Our pick for booking: the small-group tour of the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery, free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance. Book this See options
The Uffizi and the Accademia Gallery are the two most sought-after museums in Florence, but they are very different. The Accademia revolves around one work, Michelangelo’s David, with the surrounding rooms: many travel guides suggest a visit of about one hour. The Uffizi is a major gallery of painting and sculpture spanning the Middle Ages to the modern era, housed in a building designed by Giorgio Vasari.
They are also two separate institutions. The Accademia is not part of the Uffizi: a 2019 merger plan was withdrawn, and from 2025 the gallery will belong to the "Accademia Gallery of Florence and Bargello Museums" group. For this reason, tickets, opening hours and rules differ, and there is no official combined ticket for both.
The short answer
If you only have time for one museum and want to see Michelangelo’s most famous masterpiece, choose the Accademia Gallery; if you love painting, Botticelli and the broader Renaissance, choose the Uffizi. Visiting both in one day is possible: they are about 1 km apart, roughly a 15-18 minute walk, and both are closed on Mondays. There is no official combined ticket for the Uffizi and Accademia; the only single booking that covers both museums is a combined tour.
Uffizi or Accademia Gallery: which is better?
It depends on your interests: the Accademia is the choice for the David and Michelangelo the sculptor, the Uffizi for great Italian painting. If you have half a day free, you can see both.
The Accademia is a museum that can be comfortably visited in about an hour, featuring the David in the Tribuna, the unfinished Prigioni, the San Matteo, the Sala del Colosso, the gold-ground paintings, the Gipsoteca and the Department of Musical Instruments. It is ideal for those short on time or travelling with children, who often remember the David more than any painting.
The Uffizi require more time and attention: according to the official website, they house painting from the Middle Ages to the modern era and ancient sculpture, with works by Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, as well as the Medici antiquities. The table compares the main details.
| Data | Uffizi | Accademia |
|---|---|---|
| Symbolic work | Botticelli’s Birth of Venus | Michelangelo’s David |
| Collection | painting from the Middle Ages to the modern era, ancient sculpture | Michelangelo, gold-ground works, Gipsoteca, musical instruments |
| Opening hours | Tuesday-Sunday 8:15-18:30 | Tuesday-Sunday 8:15-18:50 |
| Closed | Monday, January 1, December 25 | Monday, usually January 1 and December 25 |
| Last entry | ticket office closes at 17:30 | 40 minutes before closing (2026 regulation) |
| Institution | Uffizi Galleries | Accademia Gallery in Florence and Bargello Museums |
| First Sunday of the month | free | free, no reservation required |
| Typical visit duration | not officially indicated | about one hour, no official data |
What is the most famous work at the Uffizi?
Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, painted around 1485 and displayed in room A12.
The Uffizi’s official website presents it as one of the gallery’s most famous works. Around it, the museum tells centuries of Italian and European painting in the building constructed by Giorgio Vasari between 1560 and 1580, with masterpieces by Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio.
The comparison with the Accademia is interesting precisely because Michelangelo features in both museums: at the Uffizi as a painter, at the Accademia as a sculptor, with the David and the Prigioni. Those who visit both museums in the same day thus see two sides of the same artist. The must-see works at the Accademia, besides the David, are described in the guide on what to see at the Gallery.
Can you visit the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery in one day?
Yes, it is possible and very common, provided you book timed entry for both and avoid Monday, when both are closed.
The simplest way is to dedicate the morning to one museum and the afternoon to the other, with a lunch break in between. Many start at the Accademia at the first slot at 8:15, when entry is quieter according to many travel guides, and then head to the Uffizi via the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria. The reverse works just as well: the Accademia closes at 18:50, later than the Uffizi.
Two things to avoid: Monday, when both are closed, and the first Sunday of the month if you want a precise schedule. On that day entry is free, but at the Accademia reservations are not available and you can only enter by queuing. Those who do not want to worry about times and tickets can rely on a combined tour that organises everything in about 3 hours.
Uffizi and Accademia in 3 hours with a guide, small group of maximum 15 people and tickets to both museums included.
Book thisHow far is the Accademia from the Uffizi?
About 1 km as the crow flies: on foot it takes about 15-18 minutes, according to an estimate, not counting stops.
The route is one of the most beautiful in the city. From the Accademia you walk down Via Ricasoli to the Duomo, continue along Via dei Calzaiuoli, next to Orsanmichele, and arrive in Piazza della Signoria, where in front of Palazzo Vecchio stands the marble copy of David, placed in 1910 on the site of the original. From there the Uffizi are just a few steps away.
The times indicated are estimates, not official data: with the crowds in the city center, a photo at the Duomo or a stop in the square can easily extend the journey. The tour with an art historian, which includes a walk through the historic center, for example indicates about 30 minutes of walking between the two museums. It is therefore advisable to leave a margin of at least half an hour between one entry and the next.
