Tour Description

Following in the footsteps of the “Prince’s Itinerary”, we will walk through the suggestive elevated passageway which connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti, in the Oltrarno district, passing though the Uffizi Gallery and over the Ponte Vecchio: one of the most magnificent example of the 16th century architecture ever built!

It was commissioned on the occasion of the wedding between Francis I and Joan of Austria and built in the record time of only 5 months by Giorgio Vasari, with the idea of giving Florence a precious jewel that would also serve the purpose of giving the ruling family of Florence a safe passage between the seat of government and their home.

As the door opens, you will instantly be hit by a deep sense of emotion: the corridor is a royal passageway that runs over the heads of the citizens of Florence, a fantastic imaginary carpet where the grand Duke of Florence could walk without an escort in total safety. This is an amazing discovery, amongst a superb collection of paintings and a row of round windows of the aerial passageway offering breathtaking views over the hills, the Arno river, its bridges, the palaces and churches of the city.

In the three main sections of the corridor, we will see 16th and 17th Roman and Neapolitan paintings, and then the magnificent collection of artists’ portraits and self-portraits from Vasari to Italian and foreign artists of the 20th century. A face to face encounter with artists that doesn’t exist in any other museum in the world, a discovery that will print an indelible memory of Florence in your mind forever.

Once the tour of the Vasari Corridor is over, you have some free time for your lunch (not included) and you may then enter the Gardens with your skip-the-line ticket. *

The magnificent ancient park of the Royal Palace of the Medici family, which extends between the Pitti Palace and Fort Belvedere, featuring a whole series of spectacular perspectives.

This park, being the result of the work of major artists, such as Tribolo, Ammannati and Buontalenti, is one of the most important and elegant example of the Italian garden, due to its harmonic design and scenografic perspectives.

It is an “open-air museum” offering surprising grottos and water fountains, a haven of wonder and peace rising on a gentle hill in the heart of Florence. The park also hosts rare and ancient plants, such as some citrus trees dating back to the Medici times, as well as valuable Roman sculptures and splendid 18th century buildings like the Palazzina della Meridiana, La Limonaia and the romantic Kaffehaus which offers  a breathtaking view over the park and the city. An occasion not to be missed!