The Best Florence Tours

Beloved for its food, wine, art, rich history and alluring landscape, Florence, Italy, consistently draws travelers throughout the year. Seeing all its attractions by yourself can be daunting, so having a knowledgeable local guide show you around will help you make the most of your trip. U.S. News identified the following tours as the best available by analyzing both expert and traveler opinion. Whether you want a broad overview of Firenze or a deep dive into a particular facet of the city (like its food), these tours have you covered.

Price: Adults from 70 euros (about $79); kids from 50 euros (about $56)
Duration: 3 hours

The historic center of Florence – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – boasts remarkable churches, palaces, marketplaces, plazas and statues. The best way to explore this bustling area and understand its rich history is on foot with a semiprivate experience. Artviva’s three-hour walking tour includes stops at top attractions like the Duomo (the city’s massive cathedral), the exterior of the Baptistry and more. Reviewers describe guides as very passionate and knowledgeable about Florentine art, architecture and history.

The three-hour tours, which are seasonal, begin at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tickets cost approximately 70 euros (about $79) for adults and 50 euros (about $56) for youths ages 6 to 17; children ages 2 to 5 can tag along for free. Artviva also offers this tour as a private experience as well as several art-oriented walks, among other options.

Price: Adults from 55 euros (about $61); kids from 27.50 euros (about $30)
Duration: 6 hours

This daylong bus tour takes you to two Chianti wineries with views of the world-famous Tuscan countryside, where vineyards, olive groves, churches and castles pepper the landscape. If you opt for the afternoon tour, you’ll also have free time to roam around Greve, a small village. Patrons laud the guides and drivers for their professionalism and insights. However, others note that the trip seems a bit rushed at times.

Tours depart the Piazzale Montelungo daily at 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and last five or six hours. (It runs on an abbreviated schedule in the winter.) Tickets cost approximately 55 euros (about $61) for adults and 27.50 euros (around $30) for children 4 to 12; the fee covers wine and snacks. If you want more privacy, you can also book semiprivate and private tours of the region with Caf Tour.

Price: Adults from $60; kids from $55
Duration: 1.5 hours

No visit to Florence would be complete without a trip to the Uffizi Gallery to see works by masters like Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. Taking CityWonders’ guided tour of the museum allows you to bypass the entrance line and gain insights from experts as they lead you through the collection. Another bonus? You’re welcome to stay in the gallery until closing after the tour concludes. Audio headsets are provided so you don’t miss a word of the commentary. Tour-takers consistently praise the English-speaking guides for their passion and knowledge.

Tours last about 90 minutes and depart at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Ticket prices vary depending on the season and start at about $60 per adult and around $55 per child; they include admission to the Uffizi Gallery. Groups are limited to nine participants. CityWonders runs other tours in Florence, including a skip-the-line tour of the Duomo.

Price: From 59 euros (about $65)
Duration: 2 hours

Highlights of this two-hour electric scooter tour include Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Strozzi, Mercato Porcellino and Via Tornabuoni. Tour-takers describe this as a fun way to see the sights and say the guides are friendly and informative. What’s more, reviewers appreciate that groups are capped at eight participants.

Fees start at 59 euros (about $65); the price includes use of an e-scooter and a helmet, as well as instruction for using the vehicle. Participants must be at least 14 years old. Tours depart at 9:30 a.m. Friday to Monday as well as Wednesday. Fat Tire also offers biking and walking tours.

Price: From $115
Duration: 4 hours

These food-focused walks take participants around the city to sample local specialties like wine, cheese, bread and olive oil. Over the course of four hours, you’ll stop at six or more locales, including the Mercato Centrale, for delectable bites. Food connoisseurs tend to appreciate both the quality of the fare provided and the knowledge and humor of the guides.

Tours depart at 9:45 a.m. nearly every day (except Sundays) during peak months. The company offers a limited schedule in the offseason. Tickets cost around $115 for adults and the price includes food and beverage samples. If you’re an oenophile, check out the sommelier-led wine tasting offered by Taste Florence.

