Private Tour From Rome To Florence: Day Trip By Fast Train
This private tour from Rome to Florence puts a guide at your side for about 5.5 hours in the city, with timed entry to the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery listed as included. You ride a high-speed train north on your own, and the guide waits inside Florence Santa Maria Novella station. The whole day runs 9 hours. It suits travelers who want one guide for their own party, both big museums handled, and no coach ride. If you would rather spend less, tours from Rome to Florence start at $106 per person.
About This Tour
Through Eternity Tours runs this as a private day, so the guide works for your group alone. The price of $766.33 per person covers the round-trip high-speed train between Rome and Florence, a private English-speaking guide, fees and taxes, and timed entry tickets to the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery, where Michelangelo's David stands. Headsets are provided for groups of 6 or more.
There is no hotel pickup and no guide on the train. You make your own way to Roma Termini, ride north without the guide, and meet them in front of the pharmacy inside Florence Santa Maria Novella station. The guided time in Florence is about 5.5 hours, and the listing notes you can ask to stay longer by naming the departure time you want.
$766.33 per person, private tour. The listing does not state how the price moves with group size.
9 hours in total, with about 5.5 hours of guided time in Florence.
High-speed train, round-trip tickets included and sent a few days before the day. No coach, no hotel pickup.
The guide meets you in front of the pharmacy (Farmacia) inside Santa Maria Novella station, Florence. No departure time is stated on the listing.
About 5.5 hours with the guide. You can request a later train back if you want more free time.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Availability and the live per-person price for your group size sit on the booking page. Remember that the Uffizi and the Accademia close on Mondays, so the museums part of this day cannot run then.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Private day trip summary
A private tour from Rome to Florence on this listing costs $766.33 per person, runs about 9 hours, and includes about 5.5 hours with a private guide plus timed Uffizi and Accademia tickets. Round-trip high-speed train tickets come in the price and arrive a few days before the day. You travel to Roma Termini at your own cost.
Key takeaways
- The Uffizi and the Accademia both close on Mondays, so plan a Tuesday to Sunday date for the museums. See hours in Florence.
- You ride the train alone and meet the guide inside Florence Santa Maria Novella station. The day is mapped in how the day runs.
- If $766.33 is more than you want to spend, Florence with David Small Group includes Accademia entry for $315.15 per person.
- Compare this with all day tours from Rome to Florence before you book.
What the Price Covers
At $766.33 per person this is the most expensive listing on the site, so it matters exactly what the money buys. The table below splits the listing's inclusions from its exclusions and the things you still pay for yourself.
Included in the Price
The listing includes an expert English-speaking private guide, round-trip high-speed train tickets between Rome and Florence, all fees and taxes, timed entry tickets to the Uffizi and the Accademia, and headsets for groups of 6 or more. Both flagship museums are inside the price, which is the clearest difference from cheaper train days such as Rome to Florence by Train, where museum entry is not in the base option.
- Private English-speaking guide for your group only
- Round-trip high-speed train tickets, sent a few days before
- Timed entry to the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery
- All fees and taxes
- Headsets for groups of 6 or more
Not Included, Paid on Top
Three things sit outside the price. Food and beverages are excluded, so lunch and coffee come from your own pocket. Gratuities are optional extras.
And transport to and from Roma Termini in Rome is yours to arrange, because the guide only meets you in Florence.
- Food and beverages
- Gratuities, optional
- Transport to and from Roma Termini in Rome
A Contradiction Worth Checking
The listing states twice that timed Uffizi and Accademia tickets are included. Yet the same page adds a note pricing the Accademia admission ticket at $26.76 (€24) in total, $22.30 (€20) admission plus $4.46 (€4) reservation. Those two statements point in different directions, so confirm on the booking page before you pay whether any museum ticket is charged separately for your date.
| Item | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Private English-speaking guide | Yes | About 5.5 hours of guiding in Florence |
| Round-trip high-speed train | Yes | Tickets forwarded a few days before the service |
| Uffizi timed entry | Yes | The listing states this twice, no separate fee mentioned |
| Accademia timed entry | Yes, with a contradiction | Included per the inclusions list, but a note on the same page prices it at $26.76 (€24). Confirm at booking |
| Headsets | For groups of 6 or more | Not stated for smaller groups |
| Food and beverages | No | Excluded |
| Gratuities | No | Optional |
| Rome-side transport to Termini | No | You reach the station yourself |
Santa Maria Novella, a short walk from Florence station. Photo: Commonists, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Private or Semi-Private, and What Changes
The words look close on sale pages, but the difference changes the day.
What Private Means Here
On this listing the guide works for your party only. There is no stated cap and no stated minimum, and the group size is simply listed as private. The price of $766.33 per person is per head, and the listing does not say how the total moves with the number of travelers, so ask at booking if your group is large.
What Semi-private Means Elsewhere
Semi-private mixes your party with a few other travelers under one guide. LivTours caps its semi-private train day at six guests per guide, which keeps it small but not private. That keeps the group small but not private.
