Uffizi Gallery Tickets – 8 Things You Should Know

Florence’s crown jewel and one of the most visited museums in the world, Uffizi Gallery is a unique attraction you’ll never forget after visiting! I sure didn’t!

With up to 12,000 visitors on busy days, Uffizi Gallery tickets are usually sold out, so I’m sure by now you know how important it is to book in advance. I recently went to Florence and was so glad I bought a ticket in advance because the lines were so long they almost covered the whole street! 

However, if you had no idea that tickets sell out most of the time, don’t worry! I’m here to help you find all the possible ways to get tickets for Uffizi, even if they’re sold out! 

Make sure you don’t leave as soon as you have found your tickets, though, because I’ve also added a list of some super practical things that you should know before booking, like how far in advance you should book, opening hours, audio guides, and what to expect while you’re inside! 

Buckle up, because we’ve got lots to see!

Andiamo!

Quick Picks for Your Stay

If you are here just to get your tickets, here are the best links to do so: 

• Normal ticket – €24 (Official website) or €28 on GetYourGuide (if they run out on the official site) 
• Discounted ticket –  €2 for students (only for EU students and only up to 25yo)
• Free Entrance – First Sunday of the month is free for everyone. Normal days: Free for people with disabilities and under 12yos (you need to go to the counter).

	Adults	Kids	Guided Tour	Cancelation Policy
Official Website	24€	Free	–	No refund	Book tickets
Get Your Guide	€28	€5	€49	>24-hour free cancellation	Book tickets
Viator	€29	Free	€52	>24-hour free >cancellation	Book tickets
Klook	–	–	€69	>24-hour free cancellation	Book tickets
Headout	€29	Free	€55	No refund for cancellation	Book tickets
Tiqets	€28	–	€45	€4 extra for >24-hour refundable tickets	Book tickets

Why buy in advance?

There’s no doubt that buying your tickets for Uffizi Gallery will save you a lot of time and energy! As one of the most famous museums in the world and the top attractions to see in Florence, Uffizi has some of the longest lines I’ve ever seen!

It’s not only the number of visitors that causes these long lines. The museum only allows a certain number of visitors inside at any one time for security reasons. That’s why I recommend getting your tickets online if you don’t want to waste precious time getting annoyed in a line (especially when it’s super hot)! 

1. Different types of Uffizi Gallery tickets 

There are a few different types of tickets you can choose from if you want to visit Uffizi. I will go through each one and give you all the details so you can decide for yourself which one is right for you. 

Note that all the tickets, regardless of type, have timed entrance. That means you really need to pay attention when booking to ensure you book an entrance slot you won’t miss.

The time slots are every 15 minutes, with the last time slot available being 4:45 pm (1h and 45 min before closing time). If you arrive too late for your designated spot, they’ll still let you in, but you’ll risk waiting for the next available spot as they can only let a certain amount of people in at a time. 

1.1 General entry to Uffizi

The cheapest ticket you can get simply gives you general entry to Uffizi Gallery. This is the only ticket you can buy on the official website, and it costs 24€  in the high season (March – October), and 16€ in the low season (November – February). These prices include the €4 booking fee for online reservations. 

NOTE: The site is a bit confusing initially as it gives you options to purchase tickets to additional attractions as well as Uffizi. Click “Buy Online” on the first rectangle called “Gli Uffizi – single ticket”, this takes you to the shop (see below).

Click “Filter by date or Museum” to pick the date you want to visit, and select Uffizi from the “all museums” drop-down. This will now show you all the available time slots. Now you’re ready to purchase the ticket!

NOTE: Once you’ve purchased your ticket, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Make sure you don’t delete it, as you’ll have to bring it with you (either printed or shown on your phone) to the museum’s ticket office to collect your entrance ticket. 

When you arrive at the museum, you’ll find many staff members outside that will guide you to the right line where you need to wait (I will talk about this in more detail later). But since you’ve already bought the ticket, there won’t be much waiting time, and it will go super fast! 

