close
Tuesday May 22, 2012 Time in Italy now: 08:58 am
Artviva Tours: ASTA Licensed Tour Operator
The Original & Best Tours

Florence Most Unique and Exclusive Tour

from € 500,00

Imagine a personal discovery 
of Florence's fascinating history with Europe’s most distinguished and unique historian

An erudite PhD scholar-Count will be your tour guide. 

From an ancient Florentine aristocratic family, he will show you his family’s Florence, replete with stories of the family’s glorious past and their Renaissance dealings with Italy’s history makers. 

Our Count is also a great host with a wry sense of humor who can deliver a speech entitled "How to lose a fortune and be happy: 500 years of wine-making in Chianti". 



From one to five people 500,00 € 100,00 € per person


Meeting point

Related Blog Entries:
Full Blog      <<    >>

May 8, 2012

Florence, Italy: foodie heaven

Dining on traditional local dishes is a reason to visit Italy in itself. But for foodies in Italy, it is the selecting of food items from the local vendors, just as the locals do, which truly presents one of the … Continue reading »

May 5, 2012

American Contemporary Art in Florence, Italy

2012 Florence, Italy: This year is the 500th anniversary of the death of Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512). Amerigo Vespucci, the man after whom America was named, was born in Florence, Italy and was an explorer, navigator and cartographer. To mark the … Continue reading »

April 25, 2012

25th April in Italy: Festa della Liberazione Italiana

25th April is la Festa della Liberazione Italiana – Liberation Day in Italy. It commemorates the anniversary of the 1945 end of the Italian Social Republic led by Mussolini, who was captured a few days later as he attempted to … Continue reading »

April 19, 2012

Artisans & Art in Florence, Tuscany – Mostra Internazionale dell’Artigianato

Florence, the majestic capital of Tuscany, is known for being the capital of the Renaissance. Some of the history’s greatest artists produced some of the world’s best artworks here. This artistic flair has also been applied to artisan crafts the … Continue reading »

April 10, 2012

Wild About Asparagus in Tuscany (including recipe!)

Food in Tuscany is dictated by the seasons, constantly changing according to what the landscape presents. In Tuscany right now, for those in the know, it is possible to find wild asparagus growing in the stunning surrounds. There is nothing … Continue reading »

April 7, 2012

Italian Easter Food Traditions – Long lunches & lamb recipes

Most festivals and special occasions in Italy are marked by the preparation of specialty dishes enjoyed at wonderfully set tables around which all the family gather. Preparations can take days, and in the lead up to special feast days walking … Continue reading »

March 27, 2012

OutrunCancer – charity run around Italy

One man (and his faithful support team) is presently putting a lot of energy into raising awareness and funding for prevention of cancer. Luca Turrini is running 20 marathons in 29 days, one in each region of Italy. Spurred on … Continue reading »

March 23, 2012

Florence Sunshine – just brilliant!

Walking around the historical city of Florence at various times of the day, we are gifted with the most spectacular sights of marble-façade churches asterisked by the brilliant morning sun behind, statues perfectly chiaroscuroed, historical palaces back-dropped by a perfect … Continue reading »

March 19, 2012

Giotto’s Bell Tower, Florence: Great sights from a great height of 5 flights

It may come as no surprise that life is not too bad* when you live it in Florence, Italy. And one of the 4879** things we absolutely adore about this wonderful Renaissance city is that there are always so many … Continue reading »

March 16, 2012

The night of nights: Seracini and Renzi, Vinci and da Vinci, the US Consol General… and Artviva!

We at Artviva have long been supporters of the project to find the lost da Vinci masterpiece, ‘The Battle of Anghiari’, having worked with da Vinci sleuth Maurizio Seracini himself for some years in promoting his cause. This week we … Continue reading »

March 13, 2012

New clues in lost Da Vinci saga come to light!

News sites around the world are reporting on the exciting update on the search for the lost Leonardo da Vinci being sought out by our good friend Maurizio Seracini. The Leonardo da Vinci work was started in 1505 and lost … Continue reading »

March 6, 2012

FAIR FIESOLE: Parks, Parkour and Precious Objects

From Florence, Fiesole is but a short drive (or a longer but lovely hike!) up a winding ancient road that gives the gift of spectacular Tuscan views with each curve of the road. Normally a quiet little village overlooking the … Continue reading »

March 2, 2012

Current-ly in Florence: The River Arno

It is afternoon and the remnant light of day is starting to creep up and up further across the stunning marble façades of Florence’s most iconic churches and historic buildings. We have been walking through the cobbled streets of Florence … Continue reading »

February 28, 2012

Florence: barrels of fun, fashion & fascination

Italians have a saying, ‘nella botte piccola c’è il vino buono’ – in small barrels there is good wine, which is basically the Italian way of saying that good things come in small packages. And nothing demonstrates this more than … Continue reading »

February 23, 2012

Making an Impression: American artists in Florence’s Palazzo Strozzi

Think of Florence and you’re not likely to think of Americans. You might, strangely enough, be more inclined to think of, say, Italians. But being a centre of art and culture (and shopping!), Florence is actually home to quite a … Continue reading »

February 17, 2012

So much for the good ol’ days – children in Florence during the Renaissance

The Little Princes – children in the Renaissance. Cross-dressing toddlers, baby cages, superstitious baby toys, pet monkeys, baby binding, pint-sized cardinals and a range of toddler weaponry that gives a whole new definition to the term ‘infantry’!

February 15, 2012

Florence by Night – beautiful in any light

Reason we love Florence #4837 is the way her beauty and charm changes, not only with the seasons, the months of the year and with each day of the week, but also with the time of day. Pre-bustle, the only … Continue reading »

February 13, 2012

Cooking in Florence – Easy as pi…zza!

