Florence in a Day

The florence day trip from civitavecchia is the longest single-day excursion we offer, and the one we are most often asked about. Florence is three and a half hours from the port — seven hours of driving in total — which is a significant commitment. The calculation that justifies it is simple: Florence is one of the handful of cities in the world that genuinely cannot be understood from a photograph, and the Uffizi Gallery alone contains more canonical paintings than most museums contain in their entirety. For guests who want to see the Botticellis, the Leonardos and the Michelangelo sculpture in person, and who will not have another opportunity to do so, the long day is worth every kilometre.

The florence cruise excursion from civitavecchia departs at 7 am to arrive before the tour groups and the midday heat. The Uffizi occupies the morning — with pre-booked timed entry, you walk straight in and have the rooms at their quietest for the first two hours. After lunch in the Oltrarno, the afternoon belongs to the Duomo (the best view of it is from the top, if your legs and schedule allow), the Ponte Vecchio and the narrow medieval streets between them. Your driver meets you at Piazza del Popolo at five and the return journey is completed in the V-Class with the particular satisfaction of a day that earned its length.

Uffizi, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio — the full Florence

• The Uffizi Gallery — Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo

  The Uffizi contains the Birth of Venus, the Primavera, the Annunciation and the Doni Tondo in a single building. With pre-booked entry and an early start, the rooms are at their quietest. Your driver advises on exactly which ticket and time slot to book once your date is confirmed.

• The Duomo and the view from the top

  Brunelleschi's dome is the largest masonry dome ever built and the defining feature of the Florentine skyline — from above, the city spreads away in every direction to the surrounding hills. The climb involves 463 steps and no lift; for guests who prefer not to climb, the exterior is extraordinary from any angle.

• The Oltrarno — lunch on the quiet side of the river

  The neighbourhood south of the Arno retains a working quality that the tourist-dense streets north of the river have largely lost. Lunch at a trattoria in the Oltrarno — crostini, ribollita, bistecca — is the meal that Florentines actually eat, at the price they actually pay for it.