The cost is about $7.50 US and I would recommend reservations. Since I was visiting a friend that lives in Florence she knew this and made the arrangements for me. When I saw the line I was glad she had.

This is probably the most famous of the museums in Florence and the Botticelli Venus and Annunciation are two of the most famous of the pieces there. I went with these to pieces being of most interest to me but found other collections as wonderful and some even better.

I really enjoyed the large Byzantine Collection. You can spend hours and hours in this museum. I spent most of my time in the area of the Byzantine Collection and found it very peaceful.

Reserve your ticket ahead if you know what's good for you! We did, and were able to stride right up to the entrance and gain admission in about one minute flat. The price was 15,000 lire/person ($7.50) with a surcharge of $1.50 for the reservation. We also rented the audio guide in English, since the Uffizi is so large and has so many masterpieces. One audioguide with two listening devices (you have to love one another enough to stand close together) cost 12,000 lire ($6). A single audioguide cost 8,000 ($4). With the guide, we were able to cover the museum in about 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a break for espresso in the museum cafe.

This former office complex ("uffizi" means "offices" in Italian) houses some of the greatest masterpieces of Western art. The Byzantine collection is moving--look closely at the stunning detail work on the gold leafing.

The room featuring the Botticellis is quite crowded, as was the case six years ago. But don't let the crowd scare you off. Also study Botticelli's Annunciation in the room before that with his Venus and Primavera.

I particularly enjoyed Holbein's Portrait of Sir Richard Southwell, so realistic that you can see his shaving scars. The Uffizi's corridor grants a stunning view of the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio, but NO PHOTOS OF THE VIEW, as my husband learned from a guard.

The Uffizi gallery is one of the great museums of the world. The building was created by the Medici family in the 1560s as a commercial building and the top floor was designed to house their great art collection. Situated right on the Arno, the building, designed by Vasari, is a work of art in itself. The gallery is designed and laid out to give you a chronological tour of Italian art from midievel times through the late renaissance. I suggest you get there 30 minutes before they open so that you get a chance to view this marvelous collection with the least amount of people possible. The cost is 14,000 lire and will be the best money you spend while in Florence. There are several must see items in the collection. First, the Botticelli room has the best collection of the man's work in the world. His masterpiece Primavera is here as is the Birth of Venus. Up until a hundred years ago Botticelli's work was not appreciated. As a matter of fact, most people went to the Uffizi and ignored the painting to view the sculptures in the hallway (which are wonderful as well).

Other highlights include a few masterpieces by Raphael, "The Holy Family" by Michelangelo and a couple of beautiful paintings by Leonardo Di Vinci. Make sure you look up in the corridor! The frescos that adorn the ceilings are fabulous.

There is a website for the gallery that you might want to check out: Uffizi Website.

Average Rating: 9.7, Time to Allot: 2.5 hours

There is so much to see here, how do I begin? Needless to say, it’s one of the top sights of Florence, and visitors just must come here! MAKE RESERVATIONS! We were here first thing in the morning in March, and the line was horendous. I can only imagine what it would be like in the summer. You can make reservations online at http://www.waf.it/up00.htm.

The architecture and the view of the river are as beautiful as the paintings and sculpture that you will find here. This is the museum of museums, second only to the Palazzo Ducale in Venice. An average college grad could spend two hours here, so art majors could probably set up tents. After you’ve been overwhelmed by all of the talent and history here, head to the balcony café and have a cappucino. Or you can choose a hot chocolate that tastes like melted chocolate bar. Scrumptious. And the prices here, considering the lovely view, are very reasonable. If you sit down, make sure to wait for the waitress. Ala carte is only to go.

Ratings 1-10 (10 is "see this no matter what!" and 0 is "avoid it!")
Jason: 9, Mary 9, Mom 10

Can't say it enough MAKE RESERVATIONS in advance, you'll be o so glad you did. Be prepared, some of the rooms they just close off for the day. Why?? Who Knows? See rooms 10-14 Botticelli's work, room 15 Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, room 35 Michelangelo art, room 36, Raphael's stuff, room 41 Rubens contributions, rooms 43 Caravaggio's Bacchus, and room 44 Rembrandt (which I missed, but I KNOW it will be wonderful). Enjoy it at a leisurely pace and BE SURE and get the audio-tape in English so you can REALLY appreciate it. My favorite is Birth of Spring by Botticelli.