Florence for families

Discovering Florence geared towards involving all family members of all ages.

Discovering Florence geared towards involving all family members of all ages. 

1. Florence for families tour… a family focus in the discovery of Florence and the mysteries and magic of the people who ruled and where and how they lived
This walking tour is designed for all ages in the family but has particular focus on the younger generation. Amongst other things we visit Palazzo Davanzati (openings hours permitting), some renaissance palaces and the new market for some wish making. We hunt down the coats of arms of the ruling families dotted around the city, discover paintings and their hidden meanings, explore the artisans workshops (opening times permitting), discover the delights of Tuscan food and the miracles in the churches and the magic in the streets. A stop for gelato in a local favourite place is necessary for refuelling! This walking tour is always a hit with the families with children of all ages and interests.

Other museums which we think work well with families and we like to include in the family tour itinerary (other than the Palazzo Davanzati) are the Palazzo Vecchio (the medieval town hall and then the first ducal palace of the Medici family), the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (where the Medici lived in the 1400s when one of the leading banking families in the city) and the Santa Croce church (tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo and other masterpieces). If you have a preference in visiting one of the above please let us know upon booking.

*If you would like to include the Accademia gallery (visiting the Michelangelo works only) into the itinerary it is possible also. Please read the ‘More info’ section for important scheduling information.

*If you would like to enter the cathedral (duomo) on the tour please read the section on this in ‘More info’.

 

 

 

1. Florence for families tour: The meeting place will be the reception of your hotel if located in the historical centre. Otherwise, an easy, centrally located meeting point will be established.

 

1. Florence for families tour – 3 hours:

390€ when you book for up to 5people 

450€ when you book for 6-9people

510€ when you book for 10people or more

ADMISSION FEES are not included in the above prices. Admission fees are paid upon entering with the guide on the day.

A half day tour is 3 hours (prices above) & a full day tour is 6 hours in length (the cost is double the half-day cost). We will quote for 4 or 5 hours in length. 

Under 18 years have free admission to state and city museums (Accademia, Uffizi gallery, Pitti Palace, Bargello sculpture museum, palazzo Davanzati, San Marco monastery, Palazzo Vecchio) however, an original passport OR a digital or paper copy of passport is the necessary document to show as proof of age at the ticket office of each museum.

Timed-entry ticket reservations are necessary for  certain museums so as to avoid the long queues, which we make in advance when they are included in tour itineraries with us (Uffizi, Accademia, Medici chapels, Pitti Palace). The galleries charge a 4euro per person fee for these timed-entry reservations to all visitors 6 years and older, which is payable at the time of ticket reservation.

Freya’s Florence will send an invoice for this cost prior to making the ticket bookings. The admission cost is paid on the day (under 18yrs are free admission with proof of age).

Under 6 years are not required to pay either the ticket nor reservation.

Payment

Payment for the tour can be made in cash at the end of the tour directly to the guide, or in advance by PayPal with an additional 5% to cover the PayPal fees.

Tours booked within ten days of the date of the tour must be paid in advance by PayPal.

Entering the cathedral (duomo)

In the busy season there are long queues to enter the cathedral.

Due to the increased security measures, we no longer guarantee visits to the inside of the Duomo (Florence Cathedral). Unfortunately the Cathedral does not take reservations or allow priority entry for groups accompanied by licensed guides. Due to the added security, which includes body scans, queues to enter usually exceed 20 minutes. If there is a long wait time to enter the inside of the cathedral, your guide will discuss in detail the Duomo from the square outside.

Headset hire 

Groups greater than 3 adults will require headsets, necessary for most of the museums and recommended for city walks due to surrounding noise.

Freya’s Florence will book these in advance and they will be distributed at the beginning of the tour and used for the entire duration of the tour.

The total cost for the half-day hire is 30€ flat rate (1-10pax) + 2€ for every additional person greater than 10pax

 

Ticket reservations for Accademia gallery

If you are interested in including the Accademia gallery into the tour itinerary:

The Accademia gallery is closed on Mondays. The state museums are free admission on the first Sunday of the month without the possibility to make a timed-entry booking. Therefore, we can’t offer the possibility of including the Accademia gallery in any tour itinerary on this day as there are long waits to enter.

We make the ticket reservations ahead of time for the gallery if included in the tour itinerary.

We strongly recommend avoiding entering the Accademia gallery between 9am-5pm as it is extremely busy and queues accrue in the reservation area after 9am due to the numerous large groups and over ticket booking.

The Accademia opens at 8.15am and so we recommend entering between 8.15-9am. Or, we will organise an afternoon tour entering from 5pm (it closes at 6.30pm) and the tour will visit the gallery towards the end of the itinerary.

Tuesday is the busiest day of the week for both of galleries as they are closed on Monday. We strongly advise not including them in the tour itinerary on Tuesday. If necessary then we recommend entering no later than 8.30am.

Dress code

Appropriate clothing for entering the churches during summer months:

Shoulders must be covered and skirts or shorts no higher than the top of the knee in churches.

Tours proceed rain, hail or shine.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made less than ONE WEEK prior to the tour start time require full payment.

Cancellations made within TWO WEEKS of your tour date will require half payment.