How to Visit the Uffizi Gallery: Tickets, Hours, Tours, and More
Sean Finelli
Want to walk in the steps of the famous Medici? You can at the Uffizi Gallery. It was originally the family’s office building and they adorned the walls with their priceless art collection, attracting millions of visitors to this day. In this guide, we’ll explain how to visit the Uffizi Gallery from getting tickets to skipping the long line, guided tours, and more!
Pro Tip: Planning your visit to the Uffizi in Florence? Bookmark this post in your browser so you can easily find it when you need it. Check out our Florence Guide for more resources, our best Uffizi tours for a memorable trip, and how to see Florence in a day (with itinerary).
Visiting the Uffizi Gallery: What We’ll Cover
The word “Uffizi” literally means “offices” in Italian. This historic structure housed the Medici family offices and, as renowned lovers and patrons of art, they adorned the space with a world-class collection.
Eventually, the space became so magnificent that people visited by request as early as the 16th century. In 1765, the last Medici heiress, Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, signed over almost all Medici assets to the Tuscan State in the Patto di Famiglia.
Today, over four million visitors come to enjoy the masterpieces in the Uffizi each year. In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about how to visit the Uffizi gallery, from getting tickets to guided tours, what to see while you’re there, and where to eat nearby. Here’s what we’ll cover:
If you consider that the Uffizi Gallery sees millions of visitors a year, it’s almost guaranteed that there will be a long queue at the entrance. Then again, if you visit during the low season, you might be lucky enough to just walk in. However, it’s unwise to expect this.
Opening Hours:
Open on Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 am to 6:30 pm (The ticket office closes at 5:30 pm).
Closed on Mondays and for holidays on December 25.
Tickets:
Book your Uffizi tickets in advance. There’s an additional €4 fee, but you can pick a time and date on the official Uffizi Gallery website. Although you might still have to stand in a short queue to collect your tickets, it’s still much quicker than waiting in the general line.
OnlineTicket Prices: March to October: €25 for adults, €2 for reduced tickets; November to February: €12 for adults, €2 for reduced tickets.
Best Way to Visit
1. Join a small group Uffizi Gallery tour
While visiting the Uffizi Gallery by yourself is fantastic, it’s even better to join a guided tour. Led by an English-speaking guide, you’ll learn even more about the museum’s masterpieces, the stories behind them, and the context surrounding their creation.
On our Uffizi Gallery tour, you’ll also skip the lines and walk straight in! This tour is the perfect way to learn about Florence’s Renaissance art, history, and culture in a comfortable and stress-free way.
2. Have your own private tour
If you want a more intimate experience, a private Uffizi tour is the best way to visit the gallery. It’ll feel just like a knowledgeable friend is showing you around town. You can ask endless questions and by the end of the tour, you’ll feel like a Renaissance expert.
3. Buy your tickets online
If you want to make the most of your time in Florence, book your Uffizi tickets in advance. This way, you can pick a time and date on the official Uffizi Gallery website. Please note: if you book your tickets online, there’s an additional €4 fee.
Although you might still have to stand in a short queue to collect your tickets, it’s still much quicker than waiting in the general line. There’s also an option to rent an audio guide from the Uffizi for an extra €6.
OnlineTicket Prices: March to October: €25 for adults, €2 for reduced tickets; November to February: €12 for adults, €2 for reduced tickets.
The Uffizi Gallery has a wealth of famous artwork across multiple floors. You can see Raphael, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and many more all within a few feet of one another. That said, the Uffizi Gallery is not nearly as expansive as the Vatican Museums or the Louvre.
Two to three hours is a good amount of time to spend inside for anyone who appreciates artwork. Like any museum filled with significant and famous artwork, it should be visited with a local guide for the best experience.
How To Get To the Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery is extremely easy to find in Florence because all the roads lead to the general area of the gallery. So, you’ll happen upon it without even trying. It’s located near Piazza della Signoria, which is home to Palazzo Vecchio.
The back of the Uffizi is across from the Arno river, which is visible from inside the gallery. This is where the Vasari Corridors start, connecting the Uffizi to the Pitti Palace. It’s a lovely area to walk around and discover.