Fun Fact: Uffizi Gallery has been a museum for over 250 years, it’s no wonder that it is super popular!

Cancelation Policy –  Unfortunately, the museum is super strict about its cancellation policy. If you find out you can’t make and cancel the reservation, you won’t get any of your money back. So if you think there might be a chance of that happening, I recommend booking your ticket through a reseller like Get Your Guide or Viator as they have a 24-hour free cancellation policy.  

Audio Guides – The audio guide is €7, but they only have a limited number of devices that can be bought only with cash. However, I’ve found an app you can get online for free(!)(basically an audio guide). I’ll discuss that in the section “Important things to know about Uffizi”. 

PRICE: €24

1.2 Join a guided group tour of Uffizi Gallery

If you want a more interactive experience at Uffizi Gallery, the best way to explore is by joining a guided tour with a knowledgeable expert. While the museum doesn’t run official guided tours, many other companies offer this. 

On this 2-hour guided tour, you will not only receive an entry ticket which will help you skip the line but you will be accompanied by a live tour guide to explain all the pieces. 

The tour will last 2 hours, and you can choose different group sizes:

• Up to 10 people: €54 
• Up to 20 people: €47
• Up to 30 people: €64

Besides all these perks, you’ll also get to pick your tour time! Guided group tours are as fun as they can get! They offer lots of insights, especially when everyone starts asking questions and debating different subjects.

FUN FACT: In 2018, a visitor at Uffizi suffered from “Stendhal syndrome“, a real condition unique to Florence where people can become sick as a result of being overwhelmed by too much beauty!

After the tour ends, you can stay in the museum for as long as possible and explore further. The languages available are English, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Dutch, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Japanese, and Chinese.

What’s more, there is a free cancellation policy within 24-hours of your tour date. So if you decide you can’t make it, you still have a chance of getting your money back! 

If all the tours are sold out on Get Your Guide, check Viator, Klook, Headout, or Tiqets for more. 

PRICE: from €54

1.3 Take a private tour of Uffizi

Learning stories like this are just some of the perks. There are many others! You’ll also have a free 24-hour cancellation policy, meaning you can get a full refund if you let them know in time! 

Another fantastic aspect about this private tour is that if you’re coming with a group, either family or friends, that is 7 people or more, you can book the tour for €80 per person instead of €120 per person (what it would normally cost for 2 people). That means if you have 7 or more people,  you would only need to pay around €16 more per person for a private guide than if you were to join a group tour!

The private guided tour will last around 2hours, and after it ends, you’re welcome to explore the Gallery and maybe return to some of your favorite pieces of art.  

If all the tours are sold out on Viator, check to Get Your Guide, Klook or Headout for more.

PRICE: 7+ people – €80 per person. <6 People – €120 per person

1.4 Passe-Partout Ticket

If you plan to visit more attractions in Florence, it’s worthwhile considering the Passe-Partout ticket (master key ticket).

This combined ticket offers the opportunity to visit Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace, and Boboli Gardens for one price. The ticket is valid for 5 consecutive days and gives you priority entrance, but you can only visit each attraction once during your stay in Florence. 

NOTE: With this ticket, you must visit Uffizi Gallery first. That’s why you’ll have to pick the date and time you wish to visit Uffizi when purchasing the pass. Only after you’ve been to the Gallery will you be able to visit Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens without any restrictions or further reservation, as long as it is within the following 5 days.  

The ticket costs €38 in summer (March to October) and €18 in winter (November to February) from the official website.

Below I made a calculation to see how much you’ll pay if you get the tickets separately and how much you’ll save if you get the Passe-Partout ticket:

Separate tickets in the Summer: (Uffizi) €24 + (Pitti Palace) €16 + (Boboli Gardens) €10 = €50

Summer savings: €50 – €38 = €12

Separate tickets in the Winter:  (Uffizi) €16 + (Pitti Palace) €13 + (Boboli Gardens) €9 = €38

Winter savings: €38 – €18 = €20

If you’re planning to visit all 3 attractions then I’d recommend getting the Passe-Partout ticket, as you’ll end up saving quite a few euros and the time allocated is perfect, 5 consecutive days is more than enough to visit these places plus others! 

