On the Arno, at the heart of Tuscany: Brunelleschi’s dome, the Uffizi and
Michelangelo’s David, the Ponte Vecchio and the workshops of the Oltrarno,
with Chianti and the Val d’Orcia a drive away. Avelia plans private,
tailor-made time in Florence, as a stay of its own or as part of a wider
journey through Italy.
Each of these is arranged privately for your dates, subject to availability.
The Renaissance city
The Uffizi and the Accademia with an art historian, the Vasari Corridor over the Ponte Vecchio, the rooms off the Palazzo Vecchio’s public route, and the climb inside Brunelleschi’s dome.
More of the Renaissance city
The Uffizi — the gallery in Vasari’s building of 1560 to 1580, from Giotto and Botticelli to Leonardo, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, with an art historian; a reserved visit outside opening hours is the museum’s to grant, on request.
The Vasari Corridor — the Medici’s private passage of about 750 metres, built by Vasari in 1565, from the Uffizi over the Ponte Vecchio and through Santa Felicita to the Boboli Gardens; reopened in December 2024, and we reserve it.
The Accademia — Michelangelo’s David, carved between 1501 and 1504 and 517 cm high on its base, with a private guide who knows the gallery.
The Palazzo Vecchio’s secret passages — the museum’s own guided route through rooms off the public way: the stair cut into the wall for Walter of Brienne, Francesco I’s Studiolo, Cosimo I’s Tesoretto, and the trusses above the Salone dei Cinquecento.
The Duomo — the climb inside Brunelleschi’s dome, 463 steps to the foot of the lantern, or up Giotto’s bell tower, 85 m and 414 steps; we reserve the climb.
The Opificio delle Pietre Dure — a guided visit to the state restoration laboratories, where paintings, stone inlay and bronzes are conserved, arranged through the Friends of the Opificio, on request.
The city’s crafts — a workshop in fresco painting after the frescoes of Santa Maria Novella, a visit to a workshop of Florentine stone mosaic, and an afternoon with the Oltrarno’s goldsmiths, bookbinders and leatherworkers, on request.
Courtyards and chapels — a walk through the city’s palace courtyards and chapels with an architectural historian.
A concert in a church — chamber or symphonic music in one of the city’s churches, where the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina, founded in 1980, plays its season from March to December.
Tuscan wine and the Florentine table
A cooking class at a villa in the hills, the wine bars of the Oltrarno, tastings in Chianti and Montalcino, and a truffle hunt near San Miniato with a hunter and his dog.
More of the table
A cooking class at a villa — a private class with a Florentine chef at a villa in the hills: fresh pasta and the Tuscan dishes of the season, then lunch at the villa’s table.
The Oltrarno at aperitivo time — an evening through the wine bars across the river with a food and wine expert, and a glass over the Arno as the sun goes down.
Chianti and Montalcino — tastings at wine estates in Chianti Classico, the zone Grand Duke Cosimo III drew between Florence and Siena in 1716, and in Montalcino, whose Brunello, made from Sangiovese, became Italy’s first DOCG in 1980.
A truffle hunt near San Miniato — a morning in the woods with a truffle hunter and his dog, then lunch at his table; white truffles are the prize of the autumn.
A farm in the hills — cheese and olive oil tasted where they are made, at a working Tuscan farm, on request.
Michelin-starred tables — a tasting menu at one of the city’s starred restaurants, with the wine to match; we reserve the table.
Tuscany beyond the city
Siena, San Gimignano and Pienza with a private guide, the Val d’Orcia’s hills, the thermal waters of Bagno Vignoni and Saturnia, and the vineyards by e-bike or from a balloon.
More of the countryside
Siena, San Gimignano and Pienza — with a private guide: Siena’s medieval centre, San Gimignano, where 14 of some 72 towers still stand, and Pienza, which Pope Pius II rebuilt as a Renaissance town from 1459; all three on the World Heritage List.
The Val d’Orcia — the hills listed as a World Heritage landscape in 2004, by private car or a vintage Fiat 500 with a driver, and a day with a photographer on request.
Thermal waters — Bagno Vignoni, whose square is a pool of spring water rising at 49°C, with a spa afternoon in the village, or the hot springs of Saturnia in the Maremma.
By e-bike — the vineyards and olive groves of Chianti on an e-bike with a guide, on request.
From a balloon — an hour over the Chianti hills at sunrise, when the weather allows.
By helicopter — over Chianti and San Gimignano to land at a wine estate for lunch and a tasting, subject to availability.
02Seasons
When to go
JanJ
FebF
MarM
AprA
MayM
JunJ
JulJ
AugA
SepS
OctO
NovN
DecD
Best months
Very hot — sightsee early or late
Quieter and cooler
Spring April to June
Warm and green: highs rise from about 20°C (68°F) in April to 29°C (84°F) in June, with rain on eight or nine days a month, falling to five in June.
Events24 June, the feast of San Giovanni, the city's patron: a parade to the Baptistery, the Calcio Storico final in Piazza Santa Croce, and fireworks.
Summer July and August
The hottest and driest months, with rain on three or four days a month and warm nights of about 18–19°C (64–66°F).
Heat: the average daytime high is about 32–33°C (90–91°F). We plan the city for the morning and the evening, and the hills or a pool for the middle of the day.
Autumn September and October
Highs ease from about 27°C (81°F) in September to 22°C (72°F) in October, and the rain returns, on seven to nine days a month, most of it in October.
