Medici Chapels Florence: Michelangelo Sculptures Skip-the-Line

See Michelangelo's four sculptures without waiting in the queue

A private guided tour of the Medici Chapels in Florence with skip-the-line entry, led by a local guide in your choice of language. You walk through the New Sacristy to see Michelangelo's Twilight, Dawn, Day, and Night sculptures, tour the Princes Chapel with its rare marbles and gemstones, and descend into the Buontalenti Crypt where the Medici family is buried. The tour also includes the San Lorenzo Church and Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Duration is two hours; morning and afternoon departures are available.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Medici Chapels and San Lorenzo Square

• Admire Michelangelo's sculptures
• Explore Sacrestia Nuova interior
• View polychrome marble inlays
• Visit Cappella dei Principi
• Learn about Opificio delle Pietre Dure
• Discover Cripta del Buontalenti
• Explore San Lorenzo Church architecture
• Visit Palazzo Medici Riccardi

The Experience

The Medici Chapels sit inside the San Lorenzo complex in Florence, and this tour gets you past the entrance line with skip-the-line tickets. A local guide meets you and walks you through the New Sacristy, where Michelangelo's four monumental marble sculptures—Twilight, Dawn, Day, and Night—sit on the tombs he designed for them. The guide points out the inlays of polychrome marbles, hard stones and precious gems that cover the walls, work so intricate that the Medici commissioned the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (the Factory of Hard Stones) just to create these decorations; that workshop still stands today as one of the world's leading restoration centers.

Below the chapel lies the Buontalenti Crypt, where the Medici family and their relatives are buried. Recent exhumations have revealed details about their health, lifestyles and the causes of death that were long mysterious. The tour also takes in the Princes Chapel, with its grand polychrome marble walls and rare gemstones, and moves through the San Lorenzo Church and the Palazzo Medici Riccardi to round out the Florence Renaissance context. Groups larger than seven get earphones so the guide's voice carries clearly without raising it.

The tour runs two hours and departs either in the morning or the afternoon—you choose at checkout. A professional guide leads in English, Spanish, Italian, French or one additional language depending on availability. Public transportation stops are nearby if you need them; the pace suits all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Skip-the-line entry tickets to the Medici Chapels.
• a local professional guide for the full two hours.
• earphones if your group has more than seven people so everyone hears clearly.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by CAF Tour and Travel - Gray Line Florence

Is this one for you?Book the morning departure if you want the chapels before the afternoon crowds build, or choose the afternoon slot if you prefer a later start to your Florence day. Either way, the skip-the-line tickets and the guide's knowledge of Michelangelo's sculptures and Medici history mean you spend your time looking, not waiting.

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Top questions

What are the four Michelangelo sculptures I'll see in the New Sacristy?

Twilight, Dawn, Day, and Night—four monumental marble figures Michelangelo carved and placed on the tombs he designed inside the New Sacristy of the Medici Chapels.

Do I need to wait in line at the Medici Chapels?

No. Skip-the-line tickets are included with the tour, so you walk past the queue at the entrance and go straight in with your guide.

What's in the Buontalenti Crypt and why does it matter?

The Buontalenti Crypt beneath the chapel holds the burials of the Medici family and their relatives. Recent exhumations have uncovered new information about their health, lifestyles and the actual causes of deaths that were mysterious for centuries.

Will I visit anywhere besides the Medici Chapels?

Yes. The tour also includes the San Lorenzo Church and the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, both part of the same Florence Renaissance complex, so you get the full context of Medici power and patronage.

What language will my guide speak?

Your guide leads in English, Spanish, Italian, French or one additional language—you select your preference when you book.

How long does the tour take?

The tour runs two hours from start to finish, with morning and afternoon departures available depending on which option you choose at checkout.