This post illustrates the two main museum discount cards available in Florence. The information is up to date (October 2011) and replaces information I published already when the card was first announced and when it first came out.

(Update Feb 2014: the price of the card has changed, it is now 72€ for 72 museums over 72 hours.)

Your options are: The Firenze Card for 3 days that costs 50 72 euros and gets you into almost all museums in Florence; or the Amici degli Uffizi card that lasts a calendar year, costs 60 euros for adults, and includes only state museums.

Firenze card features

I was at first critical of the Firenze Card because 50 euros seems a high price to pay for only three days. But, if you are visiting Florence for this amount of time – which is just a bit more than the average stay – this card actually is a good deal. Here is why. [2014: My opinion has changed again. 72€ for 3 days is too much!]

  • costs 50 72 euros per person
  • lasts three days
  • includes public transportation on ATAF bus – excellent if your hotel is outside the historical center
  • now 50 72 museums are included in the card (up from the original 33)
  • includes all state musems like the Uffizi and Accademia, the Boboli gardens, the Medici chapels; plus Medici villas outside of town
  • Includes city museums like Palazzo Vecchio and Brancacci Chapel (Masaccio paintings)
  • Now includes Palazzo Strozzi who has excellent temporary exhibits
  • skip the line at the Uffizi, don’t need to reserve or wait.
  • You know exactly how much you’re going to spend on museums and are unlikely to spend any more

The Firenze Card was a gamble on the part of the city. You purchase the card for 50 euros and they pay each museum you enter anywhere from 50-100% of the entry fee, depending on the agreement they have. The card has recently been in the news because tourists have been managing to visit more museums than the city planned on, thus the city is actually 100,000 euros in debt because of this. Criticized by some as a “flop,” mayor Renzi rightly assures us that the card is an important service for tourists and that the loss is not a problem.

Amici degli Uffizi card features

I have listed this before, but repeat it here. If you are staying in Florence for the long term or studying abroad for a semester, it’s good to have this card so that you can stop into museums for short visits.

  • Costs 60 euros per adult, 100 euros for a family of four (2 adults and 2 kids), or 40 euros for students under 26.
  • Lasts one calendar year, so best if you buy it in January!
  • With this card, you skip the line at the Uffizi and Accademia
  • Access to all state museums in the city, plus the Medici villas outside of town.

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