In 2023, all top sights, galleries, churches, and museums in Florence are open with normal opening hours but buy skip-the-line tickets with online time-slot reservations wherever possible.
Most of the top attractions in Florence, especially museums and galleries, are open to visitors and in 2023 mostly operate with normal opening hours. Buy skip-the-line, timeslot reservation tickets online wherever possible — the small reservation fees are money well spent. The Uffizi, Accademia (Michelangelo’s David), Bargello, San Marco, and the Medici Chapels are open and as popular as ever. Churches have also reopened including all sights associated with the Duomo, Santa Croce, and Santa Maria Novella. Buy tickets and reservations online in advance — it is almost always high season in Florence.
Opening Hours of Top Sights in Florence in 2023
Top museums in Florence are open in 2023 and mostly use the regular opening hours, although special measures include one-way systems, small-group guided tours, and some halls closed. Timeslot reservations are no longer obligatory for top sights in Florence other than climbing the cupola of the Duomo but remain utterly sensible for top sights such as the Uffizi, Accademia (David), Pitti Palace, and Boboli Gardens.
The €3 to €4 timeslot reservation surcharge is absolutely worth the time saved, as visitors without reservations remain at the back of the queue while others enter. Buy tickets in advance — GetYourGuide has very generous and easy refund conditions. With visitor numbers again increasing, visiting early or late remain the best times to see top sights.
Guided tours are also a sound option to get easy admission to museums with all groups currently small. The Firenze Card, which is usually a great savings option, is again available in 2023 but without a transportation option. The Turbopass Florence City Pass is a good alternative that includes online timeslot reservations for both the Uffizi and Accademia.
Museums Opening Hours in Florence in 2023
Most top museums in Florence are open with regular opening hours (which are often irregular) in 2023 — the obligatory timeslot reservations at least 24 hours in advance for visiting the Uffizi, Accademia, Pitti, and Boboli on weekends were suspended but reservations remain very sensible at all times. Opening hours are mostly as follows in mid-2023 with longer opening hours likely during the summer vacations in July and August:
- Accademia (David) — Tuesday to Sunday, 8:15 to 18:45; closed Monday. Buy Accademia timeslot tickets online.
- Uffizi — 8:15 – 18:30, Tuesday to Sunday; closed Monday, closing 22:00 on some Tuesdays. Buy Uffizi timeslot tickets online.
- Museum of San Marco — 8:15 to 13:50, daily but closed 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sunday each month and Monday after the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. Buy San Marco tickets online.
- Bargello Museum — 8:15 to 13:30 on Wednesday & Thursday; 8:15 to 18:50 on Monday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Closed most Tuesdays and often the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month but sometimes open on Tuesday during the high season. Buy Bargello tickets online.
- Medici Chapels — 8:15 – 18:50 on Wednesday to Monday (sometimes closing at 13:50 on Sundays) and closed all day on Tuesday. Buy Medici Chapel tickets online. The Medicea Laurenziana library is closed for renovation.
- Palazzo Vecchio — 9:00 – 19:00, Monday to Sunday but closing 14:00 on Thursday.
- Museums in the Palazzo Pitti — 8:15 – 18:50, Tuesday to Sunday; closed Monday.
- Boboli Gardens — 8:15 – 17:30 (16:30 November to February, 18:30 April to October), Monday to Sunday; closed first and final Monday each month.
The various civic museums (Musei Civici Florentini), including the Palazzo Vecchio and the Cappella Brancacci (reservation essential), also reopened with the usual idiosyncratic and complicated opening hours.
Free admission to the state museums on the first Sunday of the month is again possible. On these Sundays, no time-slot reservations are possible — queuing up is the only way in. Visitors with limited time in Florence may better spend time elsewhere. Free Sunday museums include amongst others all museums listed above (except Palazzo Vecchio) as well as the Boboli Gardens and the Giardino Bardini.
Churches Opening Hours in Florence in 2023
Most churches and attached museums in Florence are open in 2023.
