Where the Accademia Gallery Is and How to Get There

From Santa Maria Novella station (10–12 minutes)

This is the route for anyone arriving by train, and it's simpler than it looks on the map. Leave the station on the Piazza della Stazione side and take Via de' Panzani, which starts almost opposite and heads towards the centre. The street changes name to Via de' Cerretani and opens into Piazza del Duomo, right by the Baptistery: impossible to miss, with Brunelleschi's dome acting as your compass. From there, keep the Duomo on your left and turn onto Via Ricasoli: the museum is straight ahead, after about 350 metres (roughly 380 yards), on the left-hand side.

With a wheeled suitcase the route is doable but cobbled: allow a few extra minutes. Remember, though, that suitcases can't come into the museum — see the section on the entrance below.

From the Duomo (5 minutes)

Via Ricasoli starts from the north side of the cathedral (the side opposite the main entrance). Follow it towards Piazza San Marco: the Gallery is halfway along, on the left. It's the ideal route for combining both visits in the same morning.

From Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi (about 12 minutes)

From the Uffizi, head back up towards the Duomo through Piazza della Signoria and Via dei Calzaiuoli, the centre's main pedestrian street; once in Piazza del Duomo, continue along Via Ricasoli as above. Twelve minutes at a normal pace, entirely in the pedestrian zone. It's the distance that makes seeing the Uffizi and Accademia in the same day realistic, as long as the two entry times are chosen well.

By bus: get off at Piazza San Marco

The stop you need is Piazza San Marco, a one-minute walk from the entrance: it's one of the main hubs of Florence's city bus network, served by many lines from every direction. Whichever neighbourhood you're starting from, chances are a bus stops here; check the right line on the local transport operator's official channels before you set off, since routes and numbers change over time.

By taxi: get dropped at the corner

A taxi can get close to the area, but Via Ricasoli is narrow and busy: the practical move is to be dropped in Piazza San Marco and walk the final minute. Tell the driver "Galleria dell'Accademia, Via Ricasoli" — it's a destination every Florentine taxi driver knows.

By car: don't even try

The museum sits inside the ZTL, the restricted traffic zone of the historic centre, monitored by cameras: driving in without authorisation means a fine that lands in your mailbox weeks later. There is no museum car park, and on-street spaces in the area are reserved for residents.

There's only one sensible strategy: leave the car outside the centre — in a parking garage on the edge of the ZTL or at a park-and-ride connected to the centre by public transport — and do the last stretch on foot or by bus. You'll save money and nerves: central Florence traffic is unforgiving.

The two queues on Via Ricasoli

Two separate lines form outside the entrance. The first is for visitors who already hold a timed ticket — booked on the official channel or through resellers such as Tiqets: you show up a few minutes before the printed time and pass through the security check. The second is for those without a booking who still need to buy at the ticket office: in high season it can take over an hour, sometimes two. If you're not sure which is yours, show your ticket on your phone to the staff outside and ask.

The difference between the two lines is the whole point of booking ahead: we break it down in our guide to skip-the-line tickets.

Accessible entrance

Wheelchair users and visitors with reduced mobility enter through the Via Ricasoli 60 entrance. The museum is fully accessible: a lift serves the levels above the ground floor and there are accessible toilets inside. The visit route, David included, is mostly on the ground floor.

No cloakroom: plan around your luggage

A point that catches many people out: the museum has no cloakroom. Suitcases, large backpacks and helmets are not allowed in, and there's a metal detector at the entrance; water bottles are admitted up to half a litre. If you're coming from the station with luggage, the nearby option is the paid storage at the MyAccademia store, next to the museum: it's a private, unofficial service, but it solves the problem steps from the entrance.

The museum's position makes it easy to build a full half-day without ever boarding a bus. One minute away is Piazza San Marco, with the Museo di San Marco and Fra Angelico's frescoes: an excellent filler if you're early for your entry time.

Five minutes in the opposite direction is Piazza del Duomo — cathedral, Baptistery, Giotto's Bell Tower. Heading west, the San Lorenzo district with its basilica and the Mercato Centrale is the natural choice for a bite before or after your visit without going out of your way.

The practical tip: book an early-morning entry, when the crowd in front of the David is thinnest, and save the rest of the area for afterwards. The museum takes 1–2 unhurried hours, and when you come out you still have the whole day ahead of you.