Price: From $118
Duration: 6 hours

Before climbing on a bike for a guided tour of Chianti, you’ll depart Florence via van and view enchanting scenery. Then, you’ll get a safety orientation followed by a two-hour bike ride. You’ll also enjoy an olive oil tasting and a glass of wine, plus a light lunch (which takes place in a villa). Cyclists enthuse about both the glorious views as well as the helpful, personable guides.

Tours, which last about six hours, occur almost every day at 9 a.m. from March through November. The cost per person is about $118 and includes lunch and a glass of wine, as well as use of a bicycle and helmet. Electronic bikes are available for an additional fee. Vespa and bike tours of the Tuscany region are also available, as are private bike tours of Florence.

Price: From $145
Duration: 5 hours

If you only have a day to see Florence’s top sights, consider this five-hour walking tour, which combines visits to Florence’s must-see artistic and religious landmarks all in one outing. In between stops at the tour’s main highlights, you’ll see other top spots in the city like the Ponte Vecchio. You’ll also get a break for lunch (at your own expense). Along the way, guides offer insights regarding the art and architecture on view. According to reviewers, the tour leaders are informative and personable.

Tours typically take place Tuesday to Saturday during peak season and begin at 10 a.m. Tickets cost can vary by the day. They start at approximately $145 for adults with discounts available for children. Fees include skip-the-line access to the Galleria dell’Accademia (home of Michelangelo’s David) and the Uffizi; lunch is not included. Walks of Italy also offers food tours and a tour to Pisa, among others.

Price: Adults from 99 euros (about $109); kids from 84 euros (around $93)
Duration: 5 hours

Travelers rave about this class, saying the recipes are spectacular and the teachers are capable and attentive. The approximately five-hour experience starts with a trip to the Mercato Centrale, Florence’s principal food market, to gather provisions for your meal. Once you’ve bought food, you’ll make your way to the kitchen where a chef teaches you to make traditional Italian fare. Menus vary, but you’ll likely prepare bruschetta, fresh pasta, sauces and a dessert during the class.

Experiences are offered daily, starting at 9 a.m. (Note: Mercato Centrale is closed Sundays and bank holidays, so classes on those days include additional instruction and food tasting instead.) The cost of classes starts at 99 euros (about $109) for adults and 84 euros (about $93) for kids 4 to 12, which covers the food that will be your lunch as well as two glasses of wine per person. Keep in mind that fees are slightly higher during peak season. Still hungry? Florencetown offers a wine tour of Tuscany, as well as other cooking classes.

Price: Free
Duration: 2.5 hours

While La Bussola’s morning walking tour does feature some of Florence’s major landmarks, like Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Santo Spirito and Palazzo Pitti, it mainly focuses on the Medici family’s influence and rise to power (it was the Medici family, after all, who owned, financed or commissioned many of Florence’s landmarks). Over the course of the 1 1/2-mile outing, guides share details of local history and tips for making the most of your Florence visit. Guides are regarded as informative, friendly and helpful.

Tours depart daily at 10:30 a.m. and last 2 1/2 hours. Tours are free, though tips for your guide are appreciated. La Bussola also conducts a slightly shorter evening tour, focusing on artistic greats like Brunelleschi, Donatello and Da Vinci.

Price: From $88
Duration: 2.5 hours

Urban Adventures’ Foodies Walk aims to expose visitors to authentic regional cuisine and includes stops at local, family-run eateries. Bites include traditional fare, such as truffles, chocolate, prosciutto, olive oil, gelato, Chianti wine and pecorino cheese. Tour guides regularly win praise for their insights and friendliness.

The 2 1/2-hour walking tour starts at the Piazza della Repubblica at 3 p.m. every day except Sunday. It starts at $88 per person, which includes the wine and food tastings. Children younger than 6 can tag along for free. Urban Adventures runs private tours of Florence markets and Tuscany.