Opening Hours of Duomo Sights in Florence:
As before, admission to the Duomo (cathedral) remains free and without a ticket reservation option, while ticket reservations are obligatory and only possible for climbing the dome and the campanile (during peak periods). The previous combination ticket system was reintroduced:
- Duomo (Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore) — 10:15 – 16:30, Monday to Saturday; closed Sunday except for services.
- Brunelleschi Dome — 8:15 – 18:45 on weekdays, 8:15 – 16:30 on Saturday, 12:45 -16:30 on Sunday. (Time-slot reservations are always essential.)
- Campanile of Giotto — 8:15 – 19:00, Monday to Sunday. (Time-slot reservations are required, except when using a Brunelleschi Pass.)
- Museo dell’Opera del Duomo — 8:30 – 19:30, Monday to Sunday; closed first Tuesday of the month.
- Baptistery — 8:30 – 19:45 Monday to Sunday.
Other Major Florentine Churches:
- Church and Museum of Santa Maria Novella — 9:00 – 17:00 daily but opening on Sunday at 13:00 and Friday at 11:00. (Museum opens only from 9:30)
- Church of Santa Croce — 9:30 – 17:30 daily but opening only at 13:00 on Sunday; closed on Tuesday during the low season. Buy skip-the-line tickets online.
- The church of San Lorenzo — 10:00 – 17:30, Monday to Saturday; Sunday closed. (The Biblioteca Mediciae Laurenziana is still closed for renovation.)
Most smaller churches in Florence have reopened for all visitors but often close during the middle of the day from around noon to 16:00 — some longer, some shorter.
The Florence Tourist Office updates the opening hours of sights frequently in a downloadable pdf document — it is well worth finding this document and printing it out, as it usually includes even special closing and opening hours for all museums and major churches. As always, the guard at the door has the final say, so never visit a top sight too close to closing time.
More Articles on Florence Sights
The high season in Florence is increasingly long: Easter, May, July, August, and the Christmas holidays are especially busy. November and January to mid-March are the only quiet months. Plan and book time-slot reservation tickets and tours when available in advance — the Accademia and the Uffizi are again sold out weeks in advance. Top sights are quieter directly at opening time or in the late afternoon.
→ → Special opening hours for top sights in 2023 — most sights are open normal hours in summer 2023 but advance time-slot reservations when available are always sensible even for sights where reservations are optional.
- Tips on Buying Tickets for the Uffizi Museum
- Tips on Buying Skip-the-Line Tickets for the Accademia (Michelangelo’s David)
- See Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell’ Accademia
- Visit the Duomo sights: Cathedral (Duomo), Baptistery (Battistero), Bell Tower (Campanile), Dome (Cupola), Museum (Museo), and Tickets + Opening Hours
- Visit the Bargello Museum of Sculpture (Donatello’s Davids)
- Visit San Marco Museum to see the frescoes and altarpieces painted by Fra Angelico.
- Visit Santa Maria Novella Church and Museum to see medieval and Renaissance Art.
- Visit Santa Croce for Giotto Frescoes and Michelangelo’s Grave
- San Lorenzo complex: Visit the Basilica for Renaissance Art, See the Laurentian Medici Library by Michelangelo, and Visit the Medici Chapels (Michelangelo Statues)
- Save on Sightseeing in Florence with the Firenze Card (again available but not including transportation or the Duomo sights, or consider the Turbopass Florence City Pass that includes online timeslot reservations for both the Uffizi and Accademia.
- Travel to Pisa to see the Field of Miracles and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
- Visit the magnificent Romanesque-Gothic cathedral in nearby Siena.
- Save on top Italian designer fashion at The Mall Factory Outlet Stores.
Florence Resources
- The official Firenze Tourist Office website is a bit cumbersome but has very useful information. Especially the pdf (alternative link) with the opening hours of all major sights. Unfortunately, it is only available for the current month but it is the second last line on opening hours — the final say is the guard at the door, NOT the ticket window!
- Get Your Guide offers tours of all major sights while Tiqets sells online tickets for many top sights in Florence.
- Book luggage storage online and explore Florence easier on foot.
- Omio is good for online train tickets in Italy and most of Europe.
