Great Florence Tours – Roaming Historian

I’ve found tours to be a great way to explore a city—as long as the guide is knowledgeable, experienced, and passionate. We’ve found that the guide we experienced with LivTours (LivItaly) offered all of the above. As a history professor with almost two decades of teaching experience, I know the deepest level of learning occurs when the person conveying the message is enthusiastic and impassioned. An engaging tour guide shows a true love for their city’s sites that make sightseeing memorable, fun, and educational. Plus, it’s just cool to spend time with a local!

Another great feature of LivTours, besides their awesome guides and unique takes on tours, is the fact that their tours are limited to six people. If you’ve ever spent time on a bus tour filled with tourists and then walked around trying to hear your guide, you know how frustrating a big tour group can be. With no more than six people, your guide will know your name and you will be able to interact with her/him easily.

One of my favorite cities in the world—the place where husband and I want to spend the rest of our life when I retire from academia—is Florence, Italy. It is a magnificent, almost magical, city filled with art and history around every corner. With so many treasures packed into one city, there are many people who descend upon it every year which is why getting tickets to some of its most famed attractions can be a nightmare. This is where LivTours can be your best friend. Three of the most sought after attractions in Florence (and those with the longest lines—if you can even get tickets) are the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia, and the Duomo.

The Uffizi Gallery features some of the greatest works of Renaissance art in the world including masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Baroque artists like Artemisia Gentileschi and Caravaggio, and so much more.

The Accademia features Michelangelo’s most famous statue—David—among other great works of art.

Climbing to the Cupola of the Duomo (the main cathedral in Florence) is an experience you won’t soon forget and provides you with one of the most breathtaking views of the city and the Tuscan countryside that you could ever see.

But all of these experiences are difficult for most people to navigate on their own. Ticket websites can be confusing and advanced skip-the-line tickets sell out well in advance. Here are some of our favorite tours through the LivTours that…