The Best Tour in Florence: Renaissance and Medici Tales
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Florence, Italy
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Discover the best of Florence, learn all about the Medici family and their role in shaping the Renaissance, and see the city’s hidden corners on this immersive, pay-what-you-want tour. Set off on foot to see highlights like the Duomo, Giotto’s Campanile, and Palazzo Vecchio, and learn the stories behind the sights.
- This budget-friendly tour offers an affordable way to explore the city
- Discover many of Florence’s top attractions and lesser-known landmarks
- Learn the stories behind the sights from your guide’s commentary
- Exploring on foot makes it easy to soak up the city’s ambiance
What's Included
- Licensed Guide
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Piazza di San Lorenzo, 35R, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
The meeting point is in front of the façade of SAN LORENZO church (main entrance, not the entrance of the Medici chapels) next to the marble statue of Giovanni de' Medici who is sitting on a small throne. Look for a small red flag.
End point
- Piazza della SignoriaP.za della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
The endpoint is only indicative and can vary slightly within the indicated area.
Itinerary
Your walking tour starts in front of San Lorenzo Church in the heart of Florence. Meet your guide next to the statue of Giovanni de' Medici sitting on a throne.
With this wide-ranging introduction to Florence, cover main attractions and hidden gems while you learn about the Medici family and their role in shaping the Renaissance.
After the Basilica di San Lorenzo, your first stops are the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and the Baptistery of St. John, one of Florence’s oldest buildings. See the famous Florence Duomo and the Cupola del Brunelleschi, the Renaissance masterpiece dome sitting atop it.
Next, pass the House of Dante, the museum and birthplace of the Florentine writer. Continue to the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio. See the copy of Michelangelo’s “David.” Your tour ends in this convenient spot near the Uffizi Gallery.
With this wide-ranging introduction to Florence, cover main attractions and hidden gems while you learn about the Medici family and their role in shaping the Renaissance.
After the Basilica di San Lorenzo, your first stops are the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and the Baptistery of St. John, one of Florence’s oldest buildings. See the famous Florence Duomo and the Cupola del Brunelleschi, the Renaissance masterpiece dome sitting atop it.
Next, pass the House of Dante, the museum and birthplace of the Florentine writer. Continue to the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio. See the copy of Michelangelo’s “David.” Your tour ends in this convenient spot near the Uffizi Gallery.
1
Basilica di San Lorenzo
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Palazzo Medici Riccardi
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Battistero Di San Giovanni
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Duomo
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Campanile di Giotto
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
6
Cupola Del Brunelleschi
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
7
Museo Casa di Dante
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Piazza della Signoria
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Palazzo Vecchio
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
10
Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour is made possible only thanks to your donations. We offer the tour in this way because we are confident in the quality of what we are providing. At the end of the tour, you will decide the appropriate amount to compensate for the expertise and professionalism of the guide who accompanied you. The only form of compensation for the guide is what you choose to donate.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 11,687 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Sonia_S, Jul 2026
It's a great way to spend a couple of hours in the city learning about the Medici family and their impact on Florence and the history behind the monuments. Our guide Deborah Tini was amazing and such a great storyteller engaging at every step.
Sandeep_J, Jul 2026
This was an absolutely fantastic tour! Alberto was great! He explained the history of Florence and the Medici family. The pace was spot on. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Florence!
Jill_A, Jul 2026
Giacomo was a fantastic guide! Very knowledgeabke and entertaining. It was very interesting learning more about Florence and the history of the Medicis. Giacomo gave attention to details we would not have expected, including places where we could refill water bottles on a very hot day and recommending places to eat different kinds of food in the area. He definitely went above and beyond, and I would recommend this tour to anyone!
Pervez_N, Jul 2026
The Guide was a great story teller who connected people and their periods during the tour so we had a great time with him, however his multiple appeal for a tip was the downside.
fxcsi, Jul 2026
Best city tour ever had! Debby is not just knowledgeable but also super engaging. Would recommend to everyone who visits Florence!
Zorana_B, Jul 2026
This was a great and informative tour and free of charge. However if there are things you want to enter you want to either choose to go on your own or do another tour. It was great to hear about the history and culture of Florence and with this information we’re enabled to choose what to do next.
Janet_R, Jul 2026
Deborah is very knowledgeable and kept out attention the whole time. Thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommend.
Aga_V, Jul 2026
Great walk with tour guide Aurora. She was very knowledgeable and share with us a lot of interesting facts. I would recommend that walk.
Sam_T, Jun 2026
Our guide was so knowledgeable and presented all the stories in such an engaging way! You could really tell she had an excellent art history degree and even with a strangely larger group than usual in the middle of the day she did an incredible job and made sure everyone in the group was engaged and enjoying the tour. You see all the main highlights of the centre of the city and it’s a perfect tour for anyone who’s just arrived in Florence and is looking for advice about the city. Five stars and I would absolutely book with this company again!
