this is even more true. All Florentine museum guides need a special permit from the city, which ensures maximum professionalism and knowledge. This is characteristic of one of the cities with the most artistic heritage in the world.
• Adaptation to all languages: There are guided tours in different languages, but if you cannot find one in your local language, there is no problem. All guided tours include headphones with a translation function and audio guide for a wide range of languages.
• Fixed schedule and no queues: By booking a guided tour, you are guaranteed entry at a fixed time and without having to queue. If you visit the museum on your own, queues are almost inevitable.

There are no special tours for children, but the regular guided tours are perfectly suitable for younger visitors. The professional guides will adapt their explanations without any problems if there are children in the group.

Admission is allowed for all ages, and children under 6 are free. All in all, it's a good option for introducing art to younger visitors if you're visiting Florence with children.

The Uffizi Gallery has a collection of more than 1,500 works of art spread over 45 rooms and arranged in chronological order according to style. Of all these , the most outstanding works in the Uffizi Gallery, which deserve special attention on 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 revolutionary for its time. It shows the Virgin Mary with the 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 the central panel, whose parts are divided between the Uffizi Gallery, the National Gallery in London and the Louvre in Paris. Its representation of perspective was what brought fame to this work and its author.
• 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: This is possibly the most famous work in the Uffizi Gallery. Botticelli painted it between 1482 and 1485 and it depicts the goddess Venus naked on a shell, representing the birth of love and beauty in the figure of Venus.
• Botticelli's Primavera: In the same room as Venus, as it is a room dedicated exclusively to Botticelli's works, is the painting known as Primavera. 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 by such important artists as Titian, Raphael and Michelangelo. It is not for nothing that it is considered one of the most important museums in the world.

When booking a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery, you will be able to choose a time slot. My recommendation is to do it first thing in the morning and at the beginning of the week, between Tuesday and Thursday, as there are fewer visitors.

As for the time of year, it is always better to visit the museum in the winter season, which runs from 1 November to 28 February. During this period, there are fewer visitors.

The Uffizi Gallery is one of Florence's must-see attractions and one of the best museums in the Tuscan capital. To get the most out of a guided tour, here are some tips that you may find useful:

• It is best to book a guided tour online and as far in advance as possible, as the schedules are fixed and tours 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 there are usually fewer people.
• The museum has a cloakroom service for backpacks and large bags. It is compulsory to leave your belongings here if they are too bulky.
• Photography of the worksis not permitted due to copyright restrictions.
• Bring your own headphones if you hire an audio guide, as although they do provide some, they are disposable and of rather poor quality.
• If you book a guided tour, always arrive at least 15 minutes early at the meeting point indicated.