Small-Group Palazzo Vecchio Secret Passages Tour with Lunch Or "Gelato"

Florence, Italy

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Booked 10+ times last week!

1 hour 15 minutes (approx.)
Offered in: English

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Overview

Uncover the secrets of Florence's Palazzo Vecchio when you book this small-group tour. Enjoy the opportunity to visit areas of the museum that have historically not been open to the general public, such as medieval stairways and narrow passageways behind hidden doors. Hear about the history of the building and its contents from your local guide. At the conclusion of the tour, head to local restaurant to enjoy a typical Tuscan lunch or enjoy a gelato tasting at one of the city's most famous shops.

Get behind the scenes at Palazzo Vecchio on a guided small-group tour
See areas of the museum not open to the general public
Walk down hidden passageways and up medieval staircases behind concealed doors
Choose from a typical Tuscan lunch or a gelato tasting

What's Included

Local professional guide
Palazzo Vecchio entrance ticket
Palazzo Vecchio Secret Passages Guided Visit in small group
Depending on the chosen option: Tuscan Lunch in a typical restaurant or "gelato" tasting
Ticket includes temporary exhibitions for which an additional charge may be applied

Lunch or "gelato" for children 0-6 years old - to be paid on spot
Drinks: to be paid on spot

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Palazzo Vecchio
P.za della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
at 11.15am - Meet your guide at the ticket office, inside Palazzo Vecchio, in Piazza della Signoria - entrance from Via dei Gondi (on the left side of the palace)

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.11:30 am

What To Expect

Palazzo Vecchio

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Children must be accompanied by an adult
We suggest to wear comfortable shoes

The entrance time of the Guided Visit can be subject to changes depending on the Museum availability. If our scheduled time is not available, the nearest entrance time will be confirmed.
If lunch option selected: 3-course set menu in a typical Restaurant in the old town
If Gelato option selected: Taste a delicious "Gelato" in one of the most famous Florentine ice-cream shop
the ticket includes temporary exhibitions that may be held at Palazzo Vecchio, for which an additional charge may be applied by Palazzo Vecchio
The museum ticket has a fixed entry time that cannot be changed after booking.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Gary_M

The guide was awsome. The tour was incredible. I loved the story about the secret escape route that he took. His man cave and everything else. Great tour and highly suggest it to the people who visit the Palazzo Vecchio. Loved that it included tickets for the whole day to visit The Palazzo Vecchio and see Dante’s mask.

Reviews

3.8

based on 92 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Interesting tour but overpriced and short

joanna_c, Oct 2025

The tour was interesting with secret passages and rooms. Guide was very informative. However it was a very short tour and over priced. The secret passage tour lasted less than an hour and we were left to view the museum on our own after that. 45€ for such a short tour is very poor value for money when earlier in my trip I had visited Rome and only paid €66 for a 3hr trip around Colosseum/ Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. In addition instructions as to where to meet weren't clear. Quite disappointed overall with the experience

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Joanna, Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you did not find the tour to offer good value. The experience includes the entrance ticket to Palazzo Vecchio, a small-group guided visit of the Secret Passages with a professional local guide, access to the museum afterwards, as well as a gelato tasting. This tour is generally very appreciated for its exclusive access to areas not normally open to the public. We regret it did not meet your expectations and hope to welcome you on another of our tours in the future to offer you a more satisfying experience. Kind regards

Worth it

Gary_M, Oct 2025

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Good Morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Gary, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the Small-Group Palazzo Vecchio Secret Passages Tour and found it incredible. Your guide will be delighted to know that you loved the stories about the secret escape route, his “man cave,” and all the fascinating details shared during the tour. It’s great to hear that having full-day access to Palazzo Vecchio and seeing Dante’s mask added even more to your experience. We hope to welcome you back soon for more unforgettable discoveries in Florence and Tuscany! With warm regards from Florence, The Caf Tour & Travel Team

The guide and the tour...

