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The Firenze Card costs €85 in 2026 and grants 72 hours of admission to 60+ museums, gardens and monuments in the Florence metropolitan area. Whether it pays off depends entirely on how many museums you actually visit, how often you’d need skip-the-line access, whether the Cathedral complex matters to you (it isn’t included), and how the new €40 PassePartout 5-day option fits your itinerary. This 2026 guide does the math, lays out exactly which travellers benefit, which don’t, and offers a clear decision tree to choose between the Firenze Card, the PassePartout, single tickets, or a combination — without overpaying.
Whether the card pays for itself depends almost entirely on how many paid museums you plan to enter — compare it against the individual skip-the-line tickets and the free museum options before buying, and see our budget guide for the cheaper alternatives.
If the Uffizi is the main reason you are considering a pass at all, compare it against the gallery’s own €40 PassePartout first — our Uffizi tickets guide runs both sets of numbers side by side.
One thing the card emphatically does not cover is the Duomo complex, which runs its own ticketing entirely. Budget for a separate pass and use our Duomo tickets guide to work out which of the three tiers you need.
Card or no card, the Accademia still needs its own reserved time slot — the entitlement is not the appointment. Our Accademia tickets guide explains how the reservation works and how early the slots go.
What is the Firenze Card?
The Firenze Card is the official Florence city museum pass, run by the Comune di Firenze and the Tuscan regional government. It includes:
- 72 hours of validity from first museum entry (not from purchase)
- One entry per museum across the included sites
- Free skip-the-line access at most participating museums (with timed reservation required at the Uffizi and Accademia)
- Coverage at 60+ Florentine museums and monuments including all the major state and civic museums
- Public transport on all ATAF buses and trams during the card’s validity
Two versions exist:
- Firenze Card — €85, valid 72 hours from first use.
- Firenze Card Restart — €28 supplement, extends an existing Firenze Card by 48 hours (so 5 days total). Available since March 2026.
Both cards are sold at firenzecard.it, at the Cathedral and Palazzo Vecchio info points, and at most major museum ticket offices. Digital cards work via QR code on your phone.
Museums Included on the Firenze Card
The Firenze Card covers virtually all the major Florence museums:
State Museums (Heavyweights)
- Uffizi Gallery
- Galleria dell’Accademia (Michelangelo’s David)
- Palazzo Pitti — Palatine Gallery, Modern Art Gallery, Royal Apartments, Costume Museum, Treasury of the Grand Dukes
- Boboli Gardens
- Bargello National Museum
- Medici Chapels
- San Marco Museum
- Cenacolo di Sant’Apollonia
- Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto (San Salvi)
- Cenacolo di Fuligno
- Archaeological Museum of Florence
- Casa Martelli (small house museum)
- Davanzati Palace
- Pitti’s lesser collections (Carriages, Russian Stoves Hall)
Civic Museums (Florence City)
- Palazzo Vecchio museum + Tower (separate Tower booking required)
- Museo Novecento (20th-century art)
- Cappella Brancacci (Masaccio frescoes — separate booking required)
- Stibbert Museum
- Bardini Museum
- Palazzo Medici Riccardi (Magi Chapel)
- Forte Belvedere (during exhibitions)
- Santa Maria Novella complex (basilica + cloisters)
- Casa Buonarroti (Michelangelo’s house)
Other Florentine Museums
- Innocenti Museum
- Foundation Salvatore Romano
- Marini Museum
- Various smaller specialised museums (specific exhibitions and small collections)
What the Firenze Card Doesn’t Include
Three notable exclusions matter for most travellers:
- The Duomo Complex. Cathedral interior is free anyway, but the Brunelleschi Dome climb, Bell Tower, Baptistery, Crypt and Cathedral Museum require the separate Brunelleschi Pass (€30, run by the Opera del Duomo). The Firenze Card does not cover any of these.
- Paid temporary exhibitions at the Uffizi or Pitti. These rare special exhibitions often have a separate small admission charge.