Price: From 150 euros (about $166)
Duration: 5 hours

Grape Tours’ Wine Time excursion departs at 10:15 a.m. from Florence and proceeds to Chianti for visits to two family-owned wineries. You’ll learn about the history of the region and the process of making Tuscan wine. At each stop, you’ll taste three or four different wines; at the second winery you’ll also enjoy lunch. Tour-takers report learning a great deal about the wine-making process from entertaining guides. They also say lunch is delicious.

Tickets start at 150 euros (about $166), which includes lunch as well as wine and olive oil samples. Participants must be at least 16 years old to join. Tours take place year-round daily. If you like to pair cheese with your wine, try Grape Tours’ Chianti and Cheese tour.

Price: From 169 euros (about $187)
Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Explore the Tuscan countryside in quintessentially Italian fashion with this Vespa tour, which earns enthusiastic reviews from travelers. Tuscany Cycle’s tour departs Florence (via van) at 10 a.m. daily for a five- to six-hour excursion through the Chianti region. After reaching Chianti, you’ll be taught how to ride a Vespa and follow your guide through the region before stopping at a winery for lunch and wine. You’ll also have plenty of photo opportunities along the way, according to reviewers.

Taking this ride starts at 169 euros (or approximately $187) for drivers and 99 euros (about $110) for passengers; the fee includes lunch, wine, use of a Vespa and round-trip transportation from Florence. You must have a valid driver’s license, but no prior experience operating a Vespa is necessary. Tourgoers applaud the driving lessons from the guides and the overall safety of the experience. Tuscany Cycle offers a variety of Vespa tours in Tuscany, as well as bicycle tours.

Price: Adults from 85 euros (around $94); kids from 70 euros (about $77)
Duration: 12 hours

After getting your fill of Florence attractions, take some time to explore the surrounding region of Tuscany. This full-day tour combines a bus trip with walks through places like the medieval city of Siena and its art-filled Duomo, the hilltop town of San Gimignano and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Guides, generally considered equally insightful and entertaining, provide information regarding the architectural, artistic and historical points of interest seen along the way.

Tickets for adults start at around 115 euros (around $99) per person, which includes lunch and wine at a Chianti vineyard; if you’d like the tour without lunch and wine, fees start at 85 euros (approximately $94). Children receive discounted fees. The 12-hour tours depart Florence at 8 a.m. Walkabout offers a variety of other tours in and around Tuscany as well as day trips to Cinque Terre.

Price: From 110 euros (about $122)
Duration: 13 hours

Visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa and three of the five villages comprising Cinque Terre on this daylong tour. After a 90-minute stop in Pisa, the tour proceeds to Riomaggiore (where travelers may opt to buy lunch). The next stops are the seaside villages of Manarola and Vernazza, where, weather permitting, participants can swim or lounge on the beach. Tour-takers find this guided experience a great way to pack a lot of sightseeing in to a single day.

Travel between the destinations is by train. Tours depart Florence at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (and on Sunday from June through September) and return around 8:30 p.m. Tickets for adults start at around 110 euros (around $122); there are discounts for students 18 to 21. Know that Italy on a Budget gears its tours to participants ages 18 to 39, and is therefore not suitable for children. The company also runs various tours in Florence.

Price: From $149.50
Duration: 4 hours

Handmade pasta, Tuscan wines, gelato and the city’s take on porterhouse steak, bistecca alla Fiorentina, are the focus of this leisurely culinary walk, which visits four eateries. Throughout the evening, experts offer commentary on regional cuisine, which participants describe as insightful and helpful. Some past patrons acknowledge that they wouldn’t have found the visited restaurants on their own.

Tours depart Thursday and Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and last around four hours. Tickets start at $149.50 on Thursday and $159.50 on Sunday. Group size is limited to eight diners. In addition to its dinner crawl, Curious Appetite operates several other wine- and food-related tours in Florence.