The Uffizi holds the world’s greatest collection of Italian Renaissance painting, from Giotto to Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio. This guide picks the masterpieces worth your time, explains how the galleries are laid out, and suggests what to do next door when you come out.
The collection is hung roughly in date order, starting on the second floor with medieval gold-ground altarpieces and continuing to the 17th century on the first floor. Follow that order and the story of Renaissance art unfolds in front of you.
Near the start of the route, three huge altarpieces of the Virgin and Child hang side by side. Painted between about 1280 and 1310, they show art moving from flat gold patterns towards solid, believable figures, with Giotto taking the biggest step.
Two portraits face each other in profile, with tiny, detailed landscapes behind them. Federico da Montefeltro is always shown from his left side because he lost his right eye in a tournament.
Painted on wood in the early 1480s, this garden scene is filled with mythological figures and around 500 identified plants and flowers. Read it from right to left: the wind god Zephyrus chases the nymph Chloris, who turns into Flora, goddess of spring.
Probably made for the Medici around 1485, this is painted on canvas rather than wood, which was unusual for such an important work at the time. Venus arrives on a shell, pushed by the winds, while a young woman waits with a flowered cloak.
The Annunciation is one of Leonardo’s earliest works, painted in the workshop of his master Verrocchio. Nearby, the unfinished Adoration of the Magi lets you see his drawing and planning under the paint.
This round painting of the Holy Family is Michelangelo’s only surviving finished panel painting. It was made for the wedding of Agnolo Doni and Maddalena Strozzi, and still sits in its original carved frame.
Built by Bernardo Buontalenti in 1584 for Grand Duke Francesco I, this octagonal room has a red velvet wall covering and a dome lined with mother-of-pearl shells. The ancient Medici Venus statue stands in the centre.
Painted in 1538 for the Duke of Urbino, this reclining nude in a Venetian bedroom became one of the most copied images in Western art. It shows the warm colour and soft light that set Venetian painting apart from Florence.
On the first floor, the mood changes completely. Caravaggio’s Medusa, painted on a round parade shield, captures a scream in the moment of death. Nearby, Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes is one of the most powerful works by a woman artist of the 1600s.
The long corridors are lined with ancient Roman sculpture and painted ceilings. At the river end, the short connecting corridor gives one of the best views of the Ponte Vecchio, with the Vasari Corridor running above the shops.
You cannot leave and come back later on the same ticket. All visitors, including those with timed or priority tickets, go through a security check at the entrance.
The Uffizi Galleries are a state museum. These are the official prices; booking platforms and tours add services or fees on top.
| What | Price / hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Single ticket, bought on the day | €25 | Availability depends on capacity |
| Single ticket, booked in advance | €29 | Guarantees your chosen time slot |
| Reduced ticket | €2 | For eligible visitors, including EU citizens aged 18–25 |
| Free entry | €0 | Includes under-18s; bring ID |
| PassePartout 5 Days | €40 · €58 with Vasari Corridor | Uffizi, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens |
| Audio guide | €6 | A valid ID is required as a deposit |
| Opening hours | Tue–Sun 8:15–18:30 | Ticket office closes at 17:30 |
| Closed | Mondays, 1 Jan, 25 Dec | Check notices for strikes or partial closures |
The museum posts notices about strikes, closed rooms and lifts that are out of service. For example, a strike has been announced for 14 October 2026, and some rooms are temporarily closed for rearrangement.
After two or three hours of paintings, most people need a change. Pick one of these, depending on whether you want more art, fresh air or a walk.
Built in 1565 so the Medici could walk between their offices and Palazzo Pitti without going outside, the elevated corridor reopened in December 2024 after a long restoration. It crosses above the Ponte Vecchio shops and ends in the Boboli Gardens.
The niches of the Uffizi courtyard hold 19th-century statues of famous Tuscans, including Dante, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. Spot them on your way in or out.
The Medici palace across the river holds the Palatine Gallery, with many paintings by Raphael and Titian, hung densely in richly decorated rooms. It feels very different from the Uffizi’s neat galleries.
