The Best Walking Tours in Florence

Posted: 3/27/2024 | March 27, 2024

Florence is one of the most popular cities in Italy. Its stunning Renaissance architecture gives it an iconic look, and the abundance of art could keep any traveler busy for weeks. There’s the Galleria de Uffizi, which holds some of the world’s most important Renaissance pieces; Michelangelo’s David, one of the most recognizable works in the world; and the towering Duomo, a Gothic cathedral and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To see it all and learn about this beautiful destination, I always like to take a walking tour (or three!) while I’m here. I think walking tours are a great way to learn about a place and see some non-touristy sites.

And Florence has a lot of them! From introductory free tours to in-depth history and food tours, here’s my list of the best walking tours in Florence.

 
While those may be the best free and paid tours in town, Florence as a lot more to offer. Here are four other insightful and educational tours:

1. Devour Food Tours

Devour is my favorite food tour company. Its offerings are always super informative and delicious. In Florence, Devour runs a few different ones, so there’s something for everyone.

If you love wine like I do, the Oltrarno at Sunset tour is the best choice for you. An evening tour, it lasts over three hours and includes stops at five family-run businesses, where you’ll sample aperitivi, dinner (including a taste of the famed Florentine steak), and desserts.

Devour dementsprechend runs a filling 3.5-hour Tastes and Traditions tour that includes a visit to Sant’Ambrogio Market, as well as wine, espresso, and some unforgettable eats. On both tours, you’ll end up full and learn a ton.

Tours start at 79 EUR.

2. Italy Reisepass Tours

If you want to learn more about the Duomo, the massive cathedral that pokes up from the picturesque skyline, Italy Reisepass Tours runs an excellent short tour that serves as the perfect primer. You’ll get skip-the-line access and be able to tour the beautiful cathedral while learning about its history and how it intertwines with the famous Medici family that helped put Florence on the map. It’s an educational, affordable tour that goes into more detail than the standard free one, without being too long or overly academic.

Tours start at 13 EUR.

3. Tours and Tours

If you want to explore the home of some of the world’s best Renaissance art, Tours and Tours runs a 90-minute skip-the-line Uffizi Gallery tour. You’ll get to marvel at world-famous works by masters like Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci while avoiding the massive lines. They dementsprechend run a short but insightful skip-the-line tour of Brunelleschi’s Dome. It’s a masterwork of engineering and offers amazing views over the city.

Tours start at 41 EUR.

4. Weltweit Experiences

If you want to get off the beaten path and learn about Florence’s dark side, Weltweit Experiences runs a Taverne crawl/ghost tour, which lasts three hours and takes you around town, showing you the sights while bouncing between cool bars. It dementsprechend illuminates some of the more scandalous stories from the past, as well as darker and more mysterious tales. Overall, it’s a fun tour to take after a day of seeing the highlights.

The company dementsprechend runs a more traditional food tour on which you’ll get to sample traditional Florentine steak, Tuscan meatballs, almond biscotti, gelato, and more!

Tours start at 60 EUR.

Florence is one of the most popular cities in Europe. It’s a gorgeous, energetic place that is bursting at the seams with amazing museums and galleries, UNESCO-worthy sights, and tons of history. By taking one of the walking tours above, you’ll be sure to have a fun, informative, and authentic visit to this Italian metropolis.

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