MariaAlejandra_P, Oct 2025

The guide and the tour itself were great, but the price of this tour was triple what you would pay if you just go to the palace directly. When we were there there was no line at all, so it would’ve been so much cheaper just to buy the ticket there. Wouldn’t do this tour via a tour company again.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Dear Maria, Thank you very much for sharing your feedback. We’re really glad to hear that you enjoyed the guide and the overall experience. We’re sorry, however, that you felt the price was higher than expected. Please note that the tour price not only includes the entrance ticket, but also the advance reservation (to ensure priority access), a professional guided visit, and a gelato or lunch experience, depending on the option chosen. In addition, the ticket also grants access to any temporary exhibitions taking place inside Palazzo Vecchio at the time of your visit. We hope this helps clarify the value of the experience, and we truly appreciate your comments as they help us continue to improve. Warm regards

Poor communication

CecileD_J, Sep 2025

We had no idea where to meet amongst the throng of people. We were there early and contacted them many times until I finally got a response two minutes before the tour started, with no answer to my questions. Viator chat tried to help but they only had info I had, which did not help, so they kindly refunded my money. Very disappointed

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Cecile, We are truly sorry to read your negative experience and we sincerely regret the inconvenience you encountered. The meeting point details are clearly specified on the voucher provided with your booking, and we always do our best to make the instructions as clear as possible. On the same day, the other guests booked for this tour were able to join without any issues, which makes us even more regretful that things did not go smoothly for you. We fully understand your disappointment and it saddens us that you were unable to enjoy this special experience with us. We hope you might consider giving us another opportunity in the future to welcome you on one of our tours and provide you with the quality service we strive to deliver. Warm regards

Terrible communication directions

Joan_L, Sep 2025

Very very disappointed, directions were not explained well, never found tour, paid and saw nothing but very stressed!! There were 3 of us we split because we wanted to make sure we could find it and never did. I want to be reimbursed. Plus some for the stress it created!!!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Joan, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We regret to hear about your experience and the stress it caused. Please allow us to clarify that the directions and details for reaching the meeting point are clearly stated on the voucher provided at the time of booking. On the same day, all other participants were able to locate the meeting point and joined the tour as planned. We truly regret that you were unable to do so on this occasion, and we sincerely hope to welcome you again on one of our experiences in the future. Kind regards

Better instructions for finding the tour needed.

Cynthia_S, Jul 2025

So we went by the street info to find the location to meet. Ran around for 30 minutes. Had no idea to go into the museum all the way to the back for the ticket office. Maybe a map of the inside of that facility would help. So late to start the tours. They said go to the lion statue they may still be there. So we went outside to the two lions looking for a tour guide not knowing if man, woman etc. asked around. Sat down tried to call and text for person from Viator. No response.go back into museum. Tell us new but different tour staring at 12.meetby the lion. Now they tell us the lion in the building just outside the doors from ticket office. Woman not expecting us luckily I asked if it was her for our new tour. Tour guide then very nice but we were exhausted. Went to lunch location, told could only have gelato? Very frustrating as info with tour says we have a choice of lunch or gelato. Would not do this again!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Dear Cynthia, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are genuinely sorry to hear that you encountered difficulties in locating the meeting point and that this affected your overall experience. Please allow us to clarify that the voucher provided at the time of booking includes detailed instructions on how to reach the meeting point, including a direct link to its location on Google Maps. We strive to make this information as clear as possible, though we understand that finding your way within the museum complex can sometimes be confusing. We appreciate your suggestion regarding an internal map, and we will certainly take it into consideration for future improvements. Regarding the lunch or gelato option, we would like to clarify that the selection must be made at the time of booking on the Viator platform. This choice is not determined or modified on-site. We’re sorry for any confusion or disappointment this may have caused. We’re glad to hear that, despite the initial challenges, you found our guide pleasant. Your comments are very important to us, and we will use them to enhance our service and communication going forward. Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on another tour in the future under better circumstances. Kind regards,

We were scammed on this...

Angela_H, Jun 2025

We were scammed on this one. No communication from the tour company and when we tried to get tix direct from the ticket window showing voucher from Viator there was no record of it.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Angela, We are very sorry to hear about your experience. Please note that the procedure for redeeming tickets is clearly outlined on the Viator voucher you received. In any case, our customer care team is always available to assist with any issues before, during, or after the tour. We regret reading your negative review without having had the opportunity to offer our help to resolve the issue you encountered. We truly hope to welcome you again in the future and provide you with a much better experience. Our best regards

Overpriced no tour, basically got a ticket and an audiogram, short term changes

Johanita_K, May 2025

The secret passages tour was cancelled and the first floor of the museum was closed. Really crap arrangements and communication. You will be better off to simply buy a ticket and an audio for cheaper, the gelato was the worst one I have had!

