Florence, Italy

See the original statue of ‘David,’ Michelangelo’s iconic Florentine masterpiece, inside the Accademia Gallery on a 1-hour and 15 minutes tour! Skip the line with a priority-entrance ticket, and head inside to learn about some of the finest pieces of Renaissance art in the world. See Michelangelo’s unfinished ‘Prigioni’ and ‘San Matteo’ sculptures, gaze in wonder at ‘David’ and discover intriguing works by artists like Botticelli, Lippi and more.

Meet your guide outside the Accademia Gallery in central Florence, and then head inside with your fast-track entrance ticket. The museum is home to some of the finest works of Renaissance artwork in the world, so lines to enter are often long. Your reserved skip-the-line ticket allows you to bypass the entrance lines, meaning you spend more time viewing the art than standing in line.

As you walk around inside, listen to stories and history about the wealth of artwork contained within the Accademia Gallery’s walls. Works by Renaissance superstar Michelangelo are given pride of place inside the museum, and your guide’s commentary focuses on the much-loved Florentine artist. Admire his famously unfinished sculptures – Prigioni and San Matteo – and then gaze in awe at the statue of David that dominates the central gallery.

Ever the crowd pleaser, David was created by Michelangelo when he was just in his twenties, fresh from the glory of carving La Pietà. Sculpted entirely from local Carrara marble, the statue of the nude biblical hero is incredible to behold with life-like veins and muscles carved to precision as had never been done before. Standing at a lofty height of 17 feet (5.17 meters), the statue of David became a symbol of freedom and independence for the city.

After admiring David, visit other rooms with your guide to learn about other Renaissance artists such as Botticelli and Lippi. When your tour finishes, you can stay inside the museum for as long as you wish, discovering collections of artwork from the Middle Ages as well as the Renaissance. The Accademia Gallery is also home to the Museum of Musical Instruments, which is worth visiting independently.