When visiting the Uffizi, is it better to visit early in the morning or later in the afternoon? My inclination is to go in the morning, but I would love to hear from anyone who has had a good experience going in the late afternoon/early evening. We will have Firenze cards, so we don't have to worry about reservations - at least I hope that is true.
8am... Buy your tickets ahead of time and be the first ones in the door.
I booked a time slot to enter for 4 Euros more. Went in at 10:30am. Didn't have to queue... I thought the 4 Euros extra was worth it as there was quite a long queue forming outside at that time..
I would say depending on what time of year you're going, book in advance and don't go into the Uffizi until lunchtime. That way you can enjoy the cooler morning outdoors and when it gets really hot you will be inside a nice climate-controlled building, which is a rarity in itself in Italy. I have found there is usually a lineup, whether it's 9am or one hour prior to closing, and I've been there in every season, so the Firenze card will serve you well!
Stephanie, when you say book in advance, do you mean that I still need a reservation even with the Firenze card? One of the reasons we purchased them is to give us flexibility by not needing a reservation.
I don't think you need a reservation if you have the Firenze card (you can confirm that with your hotel manager). I like the idea of enjoing the morning outside and visiting the Uffizi during the hottest part of the day.
If you have the card you can just walk up and enter. I have to say, as someone who has been living here for 7 years, the later in the day the better. If you go in the morning you can get stuck with the hordes of tour groups, student groups, etc. Often later in the day the place is nearly empty. Just my .02 cents!
Book in advance to avoid waiting in line, and go as early as possible to avoid the mobs of rude tourists. If you go late in the day, you always have that time constraint thing of being there early enough so that you have time to see the museum without being rushed. If you book a very early time slot, you get it out of the way first thing, have time to linger if you like, and then have the rest of the day to do whatever you like.