Welcome to Santa Croce
Despite being only a hop, skip and jump from the city’s major museums, most of this ancient part of Florence is far removed from the tourist maelstrom. The streets behind main sight Basilica di Santa Croce are home to plenty of locals, all of whom seem to be taking their neighbourhood’s reinvention as hipster central – epicentre of the city’s bar and club scene – with remarkable aplomb.
Top experiences in Santa Croce
Amazing hotels and hostels
We've pre-picked the best hotels, hostels and bed and breakfasts to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
Santa Croce activities
Florence, Tuscan Farm and Wine Bar E-Bike Tour
Meet your host in central Florence, and hop aboard your electric bike – a regular two-wheeled bicycle with a handy electric motor that kicks in when pedaling! Riding your electric bike is simple, but your host will deliver a comprehensive safety briefing and practice session to put you at ease.Pedal behind your host and away from the busy city streets to the nearby hill town of Fiesole, an enchanting Etruscan town that enjoys incredible panoramas of the Tuscan countryside. Ride along the peaceful hill roads and stop at a working farm on the town’s outskirts.Take a break to soak up the views and browse the farm shop for snacks (own expense), and then start to work your way back down into Florence. Stop for photos at Piazzale Michelangelo, a popular Florence terrace stacked into the hillside, and then visit the Church of San Miniato al Monte – one of the city’s lesser-known gems – to see a medley of art and architecture from different eras.After cycling along the pretty Florentine streets near the River Arno, head inside a cozy enoteca (wine bar) to try some typical Chianti-region wine and food. Snack on tasty tidbits like fennel salami or bruschetta with red or white wine, and then hop back on your electric bike and pedal into Florence’s historical center.The downtown streets are scattered with monuments, so your host will stop frequently to share stories and trivia about all the sights. Pose for pictures in front of the Ponte Vecchio – Florence’s iconic bridge – and cycle around Florence Duomo to admire Brunelleschi’s Dome. Soak up the sights in Piazza della Signoria, the central square that’s always a hub of activity, and admire the ornate marble façade of the Church of Santa Croce.After your 4-hour electric bike tour, follow your host back to the start point where your tour finishes.
Venice Private Gondola Ride Including the Grand Canal
Step aboard your boat at a gondola stop near St Mark’s Square, and then sit back and relax as your gondolier expertly navigates your gondola around the waterways. The traditional flat-bottomed boats have been used for centuries in the city and, as you explore the canals, your onboard guide will keep you entertained with trivia and history about them. Cruise along Rio della Madonnetta, a picturesque channel that borders the San Polo and Santa Croce neighborhoods, and enter the Grand Canal. Snaking some 1.9 miles (3km) through the city, the famous canal is lined by grandiose churches and glamorous palazzi that look out on the countless gondolas, barges, water buses and taxis on the water. Soak up the sights and hear entertaining stories about how Venice was built from your guide.Pass beneath Accademia Bridge, seeing the San Marco neighborhood on one side and Dorsoduro on the other, and listen to more tales of Venetian history over the years. Work your way through some of the less-busy and equally enchanting side canals, and then pass back onto the Grand Canal to see Ca’ d’Oro, an attention-grabbing mansion with magnificent Gothic arcades.Before working your way back to the start point, see Rialto Market with its colorful stalls of fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, and then pass beneath Rialto Bridge — one of the icons of Venice. Hop back onto dry land at the start point and bid your guide and gondolier a fond farewell.
