Welcome to Oltrarno
Literally the ‘other side of the Arno’, this achingly hip ’hood is traditionally home to Florence's artisans and its old-world, bohemian streets are sprinkled with botteghe (workshops), independent boutiques and hybrid forms of both. It embraces the area south of the river and west of Ponte Vecchio; its backbone is Borgo San Jacopo, clad with shops and a twinset of 12th-century towers, Torre dei Marsili and Torre de' Belfredelli. Cuisine – prepared using artisanal ingredients, of course – is a real strength here, with bags of fashionable restaurants and drinks to entice.
Top experiences in Oltrarno
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Oltrarno activities
Florence Concert and Dinner
Your evening starts in the charming neighborhood of Oltrarno, on the south side of the Arno River. Make your own way to a traditional Florentine restaurant, where your table awaits. Then, sit back and relax as the friendly waiting staff serve up your meal. Select a budget-friendly set menu with Chianti wine, or upgrade to enjoy a choice of traditional Tuscan dishes from an à la carte menu. Wine is not included with the à la carte option, but a wide selection is available should you want to order a bottle at your own expense. See the Itinerary for sample menus. After dinner, take a short stroll into town to St Mark's Anglican Church, the setting for your intimate concert performance. Your reserved seat, at the heart of the action in the front row, is ideal for taking in the acoustics and ambiance as professional singers take the stage. Sit back and prepare to be enchanted as works by some of the operatic greats — Puccini, Verdi, Rossini — as well as other popular Neapolitan songs are performed. See below for more details on the program.
Skip-the-Line Florence Highlights and David Walking Tour
Make the most of your time in Florence with a 3-hour tour of the most important sites and monuments! Florence is not a very big city but its importance and the concentration of monuments and museums is truly amazing. It is hard to define the best itinerary to see everything in one day, so the best solution is joining this half day tour which will give you an overview of the historical center and its highlights. Meet your guide in a central spot of the city and explore Piazza della Republica, where the ancient Roman Forum originally was. Walk to Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of the city and listen to the history of the Florentine Republic, the Medici family and the Palazzo Vecchio. Admire the sculptures which makes this piazza one of most famous of the world. Proceed to the Ponte Vecchio and admire its jewelries, and hear the unique history of the Vasari Corridor, passing above it. Arrive to the Pitti palace once the private residence of the grand dukes and admire its splendor. Continue your walk though the Oltrarno, the bohemian area of Florence full of artists, workshops and lovely cafes. Cross the Ponte Santa Trinita and stop for a stunning picture to the ponte Vecchio from this side. The tour continue along Via Tornabuoni, the fashion designer street where you will be amazed by the beautiful windows. Pass through Palazzo Strozzi's courtyard and admire the essence of the Renaissance architecture. Continue your walk to the Duomo, and admire the Cathedral, Brunelleschi's Dome and the Baptistery. If the line is not too long, we will also see the inside but sometimes lines are so long and nobody here has the priority. Afterwards , walk to the Accademia, where you will have preferential entrance and see the original Michelangelo's David and the Prisoners. The guide will tell you every secrets of these statues and Michelangelo's life. Please note: the tour ends outside of the Accademia museum. Every first Sunday of the month it is not allowed to reserve ticketsEntrance to the Cathedral is not possible on sunday morning and if the line are too long - nobody has priority entrance
Florence Aperitivo Tasting Tour with Ponte Vecchio, Oltrarno
Upon meeting your local guide, we’ll take a stroll through the city, chatting about national and local aperitivo traditions. Our first stop will be a typical wine bar that serves tripe, the most well-known street food in Florence. If you are game you can have a taste in the form of a small petite panino. A tasting of pecorino from southen Tuscany, Tuscan prosciutto and local foccacia bread called schiacciata will be served next, street food-style alongside our first glass of traditional Chianti. Up next, we’ll take a stroll along one of the city’s most beautiful streets and indulge in a spot of window shopping as we gaze at sumptuous displays of Italian fashion. We’ll arrive at a historic wine bar that’s owned by a family who have been making wine for thirty generations! Here we’ll taste a full-bodied super Tuscan red and soak up the old world atmosphere. We’ll then take you to the secret palace drive-through that used to sell wine in a similar fashion to the way burger chains sell their wares now. Our last but certainly not least stop is at a local cocktail bar where you will meet professional Florentine mixologists who really know their stuff when it comes to mixing a killer blend. Choose from a selection of classic Italian cocktails, your guide (who is an expert on all things wine and gin!) will fill you in on local stories related to the bar’s vast cocktail selection. More local snacks will be served, paired perfectly with your choice of drink, of course. After a fun filled crash course in Italian aperitivo, we hope you feel ready to try it on your own. Your tour will end with a stroll back to the meeting point but before you head off, don’t forget to ask your local guide for more tips on what else to see, do and eat during your time in Florence.