Response from Host, May 2025

Good afternoon from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Johanita, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're truly sorry to hear the experience did not meet your expectations. Please note that the change to the original "Secret Passages" tour was communicated to you in advance via message and accepted, as confirmed by our operations team. Regarding the gelato, we’re sorry it didn’t meet your taste—preferences can vary greatly, and we always aim to offer options that are generally well received. We hope to welcome you again soon on one of our many other tours, where we’ll do our best to offer a more satisfying experience. Best regards

Amazing

Merrily_M, Apr 2025

Absolutely fantastic. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and it was wonderful to see secret parts of the Medici lives. Highly recommended !

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Merrily, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you had such a fantastic time on the Palazzo Vecchio Tour. It’s great to know you enjoyed exploring the hidden corners of Medici history with our knowledgeable guide. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another adventure soon! Kind regards

A Special Experience

Valerie_S, Oct 2024

This tour is fascinating. Well worth the time and money. A wonderful opportunity to see the private Medici rooms before they moved to the Pitti Palace. The secret passageways are very cool. The room where he stored his treasures is really unique and beautiful.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Valerie, Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear you found the Palazzo Vecchio Tour so fascinating. Exploring the Medici’s private rooms and secret passageways truly does offer a unique glimpse into Florence’s rich history. These hidden corridors, created in the 16th century for the Medici family, allowed for private movement and safe storage of their treasures. We’re thrilled you enjoyed this special experience and hope to welcome you on another memorable tour soon! Best regards

Interesting insights into the secret passageway

Paul_S, Sep 2024

Standing in a room with concealed cupboards and entrance / exit. Also the small size of the stairs / passageways

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Dear Paul, Thank you so much for your kind review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the intriguing insights into the secret passageways of Palazzo Vecchio. It’s always fascinating to explore hidden corners of history, and we're glad you found the experience enriching. We hope to welcome you back soon for more adventures! Warm regards

Fun, learning experience behind the scenes. :)

Jeanette_J, Apr 2024

Very cool experience, entering thru a small secret door that has to be opened from the inside, to a world of art, private rooms and passage ways all the way to the roof/ceiling space. Extremely knowledgable guide.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Good afternoon from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Jeanette, Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're delighted to hear you found your visit to Palazzo Vecchio to be a nice experience. The entrance through the small secret door adds an element of mystery and intrigue to the journey, revealing a world of art, private rooms, and passageways leading all the way to the ceiling space. We're thrilled that you had an informative tour with our experienced guide. Palazzo Vecchio truly is a gem of Florence, offering visitors a glimpse into the rich history and artistic heritage of the city. We hope you'll come back to explore more of its beauty in the future! Best regards

Where’s the lunch or gelato????

Vickie_H, Apr 2024

I loved the secret passage way tour, very informative and the guide was extremely knowledgeable. My complaint…where was the free lunch or Gelato???? There wasn’t any!!! But the title clearly states there is

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Vickie, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive feedback regarding your experience on our Small-Group Palazzo Vecchio Secret Passages Tour. We're thrilled to hear that you found the tour informative and enjoyed exploring the secret passages with our knowledgeable guide. We sincerely apologize for any confusion regarding the inclusion of lunch or gelato. We want to clarify that the details regarding the meal or gelato location are clearly specified in the voucher provided at the time of booking confirmation. We regret any misunderstanding and appreciate your understanding in this matter. Hoping that the above clarification meet your understanding, Warm regards

The tour was great, but...

Eric_M, Mar 2024

The tour was great, but paid for a lunch, never received it , way over priced, could get into the tour for 17 euros, paid 150 and didn’t even get the lunch,

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Eric, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We are sorry to hear that your overall experience did not meet your expectations. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. Please, let us clarify that lunch was indeed included in your activity, as indicated in your personal voucher. It is served in a typical Tuscan restaurant located not far from Palazzo Vecchio. Our team is always available to assist our customers, and we regret any difficulty you encountered finding the restaurant. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we hope that the above clarifications help address your concerns. On a positive note, we are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Palazzo Vecchio tour. We hope to welcome you soon again in another of our activities. Our Best Regards

The personality of the...

