Highlights of Florence

Survey Florence’s extraordinary architectural beauty and illustrious past during this guided walking tour to many of the highlights found in the UNESCO World Heritage site historic center. You’ll delight in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as Il Duomo, which is crowned with a superb octogonal cupola designed by the Renaissance architect Brunelleschi. Nearby you’ll find the master Giotto’s soaring 14th-century campanile, or bell tower, and the Romanesque baptistery, which boasts stunning bronze doors by Ghiberti that are known as the Gates of Paradise. In stately Piazza della Signoria, see the crenellated Palazzo Vecchio, which served as the town’s political center, and an abundance of exquisite statues that include Cellini’s Perseus, Giambologna’s The Rape of the Sabine Women and a replica of Michelangelo’s David. Stroll the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge, where the city’s butchers once toiled until they were ousted and replaced by silver and goldsmiths. Marvel at Basilica di Santa Croce, Italy’s largest Franciscan Gothic church, on which the finest Florentine architects and masters labored, including Brunelleschi, Vasari, Giotto and Donatello. You’ll relish free time for lunch and shopping at the conclusion of this comprehensive tour of spellbinding Florence.

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Dress appropriately to visit a religious venue; shoulders and knees must be covered.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.