Accademia Gallery Tickets and Tours in Florence
The replica that you will find in the streets of Florence does not match the perfection that Michelangelo achieved with his original David. Get tickets to the Accademia Gallery and admire it with your own eyes!
Michelangelo's David | ©Mateus Campos
The Accademia Gallery, which today houses Michelangelo's 'David', was born in 1784 as an exhibition space for the studies of the students of Fine Arts and today is the most visited museum in the city, after the Uffizi Gallery.
Endless queues at the entrance are almost guaranteed, so it is advisable to get a skip-the-line ticket in advance or even book a guided tour to take your visit to the next level.
Tour the Accademia Gallery with an expert guide
Discover the most relevant details of the works of art housed in the Accademia Gallery with a specialized guide in English
The culture and art you will find in Florence are unparalleled, and it would be a shame to leave the Accademia without thoroughly understanding what you see. For a more complete visit, this ticket with guided tour of the Accademia is a great option. A professional guide will help you learn all about the history behind the 'David' and the other sculptures and paintings in this museum, which you can continue to explore on your own after the tour.
This tour includes a skip-the-line ticket to the museum so you won't have to queue up at the entrance.
Why to choose this tour: Guided tours are a must in this city and in the case of the Accademia Gallery, it is especially recommended to be accompanied by an expert during your visit.
Recommended if... you want to visit the Galleria dell'Accademia with a guided tour in English at the best price.
Skip-the-line ticket to the Accademia Gallery
If you want to enjoy the museum at your own pace and without breaking the bank, this is the most economical option
If what you want is to visit the original David (when you see it you will realize that its perfection goes far beyond that of its replicas), the best option is to visit the Accademia Gallery on your own and at your own pace, but without having to wait in the long lines of tourists waiting at the entrance, I recommend you to buy this ticket in advance and online.
Florence is home to three statues of David, something that surprises most and may even lead to confusion. Two of them are replicas of the original work, one in marble from 1910, which you will find in Piazza della Signoria, and another in Piazzale Michelangelo, from 1865 and built as a homage to Michelangelo himself.
With this ticket, you will do a self-guided tour of the gallery at your own pace, stopping at the works of your choice for as long as you want.
Why to choose this option: being the most economical and not including any guided tour, it will allow you more flexibility in organizing your visit.
Recommended if... you want to visit the Accademia Gallery at the best price and at your own pace.
Florence, the Accademia Gallery and the Uffizi Gallery, at the best price
If you want to enjoy a guided tour of the best of the city and its two most important galleries, this is your choice
Florence is an open-air museum. If you are thinking of booking a guided tour of a museum, a good way to save money is to add a guided tour of the city. This tour is the most recommended by the thousands of travelers who have done it. It is very complete and the guide takes you on a very enjoyable visit to the most relevant works of art in the galleries of the Accademia and the Ufizzi but also the highlights of the city itself.
You will start by taking a one-hour walk with the guide through the highlights of the historic center: this itinerary will give you the historic context of the city and you will understand why it hosted for decades the best artists in the world. You will then enter the Accademia Gallery to visit the famous 'David' by Michelangelo and the other spectacular works housed in this gallery.
You will have a couple of hours to have lunch and stroll around at your leisure or simply relax al fresco with a good Italian coffee. Finally, you will go to the Uffizi Gallery to walk through it with your guide. In short, a very complete visit of the highlights of the city at a very reasonable price.
Why to choose this option: this tour includes the highlights of Florence with an expert guide in English at the best price you can find.
Recommended if... you want to save money by buying a bundle that includes the tour of the city and the two most important museums with an expert guide.
In summary: a comparison of the three options
Tour the Accademia Gallery with an expert guide
Discover the most relevant details of the works housed in the Accademia Gallery with an expert guide
Skip-the-line ticket to the Accademia Gallery
If you want to enjoy the museum at your own pace and without investing a lot of money, this is the cheapest option. You will skip the entrance queue
Florence, the Accademia Gallery and the Uffizi Gallery, at the best price
If you want to enjoy a guided tour of the best of the city and its two most important galleries, this is your option.
Where to buy the ticket to the Accademia Gallery?
There are two options: online in advance or at the box office. Booking at the box office is cheaper, but it is usually sold out as it is one of the most visited museums in the world. Online advance tickets are sold on many websites, such as Hellotickets.
How much does the entrance ticket to the Accademia Gallery cost?
