I just found out that my tour is scheduled to be in Florence on the first Sunday of the month. Apparently, that is a free day for the museums. I want to see both of these museums, and will be there on Saturday. My question is will it be too much to try to do both with about a 3 hour time period with reservations?
If I have to pick one, which one should I pick?
You don't say what month you're going to do this.
That matters, given the nature of your questions.
The lines, and crowds once you get inside, are probably going to be very long on the free day.
Reservations are highly recommended for both museums.
Reserve the Uffizi well in advance, several months ahead for a summer visit.
(I don't know if reservations are accepted on the free days; you probably should research that).
If I have to pick one, which one should I pick?
Many experts have said the Uffizi is the best collection of Italian art in the world.
If you're in a hurry, The Accademia could be viewed as a one art-piece museum: David. You can walk around the magnificent David several times times and really savor each view, in about 10 minutes, once you get into the museum and the area where David is.
However, even for someone in a hurry, I'd recommend about 30 minutes, there are at least another 3 Michelangelos there.
The Uffizi is comprehensive but so specialized that it's actually not enormous like the Louvre, The British Gallery, or NY's Metropolitan Museum of Art. So it can be seen in a couple of hours of quick walking. Rick has an mpg tour that might even get it down to less than 2 hours.
The problem for you is going to be getting inside, and then, on the free day, navigating through the crowds.
I enjoyed the Accademia more than the Uffizi. I suffered crucifixion overload at the Uffizi. I often wonder what non-Christians make of it.
I'm travelling in July. I have researched buying the tickets online (thru the Rick Steves website) and there are none available for sale on that Sunday for either museum. So, since I can get reservations for both places on the Saturday (the day before the free Sunday), I was just curious if both can be done with such a limited time frame of approximately 3 hours.
Unless you are a serious artist you can be in and out of the Academia in 30 minutes.
On a free Sunday there are no reservations, lines are excruciatingly (hi, Norma!) long during the summer. The Accademia is an excellent museum for its size, with several Michelangelo sculptures besides David. There is a small collection of musical instruments, and three floors of medieval and Renaissance paintings. If you aren't especially interested in Renaissance painting, you could skip the Uffizi and take your time at the Accademia. The Bargello museum might have shorter lines on a free Sunday.
Three hours for both the Uffizi and the Accademia will be rushed. No running in the galleries, though.
And just curious, what tour doesn't include one or the other?
Another vote here for the Bargello if the other two are just insane. We really enjoyed that one for both its collection and fewer bodies to contend with. The Uffizi is great - we spent 4-5 hours there - but the mob on a free Sunday may make an alternative choice well worth the change in plan.
Was at the Uffizi last July (not my first visit). It was SO crowded and hot that is was difficult to see things. I was there in the afternoon so that may have made a difference. I decided to go to the less crowded rooms and then to leave.
I'll echo and emphasize Zoe's question: are you SURE your tour doesn't take you to one or both of these museums?
Susan,
We're waiting, with bated breath, to hear from you again, after the questions you have been asked in the last few posts, since your last post!
What happens if you take slightly longer than 3 hours? Is it high stakes, like do you miss your plane? Or are you just late for dinner?
I'm doing the Rick Steves "My Way" tour. It's up to me to make my plans. So, I decided to take a chance and try to do both museums on Saturday afternoon. I took the latest time slot to see David, and have an earlier one for the Uffizi. I added time to travel between the two. If it comes down to it, I'll focus on David :)
Susan,
Is it a high stakes situation if you take 3 and 1/2 hours instead of 3 hours? I mean, do you miss a plane, or are you just late for dinner?
Hi Susan,
Just would like to tell you, that we had "skip the line" tickets for afternoon visit to Ufizzi with Viator last July, it was very convenient, but when we got into the gallery , we had a problem , because gallery closed pretty early, at 5pm. Of course it depends on whether they changed the hours or not, but we had to go very fast- we had 1 hour before closing. So make sure you check the time! Enjoy:)
I did both in one morning with enough time for a coffee stop in between. In the Uffizi it helps to know what you want to see, otherwise it can be overwhelming. I will put in a third vote for the Bargello
I love the Uffizi Gallery it is just the perfect size for a museum. That being said it is the first corridor on the second floor (in the US we would call it the third floor) that really blows me away. After that, if i was in a rush, I could walk through briskly only stopping occasionally.
