Vasari Corridor, Florence tours and tickets 2026
At the end of 2024, the Vasari Corridor in Florence finally reopened, after more than eight years of closure. This is truly wonderful news, because visiting the Vasari Corridor is one of the most beautiful experiences in Florence.
The reason for its long closure is that the corridor required extensive restoration, which took longer than expected because archaeological finds were uncovered during excavations. The restoration was truly necessary, because in addition to having to be updated to modern safety and accessibility standards, the corridor didn’t have air conditioning until 2016, and I remember well that in the summer it was scorching hot (and some visitors passed out).
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But let’s get to the point. In this post, you’ll find all the useful information to plan your visit to the Vasari Corridor in Florence and book tickets. If you’d like, you can also book a private guided tour with me to discover all the secrets of these extraordinary places (you’ll find the form at the end of this page).
What is the Vasari Corridor in Florence?
The Vasari Corridor is an elevated passageway designed and built by Giorgio Vasari in 1565, at the behest of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Florence. The passageway allowed members of the Medici family to walk from Palazzo Pitti, where they lived, to Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of political power, in the most direct and convenient way possible.
The Vasari Corridor is approximately 1 km (0.6 miles) long. It’s crossing the Arno River over the Ponte Vecchio, continuing through the Uffizi Gallery, and reaching Palazzo Vecchio via a small bridge over Via della Ninna. Along the way, the corridor also passes the ancient church of Santa Felicita: Vasari built an elegant balcony from which the Medici could look out and attend mass from a privileged elevated position.
Some sections of the passageway were damaged by bombing during World War II and were rebuilt in subsequent years. Until 2016, it housed the Uffizi Gallery’s self-portrait collection and could be visited in small groups. Today, the Vasari Corridor is open regularly and is much easier to visit! The self-portraits, however, have been moved to the first floor of the Uffizi.
Things to know before visiting the Vasari Corridor
The first and most important thing to know is that the Vasari Corridor ticket is only sold in combination with the Uffizi Gallery ticket. When booking online, you’ll need to choose an entry time for the corridor: entry to the Uffizi Gallery is mandatory two hours earlier. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to book the Vasari Corridor after 3 hours, or after 1.5 hours from the entrance to the Uffizi. The route runs in one direction only: starting from the Uffizi and ending at Pitti; the reverse is not possible. Check out my tips for visiting the Uffizi Gallery to learn everything you should know before visiting that museum.
The meeting point to enter the Vasari Corridor is located on the first floor of the Uffizi Gallery, in room D-9, called the Cappellina Veneziana. You must be there 5 minutes prior to the corridor’s entry time. Since most of the masterpieces are on the second floor of the Uffizi, you’ll likely have to take the stairs (between the Leonardo and Michelangelo rooms). You can ask the museum staff for directions to get to the meeting point on time. Be on time, because if you’re even a few minutes late, they won’t wait for you and you’ll miss your chance.
The tour is conducted in groups of up to 25 people, and you’ll be accompanied by a museum employee who will provide a brief explanation. The passageway tour lasts 40 minutes, or so the gallery’s official website states. In reality, it lasts slightly less, around 20-25 minutes; the museum likely also takes into account the time it takes to check tickets, enter, and then exit.
At the end of the tour, you’ll exit from the Boboli Gardens, next to Pitti Palace. At this point you won’t be able to return back to the Uffizi Gallery.
How to book tickets for the Vasari Corridor in Florence
The full-price ticket for the Vasari Corridor costs €47 if booked online, or 43 euro if bought at the museum the day of the visit. The ticket includes access to both the Uffizi Gallery and the passageway. Children and young people up to 18 enter free. EU citizens under 25 can get a reduced ticket (€2).
There is also a combo ticket that lasts 5 days and includes the Uffizi Gallery, Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace, to which you can also add the Vasari Corridor. The regular combo ticket (without the corridor) costs 40 euros, while adding the passageway will bring the price to 58 euros.
You can check availability and book tickets on the official website of the Uffizi. Please note that when you book online, a booking fee of 4 euros per person will be added. The booking fee must be paid even for free tickets.
Important things to know about the tickets
Tickets are nominal: when booking online you’ll be asked to provide full names and birthdays of all the visitors. Then, before entering, the employees of the Uffizi museum will check, asking you to show an ID with a picture (passport or driving license). Also the picture of your passport will work. But don’t forget to bring an ID or at least a picture of it with you, the day of your visit.
Tickets are non refundable, and you can’t change name of the visitors, day or time of the visit.
