rick steves tours florence

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Buy new: $21.16 $21.16 FREE delivery: Wednesday, April 17 on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon. Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com

Return this item for free.

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Buy used: $19.95

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Other Sellers on Amazon

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany (Travel Guide) Paperback – Folded Map, November 1, 2022

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Fully updated, comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Florence and Tuscany
• Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites
• Top sights and hidden gems, from the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo to a 600-year-old perfumery
• How to connect with local culture: Listen to a street musician's serenade on the Ponte Vecchio, stroll through a morning market sampling freshly-made pasta, and sip full-bodied wines with Montalcino locals at a corner enoteca
• Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight
• The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a glass of Chianti
• Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums
• Detailed maps for exploring on the go, including driving tours through the heart of Tuscany and Brunello wine country
• Complete, up-to-date information on Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Volterra, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino, Cortona, and more
• Covid-related travel info and resources for a smooth trip
• Print length 728 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Rick Steves
• Publication date November 1, 2022
• Dimensions 4.55 x 1.2 x 7.95 inches
• ISBN-10 1641714131
• ISBN-13 978-1641714136
• See all details

Frequently bought together

More items to explore

From the brand

What sets Rick Steves apart from other travel guides?

A personal and experienced take - Rick Steves has spent over 40 years traveling Europe and he shares his favorite spots and essential travel strategies with you.

Are these books updated for current travel?

Rick and his team fan out across Europe personally checking and updating each listing in his guidebooks. These are the most accurate guides to Europe!

Why should I use a Rick Steves guidebook?

Rick will point you toward worthwhile experiences and help avoid expensive mistakes. A Rick Steves book is like having a tour guide in your pocket!

Editorial Reviews

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rick Steves; 19th edition (November 1, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 728 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1641714131
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1641714136
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.4 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.55 x 1.2 x 7.95 inches
• #1 in Tuscany Travel Guides
• #2 in Florence Travel Guides
• #10 in general Italy Travel Guides

About the author

Rick steves.

Guidebook author and travel TV host Rick Steves is America's most respected authority on European travel. Rick took his first trip to Europe in 1969, visiting piano factories with his father, a piano importer. As an 18-year-old, Rick began traveling on his own, funding his trips by teaching piano lessons. In 1976, he started his business, Rick Steves' Europe, which has grown from a one-man operation to a company with a staff of 100 full-time, well-travelled employees at his headquarters in Washington state. There he produces more than 50 guidebooks on European travel, America's most popular travel series on public television, a weekly hour-long national public radio show, a weekly syndicated column, and free travel information available through his travel center and ricksteves.com. Rick Steves' Europe also runs a successful European tour program. Rick Steves lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington. His office window overlooks his old junior high school.

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Start Selling with Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

• Smaller Text Larger Text
• Home / 

My Florence Hotel: Location, Location, Location

Join me at the place I’ve called home for the last few days in Florence — Hotel Loggiato Dei Serviti — and check out my rooftop view of the Duomo, coming right in through the bathroom window. I’ve set up a little office here where I can work on the next edition of my Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany guidebook while enjoying a picnic dinner with the best sandwich in town.

• Tour Account ›
• Travel Forum ›
• Travel Forum

Tour in Florence

We are looking for a guided tour or Florence that includes more than just the Acedmia. We originally were looking for a guided tour that started in Rome and would travel by high speed train to Florence so we would not spend the majority of our tour time in a minivan or slow transport to get there. Interestingly, there are few to no tours that take you to mulitple highlighted sites in this enchanting place. Does anyone know of a good contact for a guided tour of the city for a day tour of possibly 10 people on Friday March 13?

My tour company of choice is Context Travel, and they offer full and half day walking tours --= some limited to one location (eg the Uffizi or Palazzo Vecchio), and others to a general overview or a themed tour. Personally, I used them only for the Uffizi in Florence, and saw other places independently. I used them for 4 tours during my 4 week trip.

I have taken several tours with Walks of Italy. They have tours in Florence that seem to meet your criteria. The guides have always been exceptional.

Are you going to Florence as a day trip from Rome?

We've used Freya from http://www.freyasflorence.com/ before - she's great and very knowledgeable.

We've used Walks of Italy and it is wonderful. Most tours start around 8:30. Many tours don't finish until late afternoon. Even if you can arrange it, your day sounds brutal. Herding 10 people would only complicate the situation.

My son is getting married in May in Florence. We will have a group of 10 touring with us. I contacted 4 different private tour guides and one really stood out. I've never been to Italy so to say she is a great "tour guide", I can not as of yet. However, I can testify to her response time and willingness to help plan tours. I told her what we needed and she designed tours for us within our time frame since we were working around wedding activities. She created a personalized itinerary for us with the things we wanted to see specifically. We emailed constantly for about 2 weeks making adjustments etc. I also find her reasonable in prices since they are custom tours.

She is recommended in Rick's guide and is very reasonable. If she didn't provide the services we requested, she took care of booking it for us. ex. We wanted a vespa tour of the Chianti countryside. She doesn't do those tours but she contacted a company she works closely with and set up everything for us. She has even made arrangements for someone to transport us from the train station to the B&B. In other words, she does more than just tours. I believe her website lists a host of services she provides. Personal shopper is even one of them.

