12/09/2026
Florence 2026: The Big Changes Tourists Need to Know
If you are planning Florence using advice from a 2024 or even early-2025 video, be careful. Quite a few things have changed. Museum tickets are becoming more controlled, several prices have increased, new combined tickets have appeared, public transport costs more, and even the way you enter some of Florence’s biggest attractions is different.
Here are the changes I would want to know before arriving in Florence in 2026.
1. Accademia tickets are becoming nominative
This is one of the biggest changes for anyone coming to see Michelangelo’s David. The transition has been gradual, which is why you may still find older information online, but nominative ticketing is being introduced at the Galleria dell’Accademia.
That means I would now book using the exact name shown on your passport or ID and bring identification with you. This is especially important if somebody else is purchasing the tickets for your group. Do not assume an unused ticket can simply be passed to another person.
2. Seeing David costs more in 2026
The standard Accademia admission increased in 2026, and if you reserve a timed entrance there is also a reservation fee.
There are also new combined ticket options linking the Accademia with museums in the Bargello group, which can make sense if you are planning to visit several museums rather than only David.
3. Uffizi, Pitti and Boboli tickets are nominative
This actually started in late 2025, but plenty of people visiting Florence in 2026 still do not know about it.
Tickets for the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens are now nominative, so the visitor’s name matters. Enter names correctly when purchasing and have identification available.
Buying somebody else’s unused ticket or assuming names do not matter is no longer a good idea.
4. Uffizi pricing works differently in 2026
The Uffizi now has different pricing depending on when and how you visit.
One of the biggest changes is the cheaper afternoon ticket available from 4 PM onward. It can be a very good option if you want to save money and do not need a full day inside the gallery.
The problem is availability. Waiting until the last minute may save money, but during busy periods you could also find that the useful time slots are gone.
If the Uffizi is one of the main reasons you are visiting Florence, I would still book ahead.
5. The Vasari Corridor is back, but it works very differently from a normal museum visit
The restored Vasari Corridor has changed the way many people plan the Uffizi.
Your Uffizi visit and Corridor entrance are linked to a specific schedule, and once you enter the Corridor you continue one way toward the Pitti Palace side. You do not simply finish and return to the Uffizi galleries.
You also need to reach the designated meeting point inside the museum before your Corridor time.
Backpacks, bulky bags, large umbrellas and luggage are restricted, which is particularly important because anything left in the Uffizi cloakroom may require you to walk back around outside later to collect it.
This is one attraction where understanding the logistics before you arrive can save a lot of frustration.
6. Boboli and Bardini now have a combined option
There is now a combined ticket allowing visitors to see both the Boboli Gardens and Bardini Garden.
This makes a very good half-day plan because the two gardens feel completely different and offer some of the best viewpoints over Florence.
If gardens are part of your itinerary, it is worth checking the current ticket conditions before automatically buying them separately.
7. Palazzo Pitti has changed its entrance
Visitors who have been to Florence before should not automatically walk toward the entrance they remember.
The visitor flow at Palazzo Pitti has changed, with entry and exit using different doors on the main façade.
It sounds minor, but this is exactly the kind of change that causes confusion when people arrive following an old video or guide.
8. Duomo tickets are becoming stricter about names and timing
The Brunelleschi Pass for the Dome is nominative, and the name should match the person actually using the ticket.
The Dome climb has a fixed reserved time, while the other monuments included in the pass can be visited during the pass validity period.
Do not be late for the Dome. This is not the attraction where I would arrive five minutes before the reservation.
Also be careful with websites selling something described as a special “skip-the-line Duomo ticket.” The official system is based on timed reservations, and security checks still apply.
9. The Baptistery is open, but the experience is not the same
One of the most important things people should know before buying a Duomo pass is that restoration work continues to affect what you can see inside the Baptistery.
The famous ceiling mosaics have been undergoing major restoration, so visitors should not assume they will see the interior exactly as it appears in older photos and videos.
This does not mean you should skip it, but it is better to know before you arrive.
10. Giotto’s Bell Tower has restoration work too
Giotto’s Campanile remains one of Florence’s most popular climbs, but restoration work has also been taking place on the tower.
The monument can remain accessible while restoration is underway, so do not be surprised if you see scaffolding or conservation work during your visit.
11. Florence public transport costs more
Urban transport fares increased in 2026.
The standard Florence ticket still works across the urban bus and tram network for a limited period after validation, but prices are higher than many older travel guides show.
Contactless payment is also increasingly common, but use the same physical card or device consistently. Your phone and the physical bank card connected to it can sometimes be treated as separate payment methods.
12. Tram construction is still affecting parts of Florence
Florence continues to expand its tram network, and construction has affected traffic around several areas outside the historic centre.
If you are arriving by car, staying outside the centre, taking taxis or travelling toward areas affected by the new lines, give yourself extra time.
This matters even more when you have a timed museum ticket. A 15-minute traffic delay can become a much bigger problem when your entrance is fixed.
13. Short-term rental check-in is changing
Florence has been tightening rules around tourist rentals, including the use of keyboxes in public areas.
That means visitors should pay closer attention to accommodation check-in instructions instead of assuming they will simply receive a code and collect a key from a box attached somewhere outside.
If you are arriving late at night, confirm the check-in procedure before travelling.
14. Firenze Card options have changed
The Firenze Card continues to evolve, including options that can extend the period in which you use it.
Reservation procedures for some attractions have also become more digital, so if you are using the card, do not assume the system works exactly as it did on a previous trip.
Check which museums still require reservations and make those bookings before you arrive.
15. Some major artworks are finally visible again
There is good news too.
Important restoration projects around Florence have been completed or reopened during 2026, bringing major artworks and spaces back into normal itineraries.
This includes places such as the Bardi Chapel in Santa Croce and Masaccio’s Trinity at Santa Maria Novella.
So while some attractions are still under restoration, others are actually better to visit now than they were a year or two ago.
Florence has not suddenly become difficult to visit, but it has become much less forgiving of old information.
In 2026, names on tickets matter more, timed entrances matter more, prices have changed, new passes have appeared, transport costs more, and several attractions now work differently from what you may have seen online.
If you are visiting Florence this year, double-check the rules before buying anything, especially for the Uffizi, Accademia, Duomo and Vasari Corridor.
