Florence,
Palazzo Vecchio.

Guided tours of the Palazzo Vecchio.

 
Florence's imposing town-hall, the Palazzo Vecchio, sits square in Piazza della Signoria, and merits a much closer look. There are various tours that visit the ordinarily closed areas, sections of the building that are far from ordinary when it comes to history and decoration!
“The best tour we did during our time in Florence, very interesting and the tour guide Francesco was so knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Florence.”

MR, United Kingdom
“This was an excellent tour, very interesting and comprehensive. Our tour guide, Giacamo was first class, very knowledgeable, entertaining delivery.”

GB, Australia

You'll return home from Florence with enough photographs to fill several hard drives, and it's a pretty safe bet to assume that amongst them will be assorted shots of Florence's old town hall, the Palazzo Vecchio.

The Palazzo Vecchio sits in the heart of Florence, looking out onto Piazza Signoria with its copy of Michelangelo's David, as well as a gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi. As Town Halls go, it's pretty impressive, with it crenellated, fortress-like appearance. However, unlike, say, the Uffizi or the cathedral (Duomo), it tends to go unexplored. Photographed, yes ... entered, no. And that's a shame.

The Palazzo Vecchio is, rather mundanely, given its appearance, the Town Hall of Florence, but this is no shabby municipal eyesore, rather a magnificent stone palace, started in 1299 and the work of Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect of the Duomo and Santa Croce church.

Built for defence, the foursquare, solid edifice is enhanced by its simple clocktower; until 1873 the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio was rendered exceptionally notable for being home to (the original) Davide by Michelangelo. The sculpture was moved to the Accademia and the statue of David that now graces the Palazzo Vecchio is a replica, erected in 1910.

To remedy this then, our assorted tours of the Palazzo Vecchio, varied and interesting ways to get to know more of this fine building, its history and its treasure trove of art. See below for links to further detail on the tours, and use the calendar above to check availability.

Opening times

  • The Palazzo Vecchio is open seven days a week and, Monday to Saturday, has typical opening hours of 9.30 AM until 1.00 PM, and then again from 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM.
  • On Sundays and National Holidays it is usually open from 9.30 AM to 12.30 PM.

The tours are not suitable for children under the age of 8, nor are they suitable for those in wheelchairs (although the building itself does have wheelchair access). You will need to arrive at the Palazzo Vecchio at least 15 minutes before the tour is due to start, but we'd recommend arriving as early as possible as all visitors are required to pass through a metal detector, and this inevitably takes some time.

Florence, Palazzo Vecchio, ticket payment and pricing.

At all times we will refer to the full price of your ticket(s), and you will never be charged more than this ... just please be aware that the total charge includes booking fee. You will arrive with a paid-in-full voucher.

Are there any types of reduced tickets for the Palazzo Vecchio?

1. 'Full price' tickets are for (i) anyone aged 26 or more.

2. 'Reduced' tickets are available to anyone aged between 18 and 25. Proof of ID (usually a passport) will be required. Please note that a student visa is not acceptable as ID.

3. 'Complimentary' tickets are available to (i) anyone under the age of 18. Tickitaly are still charged by the authorities to make this kind of reservation, hence the small charge.

4.8 stars out of 5 from 103 ratings. See all 75 reviews

5 stars
JG, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
24th Aug 2023
Brilliant tour. Just the ten of us. The secret passage tour was brilliant and not too busy. The guide was fabulous. Best one in our holiday. Would recommend to anyone to do this.
5 stars
KT, United States
18th Aug 2023
Our guide was amazing! The tour was interesting and informative. Absolutely loved this tour!
5 stars
Henry, United States
14th Jul 2023
Great tour. Very enthusiastic tour guide
5 stars
SB, Greece
4th May 2023
Great tour and a very good guide Giacomo! He made the tour way too interesting!!
5 stars
AP, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
3rd Mar 2023
Really good tour , interesting and enjoyable. Lots of steps in small spaces so not suitable for everyone!
5 stars
JP, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
7th Oct 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this tour .. thanks to Pamela, who was able to secure us tickets when nobody else could
Florence Palazzo Vecchio tours