McKenzie_K, Jun 2026
This was such a great experience!! Our guide (I think Alberto was his name) was so knowledgeable and so passionate. He told us he was a teacher and you could tell he really enjoyed what he was doing. I definitely recommend this tour!
Jaclyn_S, Jun 2026
Interesting and informative tour by a local who studies architecture and history! Loved it! Well done! So glad my son she I did it as it made our trip more meaningful and helped us to appreciate and understand what we were seeing!
Suzanne_H, Jun 2026
Our guide was great. As an Architect, he knew so much wonderful info about the buildings and their stories. We also got great tales about the Medicis and their legacy in Florence. A truly wonderful walking tour. With our thanks!
bonniedanm, Jun 2026
This tour, shortly after we arrived in Firenze and led by wonderful Simona, was the perfect start to the Medici family in Firenze. Simona was most excellent and funny, too. So glad we went on her tour!!
Rachel_W, Jun 2026
Samona was fantastic! She combined humor with amazing history and descriptions of the beautiful sights of Florence. Some of my family don’t usually like tours but they loved this one. Samona also made sure the group stayed in the shade as much as possible so the extremely hot weather was more bearable. We were late to arrive but communicated our delay through the company and she greeted us graciously when we met the tour at the second stop. A truly excellent experience all around!
Christa_C, Jun 2026
This tour was amazing. Best way to kick off our family trip to Italy. The “pay what you want” or “pay what you can” set up is a great idea. The guide was engaging and knowledgeable. The headphones helped. Thank you so much for this experience!
Rob_O, Jun 2026
The guide was very good and an "expert" in Art History. After one and a half hours on a very hot day we decided to leave the tour. The personal anecdotes and jokes just dragged things out. It was really a great one hour tour packed into two hours which is very common on these tours. Less is more for many people.
PAM_W, Jun 2026
Great tour. Good to do on first day in Florence. Very good guide who covered all the major sites and also tips for where to eat etc.
Laura_G, Jun 2026
We absolutely loved this tour with Jacamo! Jam packed with historical information but he also kept us laughing with his sense of humour all the way around. A wonderful whirlwind tour of Florence history and its most significant buildings. He was also kind enough to share his personal recommendations for food and drink in the city. If you like fun tours, don’t hesitate to sign up for this one.
Chantelle_W, Jun 2026
A fantastic tour and way to hear about the history of Florence. The guide was very knowledgeable and conveyed all the information in a fun and accessible way.
Jessie_B, Jun 2026
Such a great experience! Our guide was so knowledgeable and also so entertaining. Perfect way to learn about the city and orient yourself. Highly recommend!
Kristin_L, Jun 2026
This tour was overall average- nice history of the Medicis, and an easy walk through Florence. It was a super crowded day and our guide did not always talk into his microphone so we lost bits and pieces as we walked. Overall ok. Low price way to get a high level history of the city.
Aviva_B, Jun 2026
Samona is a fantastic guide. Her knowledge and stories about the leaders and artist were fantastic. One of the best tour guides we’ve ever had. Great job Samona.
Margaret_K, Jun 2026
A must do walking tour - 2hrs well spent. It is so enjoyable and educational. It also gives you a good feel for the city. Debbie our tour guide had amazing knowledge on the history of Florence and kept us entertained with her humour. We paid a nominal fee to book the tour online and then at the end of the tour you pay the guide what you feel it was worth .. and honestly it is worth it.
Davina_P, Jun 2026
Manuel gave an excellent tour. We learned about the history of Florence and the Medici family influence in a way that was understandable and relatable. Manuel pointed out architectural aspects of the city that go unseen to the common tourist. Take this tour on the front end of your trip so that you can have a better appreciation of the city for your stay!
Larry_K, Jun 2026
Our guide was exceptional. He was engaging, friendly, and fun. He provided a running monologue of history and events that made the tour lively and interesting.
Annette_G, Jun 2026
Great chance to learn some of the history of Florence. Visit some hidden corners and find some of the real local gems
Brian_C, Jun 2026
The tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging and funny. There were not too many walking steps in this tour as all of the sites that you walk to are in very nearby area areas.
Clare_C, Jun 2026
Excellent walking tour. Deb was enthusiastic and full of information. Really knowledgeable and done with a sense of humour.
Pauline_R, Jun 2026
Very informative about the history of the buildings and their families that resided in them and how they ruled the city.
Clara_T, Jun 2026
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions very professionally. He also provided the group with a list of local restaurant and things to avoid when comes to choosing where to eat.
From $3.47
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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The Best Tour in Florence: Renaissance and Medici Tales
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