P.S: If you are going to visit even more attractions during your stay, check out my section #3 which will help you save money on even more attractions with the Florence city pass. 

How to buy Passe-Partout tickets: 

1. Go to the official website
2. Click on “Buy Online” on the Passe-Partout section (#4 on the right of the screen)
3. Now you will be on the general page to buy all tickets. Pick the date
4. Click on “Tickets” for Uffizi
5. Find your preferred time slot and click on the arrow that says “Reduced and Combo” 
6. Select the number of tickets next to the Passe-Partout Named ticket option (not the Passe-Partout free named option)
7. Buy it!

2. Last-minute tickets – how to find tickets to Uffizi if it’s sold out

As much as we may try to avoid it, sometimes it is impossible to book our tickets super in advance, and this means we’re running the risk of tickets being sold out. This often happens with most of the attractions in Florence, especially the Uffizi Gallery!

If that’s the case and you can’t find any other tickets on their official website, don’t worry, I have some suggestions to save your holiday!

Even if the tickets are sold out for your preferred time slot on the official site, there are some other trusted websites that often have some more available. I checked them all, and the best alternative ticket seller for Uffizi is Get Your Guide. 

Here you can find all the types of tickets and tours we discussed in the first section including general entry, and they are only around €4 extra. The extra fee is certainly worth it though, as not only will you have the chance to buy tickets to a sold-out time slot, the great cancellation policy is actually much better than on the official website!

With Get Your Guide, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour for a full refund, no questions asked. Since the official website of Uffizi won’t give you the money back if you cancel, this is also a great flexible option if your travel plans are not confirmed. 

P.S: If the tickets on Get Your Guide are also sold out, check out Viator and Klook! 

Price: €28

Difference from the official website: + €4

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3. Florence City Pass

In case you’ve never heard of a city pass, it is basically a ticket that combines lots of different attractions in a city you’re visiting into a singular reduced rate. Most of the time, these passes will save you a lot of money as they’re designed to help you check out as many things as possible. However, there are times when it may not be so worth it to get one. 

I guess we should start with the pressing question: Is the Florence City Pass worth it? Let’s see…

You can buy passes from 1 to 3 days of validity for different prices depending on how much time you have:

• 1 Day: €60
• 2 Days: €70
• 3 Days: €80 

There are around 28 attractions and day trips tours included in the Florence City Pass but it is probably impossible to see them all. Below you’ll find a list of the individual prices for adults at the most popular ones, so you can decide if the pass is worth it for you.

• Uffizi Gallery – €24
• Accademia Gallery –  €16
• Museo Di Medici – €9
• Santo Spirito Complex Basilica – €2
• Leonardo Interactive Museum – €8

By my calculations for the pass to be worth it, 3 days is the minimum length that you can get value out of the card without being too rushed. Below are my sample calculations to show you how much money you will save if you visit the main attractions included on the pass: 

Uffizi Gallery (€24) + Accademia Gallery (€16) + Florence Walking Tour (€20) + Museo Di Medici (€9) + Santo Spirito Complex Basilica (€2) + Leonardo Interactive Museum (€8) + Museo Di San Marco (€8) 

24 + 16 + 20 + 9 + 2 + 8 + 8 = €87

You Save €7 (€87 – €80)

Since the 3-day pass is €80, you would need 7+ activities to make it worth it. Indeed you could save some money with the 2-day pass as well, but then you’d be in a rush to visit all the attractions, and I’m sure everyone wants to enjoy their visits to the fullest.

NOTE: As you’ll notice, 3 other major attractions, Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, and Palazzo Vecchio, are not included on the pass. And to be honest, I wouldn’t leave Florence without visiting these as well as they are huge landmarks, so take that into consideration when planning your time!

