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Florence River Cruise on a Traditional Barchetto

Firenze, Italy

From $71.46

Select Date and Travelers

Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
Florence Tours
All Florence Tours
Audio Guides
Kid-Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
Unique Experiences
  • 1 hour (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Glide under the iconic Ponte Vecchio bridge and across the Arno River on a Florence river cruise. Hop aboard your barchetto—a small traditional boat that is one of only four still operating in the city. As you see the sights like the famous Uffizi Gallery from the water, toast your fellow mates with a glass of Prosecco.
  • Florence boat ride aboard a traditional barchetto
  • Cruise down the Arno River and pass under the Ponte Vecchio
  • Enjoy a glass of Prosecco while gliding down the river
  • Pass beautiful Florence attractions like the Uffizi Gallery and the Corsini Palace

What's Included

  • Mini Cruise on the Arno River aboard a Florentine Gondola (approx. 50 min)
  • Cool Wine "aperitivo" or soft drink
  • English speaking fully licensed History guide
  • Only in English for the highest quality
  • Gratuities
  • Food

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • Piazza Mentana, 3
    Piazza Mentana, 3, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

    FLORENCETOWN BOOKING OFFICE, Piazza Mentana 2red FIRENZE (opposite from the Arno River). Please be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the tour starting time.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Your tour begins in central Florence, where you meet up with your guide. Travel through the bustling Piazza della Signoria, home to the impressive Palazzo Vecchio, and see the Uffizi Gallery before approaching the Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s historic bridge.

Hop aboard your boat and enjoy a cruise down the scenic Arno River. Translating to ‘little boat’ in Italian, the barchetto was used centuries ago to transport building materials down the river for Florence’s city walls.

As you journey across the water, learn the stories behind the architecture and grand palaces that you pass. Cruise under the Ponte Vecchio and get a riverside view of the Uffizi Gallery. While your guide pours you a chilled glass of Prosecco, hear about the secret passageway of the Vasari Corridor, connecting the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti so that members of the Medici family could travel stealthily through the city. You also pass the brilliant Baroque design of the Corsini Palace and the Santa Trinita Bridge.

After your Florence river cruise concludes, return to your original departure point.

Ponte Vecchio (Pass By)

see the Ponte Vecchio from the Arno River

Corridoio Vasariano (Pass By)

see the corridoio vasariano from the Arno River

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • RAIN POLICY:
  • The tour departure might be cancelled due to rain.
  • We will do our best to proceed with the tour. However rain or adverse weather conditions could prevent us from being able to offer an enjoyable and fully safe experience.
  • In case we cancel the tour (and only in this case), guest options are:
  • 1) Rain check to be used the following day or at any other time, subject to availability. The Rain check is a voucher given to client. The voucher is transferable and may be sold or given to others to use at a future date and lasts up to 1 year from date. It has a value that can be possible used in any other tour provided by our company.
  • 2) 100% refund for tour cancellation.
  • Please note that clients' safety and comfort are of utmost priority.
  • In any case, clients should show up at the meeting point at the scheduled time, or contact the office in advance.
  • No-shows will not be refunded.
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Traveler Tips

