What a treat to re-visit the Uffizi - We had booked the tour through our travel agent months ago and were glad we did. The end-of-September time-frame is supposed to be quiet compared to the peak season in Florence but that was not to be. We chose a weekend where Florence was inundated with folks coming from all over the country to protest the lack of action in the area of Climate Change. Think --- Greta. Anyway, the tour, with only six of us guided by the wonderfully knowledgeable Viola, was great! If you've never been there before, the Uffizi is a must do on the "Florence to do list". Viola's approach, from her art history background was to try to help us understand the progression of the arts from earliest times through the Renaissance and later as well as the family history of the Medicis.

Leonardo Brings Uffizi to Life - Leonardo brought the Uffizi to life! His descriptions highlighted the evolution of artwork from Gothic through the Renaissance to modern present day. His was truly the most amazing and outstanding overviews of artwork we had ever heard. Remarkable experience!

Samuele was brilliant - We went on the morning Uffizi tour in mid August. My mother is in her 80’s so couldn’t manage the initial stairs to the 2nd floor. Samuele showed us the lifts and made good eye contact with my slightly deaf mother. Every opportunity was given to ask him questions. We asked about Caravaggio who’s paintings were not on the itinerary. Samuele made sure he added this section onto the end of the tour which was excellent. He even guided us to the best gift shops telling us which lifts not to take (the other lift would make us miss the best shops and take us straight to the exit) there were only 6 people on our tour and the radio which fitted over one ear made sure we missed non of the information. I thought this was well worth the money. We also got a 10% off voucher to put towards our next outing.

Captivating Tour....thanks to wonderful tour guide - A three 1/2 hour tour can seem a lifetime or a blink of an eye depending on the guide. Katarina was excellent! We signed up for a small group (around 12 people) for our Uffizi tour. We wore headsets...which made it easier to hear as we walked through the often crowded corridors, but it did not feel like a large group. Katarina was so knowledgeable and passionate about the art, and took us through the different periods. By the end, we had an appreciation of Renaissance art, Michelangelo (his paintings, sculptures), Leonardo D Vinci , etc...and to see and understand the Venus! I honestly didn’t understand what I was doing when booking tours....do fewer tours and spend the money on private.... or book more tours and book small group. My recommendation is... more tours /smaller group...and read the reviews on the tours. You can’t go wrong with this one. Katarina spoke to everyone in our group...art lovers and novices.

Keys of Florence Tours of Uffizi, Pitti Palace and Duomo with Annette was Amazing! - We booked several small tours with Keys of Florence over three days (the Uffizi (also Santa Maria Novella), the Duomo climb and Baptistry, and on the last day, the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. Keys of Florence was a very professional organization to work with and Annette was our brilliant tour guide each day. Annette was fabulous--she was so knowledgeable and expert at explaining all of the art we saw, the differences between the artists, the historical context in which the art was created and the many complex Medici family events that led to the support of the artists, as well as the intricacies and history of all of the churches and architecture. We were absolutely amazed at her expertise and ability to explain everything in an understandable way and also with a sense of humor. And she also had great tips for other experiences like vintage shopping and restaurants--our trip to Florence would not have been half as remarkable if Annette had not been our guide. We truly missed her presence when the tours ended and we saw some of the churches and museums without her. Highly recommend Annette and Keys of Florence if you really want to learn about the sights!

Uffizi Guided Tour - We had an excellent tour with Valentina - it was two hours and it really helped us hit the highlights and walk away with a real appreciation for the history and pieces of art displayed. Valentina is so passionate about the art and her ability to tell stories was very interesting. Definitely worth the money - as it is a very busy museum.