10 tips for visiting the Uffizi from a local tour guide
The Uffizi is a truly unmissable museum on a trip to Florence. It houses some of the most important works of art in the world, by artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. But it is also a magnificent Renaissance building with a fascinating history. If this is your first time visiting this museum and you don’t know where to start, here is a list of 10 useful tips for visiting the Uffizi Gallery!
The Uffizi Gallery is a very large museum with thousands of artworks: I know it can be overwhelming. I hope you’ll find this blogpost useful to plan your visit in advance, and that you’ll find everything you need to know before visiting the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
- You might also like my tips for visiting the Accademia Gallery museum
10 tips for visiting the Uffizi Gallery
Actually the tips became more than 10, because this post has been updated many times, with the answers to the most common questions I get about that museum.
These tips are the result of my experience of over 10 years as a licensed tour guide in Florence: you can trust me because I go to the Uffizi every week, all year round!
- Learn more about me and my job as a licensed tour guide in Florence
How to book Uffizi tickets in advance
In high season, the queues to enter the museum can be really long, and with the summer heat they become a terrible experience. But even in the low season there can be queues, especially on weekends. This is why it’s so important to book tickets in advance. The earlier the better, because in summer and on holidays it often happens that tickets go sold out several days in advance.
To enter the Uffizi there are two queues:
- A very long one, for those who have not booked and therefore have to buy a ticket (door .2)
- A very fast one, for those who have previously booked the ticket
By booking the ticket online, you choose the day of the visit and a specific time slot for that day. This is the only way to get a skip-the-line ticket.
After booking online, you will receive your tickets via email. They have a QR-code and a bar-code that will be scanned at the entrance of the museum, the day of your visit.
There is no need to print the tickets, you can just show them on your cell phone. Just go to door n. 1 and enter the museum.
If you have the Firenze Card you still have to book online the tickets for Uffizi, but their price is included with the card. But in such cas, on the day of your visit you will need to collect your paper tickets at door n. 3 of the Uffizi, showing the booking code and the Firenze card. This will take you no more than 5 mniutes. Then you can reach door n. 1 and entrer the museum.
- Here is the link to the official Uffizi website to book tickets.
Any other website is a re-seller, and will increase the price of the ticket of some extra euro. Anyway, those re-sellers like Viator are a good option in case the tickets are sold out on the official website.
Uffizi Galley ticket prices
The Uffizi entrance ticket for an adult costs:
- 25 euros in high season (from March 1st to October 31st)
- 12 euros in low season (from November 1st to February 28th)
The ticket is free for children under 18 and for people with disabilities.
The reduced ticket (2 euros) is for citizens of the European Union between 18 and 25 years (you must show an ID).
Early bird discount: During the high season the ticket costs 19 euro (instead of 25) if you book to enter not later than 8.55am (or if you buy it at the counter before 8.45am). You must enter before 8.55.
A 5-day combined ticket is also available which includes:
- Uffizi Gallery
- Pitti Palace
- Boboli Gardens
- Archaeological Museum
- Opificio dell Pietre Dure Museum
The combined ticket costs 38 euros in high season and 18 euros in low season (from November to February)
Note: If you book your tickets online, you’ll have to add 4 euro per person to the final price for the booking fees.
Check opening days and times of Uffizi
You don’t want to go there when the museum is closed!
The Uffizi Gallery is open from 8.15 am to 6.30 pm, every day except Mondays, Christmas Day and January 1st.
Last entrance is 4.45 pm. Consider that the museum is very large and takes time, at least 1.5 hours. So I recommend not to get in after 4.30 pm or you won’t have enough time.
Best day of the week to visit the Uffizi Gallery
Probably you’ll want to visit the Uffizi Gallery during the least crowded days of the week. Of course, the museum gets a lot busier on weekends than on weekdays. Since the closing day of the Uffizi is Monday, Tuesday is also generally a very busy day.
In summer also Thursdays can be very busy, because it’s the day of the week when cruise ships are docking in Livorno, and cruise passengers are making a day trip to Florence. But they leave early, so the second part of the afternoon is usually slightly better.
The best days to visit the Uffizi without too many people are Wednesdays and Fridays.
Best time of the day to visit the Uffizi
The best time of the day to visit the Uffizi is right after the opening in the early morning. The museum opens at 8.15 am, and that’s the best time of the day to go there. Being an early bird is the best way to avoid any kind of line.
Also, recently the Uffizi has introduced an early bird discount: The ticket costs 19 euro (instead of 25) if you book to enter not later than 8.55am (or if you buy it at the counter before 8.45am). You must enter before 8.55.
The most crowded time is around lunchtime, so between 12 and 3 pm. After 4 pm is definitely less crowded, but since the museum closes at 6.30 pm, you won’t have a lot of time to visit.
Free admission on the first Sunday of the month
Every first Sunday of the month the entrance to the Uffizi Gallery is free (and also the entrance to the Accademia Gallery).
