uffizi, on our own or join a tour

I liked artviva when I toured the Uffizi last year. Immediately afterwards I took their tour of the Vasari corridor, which was really interesting. Its the passageway from the Uffizi that goes above the Ponte Vecchio bridge and all the way to the Pitti palace.

I think a tour would be a great idea. The guide can help with perspective on what you're seeing, answer questions, tailor to your interests, etc. I've used Context Travel for walking tours in many cities (including Context Florence) and always had great experiences. The guides are academically well qualified and interesting. I've used them for sites I knew nothing about and sites I knew well, and have always come out of the tour with a better appreciation. And their groups are limited to 6, which means you move more easily/quickly through a crowded museum (ie, more time listening/learning, and less time waiting for a large group to make it through the crowd and gather). You could check their website. I used ArtViva on my last trip because I wanted to tour the Vasari Corridor, and their schedule worked for me. To be honest, I was very disappointed with the guide, although I was glad to have seen the Vasari Corridor. Group was much larger, so lots of waiting time. This was particularly true for the Uffizi part; not everyone went into the corridor, but it was still probably 15 people in the corridor. Most troublesome, the guide was speaking to the lowest common denominator. I'm not looking for a high-level academic presentation, but when we were in front of an amazing Madonna by Lippi, I expected the guide to be speaking about the painting or the period or the style or... Instead, what we got was partially inaccurate gossip about Lippi's sex life. Hardly what I was paying a tour guide to provide.

You've both convinced me that a tour is the way to go. Thanks, I'll check out both suggestions.

I've never gotten a guide but I have eavesdropped on a few. Never on purpose but when you finally get a spot on the bench in the very crowded Botticelli room in the Uffizi and there happens to be a private guide and their two charges right next to you, you can't really help it. I think it would definitely be worth it for someone who doesn't know much about art.