Skip-the-line available How to Get to the Vasari Corridor
Where the Corridor begins, how to reach the Uffizi on foot or by train, and why central Florence is a car-free zone — a concierge directions guide.
The Vasari Corridor is entered from inside the Uffizi Galleries, which sit beside Piazza della Signoria in the heart of Florence's pedestrian historic centre, a short walk from the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. Because the walk is one-directional, you enter through the Uffizi and finish on the far side of the Arno near the Palazzo Pitti in the Oltrarno district. From the main railway station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella, it is roughly a 15-minute walk through the old town to the Uffizi. The centre is a Limited Traffic Zone closed to most cars, so nearly everyone arrives on foot, by train or by tram. This guide covers reaching the Uffizi by rail, on foot and from the airport, and where the Corridor begins and ends.
Where does the Vasari Corridor start?
The Vasari Corridor is not a separate building with its own street entrance — it begins inside the Uffizi Galleries, which stand beside Piazza della Signoria in the centre of Florence. You enter the Uffizi with your combined ticket, tour the gallery, and join the Corridor from within it as the final leg of the visit. The walk is one-directional: it runs from the Uffizi, along the Arno and over the top of the Ponte Vecchio, then toward the Palazzo Pitti, so once you have started you cannot return into the gallery. That means the Uffizi's entrance beside Piazza della Signoria is where you should aim on arrival. The piazza is one of Florence's central landmarks, a few minutes on foot from the Duomo, and is closed to general traffic, so plan to arrive on foot however you reach the city.
Because the walk ends on the far side of the river near the Palazzo Pitti, it is worth knowing where you will emerge before you set out. The Corridor delivers you into the Oltrarno district, in view of the Boboli Gardens, rather than back at the Uffizi where you began. This matters for planning the rest of your day: any onward visit to the Pitti Palace, the Boboli Gardens or the quieter Oltrarno streets is best scheduled for after the Corridor walk, while the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and the northern historic centre suit the morning before you enter the Uffizi. Our concierge recommendation is to arrive at the Uffizi entrance on Piazza della Signoria with time to spare, and to keep the afternoon free for the Oltrarno side where the Corridor sets you down.
How do I get to the Uffizi by train?
Florence's main railway station is Firenze Santa Maria Novella, in the centre of the city, and from there it is roughly a 15-minute walk south through the historic centre to the Uffizi and Piazza della Signoria. Santa Maria Novella has frequent high-speed connections across Italy: Bologna is around 35–40 minutes away, Rome and Milan each around an hour and a half to just under two hours, and Venice around two hours, which makes a day trip to the Corridor feasible from several major cities. The station is well signposted and the walk to the Uffizi is flat and straightforward through pedestrian streets, so most rail arrivals simply walk rather than taking onward transport. Because the connections are frequent and the walk from the station is short, many visitors reach Florence, tour the Uffizi and walk the Corridor within a single day from cities such as Bologna, Rome or Milan. Confirm your Corridor slot before booking the train, since the slot is the harder thing to secure.
If you prefer not to walk the full route from the station, Florence's tram network and city buses serve the fringes of the centre, but they do not run directly to the Uffizi because the core is closed to most traffic. In practice the historic centre is compact enough that walking is almost always the quickest option from Santa Maria Novella, and it is the way the city is designed to be seen. A taxi can take you toward the edge of the pedestrian zone but not to the gallery door itself. Our concierge recommendation for rail travellers is to plan the 15-minute walk from Santa Maria Novella into your timing, allowing a comfortable margin before your Corridor slot, and to travel light since you will be on foot through the old town. Travelling light also makes the pedestrian centre far easier to move through on foot.
Can I drive or park near the Vasari Corridor?
Driving to the Vasari Corridor is not practical, because the heart of Florence is a Limited Traffic Zone — a ZTL — that is closed to most private vehicles during controlled hours. Cameras at the zone boundary automatically issue fines to unauthorised cars, so visitors should not attempt to drive to the Uffizi, and there is no parking at the gallery itself. If you arrive in Florence by car, the standard approach is to leave the vehicle in a car park on the edge of the centre and continue on foot or by public transport into the pedestrian core. The whole quarter around the Uffizi, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio is designed for walking, not driving. Attempting to drive to the Uffizi almost always ends in an automatic fine and nowhere to leave the car, so it is best avoided entirely in favour of arriving on foot from a peripheral car park or the train station.
For visitors staying outside Florence, the easiest way to avoid the ZTL entirely is to travel in by train to Santa Maria Novella and walk the final 15 minutes, rather than bringing a car into the city. Those who do drive should confirm their hotel's parking arrangements in advance and check whether it lies inside the restricted zone, since even reaching an accommodation within the ZTL can require a permit. Once in the centre, everything connected to the Corridor — the Uffizi entrance, the Ponte Vecchio it crosses, and the Palazzo Pitti where it ends — is within a comfortable walk. Our concierge recommendation is to plan on arriving car-free and treating central Florence as an entirely pedestrian visit from the moment you reach the historic centre. Planning to arrive car-free removes the single most common logistical headache of a Florence visit and lets you focus on the timed Corridor slot instead.
