Medici Chapels tour Florence: Private guide & timed entry

The Medici Chapels, Michelangelo's sculptures, and the palaces that built a dynasty

A private walking tour of Florence's Medici Chapels with a licensed guide fluent in your language and timed entry tickets included. The tour covers the Medici family's rise to power, their patronage of Renaissance artists, and the chapels themselves: burial vaults designed by Michelangelo with sculptures including the Madonna and Child. Choose a 2-hour tour of the chapels alone, add Palazzo Pitti and its art collections, or include hotel pickup and a round-trip transfer depending on the option you select.

Step-by-step itinerary

Medici Family Heritage Tour in Florence

• Meet guide at Giovani monument
• Hear Medici family story
• Visit Medici Chapels
• Tour Basilica of San Lorenzo
• See Riccardi Medici Palace and Florence Cathedral

The experience

You meet your guide at the Monumento a Giovanni delle Bande Nere in Piazza di San Lorenzo and walk to the Basilica of San Lorenzo, one of Florence's oldest and largest churches. The Medici Chapels sit within it: added after the 15th century as a burial place for the family's principal members from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III. Your guide walks you through the chapel's architecture and Michelangelo's sculptures, then explains how the Medici family accumulated power, their relationships with da Vinci and other Renaissance masters, and the role they played in shaping Florence itself. You'll also pass the Riccardi Medici Palace, the Florence Cathedral, and the medieval Bargello prison, all connected to the family's story.

Timed entry tickets mean you have a reserved slot and skip the queue at the door. You just collect your tickets 15 minutes before entry. If you choose the 4-hour option, you add Palazzo Pitti, the family's official residence from 1549 onward, which houses paintings by Raphael, Titian, and Botticelli alongside porcelain, jewelry, and decorative arts. The 5-hour option includes Boboli Gardens as well, the palace's sprawling grounds. Both Pitti and the gardens come with timed entry tickets included.

The 3-hour and 5-hour options include a 1-hour round-trip private transfer with pickup and drop-off at your accommodation, so you don't arrange transport separately. A standard sedan fits up to four people. Groups of five or more travel in a van. Your guide is a licensed professional fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, or another language you choose at booking.

What’s included

• Private walking tour with a licensed guide in your choice of language.
• timed entry tickets to the Medici Chapels (all options).
• timed entry tickets to Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens (5-hour option).
• private car transfer with hotel pickup and drop-off (3-hour and 5-hour options only).
• headsets for groups of five or more at Palazzo Pitti.

Options for this experience

4 options

2-hour: Medici ChapelsGuide in 6 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 08:15, the last at 12:15Lasts 2 hours: book this tour to explore the Medici family's legacy in Florence's Old Town and visit the Medici Chapels, with timed entry tickets. The expert guide is an official 5-star guide specialized in this type of tour and speaks the chosen language fluently. ITFL012.

Medici Chapels & Pitti PalaceGuide in 6 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 08:15, the last at 12:15Lasts 4 hours: choose this tour to explore the Medici family's legacy in Florence's Old Town and visit the Pitti Palace and Medici Chapels, with timed entry tickets. The expert guide is an official 5-star guide specialized in this type of tour and speaks the chosen language fluently. ITFL012.

Medici Chapels & TransfersGuide in 6 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 08:15, the last at 12:15Lasts 3 hours: book a 1-hour round-trip transfer and a 2-hour private tour of the Old Town and Medici Chapels, with timed entry tickets. The expert guide is an official 5-star guide specialized in this type of tour and speaks the chosen language fluently. ITFL012. Pickup is included.

5H: Medici Chapels, Palazzo & TransfersGuide in 6 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 08:15, the last at 12:15Lasts 5 hours: book a 1-hour round-trip transfer plus a 3.5-hour private tour of the Old Town, Medici Chapels and Palazzo Pitti, with timed entry tickets. The expert guide is an official 5-star guide specialized in this type of tour and speaks the chosen language fluently. ITFL012. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except Tuesday5 departure times: the first at 08:15, the last at 12:15

Book up to10h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Rosotravel - Italy City Tour

Is this one for you?The 2-hour tour suits travelers who want to focus on the Medici Chapels and the family's story without adding extra sites. If you're interested in seeing the palaces where the Medici actually lived and the art they collected, the 4-hour or 5-hour options let you move through multiple locations with one guide and skip ticket lines at each. Choose the 3-hour or 5-hour option if you'd rather not arrange your own transport from your hotel.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian.

What exactly is inside the Medici Chapels that makes them worth visiting?

The Medici Chapels are the burial vaults of the Medici family, decorated with sculptures by Michelangelo including the Madonna and Child. They're an extraordinary example of a funerary monument and show how the family's wealth and influence shaped Renaissance art and architecture.

Can I visit Palazzo Pitti on this tour, or is that a separate booking?

Palazzo Pitti is included in the 4-hour and 5-hour options. The 4-hour tour covers the Medici Chapels and Pitti Palace. The 5-hour option adds Boboli Gardens. Both Pitti and the gardens come with timed entry tickets, so you skip the queue.

Does the tour include hotel pickup, or do I meet the guide in the city center?

Hotel pickup is included in the 3-hour and 5-hour options, with a 1-hour round-trip transfer depending on distance and traffic. The 2-hour and 4-hour options don't include transfers. You meet your guide at the Monumento a Giovanni delle Bande Nere in Piazza di San Lorenzo.

How long does it take to see everything if I choose the longest option?

The 5-hour option includes about 1 hour of round-trip transfer time, leaving roughly 3.5 hours for the walking tour, Medici Chapels, Palazzo Pitti, and Boboli Gardens combined. Timed entry tickets are reserved in advance so you don't wait in line.

Do I need to bring anything or present ID at the chapels?

You must present a valid passport or ID document that matches the name provided at booking for entry to Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens. Collect your timed entry tickets 15 minutes before your reserved slot. You can't skip validation or security checks.