EventsThe Expo Chianti Classico in September: the region's wine producers pouring in the market square of Greve in Chianti.
Winter November to March
Cooler and quieter: highs of about 11–16°C (52–61°F), nights near 2–3°C (36–37°F) in midwinter, and rain on about ten days a month in November and December.
EventsSan Miniato's white-truffle fair, on three weekends of November: from 14 to 29 November in 2026.
03Shape your trip
Routes and itineraries
Each route is a starting point, tailored to you.
4days
Culture and cuisine
Places
Florence
Suits
A first visit, between the museums and the table
What the route includes
The Uffizi with an art historian, the tickets reserved
A private cooking class at a villa in the hills
The Oltrarno’s artisan workshops
An evening tasting in a Florentine wine bar
The Boboli Gardens with a private guide
An aperitivo over the Arno at sunset
7days
Florence and the Tuscan hills
Places
Florence, Chianti, Siena, San Gimignano and the Val d'Orcia
Suits
A slower week, between the city and the countryside
What the route includes
A private villa with views over the countryside
Early walks and an espresso in Florence’s quieter piazzas
A tasting in Chianti, with a private driver
An afternoon in the thermal waters of Bagno Vignoni
Siena and San Gimignano with a guide
A picnic among the olive groves at sunset
10days
Florence, Rome and Venice
Places
Florence, Rome and Venice
Suits
Three cities, joined by high-speed trains
What the route includes
Florence first: the Accademia and Michelangelo’s David with a private guide
The Frecciarossa to Rome, with a car at either end
The Colosseum and the Vatican with a guide
Venice by gondola, and on foot through its quieter quarters
Dinner at one of Venice’s Michelin-starred tables
A private boat to Murano for a glass-blowing demonstration
By high-speed train in just over an hour and a half: the Colosseum and the Forums, the Pantheon, St Peter's and the Vatican, in a historic centre on the World Heritage List since 1980.
Paris is a direct flight from Florence: its museums, its dining rooms and its fashion houses, and to the south the French Riviera and Provence.
04Planning with Avelia
How we plan your time in Florence
We help you choose the right hotel, balance guided visits with time to explore, and fit Florence into your wider journey through Italy — or shape a stay in the city itself.
1
Share your plans
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and the pace you like, and whether Florence is the whole trip or one part of it, with Rome or the Amalfi Coast.
2
Shape your trip with us
Before any payment, we send a written proposal with a quoted trip price and what it includes — such as a palazzo in the historic centre, an art historian for the Uffizi, and a tasting in Chianti — and refine it with you.
3
Travel with our support
Once you approve the proposal and complete the agreed booking requirements, we confirm your arrangements. We coordinate the details and support you while you travel.
Peace of mind
Financially protected. Your payments for a package trip are covered against our insolvency by a guarantee with AXA. Plan with peace of mind
What we can arrange
Your proposal sets out the arrangements included in your trip.
Hotels matched to you — a palazzo in the historic centre, a suite over the Arno, or a villa in the hills just outside the city; and a private villa in the countryside where you would like more space.
Private transport — chauffeur-driven cars for the airport and the station, for days in Chianti, Siena and the Val d’Orcia, and seats on the high-speed trains to Rome and Venice.
Private guides — art historians for the Uffizi, the Accademia and the Palazzo Vecchio, and guides for Siena, San Gimignano and Pienza.
Experiences — a cooking class at a villa, a truffle hunt near San Miniato, a tasting in Chianti, a concert in a church.
Tables and tickets — reservations from Michelin-starred dining rooms to the wine bars of the Oltrarno, and the Uffizi, the Vasari Corridor and the dome reserved ahead.
Special occasions — honeymoons, anniversaries and family trips, planned around who is travelling.
05Questions
Questions we are asked
What does it cost to have a tailor-made trip designed by Avelia Travel?
Every trip is priced individually. After discussing your plans, we prepare a tailored proposal with a quoted trip price and a clear outline of what is included.
How many nights should we spend in Florence?
We recommend three or four full days for the city itself, or five at an easier pace. With the countryside as well — Chianti, Siena, the Val d’Orcia — a week works well, as in our Florence and the Tuscan hills route.
When is the best time to visit Florence?
April to June, and September and October, when highs run from about 20°C to 29°C (68–84°F). July and August are the hottest months, at about 32–33°C (90–91°F); from November to March the city is cooler and quieter, and November is the wettest month. October, close behind it in rain, stays among the best months for its highs of about 22°C (72°F).
Can I include Florence in a larger Italy itinerary?
Yes. The high-speed train reaches Rome in just over an hour and a half and runs on to Naples and Salerno, for the Amalfi Coast, and north to Venice and Milan; we arrange the seats or a private car. Paris is a direct flight. See also luxury travel in Italy.
Is Florence a walkable city?
Yes. The historic centre, on the World Heritage List since 1982, lies within the line of its 14th-century walls on both banks of the Arno, and is best seen on foot. A car is needed only for the airport and days in the countryside.
Do you only plan full itineraries, or can you help with just a hotel?
Both. We plan complete trips, and we also arrange a stay on its own: a hotel matched to you, with transfers, a guide or a few reservations added if you wish.
Is Avelia right for me?
Avelia suits travellers who want a private, well-paced trip planned around them: the right places in the right order, hotels chosen for them, guides who know the ground, tables and tickets taken care of, and one point of contact from the first conversation until they are home.
Start planning your time in Florence
Three or four full days in Florence, or five at an easier pace: tell us your dates and who is travelling.