An adult ticket purchased at the ticket office costs about € 16. The ticket for young people between 18 and 25 years old costs € 6. Children are free. Purchasing in advance the ticket to the Accademia Gallery costs $ 29.
Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to buy a ticket at the box office and the most common price is the online ticket (29).
Are there any discounted tickets?
Young people between the ages of 18 and 25 pay less than half the adult ticket price. Under-age and other groups are free.
Is it free to visit the Accademia Gallery?
These are the groups that get in for free:
- Children and teenagers under 18
- EU citizens with disabilities and a family member or accompanying person
- Groups of students from EU countries, accompanied by their teachers
- Tourist guides from the EU
- Persons with study or research certification from Italian and foreign schools or universities, academies, and research and cultural institutes
Tips for your visit
Galleria dell'Accademia opening hours
The Galleria dell'Accademia is open from Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays. Its regular hours are from 8:15 a.m. to 6:50 p.m.
On Saturdays, it is mandatory to book your admission in advance.
In addition to Mondays, it is closed on January 1 and December 25.
The ticket office closes 30 minutes before closing time.
How to get to the Galleria dell'Accademia
The Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence is located in Via Ricasoli, 58-60, in the historic center of the city and very close to Piazza del Duomo. You can reach it on foot from any point in the center, aboard the tourist bus or on lines 1 and 17 of the city bus.
Is it worth visiting the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence?
Yes, the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence contains the most important sculpture in the world: the 'David' by Michelangelo. Only this masterpiece is enough to justify a trip to Florence.
Michelangelo's David
The 'David' is the quintessential Renaissance work and is arguably the most recognized sculpture in the history of art. The imposing and courageous attitude of a magnificent young man at the height of his life with absolute faith in God before his confrontation with Goliath, symbolized the power of the Republic of Florence at its peak, during the 16th century.
Michelangelo spent 3 years carving his 'David' from a huge block of the prized Carrara marble, from 1501 to 1504, when he was only 20 years old and in the workshops of the Opera del Duomo.
This overwhelming sculpture was conceived to be placed, together with other sculptures representing the Old Testament, in an external buttress of the apse of the Florence Cathedral, but finally, it was moved to another exceptional place at the gates of the Ponte Vecchio, in Piazza della Signoria. Since 1873 and for conservation reasons the 'David' was kept inside the Galleria dell'Accademia.
Other outstanding works
- Other sculptures by Michelangelo, these unfinished, such as the 'Prigioni' and 'San Matteo'
- A large display of religious painting with works by other great Renaissance masters such as Fra Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, and Andrea Orcagna
- An exhibition of antique musical instruments
What will I see at the Uffizi Gallery?
Begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 under the instruction of Duke Cosimo I de Medici, this palace and museum contains one of the most important and oldest art collections in the world, with two million visitors a year, the most visited in all of Italy.
Its name, Gallery of the Offices, is due to the fact that it was designed to replace the Palazzo Vecchio as the seat of the offices of the Florentine magistracies, being used as a residence and custodian of the art pieces collected for decades by the Medici family, the most powerful and influential dynasty of the Renaissance in Florence, which stood out for its work as patrons of its most important scientists and artists.
Main works
- Botticelli's 'Spring' and 'The Birth of Venus'
- 'The Annunciation' and 'Adoration of the Magi' by Leonardo da Vinci
- 'The Virgin of the Goldfinch' by Raphael
- Titian's 'The Venus of Urbino'
- Paintings by Michelangelo and Giotto, among others
- Greek and Roman statues, prints, and drawings
Other interesting visits in Florence
In addition to the Accademia Gallery, Florence has much more artistic heritage. For the best ways to discover it, don't miss these other articles on Tours and Daytrips from Florence, Florence Duomo Tickets and Tours or Uffizi Gallery Tickets and Tours.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Accademia Gallery free on Sunday?
Yes and no, the Accademia Gallery is only free the first Sunday of every month. With this in mind, it is also the worst time to visit, especially during the summer, as the waves of crowds make for a chaotic, unpleasant experience.
What is so famous about Accademia Gallery?
The Accademia Gallery is famous because it houses many of Michelangelo's sculptures, including the world famous statue of David. There is also the Hall of the Colossus, and the Hall of the Prisoners, both of which host some of the most dramatic and evocative statues in Italy.
When is the best time to visit the Accademia Gallery?
Regardless of hour, you're more than likely always going to find a queue, however you'll be better off visiting early in the morning or after 5pm, when most of the biggest crowds have already had their fill.