Uffizi Gallery is the most visited art museum in Italy, and I can totally see why. It is definitely a must-see during a visit to Florence! This post is a guide to visiting Uffizi Gallery, including how early you have to show up to avoid super long lines, where to buy tickets, what you can expect to see at the gallery and how to make the most of the museum with a free audio tour.
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Visiting Uffizi Gallery
Uffizi Gallery is next to the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. As I mentioned before, it is the most visited art museum in Italy, meaning there are usually very long lines to get in. We were there in peak season in late July, and we arrived at the museum one hour before opening. There were already quite a few people ahead of us, but we didn’t have to wait too long after it opened to get in.
Tickets
Tickets to Uffizi Gallery are available at the door, or you can buy tickets ahead of time on the Uffizi Gallery website. The benefit to buying online is that you get to skip the line, but there is a 4€ fee. We bought tickets at the door and it was fine, but if you’d rather pay a bit extra and not wait in line, then go for it! The gallery is also free on the first Sunday of every month, but I can only imagine how busy it would be then!
What to expect
No other gallery has captivated me quite like Uffizi Gallery. It has a large collection of sculptures and paintings from a range of time periods including the Middle Ages, the 14th century, the Renaissance and modern times. I loved seeing how the styles of paintings changed from one era to another. The majority of the paintings are influenced by Christianity and stories from the Bible, which was my favourite part.
Audio Tour
Before getting to Uffizi Gallery, we downloaded a free Rick Steeves audio tour of the gallery, which made our experience even better. Even though many of the paintings featured either recognizable scenes from the Bible or Biblical people, having the audio guide really added an extra layer of depth to what we were seeing. I find I get so much more out of museums and galleries when I can listen to explanations of what I’m seeing rather than just quickly passing through.
The only issue with the Uffizi guide was that the layout of the gallery had changed a bit since he recorded the tour, so it didn’t totally line up. We had to search around for some of the pieces he was talking about, but it wasn’t too bad.
Have you ever been to Uffizi Gallery? What is your favourite museum or gallery in Florence?
Check out these posts next:
Is Boboli Gardens in Florence Worth Visiting?
Visiting the Famous David Statue in Florence
xo,
Andrea
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Really neat that you can take an audio tour also. I think this is what I would want to do.
Yeah it’s so handy! I really think audio tours can enhance experiences at so many tourist attractions. And they’re free!