Who Handles the Train Tickets
On this private day the operator buys the round-trip tickets and forwards them a few days before, so you never queue at Termini. On the free-time train day there is no guide waiting in Florence at all. Decide which matters more to you before comparing prices.
- Private here: guide only for you, tickets bought for you
- Semi-private elsewhere: up to 6 guests per guide
- No guide at all: the free-time train day
Source: Viator listing 31810P26.
The Uffizi in Two Hours on Video
The rooms of the Uffizi a private guide steers you through. Third-party video by Our Big Italian Adventure. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
How the Day Runs
The listing gives the meeting point, the guided time and the sights, but no clock times. Do not try to build a timetable from the durations below.
The Route, as the Listing States It
You reach Roma Termini yourself and ride a high-speed train to Florence. The guide does not travel with you. Inside Florence Santa Maria Novella station, wait in front of the pharmacy (Farmacia), where the guide holds a Through Eternity sign or flag.
From there the walking tour covers the Duomo from outside, the Uffizi Gallery with a timed ticket, the Accademia Gallery and Michelangelo's David with a timed ticket, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio. The guided part runs about 5.5 hours. No return meeting time is stated, but the listing invites you to name a later departure if you want to stay longer.
| Part of the day | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rome departure | Not stated | You reach Roma Termini at your own cost |
| Train to Florence | Not stated | High-speed, round-trip ticket included |
| Meet the guide | Not stated | In front of the Farmacia inside Florence SMN, guide carries a Through Eternity sign |
| Guided tour of Florence | About 5.5 hours | Duomo outside, Uffizi inside, Accademia and David inside, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio |
| Return to Rome | Not stated | You can request the departure time you prefer |
What the Listing Does Not Tell You
No departure time, no return time and no return point are published. That is normal for a private day built around your request, but it means you should fix the outbound and return trains with the operator when booking rather than on the morning. Walking minutes between sights are not stated either.
The Uffizi from across the Arno. Photo: Zairon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hours in Florence and What You See
About 5.5 hours are guided, and the operator can arrange a later train home so the rest of the day is yours.
Inside Versus Outside
Two museums are entered with timed tickets: the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery, where Michelangelo's David stands. Three sights are seen from outside only: the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio. If you want the David on a smaller budget, Florence with David Small Group includes timed Accademia entry for $315.15 per person.
What Fits Around the Guided Hours
The Uffizi is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8.15 am to 6.30 pm, with the ticket office closing at 5.30 pm. The Accademia is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8.15 am to 6.50 pm, last entry 6.20 pm. Both close on Mondays.
Florence Cathedral is free to enter with no booking, closed on Sundays and during religious celebrations. The historic center can be walked end to end in about half an hour, so free hours go far.
If You Add Extra Time on Your Own
A Duomo pass fills spare hours well. The Brunelleschi Pass, covering the dome, bell tower, museum, baptistery and Santa Reparata, costs $33.45 (€30), or $13.38 (€12) for ages 7 to 14 and free for ages 0 to 6. The Giotto Pass without the dome costs $22.30 (€20), and both passes are valid for 3 calendar days.
Giotto's Bell Tower has 414 steps and no elevator. For a wide view without a ticket, Piazzale Michelangelo is reached by bus or by stairs from Lungarno della Zecca. On a first Sunday of the month, entry to the main museums including the Uffizi is free, which pulls heavy crowds.
Before You Go
Museum rules, ticket prices and documents decide whether the day runs smoothly. Here is what applies to this tour.
Days and Documents
The Uffizi and the Accademia are both closed on Mondays, along with 1 January and 25 December, so book a Tuesday to Sunday date for this day. Every traveler must give their full name at booking and carry a valid passport or ID that matches it. The listing warns that a voucher without all travelers' full names can mean denied entry at the Accademia ticket office.
Infants aged 1 to 4 sit on an adult's lap, adult pricing applies from age 5, and the tour is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets If You Book Them Yourself
For context on what the museums cost alone: a regular Uffizi ticket bought on the day costs $27.88 (€25), or $32.34 (€29) bought in advance, with a reduced ticket at $2.23 (€2). A standard Accademia ticket costs $22.30 (€20) on site per ArtVisitGuide, while another guide lists $17.84 (€16), and booking online adds a $4.46 (€4) fee for $26.76 (€24) in total. Entry to the Accademia is free for under-18s.
The cathedral itself is free.
What to Bring
The listing calls this a walking tour through the city center with steps and uneven walkways, so comfortable shoes and a bottle of water are strongly recommended. Tell the operator about any mobility concerns when booking so they can adjust the route. The tour is rated suitable for all fitness levels.
Sources: Uffizi Galleries, ArtVisitGuide on the Accademia, Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore.
Train Tickets, Changes and Refunds
The train is the spine of this day, so the small print matters.
Tickets Arrive Before You Travel
Round-trip high-speed train tickets are included and are forwarded to you a few days before the service, so there is no ticket queue in Rome. High-speed trains leave from Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina and arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella. Around 49 trains a day run the route, operated by Frecciarossa, Italo and Frecciargento.
