Uffizi & Accademia tickets: entry, timed slots and buying advice

The Uffizi holds the world's foremost collection of Italian Renaissance painting and is strictly capped – a timed ticket is compulsory here, not optional. The Accademia is much smaller but sells out just as fast thanks to Michelangelo's David.

A combo ticket for both venues pays off if you visit both in one day, since the roughly 4 EUR reservation fee per ticket applies only once. The timed-slot surcharge is similar at both museums.

Without a slot you simply cannot enter the Uffizi once the daily cap is reached, so book several days ahead. Late-afternoon slots are noticeably calmer.

Allow about two hours for the full Uffizi route; the Accademia usually takes about an hour.

The Uffizi and the Palazzo Pitti are just a few minutes' walk apart and are often sold as a combo. That saves a second trip but locks in two fixed slots – leave at least 90 minutes between them.

If you do both in a day, start with the Uffizi at opening and keep the Palazzo Pitti for the afternoon.