Italians aren’t so big on pie as such, but they do love their pizza! Since we organise wonderful hands-on cooking classes in Florence and Tuscany, we in the Artviva office should also know how to cook these wonderful recipes, right? … Continue reading »

While you're there...

You may also like...

What people say about us:

As recommended by:

Time Magazine
New York magazine
the Washington Post
the Departures Magazine
the Independent
Rick Steves
Frommer's
the Lonely Planet
American Express Travel
Eye Witness Travelguide
Going Like Lynn
Hello Italy!
Travelchannel
Florence in your pocket
Getaway
Timeout
Australian Financial Review
Le guide du Routard
Great sleeps Great Eats!
Florence Inside Out
Yoga Magazine
Usa Today
The National Travel
The Daily Telegraph
Forbes Travel Magazine
As seen on:
The National Travel The National Travel

Find us on:

Facebook Users Reviews

Florence Most Unique and Exclusive Tour
Average Rating:   5 out of 5 stars
   Based on 23 Ratings.
Last 10 reviews:

On 2011/12/09
John Brade said:

cooking class

I took the Cooking Class and Market tour (in San Lorenzo Market). It was awesome! The market had the most incredible fresh ingredients, and the most amazing seafood selection I have ever seen. The cooking class was extremely professional, and the lunch afterwards was great! I recommend this class for anyone.Mark

Vote: 

On 2011/12/07
Aurelija Dugnaite said:

A truly life changing experience

Absolutely amazing.Words can hardly express how much we enjoyed our experience with ArtViva! From the minute we stepped in their lovely office, we felt attended, looked after and taken care of. The friendly staff advised us in detail of what would suit our tastes and knowledge best, and as they have so many beautiful tours to choose from, that help was very appreciated. Florence's cultural richness can be overwhelming, but relying on ArtViva made everything easy and utterly enjoyable for us.The small group walking tour of Florence exceeded all expectations. Our guide Paul was tremedous: a true Florence insider, with amazing knowledge of arts and culture, engaging story telling and great local tips you won't find in a guide book. The memories of the tour will stay with me and my sister for many many years. Booking with ArtViva is the best single thing you could do to have the ultimate Florence experience.Thank you, ArtViva.

Vote: 

On 2011/11/29
Sepideh Emami said:

I did the uffizi tour and the guide was perfect in a way of comminicating with us and interestingly presenting the paintings....

Vote: 

On 2011/11/24
Eddi Frantz said:

Friendly and Knowledgable.

An essential part of visiting such an historical city as Florence is a smart, knowledgeable tour guide. Artvivas guides are fun, friendly and really know their stuff. Plus they know all those great places not on most guidebooks that only a passionate local world know. Dont even contemplate a visit to the Uffizi or Michaelangelos David without one!

Vote: 

On 2011/11/24
Kathleen Marriott said:

Hightlight of Italian Trip

Thanks so much for the great walking tour we did in Florence in May. It was fun, informative and we were treated like VIPS! The guide made us feel welcome and got to know exactly what we were interested in seeing to make sure all was covered. If we had tried to do everything we did on the tour on our own, we would have spent days getting hopelessly lost! I highly recommend this tour if you are interested in the art, architecture, history and the culture of Florence.

Vote: 

On 2011/11/22
Caroline Beck said:

Feels like you have hired a first-class guide from a first-class outfit – at a fraction of the price.

If you are the type to shy away from “packaged” tours, preferring to go it alone in a brand new city, Art Viva might just be your new BFF (best friend forever) when on tour in Florence. Comfortably small groups - instead of large crowds moving en-masse. Personalized insights by well-educated guides – instead of canned presentations. ArtViva’s walking tours are the next best thing to hiring a private art historian to walk you around this fabulous city – at a fraction of the price. Their 3-hour walking introduction to Florence’s history and a follow-up tour of the Uffizi dispelled all my preconceptions that tour groups were not for me. Even if you’ve been to Florence before, start your vacation off right in 3 quick hours. It will set the stage for a perfect stay.

Vote: 

On 2011/11/22
Brigitte Reynolds said:

Incredible!

My husband and I had the good fortune of taking ArtViva tours of Florence while on our honeymoon. We started with the walking tour, followed by the David tour. We were so impressed we immediately signed up for the Uffizi tour the next day. The guides we had (Sasha/Sylvia & Brenda) were all amazing; they were incredibly knowledgable, friendly and spoke perfect English. What was best was their genuine enthusiam and love of the arts and history of Florence; their excitment was contagious and inspired us to want to know and learn more! I couldn't have asked for a better experience.Brigitte Reynolds

Vote: 

On 2011/11/22
Nadia LaMantia said:

a wonderful experience!

I loved my tour, and the artviva staff were so great and extremely helpful!!

Vote: 

On 2011/11/16
Jade Farley said:

GREAT Tours!

Best tours I have ever been on! The guide's knowledge was just incredible, and I can't wait to come back to do more tours.

Vote: 

On 2011/11/09
Alexandra Buscaino said:

Educational and entertaining!

Our tour was great - very informative, and the guide just fabulous! He not only knew so much about the history, but also had a knack for storytelling that kept us all fascinated.

Vote: 
Want to leave a review? Login with Facebook

Live Tweets

Love when it's supposed to rain all day in #Florence #Tuscany and then the sun comes out!
At art&tourism conference, print newspapers declining @socialtrav Kodak ignored digital rev http://t.co/7lEbq2qW
Ballooning over Tuscany http://t.co/meSHtjRC
@howtotouritaly you are welcome!
Arguably a miracle of the gelato universe torta Di mela - that's apple pie ice cream! At il gelato Di filo florence http://t.co/xrQbz4k1

Artviva is guaranteed by:

American society of travel agents
we accept visa, mastercard, american express
secure payment: verified by visa and mastercard securecode