Florence Independent Full-Day Visit from Venice by Train
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productStop At: Giardino di Boboli, Florence, TuscanyAdmire the beautiful statues in the magnificent Boboli gardensDuration: 1 hourPass By: Duomo - Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, TuscanyYou cannot miss the stunning view of Florence CathedralPass By: Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, TuscanyAdmire the city view from Florence Piazzale MichelangeloStop At: Accademia Gallery, Florence, TuscanyEnter the Academy Gallery and have the opportunity to see the famous Michelangelo DavidDuration: 1 hourPass By: Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, TuscanySite of the political life in Florence, situated in magnificent Piazza della Signoria
Florence Private Walking Tour: Accademia Skip-the-Line, David
Make the most of your time in Florence with a 3-hour tour of the most important sites and monuments. Florence is not a very big city, but its importance and the concentration of monuments and museums is really amazing. It is hard to define the best itinerary to see everything in one day, so the best solution is joining this half day tour, which will give you an overview of the historical center and its highlights. Meet your guide at your centrally located hotel in Florence and explore Piazza della Republica, where the ancient Roman Forum originally was. Walk to Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of the city and listen to the history of the Florentine Republic, the Medici family and the Palazzo Vecchio. Admire the sculptures that make this piazza one of the most famous in the world. Proceed to the Ponte Vecchio and admire its jewelry, and hear the unique history of the Vasari Corridor, passing above it. Arrive to the Pitti Palace once the private residence of the grand dukes and admire its splendor. Continue your walk though the Oltrarno, the bohemian area of Florence full of artists, workshops and lovely cafes. Cross the Ponte Santa Trinita and stop for a stunning picture to the Ponte Vecchio from this side. The tour continue along Via Tornabuoni, the fashion designer street where you will be amazed by the beautiful windows. Pass through Palazzo Strozzi's courtyard and admire the essence of the Renaissance architecture. Continue your walk to the Duomo, and admire the Cathedral, Brunelleschi's Dome and the Baptistery. Lines at the entrance of the Cathedral can be very long, and there is no possible way to skip them, so the guide will decide with you at the moment what you want to do according to the time you have at your disposal.Walk to the Accademia, where you will have preferential entrance and see the original Michelangelo's David and the Prisoners. The guide will tell you every secrets of the statues and Michelangelo's life. Tour ends out of the Accademia Museum.
Florence with Duomo, Uffizi, Accademia: Private Full Day Tour
Meet the guide in the lobby of your centrally located hotel and start the walk to the Cathedral with its famous Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's bell tower, the Baptistery.Proceed to Piazza della Signoria and learn about the history of Florence, its beautiful city hall, Palazzo Vecchio and the outdoor museums of sculptures all around the piazza.Visit the Uffizi gallery and its world famous collection of paintings. The visit will focus on the most important Renaissance works of art such as Botticelli's Birth of Venus and others by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio. After the visit, you will be free for a quick lunch break of about 1 hour and will then cross the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge of Florence with its sparkling goldsmiths' windows and explore the Oltrarno area, famous for its artisans passing in front of the imposing Pitti Palace.Cross the Ponte Santa Trinita from where you will have a great view from the river of Florence palaces and bridges. Head to the Accademia Gallery walking through Via Tornabuoni, the fashion street, passing through the Strozzi Palace magnificent courtyard. When inside the Accademia you will have the chance to admire Michelangelo's David and the unfinished Prisoners.Tickets for these museums are pre-booked in order to skip the lines at the entrance.