Florence 2-Hour Guided Sightseeing Bike Tour

Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici Quarter

The ride starts in the San Lorenzo district, where the Basilica of San Lorenzo has stood since a first church was consecrated here in 393. The present building was raised in the 15th century as the parish church of the Medici family, whose palace stands one street away, and its rough stone façade was never finished. Behind the apse rise the dome of the Medici Chapels, the family's burial place, and around the church spreads the busy San Lorenzo street market and the covered Central Market.

Your guide stops here for about 15 minutes to explain how one banking family shaped Renaissance Florence, then points out Palazzo Medici Riccardi on Via Cavour. It is a good first stop to get used to the bike in the narrow streets before the larger squares, and a good place to note what you might visit inside later.

Santa Maria Novella

A short ride west brings you to Santa Maria Novella, the great Dominican church that gave its name to the city's main train station. Built between the 13th and 14th centuries, it received its famous green and white marble façade in 1470, a perfect example of how Renaissance designers blended geometry with the old Romanesque style. Inside are frescoed chapels and some of the most important early Renaissance paintings in Florence.

The stop lasts about 15 minutes in the wide square in front of the church, with its two obelisks that once marked the course of a carriage race. From the saddle you also see the cloisters and the old pharmacy founded by the friars, still trading today. If you want to come back, Santa Maria Novella opening hours usually run from morning to late afternoon, and tickets are sold at the entrance on the square.

Florence Cathedral and Piazza della Repubblica

The heart of the route is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Begun in 1296, it was crowned in 1436 with the largest brick dome ever built, still the symbol of the city. Beside it stand the slender bell tower faced in white, green and pink marble and the octagonal Baptistery of San Giovanni with its gilded bronze doors. Riding around the complex shows its size far better than standing at one corner.

A few streets south, Piazza della Repubblica sits on the site of the Roman forum of Florentia. In the 1880s the old market and surrounding lanes were demolished and replaced by the arch and arcades you see today, while the Column of Abundance still marks the crossing of the Roman main streets. The guide spends around 15 minutes at each stop, which is enough for photos and the story of how the city grew from a Roman colony.

Ponte Santa Trinita and the River Arno

Ponte Santa Trinita is often called the most elegant bridge in Florence. Its three flattened elliptical arches were built in the 1560s, and its four corner statues represent the seasons. The bridge was blown up in 1944, then rebuilt in 1958 with stones recovered from the riverbed and new ones cut from the original quarry, so what you cross today is a faithful copy of the Renaissance design.

The bridge is also the best free viewpoint over Ponte Vecchio, the medieval bridge lined with goldsmiths' shops a short distance upstream. Your guide stops here for about 15 minutes so you can photograph the Arno, the riverside palaces and the hills beyond. Early morning and the 17:00 departure usually give the softest light on the water, the best time to see this view.

The Oltrarno and Piazza Pitti

Across the river lies the Oltrarno, the quarter many residents consider the most authentic in Florence. Its streets still hold workshops of framers, gilders, bookbinders and furniture restorers, and its squares, such as Santo Spirito, feel more local than the busy centre. On a bike you move easily through these quieter lanes and see a side of Florence that many short visits miss.

The ride ends this section in Piazza Pitti, in front of the vast Palazzo Pitti, bought by the Medici in 1550 and later the residence of the grand dukes and the royal family of Italy. Behind it climb the Boboli Gardens. The guide explains the palace and its museums during a 15-minute stop, so you can decide whether to return with Pitti Palace tickets for the galleries and gardens.

Santa Croce and Piazza della Signoria

The final half hour is a continuous ride through the historic centre. You pass the Basilica of Santa Croce, the largest Franciscan church in the world, begun in 1294 and known for the tombs and monuments of many great Florentines, and its broad square, once used for festivals and the historic football game still played there each June.

The loop also brings you past Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of the city since the 14th century, with the fortress-like Palazzo Vecchio, the open sculpture gallery of the Loggia dei Lanzi and a copy of the David statue at the palace door. The tour then finishes at a drop-off point in the centre, close to the main sights, so you can continue exploring on foot.