Discover the Art and History of Santa Croce Basilica in Florence

From $50.88 per person Lowest Price Guarantee

Select Date and Travelers

You can select up to 15 travelers in total.

Adult (13-90) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15

Child (6-12) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15

Infant (0-5) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15

Book online or call: +1 437 970 2890

Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Inclusions / Exclusions

Mobile ticket
Offered in: German, English, Italian, French, Spanish
Official Certified guide
Entrance tickets with reservations
Radio system to hear the guide

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks
Transportation to/from attractions

Overview

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS • Visit the temple of the Italian Glories • See the burial place of several Florentine and Italian masters • Find frescoes by Giotto and a chapel designed by Brunelleschi • Admire the works by Donatello and the monument dedicated to Dante - Visit the Basilica di Santa Croce, the principal Franciscan church in Florence. Learn about Florentine history and discover the life of Michelangelo. See the burial place of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo Galilee, Rossini and more.

Meeting points

Please be present next to the Statue of Dante Alighieri (Piazza della Santa Croce, 1 Firenze), 15 minutes before departure time in order to avoid any delays.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Basilica of Santa Croce

Start the tour in the main square, where the famous soccer game played in medieval costumes, the Calcio Storico Florentino, takes place here every year in June. Your guide will describe in detail of all the immense artistic wealth in Santa Croce; frescoes (1380) by Gaddi in the Cappella Maggiore tell the story of "Santa Croce", and beautiful frescoes by Giotto in the Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels show scenes from the life of St. Francis and St. John the Evangelist. On your way to the left of the entrance, see the memorial of the 19th-century playwright Giovanni Battista Niccolini built as an inspiration for the Statue of Liberty. As you walk through the hallowed walls, learn about the art of Donatello and his crucifix, one of the jewels of the Renaissance, as well as the art of Brunelleschi and the perfect architectural harmony of his Chapel of Fools.

1 hour
Basilica of Santa Croce (Pass By)

See the monumental cemetery and damaged paintings and that was destroyed in the tragic flood of 1966 and have been subsequently restored. After visiting the interior, learn about the exterior which is covered with a polychrome marble façade. Finally, the guide will tour you around the Bell Tower, Crypt and the 16 chapels. The tour takes about an hour, and you will have the opportunity to return to anything you might want to see again after the tour ends.

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Confirmation will be received at the time of booking
A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Please note that the tour requires a minimum number of guests to run
Please note that if you arrive after the tour start time you will not be able to join and will not be refunded or have your tour rescheduled
There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
A refusal of entry due to inappropriate dress code, the tour will not be rescheduled or refunded.

Free Cancellation

May 20100% refund

May 21No refund

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

Reviews

4.9

86 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

5 stars

76
4 stars

9
3 stars

0
2 stars

1
1 star

0

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We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 76 reviews with 5 stars

Reliving History!

Published on Jan, 2025

It was a wonderful experience! Mateo was our tour guide. and he was simply Wonderful, Spectacular! He gave us a history class of the Santa Croce Basilica, without losing the details behind the reality of Florence at the time from his perspective as a historian. We loved it. Thank you Mateo for transporting us to past centuries! For being so humorous, jovial, for teaching us so much! Sincerely, Nirzka Labault

Excellent!

Published on Oct, 2024

This was an outstanding guided tour. The young lady (sorry I don't have the name but it started with "L") was very knowledge able and professional despite a cantankerous participant. Very professional. She helped us understand the background and importance and history of what we were looking at. Would recommend highly. Small group and no flag or umbrella to follow!!

Beautiful Basilica

Published on Oct, 2024

PROS - Ou tour guide, Elena, was AWESOME. She had our small group of 4 people and she gave us so much history and background. - She was wonderful and always ready to answer questions. - The Basilica was amazing and the number of famous Italians buried here was mind-blowing Overall a great guided tour and Elena was awesome

Great tour!

Published on Aug, 2024

Helena was fantastic! She was enthusiastic, captivating and had great stories of history to tell. It was a wonderful tour!!!

Excellent tour, excellent guide

Published on Jul, 2024

This tour was fantastic and featured the best tour guide we've ever had. Matteo's knowledge and passion for the subject was clear to see and he really brought the history alive. Bravo Matteo!