Museums in Florence
Of the five museums on this page, four shut on Mondays; only the Brancacci Chapel opens that day, and on Tuesdays it's the other way round.
- The reason to come
- The Uffizi and the Accademia
- Closed on Mondays
- The Uffizi
- Closed on Tuesdays
- The Brancacci Chapel
Of the five museums on this page, two are a reason to come to Florence: the Uffizi, with Botticelli and Leonardo, and the Accademia, home to the original of Michelangelo's David. The Pitti Palace with the Boboli Gardens, San Marco and the Brancacci Chapel are for whatever time is left, but the order depends on the day of the week, because four of the five shut on Mondays.
The Uffizi and the Accademia: two reasons to come
The Uffizi holds Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Leonardo and Caravaggio across two floors, and takes 3 h to see without running; the day ticket is €25, cheaper in the afternoon from 4 p.m. at €16. Ten minutes away, the Accademia holds the original of Michelangelo's David — the one on Piazza della Signoria is only a copy — and the museum is small, so the €20 ticket plus the booking fee is all it takes.
The Pitti Palace and Boboli: the other side of the river
Across the Ponte Vecchio, in the Oltrarno, stands the Pitti Palace with the Boboli Gardens behind it — the combined ticket is €22. The palace was once the Medici residence, and Boboli is a real park with terraces that climbs the hill; from the upper terraces the city shows across the rooftops.
San Marco and the Brancacci Chapel: the quieter choice
San Marco, ten minutes from the Duomo, holds forty-three cells Fra Angelico painted for the monks — entry €11, almost no queue. The Brancacci Chapel, in the Oltrarno, has Masaccio's 1425 frescoes and entry is by slot; the ticket is €10, booking recommended. It's the only one of the five open on Mondays, but it shuts on Tuesdays.
The order, by day of the week
On Mondays only the Brancacci Chapel is open among these five — the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Pitti and San Marco are shut, so Monday stays reserved for the Duomo, the Piazzale and a walk through the city. Tuesdays flip it: everything but the Brancacci is open, making it the busiest museum day. The Uffizi and the Accademia each need a separate morning or afternoon, since both take several hours.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Which museum in Florence should you not miss?
The Uffizi and the Accademia — Botticelli and Leonardo in one, the original David in the other.
What's closed on Mondays in Florence?
The Uffizi, the Accademia, the Pitti Palace with Boboli, and San Marco. Only the Brancacci Chapel is open.
Do you need to book the Brancacci Chapel?
It's recommended; entry is by slot, fifteen people at a time.
Ready for Florence?
Where to next
From the airport to Florence
→Florence has its own airport five kilometres from the centre, but shares Pisa's too — an hour and a half…
San Gimignano · 38 km
→Walls with fourteen surviving towers out of what was once seventy-two, seen from the road before you even reach the gate.
How well does Florence suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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