Behind Palazzo Pitti, the Medici gardens offer shady paths, fountains, grottoes and views over the rooftops: the best antidote to a morning of museums.
From the riverside end of the Uffizi courtyard, walk along the river to the Ponte Vecchio, then continue to the quieter Ponte Santa Trinita for the classic view back towards the old bridge.
The town hall at the end of the courtyard tells Florence’s political story, a good partner to the Uffizi’s art. Its tower gives a view over the gallery roofs.
Raphael and Titian in a palace setting: the best second gallery for art lovers.
Green space, fountains and views after hours indoors.
A unique walk above the city that most visitors never see.
Go straight to the Botticelli rooms before the groups arrive, then work through the collection in order.
Take a break at the rooftop café, then finish with Caravaggio on the first floor.
After lunch, cross the Ponte Vecchio to Pitti and Boboli, or book the Vasari Corridor.
There are four main ways to visit. The best choice depends on how much you already know about art and how much time you have.
Buy directly from the museum and explore with the room labels, or rent the official audio guide for €6.
Many resellers pair a timed ticket with a smartphone audio guide, so you can skip what you don’t like.
A good guide turns a maze of rooms into a clear story in about two hours, and handles tickets and entry for you.
Combination tickets book timed entry to both museums. They are good value only if you really plan to visit both.
Compare independent entry, guided explanation, priority access and combined coverage before choosing a time slot.
Most reviewed
A flexible starting point if you want to compare audio-guide entry with guided formats in one listing.
Guided explanation
Choose this when a small-group guide and included ticket matter more than exploring alone.
Reserved entry
A clear independent option with reserved entry and commentary, without a live group tour.
Priority entry
A strong fit if you want a small group plus the listing’s priority-entry format.
Two galleries
Useful if you want the Uffizi and the Accademia in one booking, with timed entry and an audio app.
Audio app
A good independent choice if you want a fixed arrival time and app-based commentary.
Florence Art Gallery Tickets is an independent visitor guide and is not the official Uffizi Gallery website. We may earn a commission from some links at no extra cost to you. *Ratings, review counts and starting prices are taken from the booking platform and can change, so check the live page for your date. The official ticket costs €25 on the day or €29 booked ahead.
With a single-entry ticket, it helps to know where you can rest inside and where to eat once you leave.
The café terrace sits on top of the Loggia dei Lanzi, with a close view of Palazzo Vecchio’s tower. It’s the one place inside to sit down with a drink.
The narrow streets east of the gallery, around Via dei Neri, have sandwich shops and simple trattorias.
Cross the Ponte Vecchio to Santo Spirito for a quieter, more local lunch before Pitti or Boboli.
The Uffizi is big and busy. These small decisions make the biggest difference.
Tour groups fill the Botticelli rooms from mid-morning to early afternoon.
Backpacks, bulky bags and umbrellas must be left there before you start.
Pick five or six works you really want to see. Trying to see everything leads to museum fatigue.
You need it for free or reduced tickets and as a deposit for the audio guide.
The museum is closed on Mondays; strikes are announced on the official site.
Don’t book another timed museum straight afterwards; security queues can delay your start.
Short answers to the questions visitors ask most often.
€25 if bought on the day and €29 if booked in advance. EU citizens aged 18–25 pay €2, and under-18s enter free.
Tuesday to Sunday, 8:15–18:30. The ticket office closes at 17:30, and the gallery is closed on Mondays.
About 2–3 hours for the highlights. A complete visit can take half a day.
In room A12 on the second floor, next to Botticelli’s Primavera.
No. Tickets are valid for a single entry, so plan breaks for before or after your visit, or use the rooftop café.
Yes, by booking a time slot. It is included in the 5-day PassePartout with Vasari Corridor (€58).
For a first visit, book an early slot, head to Botticelli first, then follow the rooms in date order to Leonardo, Michelangelo, Titian and Caravaggio. Finish with a coffee on the terrace and a walk along the river.
Images via Wikimedia Commons: Uffizi courtyard by Txllxt TxllxT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Caravaggio room by Fabrizio Garrisi (CC0); paintings by Botticelli and Zoffany (public domain). Tour images via GetYourGuide.