- Some private museums (e.g., the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, Gucci Museum). Most of these don’t sell single passes anyway.
The single biggest gotcha for first-time visitors: the Cathedral Dome climb is not on the Firenze Card. If the Dome is on your itinerary (it should be — €30, 463-step climb, best Cathedral view in the city), budget the Brunelleschi Pass separately.
The Skip-the-Line Question
The Firenze Card promises “skip-the-line” access — but the practical reality has nuance:
- Uffizi and Accademia. Firenze Card holders use a separate dedicated entry at Door 3 (Uffizi) but still need to book a free timed reservation via the Firenze Card portal in advance. Walking up without a reservation puts you in the standby queue with everyone else. The card includes the reservation; you just have to remember to make it before arriving.
- Other state museums (Pitti, Bargello, Medici Chapels, San Marco). Firenze Card holders walk straight to the entry without queueing — this is genuine skip-the-line.
- Civic museums (Palazzo Vecchio, Bardini, Stibbert). Skip-the-line works at the entry but the Tower at Palazzo Vecchio and the Brancacci Chapel both require advance timed booking that the card includes but doesn’t enforce — book separately.
The skip-the-line benefit saves 60–120 minutes per museum at the Uffizi and Accademia in summer; minimal time savings at smaller museums where queues are short anyway.
Is the Firenze Card Worth It? The Math
To work out whether the €85 card pays off, add up the individual peak-season prices for the museums you’d realistically visit. The 2026 prices for the major state museums are:
| Museum | 2026 Peak Adult Price |
|---|---|
| Uffizi Gallery | €29 |
| Accademia | €25 |
| Palazzo Pitti (full ticket) | €22 |
| Boboli Gardens | €10 |
| Bargello | €9 |
| Medici Chapels | €15 |
| San Marco | €10 |
| Palazzo Vecchio museum | €12.50 |
| Palazzo Vecchio Tower | €12.50 |
| Brancacci Chapel | €10 |
| Bardini Museum | €7 |
| Stibbert Museum | €8 |
“Big Six” itinerary: Uffizi (€29) + Accademia (€25) + Pitti (€22) + Boboli (€10) + Bargello (€9) + Palazzo Vecchio (€12.50) = €107.50. Save €22.50 with the Firenze Card.
“All Heavyweights” itinerary: Big Six + Medici Chapels (€15) + San Marco (€10) = €132.50. Save €47.50.
“Light” itinerary: Uffizi + Accademia + 1 other museum (€29 + €25 + €15 average) = €69. Lose €16 by buying the card.
The breakeven point is around 5 major museums in 72 hours. Below that, single tickets win. Above that, the card pays off — and the more museums you add, the better the math.
Firenze Card vs PassePartout 5-Day
The 2026 PassePartout is a simpler, cheaper alternative for travellers who only want the Uffizi, Pitti and Boboli (Florence’s three biggest state museums by visitor numbers).
- PassePartout 5-day — €40, 5 consecutive days, covers Uffizi + Pitti + Boboli with priority entry at all three. You still need to reserve a timed slot for the Uffizi (free, on tickets.uffizi.it).
- Math: Uffizi €29 + Pitti €22 + Boboli €10 = €61 individual peak-season prices. Save €21 with the PassePartout.
- vs Firenze Card: the Firenze Card includes those three plus the Accademia, Bargello, San Marco, Medici Chapels and dozens more for €45 extra. If you want only Uffizi + Pitti + Boboli, PassePartout wins. If you want 5+ major museums, Firenze Card wins.
You can also combine the PassePartout with single tickets for the Accademia and one or two more museums. A common combination: PassePartout (€40) + Accademia single ticket (€25) + Bargello single (€9) = €74 for the four most-visited museums in Florence. The Firenze Card matches this (€85) but adds value only if you visit additional museums.
