Best time to visit Cathedral, Uffizi, accademia in Florence

I have never travelled with children the ages of yours but I did teach elementary school for 26 years and I would think three hours in the Academia and then three hours in the Uffizi is overly optimistic. Maybe a bike trip of Florence or a walking tour designed for families with lots of gelato.....

Thinking the same, that 6 hours of art museums in one day would be really tough on kids that age. Many adults couldn't tolerate it.

The Accademia is much smaller than the Uffizi so you don't need 3 hours for that one unless you intend to pore over many pieces for long lengths of time. Keep a pulse on how the kids are doing - that they're not wearing to an exhausted frazzle - and take breaks as needed. Unless you're a deeply devoted art fan, you don't HAVE to see every single piece. :O)

This goes for the Vatican Museums as well, as I see that one listed in one of your previous posts. I can't tell if you've signed up for one of the tours - which concentrate just on the highlights - but if not, don't overdo that one. The crowds there could be really tough on the kids, and there's 4 MILES of stuff in the place.

I would suggest schedule your dome climb for first thing in the morning. Line is minimal to start your climb and you will beat the crowds. We did the dome with a 9:30 time slot but got in about 9:15. Went straight to the top without a stop. On the way down I was able to see people waiting in the upper stage on the steps, & a line had formed on the outside as well. So I was glad we started early. We got a snack, then headed to the museums. Unfortunately my wifes knees said no to the bell tower climb. That was scheduled for mid afternoon, but I did notice there was no line to get in.

I would break up the museum going.

1. The bell tower or the dome (both at one go is a lot to ask an adult let alone a six year old); gelato; The Duomo; lunch; The Acadamia; gelato; Central Market; Bapistry, Duomo Museum, or climb either dome or bell tower; gelato.

2. Uffizi first thing; gelato; explore Plazza Vechio, and consider climbing Plazzo Vechio (it has great views of the Duomo and Bell Tower); lunch; Ponte Vechio and Bobboli Gardens; gelato; walk along Arno; Galileo Museum if you still have the energy; gelato.

Thank you all. I truly appreciate it. I've booked the tickets.

Day 1
I booked Uffizi at 9am and Accademia at 2pm. Hope to get some break after Uffizi.

Day 2:
Bell Tower : 8:30am
Dome: 10:30
Museum noon

I booked Uffizi at 9am and Accademia at 2pm. Hope to get some break
after Uffizi.

I mean this very kindly but I wouldn't just hope for a break, I'd plan one and a reasonably long one. You know your kids better than any of us but I can't see a 6 and 10 year-old being able to do 6-7 hours of art museums without lunch and a rest. Whether your youngest has the stamina to climb both the dome and bell tower at the duomo, one right after the other, is also in question but, well, they're your kids; keep a sharp eye on them for over-tiredness?

I would suggest to climb either the bell tower or the dome, not both. Your kids might appreciate some carrousel time in Piazza della Repubblica between other stops. I don't know if there is a minimum age or height requirement for climbing the dome or bell tower, but it may be worth checking into.

My adult children both love art museums and have since childhood. One reason is that when they were the age of yours our museum visits were always with them in mind, not death marching them through museums to see what we wanted to see. 6 hours of museuming with kids this age is a great way to help them grow up to hate art museums. I would spend an hour max at the Academia with David as my object. for the Uffizi, I would have the kids each pick out a few pictures they want to see on line or else each parent take one child and let them choose a picture to look at in each room and let them drive the bus. We love the Uffizi and usually spend about 4 hours on a visit; there is a coffee shop where we have had gelato on the terrace; It is now pricier and requires heftier purchases to sit on the terrace than when we began -- but it is one way to factor in a break and treat for kids at the Uffizi. There are wonderful things at the Uffizi but I would focus on helping the kids choose a handful to see.

I would also not climb two arduous towers; the Duomo is historically and architecturally interesting from the inside -- I'd be inclined to choose that one and study up a bit with the kids about the creation of the dome before tackling it. I would imagine it might be a bit daunting for the 6 year old to make this climb.

Florence has several good gelato places (and several mediocre ones, usually with great heaps of gelato topped with colorful fruit slices along tourist tracks) Maybe make finding the best gelato a family activity. Some suggested spots to try: Vivoli not far from Santa Croce square, Perche Non near Piazza Signoria, Caribe near Academia (they specialize in granita). When we traveled with our daughter at 10, the hunt for great gelato was a fun part of the trip.

Palazo Davinzati is a restored (over-restored) Renaissance home which might be interesting to the kids; the Musee San Marco is a monastery where Fra Angelico painted devotional frescoes in the cells of the monks. Both are small sites easily visited in an hour or less.

@Kathy, @Zoe and @janettravels44
Thank you all for your kind reply and concerns. Yes. Six hours of Museums is too much for our kids and we do not intend to do and see everything. They love gelato.

@ janettravels44, thank you for your suggestions . Gelato hunt sounds like an awesome idea. We will try all three places you mentioned. Palazo Davinzati was not in our to do list. I googled and it looks like a great place. We will see if we can stop by.