Uffizi Gallery

We used Rick's audio and print guides. We liked being able to move at our own pace and feel like saw all the main painting. He gives great historical history. You sould make reservations since it will be busy on a Sunday in May.

The Uffizi is basically a one-way route. You will go up two long flights of stairs (or an elevator if you show physical need for it) and then through a number of galleries, all the way around a large "U." Once you've gone all the way around the "U" you will turn left through the main corridor, through the entrance to the restaurant, and left down a couple of flights of stairs (or an elevator) to the lower level. (The large restrooms are in that stairwell. Don't miss them!) You'll then go all the way back around the "U" again, on the lower level, with possible side trips into smaller galleries along the "U". (Old Dutch and English galleries were great!) Rick's Uffizi app is useful for highlighting and describing a number of the pieces of the most well-known artworks. However, as of summer 2016, the app was not yet updated to show the artworks as many of them are now displayed along the new upstairs-downstairs route, and were thus out of order for the new museum arrangement. I had to flip through the artworks on the app in order to find the piece in front of which I was then standing. Hopefully, the RS folks will update the app? All this is to say: It's very hard to get lost, as generally everyone goes pretty much the same direction. Rick's Italy book and Florence book have useful maps of the galleries and the Uffizi has a map/plan that you can pick up when you enter. Be SURE to make a timed entry reservation or you will stand in line for hours to get in. RS's books tell you how to do that easily. (I usually call. Number is in the book.)

What time do you arrive in Florence? Were you trying to go to the Uffizi that afternoon?

We decided to take the Walks of Italy Skip the Line Uffizi tour. It runs ~$55.00 per person (including admission). There were only 6 folks, including us, on the tour. Our tour guide Marco didn't even use the headsets.

We met in the Piazza della Signora @2:00. We were given our tickets and we went straight in, skipping the line. Marco has a graduate degree in art history and was very informative. He started with a history of the Uffizi and the collection. In addition to providing general information on the works we saw, he provided lots of footnote information that helped put the artwork in perspective.

The tour lasted until 5:30, which gave us plenty of time to explore on our own. Marco generously stayed and answered questions as long as needed, including recommendations for excellent restaurants for dinner.

I'm sure you can use materials from RS or other sources and plan your own tour, but between skipping the line, not having to buy the tickets and Marco's comprehensive narration, we feel the Walks of Italy tour was well worth the cost.

Joellet, your Sunday in May wouldn't happen to be the 7th, would it? There's a complication with that particular date...

No, thanks for asking

Since neither my husband or I are art majors, we booked a tour of both the Uffizi and the Academia (David). I believe the morning tour of the Uffizi we met our guide at a side door, no long lines for us, and she showed us the important works starting at the early paintings up through the years. After lunch and some shopping in the market we met our guide (same one) across the street from the Academia and again walked right in past the lines and she gave us an excellent tour and left us at David to spend as much time as we wanted.

I say it was worth every $$ we spent as skipping lines and not missing important works of art and history made us feel we covered both.