4. Buying tickets at the entrance (not recommended)

Although it’s not recommended, it is possible to buy tickets at the entrance to Uffizi Gallery. For that, you’ll need to head over to Door 2 (there are 3 doors at Uffizi open for the public).

FUN FACT: The museum’s name refers to its original purpose. “Uffizi” means offices in Italian and it was supposed to serve as offices of the magistrates of the city

To reach Door 2 (where the ticketing office is), head over to Palazzo Vecchio. Once you face the palace, head to its right side, and at the corner between Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia Dei Lanzi, head further down to river Arno, and on the right side, you’ll find Door 2. Check out the map I made with the entrances in the “Important things to know about Uffizi”. It will help you! 

PRO TIP: If you’re planning to buy the tickets at the entrance, you’ll need to arrive at least half an hour before the museum opens. The opening times are at 8:15 AM, so you’ll need to arrive around 7:30 am. 

Although coming right when the museum opens may save you some time, during peak season (May – September), the waiting lines can last up to 2 hours. During the off-season (November – March), you may be lucky enough to wait just 30 min – to 1 hour, but even then, you’re running a risk of missing out, so I do not recommend relying on buying tickets at the door.   

An entrance ticket to Uffizi on-site will cost €20 (May – September) and €12 (November – March). Technically if you buy your ticket at the door, you won’t pay €4 extra for booking online but honestly, that €4 is a great investment to save you waiting hours!

5. How to visit Uffizi Gallery for free

Unless you’re under a strict budget (and this is your only option), I wouldn’t advise visiting on Free Sundays in the summer as it is going to be a bit hectic with lots of waiting and tons of crowds.

PRO TIP: If you’re visiting Florence during the low season (November – February) you may be lucky enough to avoid the huge lines as there are fewer tourists at this time. So if you’re coming during those months, it may be worth it to try Free Sunday at Uffizi. 

How to get your free tickets: 

Go to Piazzale Degli Uffizi, near Door 1, where you’ll find interactive kiosks. From there, you’ll get some vouchers that indicate the check-in time. Each person gets a time slot depending on how many tickets are left so even if you go super early to get your ticket, it may take 1 – 3 hours to enter the museum. 

NOTE: Each person needs to get their own voucher. You’ll still have to go individually even if you’re in a group. 

Important things you should know about Uffizi Gallery

Below you’ll find some crucial facts that you should consider before buying your tickets or heading to visit Uffizi Gallery. 

1. How far in advance do you need to buy your tickets

I would recommend buying your tickets 1 month in advance during the high season, or 2-3 weeks during the off-season. That way, you can rest assured that you’ll secure your preferred spot. 

2. Opening hours & best time slot to choose

Something super important that you should know is that the museum is always closed on Mondays! Apart from Monday, you can visit it on any day of the week from 8:15 AM–6:30 PM.

When booking your tickets you’ll have to pick a time slot that is 15 minutes long. This time slot represents the period of time that you can enter the museum. 

NOTE: Remember that you’ll have to arrive at the museum 15 minutes before your booking time so that you can collect your tickets from Door 3 (see my explanation of the doors below).

Usually, the peak time for visitors is in the afternoon. Since most tourists (including myself) will pick a time slot after 1:00 PM, that’s when it’s also the most crowded inside the museums. So I’d recommend going either super early when the museum opens. You could also go after 4:00 PM (the last admission is at 4.45 PM) but that won’t give you much time inside as you’ll be asked to leave the museum at 6:30 PM. 

3. Entering Uffizi Gallery 

There are 3 entrances at Uffizi Gallery that tourists can use and they’re categorized by the type of ticket you have or want to buy:

• Door 1 – This is where you enter if you’ve already made a reservation and picked up your ticket, or are part of a group, tour, or school trip. This entrance is located on the left side towards River Arno
• Door 2  – Where you can purchase your entrance tickets if you didn’t book online. Go to the corner between Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia Dei Lanzi, head further down to river Arno, and on the right side, you’ll find Door 2 
• Door 3 –  Here you can pick up your tickets if you have made a prior reservation. Located across the Piazza degli Uffizi on the right side you’ll find Door 3

You’ll have to respect each line and know which one is right for you. In case you’re still confused when you get there, don’t worry, there are many staff members who will help you! 

