Uffizi Gallery Guided Tour with Vasari Corridor Access

About this tour

Meet your licensed local guide at the Leonardo da Vinci statue in the Uffizi courtyard for a short introduction to the Medici family and the palazzo Giorgio Vasari designed for them in 1560. Then walk straight past the ticket queues and through the express security check with your priority entrance.

Inside, follow a focused 1.5-hour route through the gallery's essential masterpieces, kept comfortable by a small group of maximum 9 people. Begin with the three great Madonnas by Duccio, Cimabue, and Giotto and watch painting evolve from flat gold backgrounds toward depth, space, and human emotion.

Stand in front of Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera while your guide unpacks the mythology and Medici culture that made them icons of the Renaissance. Continue with Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi, and Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ, where the young Leonardo first experimented with light and movement.

Admire Michelangelo's Doni Tondo — the only panel painting by Michelangelo in Florence — Raphael's Madonna of the Goldfinch, and Titian's Venus of Urbino, the painting that centuries later inspired Manet. Along the way, your guide points out the corridor of windows above the Arno with its postcard view of Ponte Vecchio, and explains how it connects to the Vasari Corridor running overhead.

This experience can be booked in three ways: a small group tour of the Uffizi only, a small group tour with Vasari Corridor access included, or a 2-hour private tour with Vasari Corridor access. If your option includes the corridor, your guide accompanies you to its entrance inside the museum at the end of the guided visit.

From there you continue on your own through the Vasari Corridor — the elevated passage Giorgio Vasari built for Cosimo I de' Medici in 1565, recently reopened to the public after years of restoration. The one-way walk carries you above the shops of Ponte Vecchio and across the river, ending near the Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace. Please note: by current museum rules the corridor visit is unguided for every option, including private tours.

If you booked the Uffizi-only option, you are welcome to stay inside the gallery after the guided tour and keep exploring at your own pace.

Why book this tour

• Rare chance to walk the newly reopened Vasari Corridor above Ponte Vecchio (if option selected)
• Skip the line with priority entrance through the express security check
• Small group limited to just 9 people for a personal experience
• Licensed local guide leads a focused 1.5-hour route through the essential masterpieces
• See Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian in one visit
• Three flexible options: Uffizi only, Uffizi + Vasari Corridor, or private tour

Itinerary

1. Meet at the Leonardo da Vinci Statue (Start)

   Meet your guide at the Leonardo da Vinci statue in the Uffizi courtyard, 15 minutes before your start time. Look for the purple "Florence with Locals" flag. Quick introduction to the Medici family and the palazzo Vasari built for them in 1560.

2. Skip-the-Line Entry (+0:05)

   Walk past the general admission queues and enter through the express security check with your priority tickets, then head up the monumental Vasari staircase to the main galleries.

3. Guided Tour of the Uffizi Masterpieces (+0:15)

   Follow a focused route through the essentials: the Madonnas of Duccio, Cimabue and Giotto, Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo's Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi, Michelangelo's Doni Tondo, Raphael's Madonna of the Goldfinch, and Titian's Venus of Urbino — plus the window corridor overlooking the Arno and Ponte Vecchio.

4. Vasari Corridor Entrance (Option Holders) (+1:45)

   Your guide accompanies guests with the Vasari Corridor option to the corridor entrance point inside the museum and explains what you are about to see. Guests without the corridor option can stay in the gallery and keep exploring at their own pace.

5. Independent Walk Through the Vasari Corridor (+1:50)

   Walk the one-way elevated passage above Ponte Vecchio at your own pace (unguided, per museum rules). The visit ends near the Boboli Gardens / Pitti Palace exit courtyard on the other side of the Arno.

What's included

• 1.5-hour small group guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery (max 9 people)
• Professional licensed local guide
• Priority skip-the-line entrance to the Uffizi Gallery
• Vasari Corridor access ticket (if option selected)
• One-way independent walk through the Vasari Corridor (if option selected)
• Headsets for larger groups

Not included

• Food and drinks
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Guided commentary inside the Vasari Corridor (not permitted under current museum rules)
• Entrance to Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

