As you all know, I love a good tour. Having a local guide show me their town is a special way to see the sights and, in my opinion, is good value for the money. In Italy, tour guides are experts in their area and undergo detailed training in order to make sure travelers get a quality tour. I have rented a bike in Florence and roamed around the city, but when The Tour Guy offered to host me on a bike tour to see the city I jumped at the chance to have a professional (and local Tuscan) show me her city. Chiara was an amazing guide and the “Florence in a Half Day by Bike” tour was fun and active way to learn the history (and present) of the city.
On our trusty steeds, Chiara led us around Florence. I have walked the same area we biked and, trust me, it was much easier on a bike.
Our bikes had baskets in the front, which was nice to hold the water bottles we were given at the start of the trip. I wore a cross-body purse, but it was nice to know I would have had a place to put my stuff if I had not.
With earbuds on so we could hear Chiara’s guidance, we toured Florence stopping at artworks, important historical sites, landmarks, and even gelato. Here are some of the places we went:
- Clet Abraham’s art
- San Niccolo neighborhood and other Oltrarno sites
- Santo Spirito
- Palazzo Pitti
- Florence’s Duomo and Brunelleschi’s dome,
- Piazza della Repubblica
- Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio
- Ponte Vecchio
I really enjoyed hearing Chiara’s stories. One of the reasons that I love tours is that a good guide (and The Tour Guy hires fabulous guides) will make a place come alive for you by telling you its stories. As I often tell my students, history is a compilation of stories. The Italian word for history and for story is historia (also the name of my department’s radio program). One can read those stories, as people often do when self-guided, or listen to them from a skilled storyteller. I’ll choose the latter as much as possible.
Chiara also rose to the challenge of answering any questions posed by our small group. This is another reason I recommend the “Florence in a Half Day by Bike” tour—the guide helps contextualize Florence for you while giving you the opportunity to ask an expert about anything thhttps://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1362329&u=4109975&m=89095&urllink=thetourguy%2Ecom%2Ftours%2Fflorence%2Fflorence%2Dbike%2Dtour%3F1440%3Dtrue%26partner%3D2&afftrack=at pops into your mind. The next time you’re in Florence, use the link below to book the best bike tour in Florence. It’s an adventure you won’t soon forget and you will see the city in just a few hours.
Happy travels!
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