Private Tour: Venice Day Trip from Florence
When you book, mention any special interests you have for your time in Venice so your private guide in the city can adjust the itinerary accordingly. Then, on the day, meet your driver at your central Florence hotel and board your private, luxury air-conditioned saloon or minivan for your roughly 2.5-hour journey.On route, hear a fascinating introduction to Venice, one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Woven with canals and brim with squares, churches and marble palaces that attest to its riches as a medieval East-West trading hub, the whole city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.On arrival in Venice, leave your vehicle and meet your private local guide for a 2-hour walking tour. Stroll the narrow calli (lanes) and absorb the magical atmosphere as your guide provides an overview of Venice’s past and present.Explore the San Polo and Santa Croce neighborhoods and head for the Rialto district, the first area to be settled. Pass the colorful Rialto market and view the exterior of the Church of San Giacomo. Snap photos of the Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge and then enter St Mark’s Square. Drink in the magnificent square and admire the facades of its showpiece buildings, including the Doge’s Palace, Clock Tower and lavish St Mark’s Basilica. Marvel at the latter’s European and Byzantine architecture and see the Bridge of Sighs, so named for the sighs of the condemned prisoners who crossed it to their cells.After around two hours, leave your guide and enjoy the rest of the afternoon to explore as you wish. Take your pick of Venice’s enticing restaurants for lunch (own expense) and perhaps revisit some of the sights touched on during your tour or take a gondola ride. Alternatively, shop for souvenirs or cruise to the nearby lagoon islands of Murano and Burano to discover their glass-blowing and lace-making.When the time comes, reconvene with your driver and return to Florence, where your trip ends.
Livorno Shore Excursion: Chianti and Tuscany Countryside Private Wine Tour
While you’re in port in Livorno, spend your time in one of Italy’s most sought-after destinations – Tuscany! Your shore excursion starts as you’re picked up at the Livorno cruise port and whisked away to the beautiful Tuscan countryside. You will follow the Wine Road between vineyards and olive trees until you reach Greve in Chianti, the small village named after the nearby river, which expanded considerably during the 14th and 15th centuries. You can see Piazza Matteotti, the Santa Croce church, the San Francesco convent and many typical Italian shops and wine cellars. After Greve, you will visit one of the most famous wineries in the area and take a guided tour of its wine cellars. Then, you will enjoy a guided tasting of classic wines and extra virgin olive oil. After the tasting, you will have the chance to stop for a lunch of local specialties in a typical Tuscan restaurant (additional cost). In the afternoon, relax as you drive back to Livorno through the small villages that dot the Tuscan countryside.This in-depth private tour hosted by a professional English speaking driver.Worry-free Shore Excursion:We will ensure your timely return to the Livorno port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.
Best of Florence Tour by Night
Walk around the core of Florence, going by the square of the Duomo with its Bell tower and the Baptistery, we'll make a beeline for Piazza della Repubblica, the most seasoned piece of the city at that point changed in an exquisite square, and after that to Ponte Vecchio to see its prestigious gem specialists' shops. Continue to Piazza della Signoria that holds an outdoors exhibition of Renaissance statues and piazza Santa Croce to respect the Franciscan church of Santa Croce where numerous well known Italians are covered. You will be part of a small group. The maximum amount of people on the tour is 15 people so no earphone is needed and you can have a close interaction with the guide. This tour is a perfect option for your holiday evenings in Florence to explore more of the city and meet new friends.
Private Guided Visit of Florence's Santa Croce Basilica and its Ancient Leather School
Santa Croce Basilica is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture with a façade clad in polychrome marble. This is the ancient church in which the Franciscan friars chose to set up and begin treating pelts and leather and meditate in peace in a place that was, at that time, located outside the city walls. We will admire, from close up, the beautiful frescoes by Giotto and Agnolo Gaddi, the “Crucifix” and “Annunciation” by Donatello and the world-famous funerary monuments and tombs of illustrious figures from the past such as Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. Next, we will enter the elegant “Brunelleschi Cloister” bordered by columns carved from pure stone, and then pass into the fourteenth-century “Ancient Cloister” at the end of which lies the beautiful “Pazzi Chapel”, a sublime example of Renaissance harmony. After visiting the Basilica and cloisters, there will be a chance to visit a workshop that goes back to the 13th century, when the Franciscan monks first settled in this area on the banks of the river Arno. The earliest hide and leather working activity was established here, where the large quantities of water required for leather processing are freely available. The Franciscan monks of the Santa Croce monastery dedicated their efforts to this activity, and their leather-working techniques have been preserved over the centuries by the master craftsmen who still work in the delightful old workshops at the School of Leather (except on Saturday and Sunday), which we will be visiting; an extraordinary Renaissance workshop adjacent to the Basilica, where history, tradition and exceptional quality are combined to produce authentic Florentine craftwork. A real "top must see” amazing place.