A Florence in a day tour promises Michelangelo’s David, the Duomo and the Uffizi before dinner. However, the two best-reviewed tours on Viator make opposite choices: one takes you inside the Uffizi, the other inside the cathedral. Florence in a Day: Michelangelo’s David, Uffizi, Duomo & City Tour is rated 4.7 across 1,313 reviews, from about $147 per person. Florence in a Day: David, Cathedral & City Highlights Guided Tour is rated 4.6 across 991 reviews, from about $126 per person.
How we picked
Among the tours sold as Florence in a day on Viator on October 1, 2026, we looked for an English-speaking guide, entry to the Accademia included and close to 1,000 reviews or more. We also set aside two well-reviewed tours whose “from” price is for a basic option that leaves out the Uffizi: the headline price does not buy the tour in the title. The two that remain are both run by Walks, and they split the day in different ways.
The verdict
For a first visit with a single day, Florence in a Day: Michelangelo’s David, Uffizi, Duomo & City Tour is our pick. It covers the two museums most people come for, the Accademia and the Uffizi, with about 2 hours and 45 minutes inside, and walks you past the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio in between. It also has the higher rating, with 86% five-star reviews.
Florence in a Day: David, Cathedral & City Highlights Guided Tour is the one to book if the Duomo matters more to you than the Uffizi, or if you only have a morning. It takes three hours, costs less and goes inside the cathedral, but the Uffizi is seen from outside only.
Neither tour climbs Brunelleschi’s dome. On the shorter tour, the climb up Giotto’s bell tower is an upgrade at extra cost.
Neither tour fills the whole day. Adding up the itineraries on Viator, the longer one spends about 2 hours and 45 minutes inside the Accademia and the Uffizi; the shorter one about 1 hour and 45 minutes inside the Accademia, the cathedral and the Duomo Museum or the Baptistery. That leaves your afternoon or evening free. For a self-guided plan of the rest of the day, see our Florence in one day itinerary; to climb the dome, compare the Duomo dome climb tours.
Which one is for you?
Take the Uffizi tour if
- It is your first time in Florence and you want both the David and the Uffizi.
- You are happy to see the Duomo and the Baptistery from the outside.
- A five-hour tour with a break suits you.
- Someone in your group uses a wheelchair: it is listed as wheelchair accessible, so tell the supplier when you book.
Take the Duomo tour if
- You want to go inside the cathedral with a guide.
- You have a morning or an afternoon, not a full day.
- The Uffizi is already booked, or paintings matter less to you than architecture.
- Price counts: it is about $21 cheaper per person.
Watch the calendar with the Duomo tour: it does not enter the cathedral on Sundays, and it is not wheelchair accessible. The Uffizi tour does not accept strollers. For one museum at a time, compare our Accademia and David tours and Uffizi Gallery tours.
Where the hours go
Times as listed in each tour’s itinerary on Viator. However, order and times can shift with your entry slots and departure time.
| Uffizi tour | Duomo tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Accademia Gallery and the David | 1 hour 15 minutes, inside | 1 hour, inside |
| Florence Cathedral (Duomo) | 15 minutes, outside | 30 minutes, inside |
| Baptistery | 15 minutes, outside | Duomo Museum or Baptistery, 15 minutes |
| Piazza della Signoria | 15 minutes | Not listed |
| Ponte Vecchio | 15 minutes | End of the tour |
| Uffizi Gallery | 1 hour 30 minutes, inside | Outside view only |
| Break | 30 minutes for coffee, or 1 hour for lunch on the 9:45 a.m. departure | Not listed on Viator |
| Total | About 5 hours | About 3 hours |
What each price covers
The Uffizi tour
Included: reserved entry and a guided tour of the Accademia Gallery (the ticket is listed at €24), reserved entry and a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery, a guided walk past the Duomo, the Baptistery, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio, and an English-speaking guide. Groups are capped at 15.
Not included: entry to the cathedral, the dome or the bell tower, and lunch.
The Duomo tour
Included: reserved entry and a guided tour of the Accademia Gallery, a visit to the cathedral, a short stop at the Duomo Museum or the Baptistery, a guided walk to the Ponte Vecchio, audio headsets and an English-speaking guide. Groups are capped at 15. On morning tours, the guide leaves you at the cathedral and you go in on your own; on afternoon tours, the guide comes inside.
Not included: entry to the Uffizi, the dome climb, and Giotto’s bell tower, which is an upgrade at extra cost and has no lift.
