Getting Palazzo Vecchio tickets is easy: there are a few options available, and you are bound to find a suitable one based on your needs and travel budget.
A fortress-palace and Romanesque design, Palazzo Vecchio is the city’s town hall. Located on the historic Piazza Signoria, the building abounds with Medici history.
The Palazzo Vecchio was built at the end of the 1200s by Arnolfo di Cambio. Inside the great building is a museum where you can enjoy fantastic sights of Florentine history and art, including the ruins of the Roman theater in an archaeological crypt (though at the time of writing this can’t be visited). The palace also holds Donatello’s Judith and Michelangelo’s Victory.
Rooms are filled with decadent frescoes: embark on a tour that leads you through the secret passages built into the palace, or climb up Arnolfo’s Tower to enjoy breathtaking views of Florence’s epicenter. The crenelated tower soars over the piazza, dominating 94 meters (that’s more than 308 feet) in height. The tower was historically used as a prison for the men who were to be executed.
Curious to find out more? Read on for an extensive guide to getting your tickets for Palazzo Vecchio. You’ll also find a practical guide with lots of additional information to help you plan your visit.
Don’t forget to read my posts The Best Museums In Florence and The Best Things To Do In Florence.
How To Get Palazzo Vecchio Tickets
Admission to Palazzo Vecchio is subjected to a time-slot system, which means that you do need to book ahead of your visit. There are several ways of procuring your ticket to visit the Palazzo Vecchio. You can opt for a ticket from the official website, third-party sites, through tours, or – as a last resort – at the door. If buying a ticket or a guided tour online, you’ll want to compare the prices between those of the official website and those of third party booking sites.
During peak season, purchasing your tickets in advance is actually a requirement. If you do not have pre-purchased tickets, you run the risk of not being able to enter on the day you wish to visit.
Get your Palazzo Vecchio tickets via the official website
This is the official website to get tickets to Palazzo Vecchio. By buying tickets on the official museum site, you know where your money is going and you won’t have to worry about unknown additional charges.
A full-price ticket to the Palazzo Vecchio costs €12.50 for adults. The reduced price/ concessions tickets cost €10.00 and are for people aged 18 to 25. When buying your tickets online, you’ll also have the option of picking your preferred time slot for the day of your visit.
On the official website, you will also be able to purchase a separate ticket for the Arnolfo Tower, which also costs €12,50 for adults and €10 for concessions. I highly recommend visiting the tower too as the views from up there are simply incredible!
Access to both sites is free for visitors below 18 years of age and for disabled visitors and their companion.
All tickets bought online have an additional €1 booking fee – that applies also to free visits, because it allows you to reserve a time slot for your visit.
To get your tickets via the official website, you will have to register, select the ticket you want to buy, pay and wait to receive two confirmations via email – one will be from the bank confirming the transaction, the other will be the actual ticket which you can download and print or use in electronic format. You will be required to show that when visiting the museum.
Get skip-the-line Palazzo Vecchio tickets on third party sites
Countless third party booking websites offer skip-the-line mobile tickets. Of course, in terms of price, most are a few euros more expensive than the official price. However, there are some benefits in getting your tickets via a third party site. First of all, there usually is a 24/7 customer service in a language of your choice, also available via chat like whatsapp. Secondly, you can count on a more flexible cancellation policy – you can get a full refund as long as you cancel 24 hours prior to your visit.
Be sure to look out for discounts on third party websites. You should also read reviews of other visitors to get a sense of whether this particular purchase is right for you. I would also recommend comparing prices within these sites, as well as between sites, to find the best option for your needs.
My favorite third party booking sites are usually GetYourGuide and Tiqets.
For last minute tickets to Palazzo Vecchio, click here or here.
Tiqets sells a wonderful combined ticket for the Arnolfo Tower, the Palazzo Vecchio museum and a video guide to the Palazzo Vecchio. You will skip-the-line and have admission to the two monuments. Rescheduling is possible until 24 hours before your visit. This is quite good value for money for the two iconic attractions!
You can get your Palazzo Vecchio and Arnolfo Tower combined ticket on Tiqets here.
Join a guided tour of Palazzo Vecchio
Guided tours are an excellent way of discovering the history of Palazzo Vecchio and appreciating the art within it. I usually prefer buying tours on third party booking sites, because they give a chance of reading reviews from other people who have already taken the tour, and have a more flexible cancellation policy.
My go-to sites for guided tours are usually GetYourGuide and Take Walks. Below are some tours I recommend
Palazzo Vecchio: Skip-the-Line Entry and Secret Passage Tour – this excellent tour lasts 75 minutes and takes you to the main areas of Palazzo Vecchio as well as to some parts that are closed to the general public. It’s actually very budget friendly.
Palazzo Vecchio Museum Guided Tour – this tour lasts two full hours and it is the best reviewed among those on sale on GetYourGuide.
Palazzo Vecchio Guided Tour – one of the best sellers on GetYourGuide, it’s highly reviewed.
Another option is to buy a guided tour via the the official website, though to be fair there hardly is a detailed tour description in English and the groups are much larger than those you’d get by booking on other sites, so I would not know what to expect.
There’s a general guided tour of Palazzo Vecchio that costs €17.50 for adults and lasts 50 minutes. It’s available every day at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm (on Thursdays there are only two departures at 10:30 am and 12:30 pm). You’ll have the option to pick the tour in English, French and Spanish.
