Florence - The Medici's Private Walking Tour
Description
Step into the fascinating world of the Medici, the family that shaped the very soul of Florence and sparked the Renaissance. From their modest origins as bankers to their rise as dukes and patrons of the arts, this tour takes you on an unforgettable journey through the history of one of Europe’s most influential dynasties. Accompanied by a licensed, knowledgeable guide, you’ll explore the places that marked their lives and their legacy—magnificent palaces, majestic churches, private chapels, and even secret passageways once used to move through the city in safety and style. As you walk the same streets they once ruled, you’ll uncover stories of ambition, art, power struggles, and cultural brilliance. This is more than a tour, it’s a deep dive into the heartbeat of Florence, told through the extraordinary lives of the Medici. Whether you're a history lover, an art enthusiast, or simply curious about the city’s past, this experience will leave you inspired and enchanted.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Palazzo Medici Riccardi is a cornerstone of Renaissance architecture in Florence and a symbol of the Medici family's early rise to power. Commissioned by Cosimo de’ Medici in the mid-15th century and designed by Michelozzo, the palace was one of the first buildings to reflect the new ideals of proportion, symmetry, and classical influence. Behind its austere, rusticated stone façade lies a refined interior, including the stunning Magi Chapel, decorated with vibrant frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli that celebrate the Medici’s wealth and influence. Later expanded by the Riccardi family, the palazzo blends political power, artistic innovation, and family legacy, offering a quiet but powerful glimpse into Florence’s golden age.
Piazza del Duomo is the monumental heart of Florence, where some of the city’s most iconic landmarks come together in a breathtaking ensemble of art and architecture. Dominating the square is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with Brunelleschi’s soaring dome rising above the skyline, a masterpiece of engineering and beauty. Nearby, Giotto’s bell tower adds vertical elegance, while the Baptistery of San Giovanni, with its intricate marble façade and golden “Gates of Paradise,” stands as one of the city’s oldest and most revered buildings. The piazza is constantly alive with the movement of visitors, the echo of footsteps on stone, and the awe that comes from standing at the crossroads of history, faith, and artistic genius.
The Basilica di San Lorenzo is one of Florence’s oldest and most historically rich churches, deeply tied to the legacy of the Medici family. Originally consecrated in the 4th century and rebuilt in the 15th century with designs by Brunelleschi, the basilica blends Renaissance harmony with spiritual simplicity. Its plain façade contrasts with the richness of its interior, which houses works by Donatello and elegant chapels filled with art and symbolism. Most famously, it includes the Medici Chapels, monumental tombs designed by Michelangelo, where generations of the powerful family are buried. San Lorenzo is not just a church, but a mirror of Florence’s transformation through faith, art, and political power.
Piazza della Signoria is Florence’s historic center of power, dominated by the imposing Palazzo Vecchio. It’s an open-air museum filled with Renaissance masterpieces, including a replica of Michelangelo’s David, the Fountain of Neptune, and striking statues under the Loggia dei Lanzi. The nearby Uffizi Gallery links the square to Florence’s artistic legacy, making it a vibrant blend of history, art, and civic life.
Ponte Vecchio is Florence’s oldest and most iconic bridge, known for its picturesque row of jewelry shops and its unique, medieval charm. Above it runs the Vasari Corridor, a hidden elevated passageway built in 1565 to connect Palazzo Vecchio to the Pitti Palace. Designed for the Medici, it allowed them to move through the city unseen, offering a secretive view of Florence from above the bustling streets. Together, the bridge and corridor embody the city’s blend of beauty, power, and ingenuity.
The Pitti Palace is a grand Renaissance residence in Florence, once home to the Medici family. Behind its massive stone façade lie richly decorated rooms and world-class museums, including the Palatine Gallery with masterpieces by Raphael and Titian. The palace opens onto the Boboli Gardens, a vast and elegant green space filled with sculptures, fountains, and sweeping views. It’s a place where royal splendor and artistic heritage meet in the heart of the Oltrarno district.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick-up at your accomodation if centrally located Pick-up will be on foot
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Dress code is smart casual
- Participants are requested at the meeting point 15 minutes before the departure time
Reviews(18)
Great tour for people interested in the Medici family, and general history of Florence , very informative.
Dear Guest, thank you for your feedback. We are pleased that the tour was informative and of interest to you, especially regarding the history of the Medici family and Florence. We hope to welcome you again soon. Kind regards, ACCORD Team
Beautiful guided tour by Yaniel who knew everything explained very well and welcomed us in a professional and impeccable
Gentile Ospite, la ringraziamo per il suo gentile commento. Siamo felici di sapere che la visita guidata da Yaniel sia stata bellissima e che abbia apprezzato la sua competenza, chiarezza e professionalità. Il suo feedback ci motiva a continuare a offrire esperienze eccellenti ai nostri ospiti. Cordiali Saluti ACCORD Team
Our guide Ami has given us passion for this wonderful city! We will definitely be back to discover other curiosities that at every corner you can discover
Gentile Anna, grazie mille per la vostra splendida recensione! Siamo felici di sapere che Ami vi abbia trasmesso tutta la sua passione per questa meravigliosa città. Firenze è davvero piena di sorprese e curiosità ad ogni angolo, e non vediamo l’ora di accogliervi di nuovo per farvele scoprire insieme. Cordialmente, ACCORD Team
Silvia have a fantastic walking tour of all things Medici and was full of wonderful facts and anecdotes (September 2025). She was awesome, kind and very well informed .