The Decision Tree
Buy single tickets if:
- You’re staying 1–2 days only
- You’ll visit only 2–3 major museums total
- You’re visiting in low season (November–February) when peak prices don’t apply
- Your itinerary is uncertain and you want to decide day-by-day
Buy the PassePartout 5-day if:
- You’ll visit Uffizi + Pitti + Boboli but few other state museums
- You’re staying 4–7 days and want priority entry across the visit
- You’re a peak-season visitor wanting to lock in three of the biggest museums at the saved-€21 rate
Buy the Firenze Card if:
- You’ll visit 5 or more state/civic museums in 72 hours
- Skip-the-line access matters and you’re visiting in peak season
- You want the simplicity of one ticket covering everything
- You’ll use the included public transport (worth €5–10 at most)
Add the Firenze Card Restart (+€28) if:
- Your trip is 5–7 days and you want to spread museum visits
- You bought the standard 72-hour card but ran out of time
- You’re visiting smaller museums (Innocenti, Stibbert, Bardini) on day 4–5
Where to Buy
The official sources are:
- firenzecard.it — the official online portal, digital QR-code delivery to your phone
- Cathedral info point at the Cathedral entrance (long queues; not the easiest option)
- Palazzo Vecchio info point in the courtyard (typically shorter queues)
- The Comune di Firenze tourist info offices — Via Cavour 1, near Palazzo Vecchio, and at Santa Maria Novella station
- Major museum ticket offices (Uffizi, Pitti, Bargello) — available but slower than online
The 72-hour clock starts at first museum entry, not at purchase. You can buy the card on day 1 morning, then activate it at your first museum that afternoon, giving you full days 2 and 3 to use it. This is unusual among European city passes — most start at purchase. Take advantage by buying ahead and activating strategically.
The card is non-refundable once activated, but unactivated cards can be returned up to 7 days from purchase if not used.
Family & Children Considerations
Children 0–17 of any nationality enter all Italian state museums free year-round. Therefore families don’t buy children’s Firenze Cards — only adults need them. A typical family of two adults + two children visiting the Big Six pays €107.50 × 2 = €215 individual or €170 with two adult Firenze Cards. Save €45 vs single tickets.
Note that some civic museums (e.g., the Stibbert) charge children’s reduced rates that might otherwise apply at €4–6 per child. The Firenze Card’s adult-only structure works in favour of families because so many sites are free for under-18s anyway.
Firenze Card vs Guided Tours
If you’re considering paid guided tours of the Uffizi (typically €60–80 per person, including museum entry), the math shifts. Guided tours include their own ticket inventory and skip-the-line is included. For travellers wanting expert commentary, two Uffizi tours + one Accademia tour at €70 average = €210, vs €85 for the Firenze Card with self-guided audio at the same museums.
The most economical hybrid: Firenze Card + one paid Uffizi guided tour (€70) for the in-depth Renaissance experience. Total €155 vs €210 for two-tour-only approach. Self-guide everything else.
Discounts and Special Offers
- EU citizens 18–25 pay €2 reduced at most state museums regardless — the Firenze Card doesn’t offer additional youth discounts.
- Disabled visitors and one accompanying carer enter most state museums free; the Firenze Card isn’t necessary.
- Florence residents have access to the parallel Domenica Metropolitana programme — free first-Sunday civic museums for residents only.
- Group discounts — limited; the Comune occasionally runs family-of-four bundles in low season.
- Firenze Card combined with Brunelleschi Pass — no combined offering; you buy them separately.
Insider Tips for Firenze Card Users
Tip 1: Reserve the Uffizi and Accademia timed slots immediately after buying the card. The Firenze Card portal has its own ticket inventory; popular morning slots fill up several days ahead in summer.
Tip 2: Don’t activate the card until you actually need it. If you arrive in Florence on a Friday afternoon and your first major museum visit is Saturday morning, activate Saturday — the 72-hour clock will give you Saturday + Sunday + Monday morning. Activating Friday loses a half-day.
Tip 3: Use the included public transport. ATAF buses and trams within Florence are free for cardholders during card validity — buses 12 and 13 to Piazzale Michelangelo, the T2 tram to the airport (one-way only on departure day), and bus 7 to Fiesole all become free.