The fastest service takes 1 hour 19 minutes, and a typical journey runs about 1 hour 37 minutes, though Wikivoyage says about 90 minutes.
Changing the Return
This listing invites you to say immediately what departure time you want if you wish to stay longer in Florence, so the operator builds the later return in. On other operators' fares the rules are tighter. LivTours allows Premium class guests on its semi-private day to change the return ticket time once.
Italy With Us does not refund the train fare when its private day trip is cancelled. Ask this operator at booking what happens to the train tickets if you cancel inside the free window.
What a Standalone Train Costs
For scale, one guide puts advance fares from $16.61 (€14.90), in a range of $11.15 to $33.45 (€10 to €30), with last-minute seats at $55.75 (€50) and more. The $766.33 price here buys the train plus the guide plus two timed museum entries, so compare what is inside before judging the number.
Sources: LivTours, Italy With Us.
Dress Code and Accademia Bag Rules
Two rule sets catch visitors out: church dress codes and the Accademia's size limits.
Dress for the Churches
Shoulders and knees must be covered inside Florence churches. The Duomo sits on this tour's route from outside, and many travelers step inside Florence Cathedral because entry is free with no ticket required. Pack a layer that covers both, and you can walk into any church on the route without a second thought.
Bags at the Accademia
The Accademia refuses luggage or items larger than 40 x 30 x 18 cm, and there is no cloakroom to leave them in. Only plastic water bottles up to 0.5 litres are allowed. Travel light on the day: a small crossbody bag that fits the limit keeps you moving through both museums without a detour.
Shoes and Water
The listing itself asks for comfortable walking shoes and a bottle of water, because the guided route crosses the city center with steps and uneven walkways. Note the bottle rule above before you buy a large one.
Source: LivTours.
Itinerary
Phases as the listing gives them. Clock times are not published, so none are invented here.
-
Rome
Make your way to Roma Termini
Transport to and from Termini is not included, so you arrive at the station on your own with the round-trip ticket that was sent a few days earlier.
-
Train north
High-speed train to Florence
You ride without the guide. Fastest services take 1 hour 19 minutes and typical journeys about 1 hour 37 minutes, though Wikivoyage says about 90 minutes. Trains arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella.
-
Meet
Guide inside the station
Find the pharmacy (Farmacia) inside Santa Maria Novella. Your guide waits there with a Through Eternity sign or flag.
-
Florence
Guided walking tour, about 5.5 hours
Duomo from outside, timed entry to the Uffizi Gallery, timed entry to the Accademia Gallery for Michelangelo's David, then Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio.
-
Florence
Optional extra time
If you want longer, tell the operator immediately which departure time you wish to take back to Rome.
-
Return
Train back to Rome
You travel back on your included round-trip ticket. Return point and time are not stated on the listing.
Michelangelo's David in the Accademia Gallery. Photo: Jörg Bittner Unna, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pros and Cons
An honest read of this listing against the others on the site.
What we genuinely like
- Both timed museum tickets, the Uffizi and the Accademia, are inside the $766.33 price, per the inclusions list
- A private English-speaking guide for about 5.5 hours, the longest guided time of any train day here
- Round-trip high-speed train tickets are bought for you and sent a few days ahead
- Wheelchair accessible, and you can request a later return train to extend the day
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time
The honest downsides
- The price is the highest on the site, more than double any other listing on the site
- You carry the Rome side yourself, with no hotel pickup and no transfer to Termini
- The listing contradicts itself on the Accademia ticket, so confirm at booking
- No clock times are published, so the day's shape is only fixed once you book
- The Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio are outside-only stops
Who it's NOT for: If you want museum entry for a fraction of the price, Florence with David Small Group covers the Accademia in a minivan day, or Rome to Florence by Train leaves you 7 free hours for $145.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does this private tour from Rome to Florence cost?
The listing price is $766.33 per person for a private group, with the per-person figure possibly changing with group size. Cheaper alternatives are listed in the Rome to Florence day tours.
Do I really ride the train alone?
Yes. The guide meets you in front of the pharmacy inside Florence Santa Maria Novella station, and transport to and from Roma Termini in Rome is not included. See how the day runs.
Are Uffizi and Accademia tickets really included?
The inclusions list says timed entry to both museums is included, but a note on the same listing prices the Accademia ticket at $26.76 (€24). Confirm on the booking page, and read what the price covers.
Can I do this tour on a Monday?
The Uffizi and the Accademia both close on Mondays, so the museum part of this day cannot run then. Plan a Tuesday to Sunday date, as explained in hours in Florence.
Can I stay longer in Florence than the guided 5.5 hours?
Yes. The listing asks you to advise the operator immediately what departure time you want if you wish to stay longer after the tour ends.
What documents do I need for museum entry?
Give the full names of all travelers when booking and carry a valid passport or ID matching those names, because the Accademia can refuse entry without a matching voucher.
How does the price compare with a small-group day?
Florence with David Small Group costs $315.15 per person with timed Accademia entry but no Uffizi ticket and no private guide, so you trade exclusivity for money.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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