Where each one starts
- Uffizi tour: Piazza di San Giovanni 6, beside the Baptistery. It ends at the Uffizi.
- Duomo tour: the statue of Manfredo Fanti in Piazza San Marco, near the Accademia. It ends at the Ponte Vecchio.
Before you go: on the Uffizi tour, museum tickets carry each traveler’s name, so book with the names on your IDs and bring the IDs. On the Duomo tour, the cathedral has a dress code and backpacks are not allowed. The Baptistery’s mosaics are under restoration, so part of the ceiling may be covered.
Side by side
| Uffizi tour | Duomo tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7 from 1,313 | 4.6 from 991 |
| Five-star reviews | 1,133 (86%) | 799 (81%) |
| Price | from about $147 per person | from about $126 per person |
| Length | 5 hours | 3 hours |
| Inside the Uffizi | Yes, about 1 hour 30 minutes | No |
| Inside the cathedral | No | Yes, about 30 minutes, not on Sundays |
| Group size | Up to 15 | Up to 15 |
| Wheelchair accessible | Yes, as listed | No |
| Supplier | Walks – Italy & Spain | Walks In Europe |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before | Free up to 24 hours before |
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What travelers say
On the Uffizi tour
We did it on our first full day of the city so we had a good understanding of Florence for the remainder of our trip.
Felipe_H, September 2026, via Viator
The tour is a good first day orientation to Florence, and “hits the highlights” if you don’t have much time.
John_B, August 2026, via Viator
On the Duomo tour
Our guide was very good and mindful of our safety and understanding of how things worked with security, etc.
Kathryn_B, September 2026, via Viator
It didn’t feel like it had dragged on either like some tours can and we moved at a good pace.
Saima_H, August 2026, via Viator
Recent reviews of both tours praise the guides and the pace. Two recent reviewers of the Uffizi tour say it works best on your first day, as an orientation to the city. On the Duomo tour, one reviewer singles out the guide’s help with the security checks.
Cheaper ways to do the same day
You can build the same day yourself with timed tickets for the Accademia, the Uffizi and the Duomo complex. However, you lose the guide and you take on the booking windows yourself. Our guides to Uffizi tickets, Florence Duomo tickets and the Accademia Gallery explain how each one works. For a shorter guided walk, our booking guide to the Florence walking tour with David and the Duomo covers a tour of two and a half to three and a half hours.
More of Florence
With more than one day, spread the same sights out: our best tours in Florence for first-timers plan and the 2 days in Florence and 3 days in Florence itineraries give each museum its own morning. For the evening, compare the Florence food tours and Florence wine tastings. Coming from Rome for the day? See our Rome to Florence train guide, and for Rome itself, our Rome in a day tour comparison. For a day out of the city, see the best day trips from Florence. Everything else is in our Florence travel guide.
Questions travelers ask
Which Florence in a day tour is best?
For most first-time visitors, Florence in a Day: Michelangelo’s David, Uffizi, Duomo & City Tour. It is rated 4.7 across 1,313 reviews, runs for five hours and goes inside both the Accademia and the Uffizi. If you would rather go inside the cathedral, book Florence in a Day: David, Cathedral & City Highlights Guided Tour instead.
Can you see Florence in one day?
You can see the main landmarks in one day, and the historic center is small enough to walk. On the tours compared here, about two to three hours are spent inside the ticketed sites, which leaves time for lunch and the Oltrarno on your own.
Does a Florence in a day tour include the Duomo?
Only the Duomo tour goes inside the cathedral, for about 30 minutes, and not on Sundays. By contrast, the Uffizi tour stops outside the Duomo and the Baptistery. Neither tour includes the dome climb.
Is lunch included?
No. The 9:45 a.m. departure of the Uffizi tour has a one-hour break for lunch at your own expense, while the other departures have a 30-minute coffee break. The Duomo tour is three hours and lists no break.
Can I cancel?
Both offer a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the tour, as shown on Viator on October 1, 2026. Check the terms again when you book.
Book the Uffizi tour if you want the David and the Uffizi in one guided morning or afternoon; book the Duomo tour if going inside the cathedral matters more, or if three hours is all you have.
Editorial assessment by Italy2Love, October 2026. Inclusions and exclusions, meeting points, itineraries and times, prices, ratings, review counts and cancellation terms read on both Viator product pages (product codes 15693P27 and 51192P4), October 1, 2026. Reviews quoted with attribution to their authors and to Viator. Next review March 2027, or sooner on any change to either option.