Florence Italy tours

Your questions about Florence tour packages, answered

Planning a trip always raises plenty of good questions – we’ve answered the most common ones below. You can also check out our Italy travel guide for local tips and practical advice.

Here’s some peace of mind upfront: when you choose us, you can Book With Confidence, knowing your payments are protected. Curious about the details? You’ll find them in our booking terms and FAQs.

1. Which other cities and regions do these Florence tours cover?

It depends on the itinerary you choose, but you could also combine time in Florence with visits to destinations such as:

• Rome
• Venice
• Milan
• Naples
• Pisa
• Tuscany
• Umbria
• Amalfi Coast
• Cinque Terre
• Lake Como
• Lake Garda

Get inspired by these blogs on the best places to go and top cities to visit in Italy. Or browse the attractions in our travel guide

2. What’s included in these Italy tours?

Every package includes handpicked accommodation, daily breakfast, and a personalised itinerary prepared by your Italy-based travel consultant. You’ll also get a hand-marked route map, our Italy travel guide packed with insider insights, and 24/7 support during your trip.

Self-drive packages also include a hire car with unlimited mileage, CDW insurance, and a second driver. Our guided small group tourscover transport in a premium minibus with a professional English-speaking guide, guaranteed departures, and groups capped at 16 travellers.

Head to the “What’s included” tab of the tour you’re interested in for a full breakdown of what your trip comes with.

3. What’s the difference between a self-drive and a guided small group tour?

With a self-drive tour, you have the keys and the freedom. We pre-book your accommodation and map your route – you drive it at your own pace, stop where you like, and set your own rhythm each day.

A guided small group tour puts an expert local driver-guide in front. You travel with no more than 16 like-minded people, with navigation, context, and local knowledge all taken care of.

Both styles come with the same level of pre-trip planning, personalised travel documents, and 24/7 support during your trip. The choice really comes down to how you’d prefer to travel.

4. How long do I need for a Florence tour package?

For most travellers, 7–14 days is a good length of time to spend exploring Florence, Tuscany and beyond.

A 7-day tour works well if Florence, Tuscany, and one or two other cities are your main focus – there’s time for the key sights and a couple of days of unhurried days in the countryside.

A 10–14-day package opens up even more: Rome in the south, Tuscany and Umbria in the middle, and Venice in the north. Want even more time? All extra nights when you book online, or ask your travel expert for recommendations on where to linger.

5. What’s the best time of year for an Italy tour?

Spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October) are the sweet spots.

Temperatures are warm but comfortable, and the Tuscan countryside is at its most photogenic. Plus, there will be noticeably fewer travellers around than during the peak summer months of June, July and August.

October is particularly good for wine lovers – it’s harvest season in Chianti, Val d’Orcia, and the Vino Nobile hills around Montepulciano.

July and August are lively, with long evenings and a wonderful atmosphere. It can feel intense in Florence under the midday sun, but early mornings and evenings are magical.

Read our guide to the weather and blog on the best time to visit Italy to learn more.

6. Can I customise my Florence tour package?

Yes, and we encourage it.

Want extra nights in Florence to give the Uffizi the time it deserves? A detour through Umbria to add Perugia and Assisi? More time in Tuscany for a second vineyard visit? Or maybe you’d like to weave in Lake Como on a longer route including Northern Italy? Just let us know.

You can tailor your tour when you book online, or ask our Rome team for recommendations. You could even combine your tour of Italy with time in Switzerland or the Alps.

7. What optional activities can I add to my Florence tour?

Plenty – and we recommend adding them when you book, as the popular ones sell out quickly in peak season.

Here are some of the optional extras you can add to trips that visit Florence and Tuscany:

• Guided tour of the Florence Cathedral
• Guided tour of the Accademia Gallery
• Uffizi guided tour
• Italian cooking class – fresh tagliatelle
• Tuscany winery experience from Florence
• Guided day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence
• Wine tasting at Tommasi’s Casisano estate

In tours that also stop in Rome, you can choose from these activities:

• Italian cooking class – pizza and gelato making
• Guided tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum
• Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

And on trips that go as far as Venice and the north, you could add these excursions:

• Venice walking tour and gondola ride
• Guided tour of Verona, Sirmione, and Lake Garda from Venice

8. Do I need to book Florence attractions in advance?

Yes – for the major sights, advance booking is strongly recommended, especially between April and October.

The Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia (home of Michelangelo’s David), and the Florence Cathedral can sell out well in advance during peak summer months. And, if you’re visiting Rome, it’s good to know that the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel book up even faster.

We can arrange skip-the-line guided tours for all of the above as optional extras to your tour package. Just add them to your itinerary online, or ask your travel expert.

9. What’s the food like on a Florence and Italy tour?

A list of the best food to try in Italy could go on forever, so we’ll dial it back a bit. Here’s a round-up of our top recommendations:

• Florence is home to Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a thick-cut T-bone grilled over chestnut wood and served pink
• Rome does carbonara, cacio e pepe, and amatriciana the way they were meant to be done
• Tuscan vineyards produce Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
• Umbria is truffle country
• Bologna invented ragú
• Venice does cicchetti – small plates of bruschetta, cured things, and whatever the day’s catch is, served in tiny wine bars called bàcari with a glass of local white

Several of our tours include cooking classes as part of the package – pizza and gelato making in Rome and fresh tagliatelle in Florence. You could also add a Chianti wine tour and Val d’Orcia wine tasting as optional extras.

10. How does the 24/7 helpline work?

If anything comes up during your trip, our team is reachable by phone around the clock. It’s as simple as that.

You’ll get our helpline number in your pre-departure pack. Most travellers never need to use it. But it’s reassuring to know it’s there, and that our Italy-based consultants know the country properly.