How do I get to the Corridor from the airport?
Florence has its own airport, Florence Peretola (Amerigo Vespucci), a few kilometres north-west of the city centre. The simplest connection into town is the tram, which links the airport with the central area near Santa Maria Novella station, from where it is a short walk on to the Uffizi and the Corridor entrance. A taxi from the airport into the centre is also straightforward, though it will drop you at the edge of the pedestrian zone rather than at the gallery door. For many international visitors the airport is the natural first step, with the tram-and-walk combination avoiding the car-restricted centre entirely. The tram runs frequently and avoids the traffic-restricted core, so for arrivals at Florence's own airport the sequence of tram to the central area and then a short walk is usually the fastest and least stressful way to reach the Uffizi and the start of the Corridor. Allow for the transfer time when planning around a fixed slot.
Many travellers also arrive via Pisa International Airport, west of Florence, which is connected to the city by train, often with a shuttle link to the rail line, bringing you to Firenze Santa Maria Novella in around an hour depending on the service. From Santa Maria Novella the onward journey is the same 15-minute walk into the historic centre. Bologna's airport is another common gateway, with fast trains reaching Florence in well under an hour. Whichever airport you use, the final approach to the Corridor is the same: reach Santa Maria Novella or the central tram stops, then walk into the pedestrian core. Our concierge recommendation is to build the airport transfer time plus the 15-minute central walk into your plan so you reach the Uffizi comfortably before your timed Corridor slot. Reach the central station first, then walk the last stretch on foot into the pedestrian core.
What is the best way to get around central Florence?
The best way to get around central Florence is on foot. The Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio the Corridor crosses, and the Palazzo Pitti where it ends are all within a compact, pedestrian-friendly quarter, and the historic centre is a Limited Traffic Zone largely closed to cars. From Piazza della Signoria beside the Uffizi it is only a few minutes' walk to the Duomo, and the Ponte Vecchio is closer still, so the landmarks around the Corridor cluster naturally within an easy stroll. Comfortable shoes and a little time in hand are all most visitors need to move between the sights that bracket the Corridor walk. Because the Uffizi entrance, the Ponte Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti all sit within a few minutes' walk of one another, no public transport is needed once you are inside the historic centre, and the whole Corridor experience unfolds within an easily walkable radius of Piazza della Signoria. Good shoes and a little time in hand are all most visitors require.
For longer hops — reaching the station, the outer neighbourhoods or the airport — Florence has a tram network and city buses that serve the edges of the centre, but they are rarely needed for the Corridor itself, which sits at the very heart of the walkable core. Taxis can carry you toward the boundary of the pedestrian zone but not into it. Because the Corridor deposits you across the Arno near the Palazzo Pitti, plan a short onward walk into the Oltrarno rather than doubling back. Our concierge recommendation is to treat the whole visit as a walking day: reach the Uffizi on foot, take the Corridor across the river, and continue into the Oltrarno afterwards, using the tram only to reach the station or airport at either end of your trip. Save the tram for the airport or station legs at either end of the trip.
Frequently asked
Where does the Vasari Corridor start?
It begins inside the Uffizi Galleries, beside Piazza della Signoria in central Florence. You enter the Uffizi with your combined ticket and join the Corridor from within the gallery, then finish on the far side of the Arno near the Palazzo Pitti.
How do I get to the Uffizi from the train station?
From Firenze Santa Maria Novella, the main station, it is roughly a 15-minute walk south through the pedestrian historic centre to the Uffizi and Piazza della Signoria. The route is flat and well signposted, and most rail arrivals simply walk.
Can I drive to the Vasari Corridor?
No. The centre of Florence is a Limited Traffic Zone closed to most cars, with cameras that automatically fine unauthorised vehicles, and there is no parking at the Uffizi. Leave any car on the edge of the centre and continue on foot.
How do I reach the Corridor from Florence airport?
Florence Peretola (Amerigo Vespucci) airport is linked to the centre by tram to near Santa Maria Novella station, then a short walk to the Uffizi. A taxi will bring you to the edge of the pedestrian zone rather than the gallery door.
Can I reach Florence from Pisa or Bologna airports?
Yes. Pisa airport connects to Florence by train in around an hour, and Bologna's fast trains reach the city in well under an hour. From Santa Maria Novella it is the same 15-minute walk into the centre.
Where does the Vasari Corridor walk end?
The one-directional walk ends across the Arno near the Palazzo Pitti in the Oltrarno district, in view of the Boboli Gardens, rather than back at the Uffizi. Plan any onward Pitti or Boboli visit for after the Corridor.
What is the nearest landmark to the Corridor entrance?
The Uffizi entrance sits on Piazza della Signoria, a few minutes' walk from the Duomo and even closer to the Ponte Vecchio the Corridor crosses. The whole quarter is pedestrian and best explored on foot.
What is the best way to get around central Florence?
On foot. The Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti sit within a compact pedestrian quarter closed to most traffic. Trams and buses serve the edges of the centre and are mainly useful for reaching the station or airport.