Sabine_W, Jan 2024

The personality of the guide, her English was good, the tour topics were chosen well/ information providedwas interesting, it was not dry due to her sense of humour.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Dear Sabine, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your review with us at Caf Tour & Travel! We're pleased to hear you had a great experience during your Palazzo Vecchio tour. It's great to know that the guide’s English proficiency and communication made the experience enjoyable and interesting. We appreciate your kind words and hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back to Florence and on one of our activities. Warm regards

No booking actually made despite confirmation

Andrew_B, Oct 2023

There was no record of our booking at Palazzo Vecchio despite clear confirmation It caused stress We were lucky that the lady at Palzzo. vecchio took pity on us and put us with another group

Scam! No lunch! Buy tickets at museum

Barbara_L, Oct 2023

Go see the Palazzo Vecchio and take the secret passages tour! It's incredible! But get your tickets directly from the museum. Much cheaper and our guide was actually museum staff. Never saw anyone from CAF Tour and Travel. No lunch. No gelato. Big, fat expensive scam!

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Good afternoon from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Barbara, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We are sorry to hear that your recent experience did not meet your expectations. Firstly, we appreciate your feedback about visiting Palazzo Vecchio and taking the secret passages tour. We would like to clarify that, in the voucher, provided upon booking, all the essential information is clearly written, including restaurant and gelateria addresses, to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience. Moreover, if you had contacted our operational office at the number you could find in the voucher, we would have been more than happy to assist you promptly. Hoping that the above clarifications meet your understanding, Warm regards

Interesting tour. Great tour guide

Emily_J, Oct 2023

The tour itself was great. The process of finding tickets and where to go was confusing at best. The gelato/lunch never happened nor did they mention it.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Good afternoon from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Emily, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on Viator. We are glad to hear that the Palazzo Vecchio secret passages tour has met your expectations! On the other hand, we apologize for the confusion you experienced in the ticket redemption and in finding the meeting location. We would like to clarify that the meeting location, which is the same for the ticket redemption, is clearly specified in your voucher as follows: “at Palazzo Vecchio, entrance on the left side (Via dei Gondi) – at the ticket office” Regarding the gelato tasting, we regret that it did not take place as expected. We would like to clarify that instructions for this portion of the experience are provided in your voucher's section number 2, titled "Option with Guided Tour & 'Gelato' tasting." Hoping to welcome you again in one of our experiences to change your mind on the quality of our services we send Best regards

Great tour

Mark_H, Oct 2023

Great tour thtough parts of that we did not know existed. Knowledgeable guide with a sense of humour.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Dear Mark, Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that our knowledgeable guide made it an even more memorable experience for you. We're always striving to uncover hidden gems and provide unique insights into our destinations. We hope to welcome you back for more explorations in the future, Warm regards

Excellent

Jordan_H, Oct 2023

Our guide was exceptional She knew everything about the Secret passages and rooms we visited. Her enthusiasm was contagious and I was sad when the tour ended. Discovered so much about the palace - would highly recommend

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Dear Jordan, Thank you so much for your glowing review! We're thrilled to hear that your experience with our guide was exceptional. It's wonderful that she was so knowledgeable about the secret passages and rooms you visited, and her enthusiasm made the tour even more enjoyable. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you back for more fascinating tours in the future! Warm regards

Most fun tour!

Kelsey_S, Sep 2023

This tour was the highlight of our short time in Florence. It was an amazing way to see the Palazzo Vecchio- you really get to experience secret passages that gave me DND/ National Treasure mystery vibes, which I love, and these secret passages are not open to the public outside of this tour. It was so fun, and full of great art, architecture, history and surprises. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and easy-going. Another plus was that the free gelato was able to be redeemed later in the afternoon- you do not go as a "group," but are able to take your ticket and get your free gelato that day, when it works for your schedule. We really enjoyed the location of the free gelato- felt like it had a little history of its own.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear Kelsey, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts on your recent tour experience in Florence. We are delighted to hear that the tour at Palazzo Vecchio became the highlight of your short stay in this beautiful city. It's wonderful to know that you enjoyed exploring the Palazzo Vecchio through the secret passages. We take pride in providing exclusive access to these hidden gems that are otherwise inaccessible to the public. We're also pleased to hear that you appreciated the flexibility of redeeming your free gelato later in the day, allowing you to tailor your schedule according to your preferences. The gelato location itself holds its own historical charm, adding to the overall experience. We hope to welcome you back to Florence in the future for more captivating adventures and discoveries. Warm regards

Interesting but difficult climb. No gelato!