Tip 4: If you have an unused card and your trip is shorter than expected, the card can be transferred to family members travelling separately (the QR code is per-card, not per-person, but officially each card is for one named person).
Tip 5: Watch for the new museums added each year. The Comune adds 1–3 sites annually as collections rotate; check the official firenzecard.it list immediately before your trip.
A 72-Hour Firenze Card Itinerary
This itinerary uses the card to maximum value (8 museums + 2 churches + transport). Pre-book Uffizi and Accademia free reservations on the Firenze Card portal at least one week ahead.
Day 1 (Card Activation)
09:00 Activate card at the Bargello (90 minutes). 11:00 Palazzo Vecchio museum + Tower (2 hours). 14:00 Medici Chapels (75 minutes). 16:00 San Marco Museum (90 minutes). Aperitivo + dinner near Piazza Santa Croce.
Day 2
08:30 Accademia (timed slot, 90 minutes). 11:00 Innocenti Museum (60 minutes). 14:00 Uffizi Gallery (timed slot, 3.5 hours). 18:00 walk Piazza della Signoria. Dinner Oltrarno.
Day 3
09:00 Palazzo Pitti (Palatine + Royal Apts + Modern Art, 3 hours). 12:30 lunch in Oltrarno. 14:30 Boboli Gardens (90 minutes). 16:30 Brancacci Chapel (booked, 30 minutes). 17:30 climb to Piazzale Michelangelo via free Rose Garden.
Total card uses: 9 museums + Tower + transport. Equivalent single ticket cost: €170+. The card paid for itself by mid-day 2.
Firenze Card FAQ
Is the Firenze Card worth it?
Worth it for travellers visiting 5+ major museums in 72 hours. Not worth it for 1–2 day visits or 2–3 museum itineraries. The breakeven point is roughly 5 museums; above that, savings grow rapidly.
Does the Firenze Card include the Cathedral Dome?
No. The Cathedral interior is free anyway, but the Brunelleschi Dome climb, Bell Tower, Baptistery, Crypt and Cathedral Museum require the separate Brunelleschi Pass (€30) run by the Opera del Duomo.
Does the Firenze Card actually skip the line at the Uffizi?
Yes, but you must first make a free timed reservation through the Firenze Card portal in advance. Walking up without a reservation puts you in the standby queue with everyone else.
When does the 72-hour clock start?
At first museum entry, not at purchase. Buy the card before arriving and activate it at your first museum on the morning of day one of your sightseeing — this gives you the maximum 72 hours of use.
What is the Firenze Card Restart?
A €28 supplement that extends an existing Firenze Card by 48 hours, taking total validity to 5 days. Worth it for travellers staying 5+ days who want to pace museum visits across the trip.
Do children need a Firenze Card?
No — children 0–17 of any nationality enter all Italian state museums free year-round. Only adults buy the card.
Should I get the Firenze Card or the PassePartout 5-day?
The €40 PassePartout (Uffizi + Pitti + Boboli) is a budget-friendly halfway option saving €21 versus separate peak-season tickets. The €85 Firenze Card adds the Accademia, Bargello, San Marco, Medici Chapels and dozens more for €45 additional. Choose the PassePartout if you’ll visit only the three included; Firenze Card if you want 5+ museums.
Can I refund a Firenze Card?
Yes, if not yet activated. Unactivated cards can be returned up to 7 days from purchase. Once activated (at first museum entry), the card is non-refundable.
The Firenze Card delivers real value to ambitious museum-goers staying 3+ days who want to hit 5 or more state and civic museums. For shorter trips, lighter itineraries, or budget travellers using free Sundays, single tickets remain the better deal. Compare your planned itinerary against the breakeven math above, decide whether the new PassePartout 5-day option fits better, and don’t forget that the Cathedral complex needs the separate Brunelleschi Pass regardless. Done right, the Firenze Card saves €25–50 across a museum-heavy 72 hours; done wrong, it costs €15–30 you didn’t need to spend.
