Florence: 10 Tips for visiting the Uffizi Gallery
The most-visited art museum in Italy, Florence’s Uffizi Gallery is home to some of the most famous masterpieces from the Italian Renaissance, among them, Botticelli’s iconic Birth of Venus painting. Formerly the private collection of Francesco de’Medici, it deserves a sliver of your Italy budget and a spot on your Florence itinerary.
That said, the line can be long, the temperatures inside less than appealing, and the entry fee isn’t exactly cheap.
More Florence travel tips:
• Best budget hotels near the Uffizi Gallery
• 10 Days in Italy: An itinerary through Rome, Florence & Venice
10 Tips for saving time and money at the Uffizi
So what’s a cheapo to do? Here are our best tips to make the most of your time and your euros at the Uffizi.
1. Get tickets from the official museum site
There are a lot of middleman and third-party sites advertising museum tickets in Florence. If there’s nothing available, and you’re desperate to go, by all means, you should consider it. Just note that you’ll pay substantially higher booking fees. The official site at firenzemusei.it is a bit more difficult to use, but you’ll get the best price. Middleman sites like Florence.net, charge an added commission.
2. Go early
If you’re willing to risk not getting a ticket for the added flexibility and a few euros in savings (€4 to be exact), be prepared to get up early and be in line at least 30 minutes before the museum opens at 8:15 am. Don’t try this during high season, as you’re unlikely to get a last-minute ticket for any time during the entire day, much less that morning.
3. Reserve in advance
Go ahead and spend the extra €4 and book a ticket online. You’ll get in guaranteed, and you’ll also get to spend your time in the museum — as opposed to in line. Just remember to show up at least 15 minutes before your ticket time.
4. Go on a free day
In Italy, state museums are free of charge on the first Sunday of every month. If you can, arrange your Uffizi visit around these dates, but expect to brave the crowds (inside and out). Go early, and bring a book and a beverage to make the most of your time in the line.
The outdoor space between the two wings at the Uffizi. Photo: Andy
5. Time your visit for off-season
From November 1st through the end of February, tickets cost approximately half as much as during peak season. Compare €12 per person for a full-price ticket in late fall and winter to the €20 rate that reigns during the warmer months of the year. Unfortunately, there’s no discount in book-ahead fees. They’re always €4 per person year-round.
6. Bring the kids
Kids under 18 accompanying their families visit the museum for “free.” Why is “free” in quotation marks? Because if you reserve your tickets ahead (and you should to avoid waiting in line with your little ones), you’ll still have to pay the €4 reservation fee.
7. Explore conscientiously
The Uffizi is packed with world-class art around every corner. But even if you were an art history major, you may not be interested in absolutely everything. To save yourself from wandering around aimlessly, check out what interests you online before your visit to come up with a game plan.
Or if you want some general advice, head to the top floor where you’ll find treasures by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and “The Birth of Venus,” and then work your way back down to the exit. Seeing everything is overrated, especially in summer, when the Uffizi is that particularly lovely combination of crowded, hot, and stuffy.
Exploring a hallway in the Uffizi Gallery. Photo: Larry
8. Come with the shirt on your back
Don’t drag extra jackets, bags, or really anything unnecessary into the museum. It’ll save you time from having to dump your bag/coat/umbrella before your visit and collecting everything when you’re ready to leave. Of course, if you can’t avoid it, the good news is the coat check here is free.
9. Skip the audio guide
Unless you’re a huge fan of audio guides in general, skip it. For €6 extra, we’d rather read up on the official website over a cappuccino just before our visit in a café with Wi-Fi, but it’s up to you.
10. Buy a Firenze Card
Let’s face it — if you’re interested enough in art to visit the Uffizi, you’re probably also on board to see Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia Gallery and a few other museums and sites around town. The Firenze Card will get you out of reserving ahead or waiting in line pretty much everywhere but the Duomo.
At €72, the price is up there, but it includes admission to up to 72 sites in the city in a 72-hour time frame. It’s well worth it if you plan to see three or four museums, especially during high season when entry fees nearly double. To fit in as many museums as possible, add the Firenze Card+ for €5 more so you can hop on transit and get around in a hurry.
Bonus Tip
If you find yourself in Florence and no tickets are available online, either call the Uffizi’s official reservation line or head to Orsanmichele Church (Monday-Saturday from 9 am – 4 pm) and ask if there are short-notice tickets available. You’ll still have to pay the €4 reservation fee, but you won’t have to wait in line.
Uffizi Gallery
Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6
Hours: 8:15 am to 6:50 pm (Closed Monday)
Website: www.uffizi.it/en/
Have you been to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence? Share any tips or comments in the section below.
About the author
Get the card. End of story.
Accedemia Gallery and the Uffizi Gallery is the most famous museum in the world. That is because this is the home to the best art work ever made by some of the legendary artists such as the Michelangelo’s David. Furthermore, the masterpieces that are kept here have been conserved since the Renaissance reign. There is more than you can imagine and you can expect a breath taking tour.