Florence museums

Someone else would probably be better able to confirm this, as I was last in Florence some years ago, but I don't remember any windows or natural lighting in the Uffizi. (Paintings are susceptible to damage from sunlight.)

I also think these museums are likely to be crowded all day during opening hours. They manage the crowds by limiting the number of visitors, but that doesn't make them not crowded. With your reservation, you'll avoid the wait, but lots of people want to see the art in these museums, so there will always be lots of people either with reservations or waiting in line without them.

Someone who's been there more recently might have better up-to-date information, but I'd suggest you make your reservations at times that work for you relative to the other sights you want to see. There is so much art to see all over Florence, so it's a good city to plan your days carefully for logistical reasons so you don't find yourself criss-crossing the town and retracing your steps all day long to get from one museum or church to another, or being forced to cut something short and dash over to the Accademia to make your reservation.

We were there mid July -- we went to the Uffizi about 1 pm and did not find it crowded. In fact, we were able to get up close and personal with Botticelli. The museum was far less crowded than we expected. As for the Accademia -- we were there when it first opened and were one of the first people in the museum and was able to enjoy David before the mob came in -- it was so nice to be able to walk around the statue without hordes of people. We did have the Firenze pass which allowed us to skip the line and get in right away.

The NY Times just ran an article about the new director who is making a strong effort to improve and smooth out the schedule and visitor access to the Uffizzi.

"Shaking Up Italy’s Most Popular Museum" By RACHEL DONADIO
New York Times, AUG. 17, 2016
<< http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/arts/design/taming-the-uffizi-gallery.html?_r=0 >>

From this article I get the impression that the current schedule of opening times, ticket prices, etc. for Florence's top museums is pretty chaotic, so don't feel bad if you are running into confusing information.

Don't worry about natural lighting. The Uffizi puts the painting in galleries away from the light. The corridor has sculpture so lighting is not an issue. The Academia has skylights.

I also had the experience of going early in the morning to the Accademia - it was wonderful to see David without a crowd. I followed Rick's advice and went to that room first, then came back to the rest.
Let me put a plug in for Museo De San Marco - just down the block from the Accademia - small beautiful museum featuring Fra Angelico's frescos. ( I messed up and didnt pre-order tickets to the accademia or Uffizi - so raced to the ticket both Rick talks about in his book the first morning we arrived while everyone slept in. Got my tickets and then grabbed a quick view of this museum- it was lovely)

We did the Ufizzi in September in the past and our entrance time was 11:30am and we had no problem getting around. I do highly recommend Rick's podcast tour of the museum it is spot on.

Thank you all for the suggestions. Sounds like I just need to make a decision and hope for the best. I am having difficulty deciding on seeing one museum Tuesday late afternoon and one during the day on Wed.; or going to both on Wednesday. I better get with it - I will be there in just two weeks.

I highly recommend signing up for two Walks of Italy tours. They offer a morning walking tour of Florence, which starts at the Accademia. We entered at opening time. Walks of Italy gets special tickets that allowed us to walk right in. There were very few people there when we entered. By the time we left an hour later, it was a lot busier.

We spent the rest of the morning walking the heart of Florence, including visiting the Duomo, Il Porcellino at the Mercato Nuovo and the Ponte Vecchio. Our guide Marco was wonderful and provided a nonstop history lesson of Florence.

After lunch on our own, we reconvened at the Uffizi at 2:00. Again, we walked right in. There were only six of us on the tour and Marco dispensed with using the headset. In addition to showing us the must see works, he showed us lesser known but pivotal pieces that led to Italian Renaissance art. The tour ended at 5:00, but the museum was open until 7:00 that night, providing plenty of time to continue to explore.

We don't take guided tours often. Our recent Rhine Viking River cruise had guided tours every day. While they were adequate, we came to appreciate the excellence of the Walks of Italy tours we took in Florence and Rome. When we booked online, we were sent detailed information for meeting up. The check in was very organized and the headsets worked great, unlike the buggy headsets provided by Viking. All of our guides were extremely knowledgeable and very personable. They offered plenty of suggestions on places to eat and shop.

We only had one day in Florence, but I think using the tours maximized the use of our time. If I had to do it over, I would have spent at least another day touring the smaller museums. Next time we go back, we hope to spend a week in Florence, a week in Rome, three days in Siena and another week in the Tuscan countryside.