Italy’s undeniably rich history and its tryst with art are showcased at the Accademia Gallery – a centuries-old museum in heartland Florence. The endless lines around the museum, the second most popular one in the country, queue up largely to pay homage and be mesmerised by Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture – the nude, shepherd warrior - David. The museum also highlights the master sculptor’s other works, many of them unfinished. Other galleries, in this modest building, come adorned with religious art and works by other Italian stalwarts like Sandro Botticelli, Andrea Orcagna, Filipino Lippi, Taddeo Gaddi, and Dominico Ghirlandaio.
Millions flock to Accademia Gallery each year and with good reason. After all, it is not just a place to discover Michelangelo’s mastery over stone but to deep dive into what established Italy as a cultural powerhouse. To make the most of the experience and your stay in picture-perfect Florence, we recommend a guided tour of Accademia Gallery.
Here’s a curated list of the seven best Accademia Gallery tours.
What are the advantages of Accademia Gallery Tours?
No more waiting in long lines
Your time in Florence is precious and shouldn’t be wasted waiting in queues. Skip the lines with guided tours.
Get expert guidance
Every piece at the Accademia Gallery has a story to tell! The sculptures, musical instruments, and art - are rich pieces of history that originated during important cultural points in Italy’s history. With guided tours, you can learn the known and the unknown histories behind the Accademia Gallery’s offerings.
Easy navigation
The Accademia Gallery might not be an expansive museum but there are several galleries within the Gallery that can prove to be a bit daunting to the first-time visitor. A guided tour will ensure a seamless experience that makes good use of your time here.
Flexible timings
We are sure your Florence itinerary is packed with things to do and see. On a guided tour, you give yourself the freedom to choose a tour time that suits you best during your holiday.
Small tour groups
Join a handful of people as you explore the Gallery. This allows you to learn plenty without jostling for the guide’s attention.
Combos
Get value for your money with guided tours that go beyond the Accademia Gallery. You can choose from guided tours that take you through the must-sees at the Gallery and then take you on a whirlwind tour of Florence and its other notable attractions.
The best Accademia Gallery guided tours
There are a number of guided Accademia Gallery tours available for online booking. Here is a list of our top recommended Accademia Gallery tours we think you'll enjoy.
Guided Tours
Combo Guided Tours
Everything you need to know before visiting Accademia Gallery
Accademia Gallery guided tours versus Combo guided tours: What to choose?
Before you decide which tour to choose, take a look at the key features of each ticket. Here’s a list of all your Accademia Gallery ticket options and what they entail.
1Skip the line guided tours
For those of you who have the Accademia Gallery on your bucket list and want to lavish it with attention, we recommend the skip-the-line guided tour that gets into the famed gallery at lightning speed and join a small group, led by an expert group, in discovering the Gallery’s treasures.
2Combo tour: Uffizi and Accademia Gallery
Open the doors to an art deluge by touring Italy’s foremost museums. Both, Uffizi and Accademia Gallery draw in visitors by the millions each year. If you want to skip the crowds but soak up every bit of the astounding artistry (think, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Giotto, and Lippi) sign up for the combo tour of these galleries. For those of you short on time, an hour-long tour takes you through the greatest hits. But if you have the time to linger, we recommend the entire, three-hour immersive experience.
3Combo tour: Paired with guided tour of Florence
In Florence just for a day? Then, pair your Accademia Gallery experience with a grand tour of the historic city of Florence – the birthplace of the Renaissance. Gawk at Michelangelo’s David at Accademia and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus at Uffizi. Then, wander the city’s famed piazzas, marvel at Ponte Vecchi – an engineering marvel of a bridge, and be mesmerised by the art that greets you at every corner in this beautiful town – all with a guide so that you get the complete Florence experience.
Your Accademia Gallery tour deconstructed
Home to the world’s collection of Michelangelo’s sculptures, the Accademia Gallery is a towering presence on Italy’s art landscape. Make your way through the museum’s collections – comprising of paintings, sculptures, musical instruments and historical archives – to traverse through space and time.
Colosso Hall
The first room is the rectangular Colosso Hall whose walls are adorned by paintings and altarpieces – big and small – by artists like Botticelli, Perugino, Uccello and other Renaissance masters. Unmissable among these is Adimari’s wedding feast rendered on a bridal chest. The panel depicts a festive atmosphere with bedecked men and women, in pairs, walking under a red, elongated canopy-like structure. The rest of the paintings largely centre around Christian iconography and includes Botticelli’s Madonna of the Sea. At the centre of the room sits a plaster model of Giambologna’s ‘Rape of Sabine Women’ sculpture with three figures entwined seamlessly in a serpentine dance.