Dear Guest, thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Medici walking tour with Silvia and appreciated her knowledge and kindness. She truly loves sharing fascinating facts and stories, and we’re glad it made your experience special. We hope to welcome you again soon! Best regards, ACCORD Team
Great insight and historical perspective on landmarks all over the city of Florence. Guide was knowledgeable, and it made visiting the galleries much more enjoyable. Book this for background before you go see the other sights in Florence.
Dear Eric, thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the insights and historical perspective provided by our guide, and that it enhanced your visit to the galleries. Your suggestion to join the tour before exploring other sights in Florence is truly appreciated, it’s a great way to connect the city’s landmarks with its rich history. We hope to welcome you back soon for more discoveries! Best regards, ACCORD Team
Isabella is an endless source of knowledge and information about art, the Medici history, her beautiful city and cultural perspective. Her sense of humor is wonderful. I was so engaged and motivated to learn much more about Florence and all of its treasures. She is a true educator and approaches her profession with professionalism, enthusiasm, energy and commitment. Great experience! Brava!
We booked the tour because it sounded amazing on Viator/trip advisor however we soon discovered what was represented to us was not accurate and the tour didn’t include admissions or entry into any buildings, court yards or private passageways etc. When we sought an explanation from “Accord” the tour operator, they stated “ The overview description is written by Viator copywriters, not by our Tour Operator, the same regarding the advertising of this tour so if you'd like to forward a complaint you can do it directly with their customer service” So not only did they concede the advertising and description of their tour on Viator is wrong they sought to distance themselves and not honour those representations which was the reason we booked the tour. Further it appears they are not going to correct the misrepresentations in the future. So essentially we paid a premium price to be walked past historical buildings. The only saving grace was Mark our tour guide who was lovely, passionate and did his best in what was awkward circumstances. My recommendation is do not book this tour. Do your research, stay away from Viator and Accord and go with a local direct tour guide. We believe we are reasonable people and when we reached out to the tour operator they dismissed our complaint and concerns and we believe it is important that future tourists are aware that what is represented is not what you get.
Dear Megan, Thank you for the time you dedicated to us and for the opportunity to improve that your review provides. First of all, we regret that your experience was not entirely positive, and we are encouraged by the fact that our guide, Marco, was so kind and helpful. However, I would like to clarify some facts that I believe are the reason for this misunderstanding. The tour you purchased is a walk through the streets of Florence accompanied by our expert and capable guide, who, while walking along the specially designed route, describes the points of interest encountered. Most of the attractions are squares and bridges where there is no entrance ticket; some, however, are palaces, such as Palazzo Pitti, but nowhere in the product description do we mention entry to any of these places. Our mistake was to describe the tickets for various points of the itinerary as "free," which is true for all the points of interest described in the itinerary except for the last one, Palazzo Pitti. Apart from this oversight, I believe it is also common sense to understand that the tour lasts 2 hours, so how could it be possible to enter and visit all the palaces encountered? It takes at least 2 hours just to visit Palazzo Pitti. I want to clarify that we have never blamed the excellent copywriters at Viator since the oversight was on our part. It's not true that we said we didn't want to change the wording, which could be misleading, given that as soon as we discovered the error, we promptly updated it. We can make mistakes; no one is perfect, but we certainly have no intention of scamming or misleading. You write as if the entire product description was written to deceive and promise false things when, in fact, it was an error on our part that simply concerns a single, small point. I renew our regret for the misunderstanding and for not being able to make your visit more enjoyable, but I consider it exaggerated to describe Viator and us as deceivers for a small mistake that we promptly corrected thanks to your feedback. I hope that, in light of this explanation, you can reconsider your review with a few more "stars." Sincerely, ACCORD Team
This tour was informative and interesting! It helped that our tour guide is the “last Medici” and is a history teacher gallivanting around telling us stories of the times.
Hi Odette, thank you for your review! We are happy to know that you enjoyed learning about the history of the Medici and spending time with our guide. Come back soon to learn even more about the rich history of Florence! Best regards, ACCORD Team
Absolutely fantastic guide and really informative tour. Would highly recommend if you’re interested in the Medici history and their influence on Florence. It was a highlight of our stay.
Hi, thank you so much for your review, it will surely be helpful to our people who want to learn more about Florence and its most famous ruling family. We are glad that you enjoyed the tour, and spending time with our guide. Come back to Florence soon! Best regards, ACCORD Team
This was such an amazing tour and our guide Marchello was incredible. We learned so much about the Medici and Marchello was so informative, funny, and we absolutely would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about the Medici while they see Florence!
Hi WIlliam, thank you for leaving a 5 stars review! We are glad that you enjoyed your time with our guide and on our tour. The Medicis are an important part of the history of Florence, so we are happy that you thought that our tour was a great way to discover more about this historical family and their city. If you ever come back to Florence, we hope that you will want to join another one of our tours! Kind regards, ACCORD Team