Meeting point

Leonardo da Vinci Statue at Uffizi Courtyard
Piazzale degli Uffizi, 1, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Your host will meet you in Piazzale degli Uffizi, inside the Uffizi Gallery courtyard. Please go to the Leonardo da Vinci statue, located in the middle of the Uffizi courtyard, along the statue side of the building. Your host will be waiting under/in front of the statue, holding a purple 'Florence with Locals Tours' flag. Please note: this is not Uffizi Door 1 and not the ticket office. On Google Maps, search for 'Statue of Leonardo da Vinci, Piazzale degli Uffizi.' Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the tour starts, as the group must enter together and late arrivals may not be able to join the tour. Contact: +393272491282

Know before you go

• The Uffizi Gallery is closed on Mondays.
• Uffizi tickets are personalized: every guest must provide their full legal name exactly as it appears on their passport or ID at booking. If the name is incorrect, museum staff may refuse entry.
• The Vasari Corridor is one-way only. Your visit ends near the Boboli Gardens / Pitti Palace exit, on the other side of the river, and you cannot re-enter the Uffizi with the same ticket.
• The Vasari Corridor visit is unguided for all options, including private tours — under current visitor rules, guides are not allowed to give explanations inside the corridor.
• Vasari Corridor access is included only if the Uffizi + Vasari Corridor option is selected at the time of booking.
• Museum base ticket costs (set by the museum) are currently €29 per person for the Uffizi and €47 per person for the combined Uffizi + Vasari Corridor ticket.
• All visitors pass through a security check. Pets, luggage, and large bags are not allowed inside.
• The Uffizi Gallery is wheelchair accessible. If you have mobility concerns about the Vasari Corridor route, please contact us before booking.

Insider tips from our guides

• The Vasari Corridor has a limited daily capacity, so book the corridor option well in advance — dates sell out faster than the standard Uffizi tour.
• Morning departures are the quietest way to see the Uffizi highlights before the midday crowds arrive between 11 AM and 2 PM.
• The corridor walk passes directly above Ponte Vecchio — the small windows over the bridge offer views of the Arno that most visitors never see.
• Wear comfortable shoes: between the gallery route and the corridor walk you will be on your feet for roughly two hours.
• If you choose the corridor option, plan your afternoon on the Oltrarno side — you exit near Pitti Palace, perfect for Boboli Gardens, Santo Spirito, or a sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo.
• If you skip the corridor option, use your remaining time inside the Uffizi — the Caravaggio rooms and the terrace café above the Loggia dei Lanzi are excellent ways to finish.
• Photography without flash is allowed in the Uffizi Gallery.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the three options?

The Uffizi Gallery Small Group Tour includes the 1.5-hour guided visit of the Uffizi only. The Uffizi + Vasari Corridor option adds the Vasari Corridor access ticket and the one-way corridor walk after the guided tour. The Private Tour option is a 2-hour private guided visit of the Uffizi with Vasari Corridor access included.

Is the Vasari Corridor visit guided?

No. Under the current museum rules, guides are not allowed to give explanations inside the Vasari Corridor, so the corridor walk is unguided for every option, including private tours. Your guide accompanies you to the corridor entrance inside the Uffizi and gives you all the context beforehand.

Are skip-the-line tickets included?

Yes. All options include priority entrance to the Uffizi Gallery through the express security check, so you avoid the long general admission queues.

Where does the visit end if I choose the Vasari Corridor option?

The Vasari Corridor is one-way: you exit near the Boboli Gardens / Pitti Palace courtyard on the other side of the Arno. Once you exit, you cannot re-enter the Uffizi with the same ticket. Without the corridor option, you can stay in the Uffizi after the tour as long as you like.

When does this tour operate?

The tour runs Tuesday to Sunday, with morning and early afternoon departures. It does not run on Mondays, when the Uffizi Gallery is closed. The tour runs rain or shine.

Why do you need my full name when I book?

Uffizi and Vasari Corridor tickets are personalized by the museum. Every guest must provide their full legal name exactly as written on their passport or ID; museum staff may refuse entry if the name does not match.

Cancellation and refunds

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours of the start time, and no-shows, are non-refundable because museum admission has already been reserved in your name. Tours cancelled by us for any reason are refunded in full.

Please note: under art. 59(1)(n) of the Italian Consumer Code (D.lgs. 206/2005), the 14-day right of withdrawal does not apply to leisure services supplied on a specific date. Our own cancellation terms above apply instead. Full details are in our Terms & Conditions.

Book this tour

Select your date and number of travellers to see live availability. Booking is confirmed instantly by email. Questions before you book? Email contact@florencewithlocals.com or call +39 327 249 1282 — we reply within 24 hours.

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