This post will provide details about hop on hop off bus tours you can take in Florence, including information about ticket prices, stops included and how to save money on admission.
PROS AND CONS
There are a lot of great reasons to consider taking a hop on hop off bus excursion, but this service isn’t necessarily going to meet everyone’s expectations.
With that in mind, this section will cover some of the areas in which these tours excel and some features they might lack.
Pros
There are a lot of advantages to taking a hop on hop off bus tour, and we will cover some of the best examples here.
Overview of the City
These bus tours provide a lot of great commentary about Florence, helping visitors to not only learn about the history of this city but also find their way around town.
April and November see Florence's historic center bustling with admirers of Renaissance icons like Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's masterpieces.
Strategically near Piazza della Stazione, the Santa Maria Novella train station directs visitors to the Duomo and Palazzo Pitti.
Artisan shops and boutiques line the streets, while a free app with an interactive map ensures effortless exploration.
Always note the generous free cancellation policies when planning.
If you’re looking for basic information about the area, this is a great way to become acclimated to Florence.
Time to Explore
A hop on hop off bus tour will allow you to jump off at any stop and explore the area at your leisure.
Since this service lasts for at least one full day (6-8 hours) and the tour itself only takes about 2 hours to complete, you’ll have plenty of time to look around and discover the city both on and off the bus!
Reasonable Prices
With tickets starting at €23 per day, this activity is a very affordable and open opportunity to explore the city.
Each additional day is only €5 extra, so you can really take your time with this tour and spread it out across several days to get the most out of your experience without spending much more!
Cons
Although most people will get a lot out of a hop on hop off bus tour, there are some factors to consider that some guests might not enjoy. Here are a few things to keep in mind before purchasing a ticket.
General Commentary
The information provided on these tours is very basic and it doesn’t cover a lot of the history behind the city.
If you want to learn more about Florence, you may want to consider another type of tour.
No Assigned Seating
While most guided bus tours will assign you a seat, hop on hop off services are first come, first serve.
What this means is that you might not even get a seat depending on when and where you hop on the bus.
If you want to ensure that you’ve got somewhere to sit, consider another type of tour.
Not Very Efficient
If you’ve only got a limited amount of time to explore Florence, you won’t get as much out of this tour as you would by taking your time to look around.
Consider a Florence walking tour instead if you’ve only got a few hours to see the city.
TICKETS
The only hop on hop off bus tour currently available in Florence is provided by City Sightseeing, an internationally recognized tour company.
Tickets are available for 1, 2, or 3 days in a row and their service runs from 9 am - 5 pm each day.
The tour takes between 1 ½ - 2 hours to complete, giving you plenty of time to explore the city at your leisure.
Commentary will be available in 8 different languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Portuguese.
Children under the age of 5 ride for free as long as their parents or guardians have tickets of their own.
Prices
- 24-Hour Ticket: €29/Adults | €15/Children
- 48-Hour Ticket: €35/Adults | €17/Children
- 72-Hour Ticket: €39/Adults | €18/Children
Purchase tickets or learn more.
You can also get hop on hop off bus tour tickets in combo packages which include additional activities and attractions at a discount.
Please read our deals and discounts section for more details about how to save money on these tickets.
ROUTES
City Sightseeing currently offers two routes in Florence: one in the city centre and another which will take you through Fiesole.
Each ticket includes admission for both routes.
The Florence City route will take 1 - 1 ½ hours to complete and it has 17 stops including the following:
- Teatro Verdi
- Piazza Ferrucci
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Piazza Indipendenza
- Piazzale Donatello
- Porta Romana
- Villa Cora
- Beccaria
- And more!
The Fiesole route will take approximately 2 hours to finish and there are a total of 27 stops including the following:
- Artemio Franchi Stadium
- San Marco Museum
- Teatro Romano
- Convent of San Domenico
- Piazza delle Cascine
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Museo Civico del Borgo
- And more!
Buses for both routes run every 20-30 minutes throughout the year.
We recommend choosing 5-10 locations that you want to explore and hopping off at those stops throughout the day to take a closer look.
If you choose a 2 or 3-day ticket, you could fit even more stops into your journey!
For more details, please read the route map provided by City Sightseeing.
How long is a Florence hop-on hop-off tour?
The Florence hop-on hop-off tour offers a sightseeing experience that lets you explore the city at your own pace. That said, you can expect one full route to take around 1-2 hours.
How frequently do Florence hop-on hop-off buses make stops?
The buses, like the next bus and line B, make regular stops at renowned landmarks such as the Ponte Vecchio and Piazzale Galileo every 30-40 minutes.
Is a hop-on hop-off tour a good way to get around Florence?
The Florence hop-on hop-off tour offers an immersive sightseeing experience, while walking is the easiest method; alternatively, the "tram via" is a €1.50 affordable travel choice.
DEALS AND DISCOUNTS
This section provides details about the best ways to save money on tickets for hop on hop off bus tours in Florence, including tourist passes, combo packages and more.
Tourist Passes
The City Sightseeing hop on hop off bus tour is not currently included with any Florence tourist passes, but you can save money on this activity using some prepackaged passes.
As of December 2022, both the Florence Pass and the Uffizi + Accademia Pass include a 10% discount on several attractions, and hop-on hop-off bus tours just so happen to be one of the services included as part of this deal.
These tourist passes include admission to popular attractions like the following:
- Uffizi Gallery
- Accademia Gallery
- Brunelleschi's Dome
If you're interested in visiting these locations in addition to your hop-on hop-off bus tour, this could be a great way to save money on both activities.
For more details, please read our post covering Florence tourist passes.
Combo Packages
If you’re not interested in going to several different attractions while in Florence, these packages are an excellent alternative to a tourist pass.
Each combo deal includes one hop on hop off bus tour ticket along with at least one additional activity at a discounted rate.
Hop on Hop off Bus Tour + Uffizi Gallery
- 24-Hour Ticket: €86/Adults | €51/Children
- 48-Hour Ticket: €74/Adults | €36/Children
- Includes guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery.
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
Discount Sites
When all else fails, you can usually rely on sites such as Groupon to provide discounts for hop on hop off bus tours in Florence.
In addition to any deals they offer to begin with, these discount sites also frequently have extra coupon codes you can use to save anywhere from 10% - 25% off on local activities.
Before you make any purchases, make sure to check the top and bottom of the page for any banners that may include coupons you can use to save even more money!
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