RICK_S, Sep 2023

The Palazzo Vecchio is a fascinating visit. The history here is incredible. The climb to the top was difficult, but worth it. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Where was the gelato?

Superb and unforgettable!

Brendan_W, Sep 2023

This was a superb tour. I simply can’t say enough about our wonderful guide Francesca. She was engaging, knowledgable and very passionate about her work, easily the best we’ve ever had. The tour was also very exciting, seeing incredible secret passages (including the roof of the hall of 500) and I couldn’t recommend this more. Francesca, thank you for such a wonderful experience!!

Meeting instructions not...

Annette_S, Sep 2023

Meeting instructions not good Missed the tour and now no one gets back to Too my money and ran! Tour operator not responding to any emails

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Annette, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We sincerely regret that you were unable to join our activity. But we would also like to clarify that the meeting point for the tour is clearly specified in the voucher as "at Palazzo Vecchio, entrance on the left side (Via dei Gondi) – at the ticket office," and it is recommended to arrive 15 minutes prior to the tour's departure time. Additionally, we have provided an emergency contact number for situations like this and our operations department would have been happy to assist you in reaching the meeting point. We understand your frustration, and we apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. Regarding the answer to your email, our operational team promptly responded to your email the following morning, but unfortunately, it seems that we did not receive a response from you. Hoping that the above clarifications meet your understanding, Warm regards

Better than expected with minor issue

Chuck_L, Sep 2023

Better than expected! The meeting point was not clearly defined (at least for me), I gave feedback on how to make that better - the palazzo is filled with people and very busy to find the right location. Our guide was amazing , and the craftsmanship and architecture we saw was spectacular. The tour is only about 90 minutes, and we didn’t have gelato - we just sort of disbanded in the museum at the end. So if you are after lunch and/or gelato, pass. If you want to see some pretty nifty things built in the 1500’s - please go!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Chuck, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent visit to Palazzo Vecchio. We're delighted to hear that you found the craftsmanship and architecture within the palazzo to be spectacular. The guides are dedicated to providing an exceptional experience, and we're thrilled that you had an amazing guide. We apologize for any confusion regarding the meeting point. Your feedback on this matter is valuable to us, and we will certainly work on making it clearer for our future guests. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back in the future. Warm regards

Great tour!

Matt_W, Sep 2023

We had a wonderful time with Sarah! Her English was great and very easy to understand. I loved the hidden passage in the map room and the view from the hidden courtyard. Very memorable tour to learn about life in the palace.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Good morning from Caf Tour & Travel, Dear Matt, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive feedback! We're delighted to hear that you had a wonderful time exploring the palace. It's great to know that the guide’s English proficiency and communication made the experience enjoyable and easy to understand. The hidden passage in the map room and the view from the hidden courtyard are indeed some of the highlights of the tour, and we're thrilled to hear that you found them memorable. We appreciate your kind words and hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back to Florence and on one of our activities. Warm regards

Don’t Miss This One

Ben_D, Jul 2023

Extraordinary tour with an incredible guide. My highest recommendation! A special shoutout as well to the staff at Caf Tours, who went above and beyond to make this a special experience for a last-minute guest.

Behind the scenes

Rozelle_M, Jul 2023

We really enjoyed this non typical behind the scenes view of Palazzo Vecchio. Our lunch was great, but the restaurant was a bit confused by us turning up. They were very accommodating none the less.

Secret Passages Tour Palazzo Vecchio

Kerry_M, Jul 2023

The tour and the guide was very good. The issue for us is although we were there 30 mins early we almost missed the tour as the instructions were very vague. You had to actually go to the General ticket office to get tickets rather than use the Viator voucher and this was not made clear. We also did not get the gelati - the shop instructed on voucher appeared to no longer exist. I don’t know why they offer it in combination with either lunch or gelati - it should just be the tour.