The Medici decorated their offices with stunning art and sculptures and the space has attracted visitors ever since. The gallery was opened publicly in 1765, but officially became a museum in 1865. Today, millions of visitors come to the Uffizi Gallery every year.
So, what is there to see at the Uffizi Gallery? When you visit, be sure to check out these famous artworks in the Uffizi Gallery. For more in-depth descriptions, check out our article on what to see at the Uffizi or, better yet, take a guided tour of the Uffizi.
Balcony overlooking the Duomo
The Uffizi Gallery doesn’t just contain art—it is art. It also has incredible views overlooking some of Florence’s greatest works of architectural art. Like many Italian cities, Florence could even be described as one large masterpiece as a whole.
There are numerous signs and indicators leading to the “bar” inside the Uffizi. Follow them for a coffee and an incredible viewpoint.
Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca
This is an interesting and peculiar oil on wood painting depicting a very powerful couple, Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza. The Sforza family ruled Milan for hundreds of years.
The painting dates back to the late 15th century and is in fantastic condition. It is a two-sided painting, which is very rare, so make sure you take a look at the back. It features a horse-drawn carriage and a unicorn-drawn carriage that is intended to signify the allegories of triumph.
Location in the Uffizi: Hall 7
The Ognissanti Madonna by Giotto
Giotto was one of the most influential artists leading up to the golden era of the Renaissance. The Ognissanti or Madonna Enthroned was painted by Giotto di Bondone in the late Medieval period (proto-Renaissance) and is on a wood panel.
Although this is not their first appearance, Giotto is the first western-European artist to depict three-dimensional figures. What he did was considered highly innovative at the time and was a catalyst for artists like Botticelli and Michelangelo.
Location in the Uffizi: Hall 2, dedicated to Giotto and 13th/14th-century art
Medusa by Caravaggio
Caravaggio was sort of the Quentin Tarantino of the baroque period. He painted grotesque gripping artwork that turned heads. His Medusa is no exception.
It was commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Maria Bourbon de Monte in 1597 who then gave it to the Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici as a gift (or maybe a re-gift?).
Location in Uffizi: Hall 90, dedicated to Caravaggio.
Venus of Urbino by Titian
The Venus of Urbino was completed by Titian in 1538 and commissioned by the Duke of Urbino, Guidobaldo II Della Rovere. The painting was a gift from the Duke to his young wife.
It represented the allegory of marriage: eroticism, fidelity, and motherhood. The eroticism is evident in the representation of Venus, the goddess of love. The dog at her feet represents marital fidelity. The girl looking through the chest in the background represents motherhood.
Location in Uffizi: Hall 83
Self-Portraits by Rembrandt
Rembrandt was a very important figure as he carried the Italian Renaissance north and was a key figure in the Dutch Renaissance. He lived during the 17th century and has two self-portraits. First as a young man and another as a mature man.
He followed the path of Caravaggio, painting in a chiaroscuro method to draw attention to key dramatic features. You’ll find several Rembrandt paintings housed in the Uffizi including The Old Rabbi.
Location in the Uffizi: Hall of Rembrandt (49)
Doni Tondo (The Holy Family) by Michelangelo
Doni Tondo or The Holy Family is one of a literal handful of free-standing (panel) paintings Michaelangelo worked on and, apparently, the only panel that was completed.
It was commissioned by a merchant, Agnolo Doni, to commemorate the birth of his child. It’s a beautiful work of art that celebrates a sort of golden era for Renaissance art in Florence.
Location in Uffizi: Hall 3
Medici Venus attributed to Praxiteles
Venus or Aphrodite is a highly sculpted mythological figure because of what she represents: beauty. The Medici Venus is a first-century B.C. copy of a Greek sculpture. This was common as the Romans gravitated towards Greek art—everyone did.
The sculpture was taken into ownership by the Medici and attributed to Praxiteles, but there is little foundation for that. The base says it was sculpted by the son of Apollodorus, but that is not true. Regardless, it is a beautiful sculpture that was undoubtedly admired by Botticelli and Michelangelo.
