I learned about Artviva tour company through Rick Steves' Italy book. This was an expensive tour, 1000 euros ,as it was private for 2 couples but we got a 10% discount mentioning Rick Steves' so cost each couple 450 euros I recommend a private tour as Florence is extremely crowded. It was a holiday weekend the day before May 1st, a national holiday so it saved us lots of time. Our guide was great, sorry I don't remember his name. I liked when he took us into the Uffizi he didn't start at the famous Renaissance paintings but showed us earlier works so we could understand how and why art changed once one got to the Renaissance art works. He was extremely knowledgeable about the Uffizi which is large and can be overwhelming. We then traveled through the Palazzo Vecchio where he explained about the sculpture in the Loggia. Next walking fast we passed by the famous Medici palace and saw Donatello sculpture on Renaissance buildings. We made our way quickly past the Duomo ( we needed to see the inside on our own) then ended at the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David. This was a 4 hour tour that was a quick overview for us on our first day in Florence. He was able to recommend good places to eat and what and where to go during our next 3 days. We were all glad we were on a private tour where we could hear him easily. This wasn't supposed to be a "fun" tour, but our guide was easy to talk to and had a good command of the English language. I would book this company again.
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