Tours / Fascinating Florence Guided Walking Tour

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The best fascinating Florence guided walking tour for first-time visitors! Enjoy this exciting outdoor stroll to learn everything about Florence’s ancient centre. You will also be able to discover captivating and hidden places along the way. Below are some of the unmissable mouments we will visit: the tour can be totally customized to your needs and preferences.
So let's take this tour on foot: Florence is a walkable city.
This isn’t just any tour: you’ll be shown around by a local, entertaining, friendly scholar and enthusiast..!

The Florence Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral).

This is the highlight of our private walking tour of Florence, with its spectacular, majestic Dome covered in red-brown terracotta tiles. You'll enjoy hearing about the revolutionary way Filippo Brunelleschi built it: the Dome inspired the beginning of Renaissance architecture. The entire square (the Cathedral Square, Piazza Duomo) is striking for the mesmerizing decoration of the Duomo itself, the Giotto Bell Tower (Campanile di Giotto) and the Baptistery (Battistero di San Giovanni Battista). In fact, only one of the wealthiest and most powerful cities in Europe could afford such a display of precious marbles and bronze doors, like those of the Baptistery, the amazing so-called "Paradise Gates", cast by Lorenzo Ghiberti. However, the Paradise Gates you see outside in the square are copies: I can escort you to see the original, jaw-dropping ones in the Cathedral Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo).

Piazza della Signoria.

The tall, mighty “castle” that will appear in front of you during this private walking tour is the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s city hall, and it has always been the seat of the city’s government. Its construction began in 1298 by Arnolfo di Cambio. At this time, Florence was administered by a republic, the so-called Signoria the square is named after: when the Medici dynasty came to power, the Medici moved into the Palazzo Vecchio as their home. That was a statement: “We're in charge now”. The Piazza della Signoria is a gorgeous, open-air, free-of-charge museum, and it's really worth a private walking tour. All the grand and imposing statues displayed outside here are original, apart from a handful of them – namely, the statue of David by Michelangelo, the Judith beheading Holofernes, and the Marzocco by Donatello. The Loggia dei Lanzi especially is a breathtaking gallery of statues amongst which stand some absolute masterpieces: the Rape of the Sabine Women (Ratto delle Sabine) by Giambologna, the first “moving” statue ever, and the stunning Perseus and Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini. The Medici wanted to display their power and prestige.

Ponte Vecchio.

A spot that's truly unique in the world. The “houses” you see on it are not actually houses. They're shops..! Jewellery and goldsmithing workshops ONLY. And why is that..? Raise your eyes and look at the indoor, nearly-one-mile-long secret passageway built above the Ponte Vecchio's workshops. It's the Vasari Corridor, named after the architect who built it and commissioned by the Medici family. When they had it built in 1565 - the bridge pre-dates it, back to approximately 1345 - they moved the butchers' workshops which were originally on the bridge and settled jewellers’ and goldsmiths’ workshops on it..!

What are you waiting for..? I’ll be waiting for you to join me for one of the most enthralling experiences of your life..!