More about: Florence Accademia Gallery Tickets and Tours
The Accademia Gallery, where Michelangelo's David is now located, was founded in 1784 as an exhibition space for the studies of fine arts students and is now the most visited museum in the city after the Uffizi Gallery.
There are always long lines at the entrance, so it's a good idea to book a fast-track ticket in advance or even hire a guided tour to enrich your visit. Here are the best options for visiting:
Tickets to the Florence Academy Gallery
If you want to see the original David (when you see it, you'll 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 at the entrance. I recommend buying this skip-the-line ticket in advance online.
Florence is home to three statues of David, which is surprising and can even lead to some confusion for tourists. 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 in homage to Michelangelo himself.
You won't join a guided tour, but you'll have time to explore the gallery at your own pace and stop to look at the works you want for as long as you need.
Why this option: as it is the cheapest option and does not include a guided tour, it allows you greater flexibility when planning your visit.
Recommended if... you want to visit the Accademia Gallery at the best price and at your own pace.
Guided tour of the Accademia Gallery in Florence
The culture and art you will find in Florence is unparalleled, and it would be a shame to leave the Academy without understanding what you see. For a more complete visit, this guided tour of the Academy is a great option. A professional guide will help you gain an in-depth understanding of the history behind David and the rest of the sculptures and paintings in this museum, which you can continue to explore on your own after the tour.
This tour includes fast-track entry to the museum, so you won't have to wait in line at the entrance.
Why this tour: guided tours are essential in this city, and in the case of the Accademia Gallery, it is especially recommended to visit with an expert.
Recommended if... you want to discover the Accademia Gallery with a guided tour in Spanish at the best price.
Combined tickets for the Accademia Galleries and the Uffizi
If you prefer to explore the rooms independently and organize your time as you wish, this combined ticket with audio guide is the most complete option. Unlike other tickets, here you will not only have priority access to the Accademia Gallery, but you will also be able to visit the Uffizi Gallery on the same day, including Florence's two most famous collections in a single booking.
The app's multilingual audio guide will allow you to understand every detail of the most famous works, from Michelangelo's David to Botticelli's Birth of Venus, with clear explanations that you can follow at your own pace.
Why this option: it combines two must-see museums with skip-the-line entry and an audio guide in your language, all in one convenient ticket.
Recommended if... you want to save time and money by including priority access to both the Accademia Gallery and the Uffizi in the same purchase.
Guided tour of the Accademia Galleries and the Uffizi + City tour
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 comprehensive combined tour is the most recommended by the thousands of travelers who have taken it. It is very complete and the guide gives an enjoyable tour of the most important sights not only in the Accademia and Uffizi galleries but also in the city itself.
You'll start with an hour-long walk with the guide through the highlights of the historic center. This tour will help you understand the history of the city and why it has been home to the world's best artists for decades. Next, you'll enter the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo's famous David and the other spectacular works housed in this gallery.
Why this option: this tour includes the essentials of Florence with an expert guide in English at the best price you can find.
Recommended if... you want to save money by purchasing a package that includes the city tour and the two most important museums with an expert guide.
Where to buy tickets and tours for the Accademia Gallery?
There are two options: online in advance or at the ticket office. Booking at the ticket office is cheaper, but tickets are usually sold out as it is one of the most visited museums in the world. Therefore, it is highly recommended to book tickets to the Accademia Gallery online; you will avoid waiting at the ticket office and
How much does it cost to enter the Academy Gallery?
Adult tickets purchased at the ticket office cost around €16. Tickets for young people between the ages of 18 and 25 cost €6. Children enter free of charge.
Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to buy a ticket at the ticket office, and the most common price is for advance tickets.
Are there any discounted tickets?
Young people between the ages of 18 and 25 pay less than half the adult ticket price. Children under the age of 18 and other groups enter free of charge.
Can you visit the Academy Gallery for free?
The following groups are admitted free of charge:
- Children and teenagers under 18
- EU citizens with disabilities and a family member or companion
- Groups of students from EU countries, accompanied by their teachers
- EU tour guides
- People with certification of studies or research from Italian and foreign schools, universities, academies, and research and cultural institutes
Tips for your visit to the Accademia Gallery
Opening hours of the Accademia Gallery
The Accademia Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays. Its regular hours are from 8:15 a.m. to 6:50 p.m.
On Saturdays, advance ticket reservations are required.
In addition to Mondays, the gallery is closed on January 1 and December 25.
The ticket office closes 30 minutes before closing time.
How to get there
The Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence is located at Via Ricasoli, 58-60, in the historic center of the city and very close to Piazza del Duomo. You can get there on foot from anywhere in the center, by tourist bus, or by taking city bus lines 1 and 17.
Is the Accademia Gallery in Florence worth a visit?
Yes, the Accademia Gallery in Florence contains the most important sculpture in the world: Michelangelo's David. It is a masterpiece that justifies a trip to Florence.
Michelangelo's David
David is the quintessential Renaissance work and is possibly the most recognized sculpture in the history of art. The imposing and courageous attitude of a magnificent young man in the prime of his life with absolute faith in God before his confrontation with Goliath symbolized the power of the Republic of Florence during its heyday in the 16th century.
Michelangelo spent three years carving his David from a huge block of prized Carrara marble, from 1501 to 1504, when he was only 20 years old, in the workshops of the Opera del Duomo.
This overwhelming sculpture was designed to be placed, along with other sculptures representing the Old Testament, on an external buttress of the apse of Florence Cathedral, although it eventually came to occupy another exceptional location at the gates of the Ponte Vecchio, in Piazza della Signoria. Since 1873, for conservation reasons, the 'David' has been kept inside the Accademia Gallery.
Other notable works
- Other sculptures by Michelangelo, these unfinished, such as the 'Prigioni' and 'San Matteo'.
- A large exhibition of religious paintings with works by other great Renaissance masters such as Fra Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, and Andrea Orcagna.
- An exhibition of ancient musical instruments.
What will I see at the Uffizi Gallery?
What will I see at the Uffizi Gallery?
Started 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, making it the most visited in Italy.
Its name, Galleria degli Uffizi, comes from the fact that it was designed to replace the Palazzo Vecchio as the seat of the Florentine magistrates' offices, being used as a residence and custodian of the artworks collected over decades by the Medici family, the most powerful and influential dynasty of the Renaissance in Florence, who stood out for their patronage of the most important scientists and artists of the time.
Main works
- Botticelli's 'The Spring' and 'The Birth of Venus',
- 'The Annunciation' and 'The Adoration of the Magi' by Leonardo da Vinci.
- Raphael's 'The Virgin of the Goldfinch',
- Titian's '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 to offer. To find out the best ways to discover it, don't miss these other articles on 10 Best Tours and Day trips from Florence, Florence Cathedral Tickets and Tours or Florence Uffizi Gallery Tickets and Tours.