Personally I don’t recommend visiting the Uffizi on Sundays with free admission, because the museum is unbearably crowded. The line for entering is usually at least 2 hours long (sometimes even more), and you won’t really be able to see the paintings because each room is literally packed with people.
For this reason, most of the companies and free lance tour guides like me are not giving guided tours of the Uffizi on free admission Sundays. It would be just a waste of time for not being able to see anything.
If you just want to save money that’s fine, but if you want to have a full and satisfying experience of the Uffizi gallery and its collection, avoid the first Sunday of the month.
Take a guided tour
If you are not satisfied with admiring the paintings, but want to fully understand them, then take a guided tour! A professional tour guide will be able to explain all the secrets of the works of art on display, and will tell you about the life of the artists who created them.
A local tour guide will also help you maximize your time, selecting the most important paintings and avoiding wasting time in such a large museum. And you can make him/her any kind of question!
- If you are interested, learn more about my Uffizi Gallery private tour!
If instead you don’t mind sharing the tour with other people, take a look at this guided small group tour of the Uffizi Gallery (tickets are included). But keep in mind that compared to a private tour, the small group tour is only convenient if you book for 3 people or less. From 4 people up, the private tour is cheaper.
Make a checklist of the works of art you want to see
I recommend that you do a checklist before your visit, to make sure you don’t miss any of your favorite paintings, especially if you decide to visit the gallery without a guide. I’m sure you don’t want to miss the Birth of Venus by Botticelli or Tondo Doni by Michelangelo.
But don’t forget to look around, there are many other works of art to discover in addition to those on your checklist!
- Some fun facts about the Birth of Venus by Botticelli
- Learn more about Leonardo da Vinci’s first painting
- All Botticelli’s paintings in Florence and where to find them
How long to visit the Uffizi Gallery?
Take your time! This is one of the most important tips for visiting the Uffizi Gallery. The museum is very large, there are thousands of paintings and sculptures displayed on two floors. Plan to take at least two or three hours for a standard visit, even longer if you are a real fan!
If, on the other hand, you want to take a shorter visit and see only the best of the collection, the most famous masterpieces are on display on the second floor. At the end of the second floor gallery there is a quick exit.
Don’t take the quick exit if you want to check the bookshop. The one at the quick exit is really tiny, but the main one is wonderful.
Take a coffee with a view on piazza della Signoria
At the end of the second floor gallery there’s the cafeteria of the Uffizi. I honestly find it overpriced and food options are quite poor. However, the cafeteria is located right above the Loggia dei Lanzi, and has a magnificent view of Piazza della Signoria.
I recommend you just have a coffee or a cappuccino to have the opportunity to seat at a table and admire the view. Instead, don’t order food because it’s overpriced and really nothing special at all.
They also sell artisanal gelato, but once again is overpriced and you can get the double amount for the half of the price anywhere else in town.
What not to bring to the Uffizi
Objects prohibited inside the museum are:
- Any bottle other than a half-liter bottle of water.
- Selfie sticks, tripods and photo easels.
- Blades and weapons
- Long umbrellas and large backpacks (these can be left in the cloakroom!)
Also pay attention to the dress code.
Dress code at the Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery is not a church, but a national museum. This means that you don’t necessarily have to cover your shoulders and knees, or follow any particular dress code. However, there are still limits that should not be crossed, because in Italy museums are considered places of great respect. This doesn’t mean you have to dress up!
The Uffizi Gallery regulations say that clothing must be appropriate for the formal setting, so you cannot enter in a bathing suit or too skimpy clothes, period costumes, wedding dresses and “any other fancy dress undignified for such places” . In a nutshell, dress the way you prefer, as you feel most comfortable, without exaggerating!
Use the Uffizi ticket to visit other museums
Don’t throw away your Uffizi ticket, it can still be useful! In fact, it is also valid for free visits to the National Archaeological Museum and the Opificio delle Pietre dure Museum (in the five days following your visit to the Uffizi).
- Learn more about the Opificio delle Pietre Dure Museum
If you are planning to visit also Pitti Palace and Boboli gardens, consider the 5-days combo ticket.
Don’t forget the Uffizi bookshop!
The Uffizi bookshop is huge and well-stocked, I really recommend you not to miss it. There are books about art, photography, children’s books, posters, souvenirs and local handicrafts inspired by the most famous pieces of art. It is the perfect place to buy something special to take home or to give as a gift.
Book sellers are very knowledgeable and helpful, they know their stuff!
Watch out: there are many small bookshops scattered throughout the gallery, but the one that deserves to be visited is the largest, which is located before the main exit. So if you want to visit the bookshop, don’t take the quick exit.
I hope you found these tips for visiting the Uffizi useful. If you have any other suggestion to have an amazing experience in this museum let know leaving a comment below!
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Very useful, thx!