Prigioni’s Gallery
Known commonly as the Prisoner’s Gallery, this is your first encounter with Michelangelo’s masterful work at the museum. On both sides of a long aisle stand his unfinished sculptures. First, there are the four ‘prisoners’ – Young Slave, Awakening Slave, Bearded Slave, and Atlas – who were meant to be part of the adornment of a pope’s tomb. The four, firm-bodied men look like they are straining to free themselves of the constraints of the marble blocks they have been cast in and stand testament to Michelangelo’s unparalleled talent. Also featured is the artist’s St. Mathew sculpture that remains unfinished. Interspersed among these sculptures are oil paintings from that era.
David’s Grand Gallery
At the end of Prigioni’s Gallery is the Tribune or David’s Grand Gallery – the high point of the Accademia Gallery experience. Under a sky-lit glass done, surrounded by four archways – Michelangelo’s nude David stands tall at 17 feet high. Get as close as you can to observe the veins pop out on his arms and hands, the eyes that follow you across the room, the furrowed eyebrows and the curls that crown his head – all of this sculpted out of a single block of marble. The gallery is flanked by wings that house Christian-themed art.
Plaster Casts Gallery
Locally called Gipsoteca Bartolini, this room is a hall of models (gipsoteca) by Lorenzo Bartolini – a leading, 19th-century sculptor. Rows and rows of busts occupy the studio’s walls while more extravagant, towering pieces stand at the centre.
Florentine Gothic – Pacino’s Room, Giotto and Giotteschi‘s Room, and Orcagna’s Room
Step further back into the 13th and 14th centuries at the Florentine Gothic gallery. Again, the pieces here are heavy on Christian iconography and are marked by stark gold backgrounds. For art lovers, the Accademia Gallery proves to be a rare treat where you can witness the various schools of art that bloomed across Italy over the centuries.
Museum of Musical Instruments
One of the newest collections at the museum, this gallery plays host to around 50 musical instruments crafted between the 17th and the 19th centuries. Largely belonging to the houses of the dukes of Medici, Lorraine and Tuscany this showcase of pianos, violoncellos, spinets and others, guarantees that you end your tour on a high note.
Paintings Century XV – Lorenzo Monaco and the Late Gothic
Located on the quiet first floor, this section features restored artworks from the late Gothic period, between 1370 and 1420. Sourced from various monasteries and artist workshops from around Italy, the expansive section features gilded altars, Gothic-style paintings hallmarked by golden backgrounds, large crucifixes, and fabric art that depict events from the life of Christ and also pay tribute to Christian saints.
Accademia Gallery essential information
Opening hours
The museum operates between 8:15am and 6:50pm between Tuesdays and Sundays. The museum is closed on all Mondays, on January 1 and December 25.
Between June and December, the museum extends its hours on certain days of the week. We recommend you log on to the official website for current information.
Getting there
- By Bus: Bus routes 17, 23, and 20 will take you to the Piazza Di San Marco stop. From here, Accademia Gallery is just a 1-minute walk.
- By Car: The closest car parks to Accademia Gallery at Garage Michelangelo, Park2Go Parcheggio Firenze, and Central Parking Firenze.
- By Metro: If you’re traveling by metro, the closest station to Accademia Gallery is Santa Maria Novella. From here the gallery is a 15-minute walk.
- By Taxi: You can catch a local taxi which will take you straight to Accademia Gallery.
Rules and Regulations
- Security checks are mandatory at the Accademia Gallery and objects like scissors, blades, and knives that can harm others and damage the art pieces are strictly prohibited.
- The Gallery encourages you to either switch off your mobile phone or have it on silent mode. Flash photography and the use of selfie sticks or heavy equipment are not allowed.
- You are only allowed a small bottle of water inside the museum. All other drinks and eatables are not allowed.
- The museum has a strict cancellation policy and tickets once sold cannot be rescheduled, transferred or cancelled.
Tips for Accademia Gallery tour
- Reserve your ticket: Book your ticket well in advance. While the attraction does sell tickets on-site, three hour wait times are not uncommon especially during peak season.
- Find the right line: Outside the museum, you’ll find the different lines for different tickets. Find the right line so you don’t end up wasting time. This is why we highly recommend a guided tour since these nitty-gritties will be taken care of when you have a well-appointed guide.
- Have your photo ID: Booking audio guides does need a submission of your passport or other valid Photo ID, carry it with you to the museum.
- Carry water: They are strict about only carrying a bottle of water inside the museum. We recommend you take a bottle inside as the museum gets stuffy because of the crowds especially during the summer.
- Accessibility: There is wheelchair accessibility throughout the museum. However, do note that the staff does not allow anyone without an obvious disability to get on to the lifts. Be prepared to walk around.
- Guide animals: Access is provided to guide dogs for the blind and to service dogs for those with a disability on submission of a certificate issued by a public health physician.
- No storage: The museum does not have a cloakroom and does not have any place to store large bags and backpacks. We recommend you leave them at the hotel.