There’s also another tour titled ‘Court life’ which will take you through the complex history of the building’s 16th-century residence of the Medici, specifically Cosimo I de Medici. This tours is only offered on Saturdays at 11:30 am and 4:30 pm, and on Sundays at 11:30 am. The tour is open to 25 participants and it is offered in Italian and English. It lasts 50 minutes.
Get the Firenzecard
Another option you can try to get access to Palazzo Vecchio is the Firenzecard. This official museum pass gives you access to an incredible number of attractions in Florence, and that includes Palazzo Vecchio.
The card costs €85 and you have 72 full hours to make the most of it from the moment you start using it (ie from the moment you visit the first museum). It is a fantastic money saver if you intend to visit many museums while in town, but keep in mind you’ll have to make reservations for the time slots for the single museums separately, and that is definitely a cumbersome task.
The Firenze card is sold online on the official website or you can also buy it at one of the many kiosks scattered around Florence. If you get the online version, you can upload it on your phone or print the voucher you will receive via email.
You can get your Firenzecard here.
Buy your tickets on-site
Finally, you can buy your tickets on-site in the square (Piazza della Signoria). However, the line can be very long (sometimes hours long) so you are better off buying tickets online at one of the websites discussed above.
You may also find that there aren’t any available tickets for the next time slots, meaning your wait time will be even longer to enter. The only upside to this approach is that the presale booking fee will not be included in the final price upfront, but standing in line for a long time doesn’t seem worth it for the sake of €1.
Quick Practical Guide
Official prices of Palazzo Vecchio Tickets
Palazzo Vecchio tickets bought on the official website cost €12,50 for adults and €10 for visitors between 18 and 25 years old and for students (proof if ID or a student card will be required). Visiting is free for anyone who’s under 18 and for disabled visitors and their companion.
Arnolfo Tower tickets are €12,50 for adults and €10 for students and for visitors between 18 and 25 years old and for students, upon presentation of a valid ID or a student card. Anyone under 18 can get in for free.
There’s an additional €1 booking fee for all tickets bought online, and which is applied also to free visits.
Modifications to the reservations and refunds
Palazzo Vecchio tickets bought on the official website can’t be modified or cancelled, and should you do so you won’t receive a refund. For a more flexible cancellation policy (usually up to 24 hours before you visit) you may want to get tickets or join a guided tour bought on a third party booking site.
Free visits
Visiting Palazzo Vecchio is free for anyone who is under 18 years of age, and for disabled visitors and their companion.
What to do if Palazzo Vecchio tickets are sold out
Palazzo Vecchio tickets sold on the official site are usually the first ones to be sold out. If you can’t find tickets for the day and time slot you wish to visit, your best bet is to purchase tickets or – even better – a tour on a third party booking site. These buy tickets in bulk and have more flexible cancellation policies, so you may be luckier.
For last minute tickets to Palazzo Vecchio, click here or here.
Palazzo Vecchio opening hours
The museum of Palazzo Vecchio is open from Monday to Sunday (excluding Thursday) from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. On Thursdays, it is open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Arnolfo Tower is open from Monday to Sunday (excluding Thursday) from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. On Thursdays, it is open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Visiting is actually subjected to a time slot system, and you should plan on being at the site 15 minutes prior to your visit.
If you want to avoid the crowds while you are at the Palazzo Vecchio you are better off going in the morning and on a weekday. Visitor numbers grow as the day goes on, so getting there first thing in the morning means you’ll avoid the largest groups. Weekends are generally very busy.
Security checks when visiting Palazzo Vecchio
All visitors to Palazzo Vecchio have to undergo airport style security checks to be granted admission. To make the overall process quicker, make sure not to carry large backpacks or prohibited items such as knives or umbrellas. In any case, there is a cloakroom for visitors that is free of charge.
Photography at Palazzo Vecchio
You can definitely take photos when in Palazzo Vecchio – in particular, the views from Arnolfo Tower are incredible. Just make sure not to use a flash and not to bring a tripod.
Toilets and other facilities
Accessible toilets are available to all visitors on the ground floor of Palazzo Vecchio. Located in the museum’s ground floor in the Cortile della Dogana (right next to the ticket office), you’ll also find a bookshop, a cafeteria and a cloakroom where you can leave bulky items and umbrellas free of charge.
Accessibility
Disabled visitors and visitors using wheelchairs or with reduced mobility can access Palazzo Vecchio via the side entrance located in Via dei Gondi, and can use the elevator that is located on the ground floor in the Cortile della Dogana. Wheelchairs are available for rent free of charge upon request.
The two main floors of Palazzo Vecchio museum are fully accessible, but Arnolfo Tower and the mezzanine floor are not accessible.
Other useful information
For further information on visiting Palazzo Vecchio you can send an email to info@musefirenze.it or call +390552768224. Unfortunately, the official website gives no information regarding the languages spoken on the phone or via email.
Being an institutional seat, public meetings and events often take place in Palazzo Vecchio. Check regularly on the official website to check for the coming month’s closures.
Further Readings
If you are traveling to Florence, these other posts will be useful:
- How To Get From Rome To Florence
- The Perfect 3 Days In Florence Itinerary
- How To Get Boboli Gardens Tickets
- How To Get Tickets To Pitti Palace
- How To Get Tickets To The Uffizi Gallery
- How To Get Galleria Dell’Accademia Tickets
- How To Get Florence Duomo Tickets
- How To Make The Most Of One Day In Florence
- How To Make The Most Of Florence At Night
- 13 Best Day Trips From Florence
- A Wonderful Florence To Pisa Day Trip
- A Perfect Day Trip From Rome To Florence
- The Perfect Day Trip From Florence To Cinque Terre
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