The boat is pushed by a a man with a pole, so the distance covered is not far, but the tour guide is knowledgeable and the wine is lovely.
Reviews
4.0
233 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 233 reviews
Peaceful
nawrasalmulla, Sep 2022
Jumana was great, Florence dream song added a special flavor to thr tour. The tour was around 8 pm at night which was very peaceful. Highly recommended.
Relax, see the city at sunset
Nancy_H, Sep 2022
This was a very relaxing way to see the city from a different perspective. Our Guide was very informative and gave great info on the amazing structures along the way. We went at sunset and got to see the city at sunset and after dark - lovely relaxing way to experience the city.
It was a fun night on the...
Michelle_S, Sep 2022
It was a fun night on the water. Guide was great sharing some history. The glass of Prosecco was a nice touch.
Fantastic way to see Florence! Highly recommend!
Diana_R, Aug 2022
Fantastic way to see Florence! Highly recommend! The barchetto trip was amazing and we were lucky enough to have a spectacular sunset. We were part of a small group of about 8-10 people. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided great insight and historical information about the city of Florence and many of its buildings. She was very open to any and all questions. We would absolutely do it again.
Relaxing
carl_c, Aug 2022
Very relaxing way to end a day of sightseeing in Florence excellent guide fair Wine and lovely sunset
Amazing Experience
Jerome_G, Aug 2022
The tour guide was amazing. Very knowledgeable and sweet personality. Paolo was warm as well. Must see!
Good view of Florence by boat
Fateha_K, Aug 2022
Good experience albeit a very hot day. Informative, tour was conducted well and professionally. Umbrellas provided. For those that don’t drink alcohol - soft drink alternative would have been good instead of just water.
Unique experience
Elizabeth_A, Aug 2022
This was an amazing and different experience!!! So much fun to see Florence from a different angle!!!!
A Lovely Evening on the Arno
Jeudi_W, Aug 2022
A wonderful reprieve from the crowded city streets and heat. Our tour guide was lovely, full of historical info about the Barchetto, the river and bridges, the buildings and sights along the River, and the pilot kept informing us of the beautiful sunset. “Bellisimo!” Even though it wasn’t a long river cruise, it was a fantastic night on the river. Wine was served on the way back to the landing, and the guide continued to point out different sights of Florence. She was also happy to answer any questions. Since you get to see Florence from a totally different viewpoint, I would highly recommend this cruise. The booking company answered my request by textto decrease my party by four people, and issued a refund very quickly. Great customer service.
Wow
Amira_M, Jul 2022
It was very relaxing after a long walk in the heat. Our guide was very knowledgeable. Must do when you’re in Florence.
Great intro to Florence
Kritzia_L, Jul 2022
This was the first tour we took straight out of the train. It really set a frame of the city from the river and made all the other tours fit together. Amazing afternoon views during sunset.
Reflections on the River
James_G, Jul 2022
One of the elder men on the cruise (from US) sharing some moments from a past experience in the same region.
Great relaxing time
NedJ_P, Jul 2022
Very relaxing and fun with great information from our guide. We took an evening cruise and the sunset was beautiful glimmering off of the river.
A nice night on the river
Adrian_J, Jul 2022
Great experience and way to see Florence . Tranquil. Memorable. Great guide . It’s just a very nice trip
Excellent sunset tour of the Arno
Andrew_F, Jun 2022
We had a fantastic sunset on this boat tour. It was similar to a gondola ride, and both the boat operator and the tour leader were excellent. The only reason I did not rate this higher is that the duration was less than I had expected. I would still do the tour knowing the duration, just adjust my expectations. It was a very cool thing to do - traditional barchetto tour of the Arno.
Amazing!
Samir_S, Jun 2022
Amazing trip, guide was knowledgeable and fun. Wine was great as well. Highly recommend this tour :)
Sunset sail!
Corey_H, Jun 2022
Loved our time on the water with our wonderful guide. She was brilliant and full of great information. The evening departure was a treasure because the sunset was SPECTACULAR!!
Great experience
Hayden_M, Jun 2022
Sunset cruise on the river. Our guide was friendly and informative. The small group made for a personalised experience. Some white wine refreshment was provided. Sunset was stunning. Probably our best experience in Florence!
Amazing river cruise
Nancy_C, Jun 2022
The guide was engaging and very knowledgeable. She talked about the things we could see from the river and the neighborhoods behind them. The views from the river are amazing and it gives you a different perspective of the city.
Boat tour
Andrew_C, May 2022
It’s unfortunate that our guide was landed with a couple who spoke only Italian and 10 college students from America who couldn’t really care about what she was saying. The guide didn’t have good command of her audience. She was loaded with information, just a bad night maybe.
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