4. Audio Guides 

While Uffizi does have a limited number of audio guides, I’ve found a better solution for you and it’s for free!

There is an app that you can get online for free, which works like an audio guide. While it doesn’t cover all the art pieces, you still get to hear a fair amount! You’ll need the internet to use the app but fortunately, you’ll have free wifi inside the museum. 

NOTE: Make sure you don’t forget your headphones as you’ll need them to use the app inside the museum!

If this doesn’t sound like something, you’d like. You can try renting a regular audio guide (€7) from the museum. But as I mentioned, they might run out of them

If you want to guarantee an audio guide before going to the museum, it is possible to book one as an add-on to your skip-the-line ticket on Get Your Guide. In this case, you can’t buy the audio guide separately, it must be bought with the entry ticket.

NOTE: If you book the tour above with the audio guide, you’ll have to bring your passport with you to leave it as a deposit. 

PRICE: €7

5. What to expect inside Uffizi Gallery 

• Ground floor – Has all the entrances, exits, and other utilities
• Top floor (called the second floor by Italian standards) – This is where you’ll start your visit. To go there you’ll have to climb a few stairs on a gorgeous staircase that dates back to the 1500s. There are also elevators however they are pretty small and usually reserved for people who can’t use the stairs. This is where the main collection of the museum is showcased and where you’ll spend most of your time (~2h to ~3) 
• First floor – After exploring the second floor you’ll come here. This floor has a smaller collection of exhibits and it will take you around ~1h to explore

FUN FACT: There is a secret corridor (not so secret anymore) that goes through Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi, over Ponte Vecchio, and into the Pitti Palace. The Vasari Corridor was built by the Medici family a long time ago. 

For a better understanding of how the floors are laid out, check out the map, it will help you visualize the floor plan and what I said above. 

6. What to bring to Uffizi Gallery

Below you have some general information about what you should and shouldn’t bring when visiting the museum!

Tickets

You don’t have to print out your tickets but you do need to show the confirmation email on your phone. You’ll then receive the official ticket that you’ll use to enter the museum. 

Food & drinks

Since the visit is pretty long and pretty intense I recommend eating beforehand as you’re not allowed to bring liquids (other than a water bottle of maximum 0.5 liters) or food inside the museum. 

There is also a cafe on the second floor which has an outdoor terrace with gorgeous views, in case you get super hungry while you’re in the museum.

Photo policy & personal items

You can take pictures inside the museum with your phone or a camera. However, you shouldn’t use a flash, stands, or tripods. 

If you are carrying a bulky backpack or a big bag you will have to leave it in the cloakroom.

7. Facilities inside Uffizi Gallery

Cafe – As I mentioned above, there is a cafe on the second floor, which has an outdoor terrace where you can grab a drink and something to eat!

Toilets – Toilets on the ground floor are located in the basement, in front of the cloakroom. Toilets on the second floor are on the mezzanine underneath the cafeteria, and on the first floor, you’ll find a toilet inside the temporary exhibition area.

Cloak Room – Once you go through security you’ll find the cloakroom on the ground floor. 

Gift Shop – On the route to exit the museum, you’ll find a small gift shop which to be honest doesn’t have so many things. It’s pretty small, considering the museum is so big. I think you can find most of the stuff there in the small shops on the streets and at a better price. 

Plus, if you do want to buy some cool stuff, I think the gift shop at Accademia Gallery is so much better! 

8. How to get to Uffizi Gallery 

👩‍ Adult Price:	€24
👧 Kids Price:	Free
💲 Cheapest Tickets:	Official Website
🎟️ Refundable Tickets:	Get Your Guide
🎤 Guided Tour:	Get Your Guide
🕖 Best Time to Visit:	10 AM
🤫 Quietest Entrance:	Door 1

FAQs about Uffizi Gallery

Conclusion

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