Free tours in Florence
Free walking tours Florence · Trip Tours Florence
Walk Brunelleschi's Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio and the Piazza della Signoria, and cross to the Oltrarno to discover the artisans' quarter amid stories of the Medici and the Renaissance.
The best free tours in Florence
Florence's historic centre is compact and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so it is walked without any need for transport. From the Duomo square to the Ponte Vecchio is less than ten minutes on foot, and along the way you pass the Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi Gallery. It is a city to look up in: Brunelleschi's dome rises above the rooftops and serves as a compass when you get lost in the narrow streets around Santa Croce.
The first route is the Renaissance axis: the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery with Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise and Giotto's Campanile, before heading down to the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio, with the Uffizi Gallery alongside. The second crosses the Ponte Vecchio to the Oltrarno, the district of artisan workshops, the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, with the Santo Spirito square as the meeting point of a less touristy Florence. The third climbs to the Piazzale Michelangelo at dusk, the lookout from which you see the whole city and the dome outlined against the Tuscan hills.
The walks usually leave from the centre, from unmistakable points such as the Piazza della Signoria or around the Duomo square, where the guide waits with an identifying sign. Mid-morning departures dodge the hottest hours in summer and the crowds in front of the cathedral, while late-afternoon ones fit with the dusk stroll towards the Arno river. Each walk usually lasts between two and a half and three hours. Booking is done without paying anything in advance and, at the end of the walk, you give the guide a voluntary contribution.
Day trips in Florence
Day trips, skip-the-line tickets and guided visits in Florence, booked through GetYourGuide.
Free tours in Florence are booked through Trip Tours partners such as FreeTour.com and GuruWalk. Booking is free and the price is the same for you; it helps us keep the site running.
Frequently asked questions about free tours in Florence
- What does the free tour in Florence cost?
- Booking is free and there is no payment up front. At the end you leave the guide a voluntary contribution of between 15 and 20 euros per person. Fixed-price excursions, such as the Chianti route with a tasting and Tuscan lunch, do carry a set fee that is stated when you book.
- Which free tour is best for a first look at Florence?
- For a first taste, the best option is a walk through the centre that brings together the Duomo, the Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio with the stories of the Renaissance and the Medici. With that route you place the main monuments in a couple of hours and then decide whether you would rather go deeper into the Oltrarno or into the legends of the city's darker side.
- Do I have to book my place in advance?
- Yes, it is worth booking your place online, especially between April and October and on long weekends. Groups have limited capacity and the centre and Oltrarno tours fill up days ahead in high season. Since booking costs nothing, you lose nothing by securing your spot.
- Does the free tour run when it rains?
- Yes, Florence's free tours run in the rain all the same, since almost all of the walk is outdoors through the streets and squares of the centre. It is worth bringing an umbrella or raincoat and comfortable shoes, because the stone paving around the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio is slippery. They are only called off if there is a serious weather warning, and in that case you are told so the date can be changed.
- Which excursion stands out from Florence?
- The most requested is the Chianti wine route with a tasting and Tuscan lunch, which heads out to the vineyards between Florence and Siena to try the wines of the denomination and eat at a winery. Within the city, the dusk walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo and the food tour of the Mercato Centrale are the experiences travellers repeat most.
Why book your free tour with Trip Tours
Local guides
Walks with Florence guides who tell the city first-hand, with stories you won't find in a paper guidebook.
Several time slots
Departures at different times of day so they fit your trip, morning or afternoon.
Free booking
Hold your spot without paying anything upfront and cancel at no cost if your plans change.
