We took the Artviva Walking Tour of Florence our first morning there. The tour and guide were just right. We learned about as much of the art history of Florence as can be absorbed in three hours, we were never bored or tired, and the guide's vignettes kept us all loose and laughing. She made the tour so much fun that only later did we realize how much history we had soaked up in so short a time.

Takng Artviva's tour on our first morning in Florence was probably the smartest thing we did on our trip to Italy. The tour made our first morning in Florence our best morning - and opening the door to the rest of our stay.

Bob and Pat - Philadelphia

Hi M,

Very kind of you to use your first post to let us know abouot your day in Florence.

So, what else did you do there?

I'm sensing a little dig there, Ira. I posted with the name of the company because taking that particular tour opened up what was available in Florence, where it was, and enabled us to pick what was most important to us.

So yes, we took the time in line to see "The David" - went to the Cezanne exhibit - spent untold hours studying frescos (our favorite form of all the art there) - and then we wandered from plaza to plaza in the city, ate like crazy, stayed up late, and shopped like any good tourists.

Honestly, what our tour guide told us the first morning informed a lot of what we saw and did for the next three days. It was three hours well spent.

Mohair,
How much was the tour, and did you book it?
thanks

Thanks for the post Mohair.

I have thought about taking that tour myself - and am always curious about other people's experiences with walking tours.

Though I have been to Florence twice (for a total of 4 weeks) I still gaze up at the buildings in wonder and think about the history..maybe my next visit I will actually take a history lesson.

-camelbak

Mohair, we are going to be in Florence in October and I would also like to know more about this tour. For example, the price and how to book. Thanks.

25 Euro each (adults). They have cheaper rates for kids and students, but I don't know them.

Yes, we booked about a week in advance at artviva.com. My wife picked them out because she liked the reviews.