Florence's Oltrarno: A Self-Guided Walking Tour
- 1–1.5 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Oltrarno is where history and Florentine life meet. Unlike the historic and more touristy centre on the other side of the Arno River, Florentines still live in this vibrant district, where historical landmarks, bars, cafes, and restaurants coexist. On this self-guided audio tour, I'll guide you through this authentic district's maze of streets and squares while I share anecdotes, historical highlights and Florentine traditions. I'll take you back to the Middle Ages when Florence was divided into four districts, each with their own political, administrative and military responsibilities. The tour starts at the foot of Ponte Vecchio and loops through the district's small streets, to end around the corner from a seven-story medieval tower called Torre dei Belfredelli sec. xii. As you walk, you'll pass through several squares, including the beautiful Piazza Santo Spirito, Piazza de Pitti, and Piazza della Passera.
Inclusions
What's included
- Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
- App for Android and iOS
- Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
What's not
- Smartphone and headphones
- Transportation
- Food and drink
- Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour
Itinerary
Begin your tour at the foot of Ponte Vecchio, enjoying breathtaking views of Florence's most famous bridge. Discover the authentic Oltrarno district that unfolds just across the river, where Florentines still live amid history, bars, and cafés.
Pause in this small square next to Ponte Vecchio, where you'll see the corridor overlooking the Chiesa di Santa Felicita. Learn how this passage allowed the Medici family to attend mass away from the crowds below.
Look up to spot the elevated corridor connecting this church to the Medici's private route through the city. Discover how this small but significant church played a quiet role in the family's daily life.
Meet the story of a member of the Second World War Resistance, who used her flat on Piazza Pitti to protect Jews. Reflect on this quiet act of courage as you stand in the square where it took place.
Discover the history of Palazzo Pitti, the palace's deep connection to the Medici family, and its secret engraved in rock. Uncover a detail hidden in plain sight on one of Florence's grandest palace facades.
Relax in a green cloister and seek out a little-known work by Michelangelo inside this basilica. Discover its place as one of the first religious centres in the Oltrarno district.
Identify the plaque marking Santo Spirito with its whip insignia, one of two symbols demarcating Florence's historic four districts. Enjoy this beautiful square as you continue your walk through the neighbourhood.
Cross toward Ponte alla Carraia, originally built in wood in 1218 as the second bridge over the Arno after Ponte Vecchio. Learn how it earned its name "bridge of the carts" from the wool traffic that once rumbled across it between Florence's dye works and cloth workers.
Find out why there are two street numbers on most buildings nearby, and discover the city's famous "wine windows" right outside this spot. Learn how these small openings once let Florentines buy wine directly from noble households.
Admire Ponte Santa Trinita, the oldest elliptical arch bridge in the world, rebuilt by Bartolomeo Ammannati between 1567 and 1569. Discover how it was destroyed by retreating German forces in 1944 and later painstakingly reconstructed using original stones recovered from the riverbed.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- This tour starts at Ponte Vecchio. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- VoiceMap Audio Tours
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Florence
- Its from-price is 96% below the median of the 3255 experiences we list in Florence.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Florence
Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, gathers masterpieces of art and architecture into a compact city of stone streets beside the Arno.
The Duomo, with Brunelleschi's great red-brick dome, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery's gilded doors, marks the centre of town. A few streets away, Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio face a loggia full of sculpture, and the Uffizi Gallery holds Botticelli, Leonardo and Raphael. Michelangelo's David stands in the Galleria dell'Accademia.
Top-ranked sights in Florence: Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi Galleries (Gallerie degli Uffizi), Florence Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore).
Special offers in Florence
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
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