So, you can check her out. Her website just lists the basics. But remember she customizes your tour for you.

Her name is Elena-- https://florencewithflair.com/

Good luck...

I think your problem is wanting the tour to begin in Rome, with someone to arrange your train tickets and accompany you either one or both ways? Other than a private guide/custom day trip, I would doubt there's much if anything available in group tours that would provide that sort of service. Your options for small-group tours would be expanded if your group handled the trains to/from Florence yourselves. It's really not a difficult thing to do with just a few pointers in advance.

So, if you could get to Florence on your own, this Walks of Italy tour appears to be available on March 13: https://www.walksofitaly.com/florence-tours/florence-duomo-tour/

There are likely others, although Context isn't showing any tours available for your date.

A private, custom tour with your own guide should be reasonable with the cost split amongst 10, although if the guide had to arrange your train tickets, travel to Rome to get you and then travel BACK to Florence, that would kick the cost up. Check out the suggestions some of the posters above have provided?

Wonderful tips and recommendations! Thank you!

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.

Travel Expert Rick Steves' Genius Tip For Planning A Successful Vacation

Travel guru Rick Steves has spent the better part of his career helping travelers worldwide travel smarter (and cheaper) through his bestselling guidebooks. He knows the value of thoroughly  researching a new destination , so an unprepared traveler is often inconvenienced in his eyes. Steves cannot overstate how crucial proper preparation is for a hassle-free vacation, especially if you want to sidestep common bothers like adhering to tight schedules and perhaps the number one enemy of travelers everywhere: long queues.

"I always like to say that there are two IQs of European travelers: those who wait in lines and those who don't wait in line," Steves told WABE . To save yourself the frustration of queueing, the "Rick Steves' Europe" host advises extensive research to discover which destinations require prior reservations and which do not. "What the smart traveler these days knows is, if you're going to any big city you should do your reading in advance and figure out which sites need to be booked," he shared with The Seattle Times . "If you're going to Florence, you really gotta book the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David and the Uffizi Gallery in advance. You've gotta book the Duomo [di Milano] cathedral in advance."

However, Steves also insists that the goal of research extends beyond merely avoiding lines. He firmly believes it's also key to feeling more fulfilled in your adventures. "Remember that the more understanding and context you bring to a place, the more you'll enjoy it," he told The Seattle Times.

Read more: Unsettling Reasons You May Want To Avoid Taking A Cruise

Avoid Being Too Caught Up In Shrinking Your Budget

While  Rick Steves is a huge proponent of thrift, offering a wealth of tips for staying within budget , he's also the first to tell you not to worry too much about cost-cutting, as it will only take away the joy of travel. His advice? Keep in mind that time is money, too. For Steves, splurging a bit for convenience is always worth it.

"People sometimes focus on saving money while forgetting that their time is equally valuable, and limited," Steves advised  Business Insider . "If it will save you a half hour, hop in a taxi. Considering the value of your time, even if taking a taxi costs you and your travel partner $5 more than bus tickets, it's a good investment."

If you want the best bang for your buck, consider using a travel agent, too. Travel agents sometimes get a bad rap for unnecessary upselling, but if you find a reputable one, they can help you secure the best deals. "For international trips, I pay the extra fee to have a professional travel agent find me the best value (which isn't necessarily the cheapest) ticket," Steves told Forbes . He also noted on his  website that travel agents can assist you with securing "consolidator" or "discount" air tickets. While these tickets have certain limitations, like excluding frequent flyer miles accrual, they offer considerable savings.

Squeeze In 'A Vacation From Your Vacation'

Whenever you go to new places, Rick Steves advises against cramming as many sights and activities as possible into your visit. "You can't see it all, especially in one trip, and that's a blessing," he told Business Insider. "Enjoy seeing what you can and be thankful you have important experiences left over to enjoy on your next adventure." In other words, pacing is crucial because overloading your itinerary leads to unnecessary stress. You don't want to look back on your trip and only remember a blur of flights and train rides. And besides, it's not like you can't plan another trip in the future anyway.

Instead of forcing a tightly packed schedule, give yourself some leeway to rest easy and slow down mid-trip, especially during extended travels. Steves calls this a "vacation from your vacation," according to  Rick Steves' Europe , and with this strategy, you allow room for unplanned activities and spur-of-the-moment decisions. Sure, a successful vacation involves a ton of planning, but embracing spontaneity can enhance your overall experience.

"Consider building in a few slack days ... two days on the beach midway through the trip; that'll be very nice ... Travel is freedom. It's rich with choices and exciting decisions. That's part of the appeal," he said in one of his YouTube videos . "I like to keep some flexibility in my itinerary — perhaps I'll fall in love with Siena and stay an extra day."

Read the original article on Islands .

Ep 8. Art of the Renaissance Beyond Florence

• April 2, 2024

From Italy, the Renaissance spread across Europe, revolutionizing art. We travel to Spain and Portugal where overseas plunder is transformed into lacy architecture and ethereal paintings by El Greco. In bustling Germany and Belgium, new technologies enable Durer's mass-produced engravings, Van Eyck's meticulous oil paintings, Brueghel's peasants at play, and the futuristic visions of Bosch.

• Genres Nature Travel
• Channel Rick Steves' Network
• First Aired April 2, 2024
• Runtime 25 min
• Language English