Location in Uffizi: Hall of Tribunes
Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci
The Annunciation was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci and Andrea del Verrocchio between 1472 – 1475. The painting depicts the moment Angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will conceive and give birth to a son to be named Jesus, “Son of God”.
Location in Uffizi: Hall 15
Madonna del Cardellino by Raphael
The Madonna del Cardellino or Madonna of the Goldfinch was painted by Raphael (Raffaello in Italian) in 1506 as a wedding gift for his friend Lorenzo Nasi.
Looking at the painting, the Madonna is shown as young and beautiful. She is clothed in red and blue. The red signifies the passion of Christ and the blue signifies the church.
Location in Uffizi: Hall 66
La Primavera by Sandro Botticelli
La Primavera or “Spring” in English is considered to be one of the greatest paintings ever produced. That statement is not only about the painting’s beauty and artistic expression.
La Primavera defied the oppression of artistic expression, which arguably could have inspired a massive leap forward in art history. Some of the greatest artists that would ever live followed the career of Botticelli.
Location in Uffizi: Hall of Botticelli (10 – 14)
The Birth of Venice by Sandro Botticelli
The Birth of Venus has become one of the world’s most famous Renaissance masterpieces. It was painted by Sandro Botticelli between 1482 and 1485 for the Medici family.
In the painting, you can observe Venus, the goddess of love, standing on a seashell in the center. To her right, Zephyr, the god of the west wind is blowing her to the shore. There, Pomona, the goddess of spring, is waiting with a cape to clothe the newborn deity.
Location in Uffizi: Botticelli Rooms (10 – 14)
Uffizi Gallery Tour Options
Passionate local guides focus on the historical importance of art and how it played into our cultural heritage. They’ll explain everything from the artist’s life to the patron who commissioned the artwork, the journey the piece underwent, and many more interesting stories.
That makes all the difference when you visit a place like the Uffizi Gallery. Some of the art on the walls has been around for 500 years, so there’s a long history to discover. For a full and memorable experience of the Uffizi’s treasures, here are our top tours:
Visiting the Uffizi Gallery with a guide is a no-brainer. There are literally TV-drama-level stories behind so many famous artworks inside the gallery, which makes it super interesting. If that doesn’t sell it for you, the lines to get inside can take hours. Going with a passionate local guide will completely change the experience and skip the line.
The tour combines our Florence city walking tour, which includes seeing Michelangelo’s David, with our Skip the Line Uffizi Gallery tour in one discounted package. Both tours are small group tours and priced competitively. It’s a fantastic way to spend a day in Florence.
While small group tours are the best value for money, private tours are a luxury and provide the best possible experience. It’s just you and a private guide visiting the Uffizi Gallery for two hours. Ask all the questions you want!
Exploring the Uffizi Gallery and walking around in Florence, you’ll work up an appetite. Here are our four recommendations for places to eat—they’re all vetted and check all the boxes.
Among them are a pizza place, sandwich place, sit-down restaurants, and rooftop bar. If you’re looking for more restaurant picks, check out our article on the best restaurants near the Uffizi Gallery.
Osteria All’antico Vinaio: € | Delicious Sandwiches—Possibly the most famous sandwich shop in all of Italy. You can even get a glass of wine to wash it down. Mostly standing room.
Gustarium: € | Sampler Plates—It’s pizza, it’s quick, it’s good, it’s cheap, and it’s close to the Uffizi. Why are we still talking?
Osteria del Porcellino: €€ | Florentine Steak—Looking for a sit-down meal before or after the Uffizi? Get all your traditional Florentine/Tuscan dishes here.
La Terrazza Continentale: €€€ | Lovely Views—Just want a drink? This rooftop is likely where I would go.
FLORENCE Top 17 Things to Do…Vespa ride, Pisa and more!
Sean is a co-founder and owner of The Tour Guy and its subsidiary The Roman Guy. He studied finance and statistics, but that is his "Dr. Jekyll" side! His "Mr. Hyde" is in love with travel, art, history, and culture. Sean has read libraries of historical text and believes that all internet content should come from books. A practice he follows!
Leave a Comment