Pay attention! The time on the e-ticket is the one of the entrance to the corridor, not to the Uffizi! I see a lot of people arriving at the meeting point for the corridor 2 hours later, because they were thinking that the time on the e-ticket was the entrance time for the Uffizi. Entrance time for the Uffizi is 2 hours before the entrance time for the passageway.
Opening hours and times
The Vasari Corridor is open every day of the week except for Mondays (just like the Uffizi) from 10.15 am to 4.35 pm.
Until December 2025, there are special evening openings: every Friday the Vasari Corridor is open from 7 pm to 11 pm.
FAQs about the Vasari Corridor
Here are the most common questions I get about the Vasari Corridor as a tour guide. If you have any other questions on this topic, leave me a comment; I’ll reply and update this post with new information.
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Is the Vasari Corridor worth visiting?
Yes, definitely worth it! Personally, I think it’s a unique experience, something to do at least once in a lifetime. Seeing Florence from a higher, more exclusive perspective is fantastic! If you’ve already planned to visit the Uffizi Gallery, adding the Vasari Corridor won’t cost you too much extra time. The visit is very short but fascinating, and the ticket price is also quite low. Since the full ticket for the Uffizi costs 25 euros, the passageway will increase the final cost by only 17 euros.
There are still paintings in the there?
No, the collection of self-portraits has been moved to the first floor of the Uffizi Gallery, where the rooms are much more suitable for enjoying the paintings. Instead, Some Roman-era busts and sculptures have been placed in the passageway.
Can I spend more than two hours at the Uffizi before visiting the Vasari Corridor?
Unfortunately, if you book the Uffizi together with the Vasari Corridor,you’ll only be able to spend two hours in the Uffizi, no more than that. But you can enter later and spend less time in the gallery, if you want. If you book a ticket for the Uffizi only, you can stay inside the museum as long as you like.
Can I visit it before the Uffizi?
Once again, unfortunately not, the museum doesn’t allow a reverse visit. You must visit the Uffizi first and then the passageway. And the corridor visit can only be done from the Uffizi toward the Pitti Palace, and not in the opposite direction.
Can I only visit the corridor and not the Uffizi gallery?
Yes, you can only visit the Vasari Corridor and not the Uffizi, during the special evening openings (on Friday nights).
During the regular day opening, if you don’t have enough time to visit both the Uffizi and the corridor, you can enter the gallery just 30 minutes before the entrance time for the corridor. Just skip all the paintings on the second floor, reach the first floor and then the meeting point for the corridor. In 30 minutes you’ll have enough time to go through security checks, ticket scanning and to navigate the museum and find the meeting point.
Can I change my ticket? Are tickets refundable?
No, you can’t change your ticket once you’ve booked it. You can’t change the name of the visitor, and not even the day or the time of the visit. Also remember that tickets are non refundable.
What happens if I’m late?
If you are late for the entrance time for the Uffizi gallery that’s not a big problem: you can still enter the museum even after the entrance time on your ticket. you will just have less than 2 hours to visit the gallery before walking through the passageway.
If you arrive late at the meeting point for the Vasari corridor, that’s a problem! They won’t wait for latecomers, and you’ll miss your chance.
What should I bring with me when visiting the Vasari corridor? Do I need an ID?
To enter the Uffizi Gallery and the Vasari Corridor you must bring a valid ID with a picture: passport, driving license or identity card. You can also bring a picture of your passport. But keep in mind that your identity will be verified and must match the information on the ticket (name and birthday).
There are any toilets in the Vasari Corridor?
There are no toilets in the corridor, but you can find restrooms before and after the Vasari passageway. There are toilets in the Uffizi gallery (the closest ones to the meeting point to enter the corridor are located along the stairs in between the second and the first floor). And there are more toilets at Pitti Palace, once you exit the corridor.
Guided tours of the Vasari Corridor
Taking a guided tour of the Uffizi and the Vasari Corridor is the best way to optimize your time and get the most out of your visit. With a licensed tour guide like me, you’ll be sure to see the main masterpieces among the thousands of paintings in the Uffizi. You’ll save time, and learn the history and stories of these extraordinary places.
I don’t recommend taking a group tour, as they’re priced per person and are very expensive. They’re only affordable for solo travelers (in case you’re interested, this is a good small group tour). For anyone else, however, I recommend booking a private tour with me. I have an hourly rate that doesn’t depend on the number of people. And for groups of two or more, my private tours are cheaper than the group tours sold by tour operators.
You can contact me for more information by filling out the form below: