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Florence River Cruise on a Traditional Barchetto

Badge of ExcellenceFlorence, Italy

From $70.74

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

  • 1 hour
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Glide under the iconic Ponte Vecchio bridge and across the Arno River on a Florence river cruise. Hop aboard your barchetto—a small traditional boat that is one of only four still operating in the city. As you see the sights like the famous Uffizi Gallery from the water, toast your fellow mates with a glass of Prosecco.
  • Florence boat ride aboard a traditional barchetto
  • Cruise down the Arno River and pass under the Ponte Vecchio
  • Enjoy a glass of Prosecco while gliding down the river
  • Pass beautiful Florence attractions like the Uffizi Gallery and the Corsini Palace
  • An authentic Italian breakfast during the morning tour is offered by us

What's Included

  • Mini Cruise on the Arno River aboard a Florentine Gondola (approx. 50 min)
  • Cool Wine "aperitivo" or soft drink for the afternoon and evening option
  • English speaking fully licensed History guide
  • Only in English for the highest quality
  • Italian Breakfast only for the 09:30 am morning option
  • Gratuities
  • Food
  • Hotel pick up and drop off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Florencetown
    Piazza Mentana, 2/r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

    Towns of Italy Office, Piazza Mentana 2red FIRENZE (opposite from the Arno River). Please be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the tour starting time.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Your tour begins in central Florence, where you meet up with your guide. Travel through the bustling Piazza della Signoria, home to the impressive Palazzo Vecchio, and see the Uffizi Gallery before approaching the Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s historic bridge.

Hop aboard your boat and enjoy a cruise down the scenic Arno River. Translating to ‘little boat’ in Italian, the barchetto was used centuries ago to transport building materials down the river for Florence’s city walls.

As you journey across the water, learn the stories behind the architecture and grand palaces that you pass. Cruise under the Ponte Vecchio and get a riverside view of the Uffizi Gallery. While your guide pours you a chilled glass of Prosecco, hear about the secret passageway of the Vasari Corridor, connecting the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti so that members of the Medici family could travel stealthily through the city. You also pass the brilliant Baroque design of the Corsini Palace and the Santa Trinita Bridge.

After your Florence river cruise concludes, return to your original departure point.

Ponte Vecchio (Pass By)

Corridoio Vasariano (Pass By)

Palazzo Corsini (Pass By)

Uffizi (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • RAIN POLICY:
  • The tour departure might be cancelled due to rain.
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • We will do our best to proceed with the tour. However rain or adverse weather conditions could prevent us from being able to offer an enjoyable and fully safe experience.
  • In case we cancel the tour (and only in this case), guest options are:
  • Near public transportation
  • Rain check to be used the following day or at any other time, subject to availability. The Rain check is a voucher given to client. The voucher is transferable and may be sold or given to others to use at a future date and lasts up to 1 year from date. It has a value that can be possible used in any other tour provided by our company.
  • 100% refund for tour cancellation.
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Please note that clients' safety and comfort are of utmost priority.
  • In any case, clients should show up at the meeting point at the scheduled time, or contact the office in advance.
  • No-shows will not be refunded.
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Morning option includes an Italian breakfast instead of the aperitivo. The activity last 1.5 hours.
  • We are sorry to inform you that pets are not permitted on our tours
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

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

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Reviews

4.5
300 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 300 reviews
This was a lovely activity to do in Florence!
Julie_L, Oct 2023
This was a lovely activity to do in Florence! Anytime I can get on the water, I am happy...but it was so relaxing at night. I much prefer this environment over the party boat experience. We did this the evening that we arrived in Florence. the guide was informative with all of the history along the Arno. I would do this again and highly recommend!
Lovely little boat ride as an additional birthday present when in Florence
DonnaMarie_M, Oct 2023
Nice little river cruise along the Arno River taking in the history and views, accompanied with a small glass of wine.
Not worth any single minute in this tour.
Dipak_S, Sep 2023
Leaving 1 start because this is not a tour. It was a ride and totally not worth it a penny. Guide was not professional. Tour company was very professional but tour itself is a joke in this lovey city. You rather hangout on street than dirty river with no history aroung both sode of river.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Dear Customer, Thank you for taking time to share your feedback with us. We are sorry the tour you've experienced was not up to your expetations. We do respect your opinion, of course, and we'll indeed investigate about the guide. We want to specify, though, that the tour is very well described as a ride on a typical Florentine Gondola with the following inclusions: - Florence boat ride aboard a traditional barchetto -Cruise down the Arno River and pass under the Ponte Vecchio - Enjoy a glass of Prosecco while gliding down the river - Pass beautiful Florence attractions like the Uffizi Gallery and the Corsini Palace You are actually complaining about features that are the exact description of the experience, so we understand that you didn't like the format. This is, actually, one of our most famous and appreciated tour formats, but 'de gustibus non dispuitandum est'. Thank you again for sharing your feedback with us. We hope to have the opportunity to have you on another of our experiences, in the future. Best regards, Florencetown - Towsn of Italy Customer Care
Loved our guide!!! Wish...
Mary_G, Sep 2023
Loved our guide!!! Wish it was a little longer but it was definitely informative 13 is the right amount of people.
Fun outing
Ian_M, Sep 2023
Great ride on the river in the evening to see the city and its bridges from a different perspective. Very informative and fun.
Fantastic experience
Rachel_B, Sep 2023
Had a fantastic chai latte and pistachio croissant to start the trip. A very short walk then to the traditional boat. We had a very friendly and knowledgeable guide who gave us a fantastic introduction to Florence. Would 100% recommend and would suggest to do this at the start of your stay as a great introduction to the city.
You can’t go wrong
Marsha_C, Sep 2023
First off I have to say I apologize I’m horrible with names someone able to remember the name of our tour guide, but she was very informative. Answered any questions that you have I do remember she’s a history major . but one of the best decision you’re going to make is doing the boat tour a Florence you get to see it from another side on the Arno river and it’s beautiful
Sunday morning on the Arno
james_m, Sep 2023
I very much enjoyed this tour with Barchetto Our guide was wonderful, informative, Simpatica, and I highly recommend her and the tour on the Arno river. I learned more about the Medici family, and how they were part of the changing the Ponte Vecchio. It was a great way to start Sunday morning in Florence, I will always remember it well.
peaceful river cruise
LoganSmith_P, Sep 2023
We loved our tour on the River Arno! We went on the 6pm tour and it was peaceful and beautiful on the water, the sun's heat having diminished by then, too. Informative and enjoyable and our guide even brought juice for the children and wine for the adults. : )))
Enjoyable & informative
Julie_S, Sep 2023
Great way to see Florence in a new light! Our tour guide was very informative. we enjoyed the vino & the kids their juice. The parasols were clutch as the sun would have been too intense otherwise. Very enjoyable hour!
Beautiful informative sunset trip
Guthrie_G, Sep 2023
Our guide was fantastic and told us the story of the Arno and its bridges. We had such a good trip. She took photos of all of the couples in the group and our photos were great with a perfect backdrop. I would highly recommend this.
Feel carefree, floating down the Arno.
ShariAcebedo, Sep 2023
We enjoyed this experience so much. Not only was it simply beautiful. But the people involved like our guide Vanessa. And our gondolier Daniele, were absolutely lovely and made this experience, rich for us with their kindness and their knowledge.
Ok but not worth the money.
Doug_B, Sep 2023
It was ok, very overpriced for what it is but it seems like they are the only game in town so they can charge whatever they want. I
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent experience with our shared tours. We appreciate your feedback, and we are taking this situation as an opportunity to improve our experiences. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on one of our tours again in the future. Best regards, Florencetown - Towns of Italy Customer Care
The romantic Arno cruise.
Jenny_t, Sep 2023
Vanessa was great! So friendly and informative and fun to be with! And our Gonsalves, Danielle, even sang to us and was a delight! We highly recommend this short river cruise.
Barchetto boat ride
Barrae_W, Aug 2023
The tour guide was amazing and informative. We enjoyed this experience very much. It was peaceful on the water and the views were enjoyable.
Chilled, relaxing and informative
Charlotte_G, Aug 2023
This was a very relaxing tour and very chilled. However we were running a little late as we had got lost found the boat embarkment and then told we had to go to the office to check in and then walk back to the same place. It just seemed a bit long winded and pointless.
Enchanted Evening
Jacqueline_G, Aug 2023
I had the most enchanting evening at Florentown's Sunset Barchetto on the Arno River. The setting sun cast a warm glow over the Arno, creating a mesmerizing backdrop for an unforgettable experience. As I sipped my white wine, I couldn't help but marvel at the history surrounding me. The Arno River has been the lifeblood of Florence for centuries, facilitating trade and inspiring artists like Leonardo da Vinci. Its gentle flow under the iconic bridges adds a romantic touch to the evening. The Ponte Vecchio, with its charming shops, stands as a testament to Florence's enduring beauty. The Ponte Santa Trinita, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture, showcases the city's artistic heritage. And from the barchetto, the Ponte alla Carraia framed the sunset in the most picturesque way. Florentown's Sunset Barchetto on the Arno River is a place where history, beauty, and personal growth come together in a magical way. It's an experience that will stay with me forever.
A shear joy!
Susan_K, Aug 2023
The whole trip was a pleasure. Our tour guide made the trip so interesting and was very knowledgeable.
Unique experience
Maria_S, Aug 2023
Very nice tour to learn some of the history of Florence. It was a unique experience. My family enjoyed the small boat ride away from the business of the city
Fantastic tour of the river!
Taylor_M, Aug 2023
We had a fantastic ride! Our guide was knowledgeable AND engaging and we learned so much while enjoying beautiful scenery!
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