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Sites and Insights: An Expert-Led Florence Welcome Tour

Discover Florence side by side with a local guide
From US$265 privately
Book a Tour
Tour Details
Duration
2 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • Ospedale degli Innocenti
  • Florence Duomo
  • Piazza della Signoria
  • Piazza della Repubblica
  • Ponte Vecchio

"The perfect start to our short stay"

"Context is amazing! Federica provided an outstanding tour of Firenze on our first night in the city! It was very helpful to learn the layout and history of the city, as well as the locations of the important things to do and see. It was the perfect start to our short stay in Firenze"

-Philip S.

"Deeper than just names and dates"

"The crowds thinned as the sun went down. The walking was easy and I was able to get a good view of the landmarks. My guide provided me with insights into the history of the landmarks that went deeper than just names and dates of construction."

Alexia G.

"Knowledgeable, personable and flexible"

"Laura gave us the perfect introduction to Florence! She was knowledgeable, personable and flexible. Such a great tour!"

Susan G.
Photos & Highlights
Tour Description
In this introductory, two-hour Florence tour you will join one of our Florence guides for a walk through the city center, passing the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, and other major sites. You will get a first orientation of the city, and learn the histories of the artists, merchants, and politicians who influenced Florence over the centuries.
Experts
Lucy Lucy
Local Guide
Olivia Olivia
Art Historian
Sandro Sandro
Art Historian/Local Guide
Adrienne Adrienne
Art Historian
Laura Laura
Art Historian
Molly Molly
Art Historian
Kate Ann Louise Kate Ann Louise
Cultural Historian
Paola Paola
Historian
Kristin Kristin
Local Guide
Valentina Valentina
Local Guide
Siro Siro
Art Historian - guide
Giovanna Giovanna
Archaeologist
Federica Federica
Local Guide
Patrizia Patrizia
Sommelier
Cornelia Cornelia
Art Historian
Ilaria Ilaria
Art Historian
Nebojsa Nebojsa
Local Guide
Giulia Giulia
Local Guide
Antonio Antonio
Local Guide
Elizabeth Ann Elizabeth Ann
Art Historian
Alessandra Alessandra
Art Historian
Rubina Rubina
Local Tour Guide
Sarah Sarah
Local Guide
Monica Monica
Architectural Historian
Juliane Juliane
Local Guide
Valerie Valerie
Art Historian
Manoli Manoli
Local Guide
Irene Irene
Local Guide
You will start from the Piazza SS. Annunziata, an integral public space in the Florence city center, to look at the Ospedale degli Innocenti, a historic building designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. You will then stroll down the shop and cafe-filled Via dei Servi to check out the exterior of Brunelleschi's later masterpiece, the Duomo, where you will learn about the importance of the cathedral and nearby Baptistery in Florentine art and civic history. 

From here, you will move deeper into the center, to Piazza della Signoria, the government center of Renaissance Florence, and Piazza Republica, which is home to firebreathers, jugglers, and some of the most famous cafes in Florence. 

Talking about anything from fashion or coffee to the Medicis or Michelangelo, your passeggiata will end on the magnificent Ponte Vecchio bridge, where you may want to finish with a glass of wine or gelato to fully enjoy the city's atmosphere. 

By the end of your tour, your guide will have fostered an experience that gives you a deeper understanding of this most fascinating city and leaves you well-prepared and eager for future exploration.
  • It's your first time in Florence and you're seeking to orientate yourself 
  • You’re returning to Florence and want to dive deeper to experience its essence from a local expert
  • Florence Duomo (exterior) – A soaring testament to the ingenuity and artistry of the Italian Renaissance
  • Piazza della Signoria – A historic square in Florence, surrounded by Palazzo Vecchio and the impressive collection of statues in the Loggia dei Lanzi.
  • Piazza della Repubblica – A captivating square that embodies the city's timeless charm
  • Ponte Vecchio – The iconic and majestic bridge spanning the Arno River 
We understand that some of our valued guests may have mobility concerns, and we want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout your tour. If there are any accessibility concerns that your tour guide will need to be aware of, please let our team know at the time of booking.

Wheelchair accessibility
Travel in Florence must be done over the cobblestones and hills that cover most of the city. Visitors with difficulty walking or wheelchair users might need to have a revised itinerary. 

Service Dogs
Service dogs are allowed if you have a medical certificate proving the need. 
  • For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQs.
Does this tour overlap with other Florence tours?
Yes, this tour visits some of the same venues as our Florence in a Day Tour with Uffizi and Accademia Galleries Skip-the-Line Tickets and our Introduction to Florence Tour: Accademia Gallery, Michelangelo's David and Skip-the-Line Tickets.

What is the difference between this tour and the Introduction to Florence Tour?
This tour is a shorter version of our Introduction to Florence Tour, and it does not include the interior of the Accademia Gallery. You can take this tour on any day of the week as the availability is more flexible since we do not visit any interiors.

When should I take this tour?
This is the ideal tour to take on your first day in the city. In addition to seeing and learning about some of Florence's most famous sites, you’ll also become familiar with the city’s different neighborhoods and local life and culture. Don’t hesitate to ask your expert guide for recommendations for the rest of your time in Florence!

Is this tour kid-friendly?
It can be, yes! While we do have other tours in Florence that are designed especially with children in mind, if you book a private tour, we can assign you a family-friendly expert guide who will make it especially interesting for young minds.

Do you reserve headsets for this tour? 
Depending on your group size, we may be required by the venue to order headsets in which case you’ll see a “Headset Fee” added to your order. 

Cancellation Policy

Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
(4.62) 299 Reviews

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.

Sandro was very responsive in concentrating on the things we wanted to emphasize. He was immensely knowledgeable and adept at communications. One small suggestion, the little headsets which our context guide used in Rome would be very helpful in Florence tours as there is some distracting crowd noise. Sandro was terrific.
Olivia was EXCELLENT! She is extremely knowledgable, interesting and fun! She showed us areas we never would have found on our own and we learned a lot. 10/10 I will definitely recommend her!
We had Paola guide us solely on the Jewish history of Florence. She was excellent. We really enjoyed it.