Is there a combined ticket for the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery?
No. There is no official ticket that includes both the Uffizi and the Accademia Gallery; the only single reservation that covers both is a combined tour.
This is one of the most frequently incorrect pieces of information online. The Uffizi PassePartout only covers the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, not the Accademia. The new cumulative tickets for the Accademia group, in effect from 15 March 2026, instead combine the Accademia with other museums in the same group: Bargello, Cappelle Medicee, Orsanmichele and Palazzo Davanzati. The Uffizi are not included.
The Firenzecard, the city’s official 72-hour pass, covers both museums but requires a mandatory time-slot reservation for both the Accademia and the Uffizi. The combined tour remains an option: the Uffizi and Accademia small-group tour includes, depending on the offer, a guide, the Accademia ticket and the Uffizi ticket with a time slot. All ways to enter the Accademia are listed in the guide on Gallery tickets.
A single reservation for two museums: guide, Uffizi and Accademia Gallery tickets and headsets, in 3 hours and in five languages.
Book thisIs it better to visit the Uffizi in the morning or afternoon?
The morning allows more time, as the Uffizi close at 18:30 and the ticket office at 17:30; the afternoon, from 16:00, offers a reduced rate but less time for the visit.
From 1 January 2026, the Uffizi apply a reduction for afternoon entries starting from 16:00. This is a good solution for those who want to focus on a few rooms, for example Botticelli’s, but with the closure at 18:30, the time available is limited. Those who want to see the gallery at leisure are better off entering in the morning.
In a day visiting both museums, a practical solution is the Accademia early in the morning and the Uffizi in the early afternoon, or the Uffizi in the morning and the Accademia in the late afternoon, remembering that under the 2026 regulations the last entry to the Accademia is 40 minutes before closing. Opening hours and museum rules for the David are collected in the guide on hours and tips.
Why are the Uffizi more expensive than the Accademia?
Because it is a much larger museum and one of the Ministry’s top-tier sites; additionally, the price differs between same-day tickets and pre-booked ones, with a reduction from 16:00.
Without going into the figures, which change often, here’s the logic. The Uffizi is a much larger gallery and ranks among the state’s most popular sites, and the fee reflects that. The advance-purchase ticket costs more than the same-day ticket because it includes the reservation. From 16:00 there is a reduced afternoon rate, and on the first Sunday of the month entry is free. The high-season and low-season system from previous years no longer appears on the 2026 ticket page.
The Accademia also changed its rates in 2026, and many websites still list outdated prices. For both museums, it’s best to check the official pages when booking. Admission is free for under-18s at all state museums.
Up to 9 people with an art historian: Uffizi, a walk through the city centre and David in one morning, with an artisanal gelato.
Book thisWhich tour should you choose to see the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery?
The small-group tour is the most versatile option; the art historian tour focuses on a smaller group; the private tour is for those who want only their own group.
All three options start from the Uffizi, not the Accademia, and offer free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance. According to the offers:
- Uffizi and Accademia small-group tour: 3 hours, maximum 15 people, guide in English, French, Italian, Spanish or German, headsets included; the offer specifies that museum tickets are non-refundable once issued.
- Uffizi and Accademia with an art historian: between 3.5 and 4 hours, maximum 9 people, English only, with a handmade gelato; meeting point at Leonardo’s statue in the Uffizi courtyard.
- Private Uffizi and Accademia tour: 3 hours, just your group, seven languages, meeting point in Via dei Castellani.
Those who want to see only the Uffizi with a guide can choose the Uffizi small-group tour, which lasts from 1.5 to 2 hours and does not include the Accademia. For the David, a timed ticket is then sufficient.
A group of up to 9 people with an art historian: the Uffizi, the historic centre and David, gelato included.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
Are the Uffizi and the Accademia open on Mondays?
No. Both museums are closed on Mondays. The Accademia is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 to 18:50, the Uffizi from 8:15 to 18:30.
Does the Firenzecard cover the Uffizi and the Accademia?
Yes, the Firenzecard includes both, but you must make a mandatory time-slot reservation for both museums, subject to availability.
Is the Accademia part of the Uffizi?
No. From 2025, the Accademia Gallery belongs to the Accademia Gallery of Florence and Bargello Museums group. Tickets and rules are separate.
How much time do you need to see both?
Half a day with a combined tour, which lasts about 3 hours depending on the offers, or a full day at a leisurely pace, one museum in the morning and one in the afternoon.
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Uffizi and Accademia in a small group
The Uffizi and David in the same tour with a guide, with tickets for both museums
Uffizi, Accademia and gelato with an art historian
A group of up to 9 people led by an art historian, with an artisanal gelato between one museum and the next
Uffizi and Accademia, private tour
A guide just for your family or group, with a schedule decided together
