Florence Private Artisan Workshop Tour with Demonstrations and Hands-On Activities

Explore Florence's artisan workshops on a private guided walking tour with exclusive access and hands-on activities.

Getting started

Meet your expert guide at your chosen spot anywhere in the historic center of Florence, or under the column in the center of Piazza della Repubblica. Set off on foot from the city center as your guide outlines the route and the artisan traditions you will explore. Hotel pick-up on foot from Florence city center is included, and wheelchair and baby stroller users can request convenient stops in advance.

What to expect

Pietre Dure workshop

Step into a Pietre Dure workshop to discover this traditional Florentine art of inlaid hard stones, known for its historical significance in the city.

Features

• With exclusive entrance to workshops with private demonstrations, you watch master artisans at work as they show how Pietre Dure designs are planned, cut, and fitted together.
• Your professional private guide explains how this meticulous craft has been practiced in Florence for centuries and points out details that are easy to miss on your own.

Leather workshop

Visit a leather workshop that showcases the famous leather products of Florence, renowned for their quality and careful craftsmanship.

Features

• Live demonstrations by master artisans reveal how leather is selected, cut, and finished, giving you an inside look at techniques that define Florentine leather goods.
• Hands-on activities like leather work or leather stamping let you try basic techniques yourself, guided step by step by the artisan and supported by your expert guide.

Ceramics workshop

Continue to a ceramics workshop to learn about ceramic production inspired by ancient Etruscan traditions.

Features

• In this space, you see how clay becomes decorated pottery, connecting modern practice with Florence's long history of ceramic art.
• Participate in hands-on activities like pottery throwing as the artisan demonstrates shaping and decorating, making this stop an interactive part of your tour.

Marbled paper workshop

Enter a marbled paper workshop where a tradition flourishing since the 16th century still shapes how decorative paper is made.

Features

• Witness the intricate process of creating marbled paper, watching colors float, swirl, and transfer to sheets that are later used for bindings and stationery.
• Your guide helps interpret each step of the process during these private demonstrations, so you understand how every pattern is created by hand.

Jewelers on Ponte Vecchio

Walk to the jewelers on Ponte Vecchio, one of Florence's most recognizable bridges and a historic center of goldsmiths and jewelry makers.

Features

• At the exclusive jewelers on Ponte Vecchio, you see how designs move from sketches to finished pieces, a testament to Florence's artistic heritage.
• This visit to jewelers on Ponte Vecchio is included in your route, with your private guide highlighting distinctive styles and craftsmanship in the displays.

Perfume making stop

Visit a space dedicated to perfume making, a craft that dates back to the city's golden ages.

Features

• Here, you experience the art of perfume making, learning how scents are composed and how this tradition evolved with Florentine culture.
• The perfume-making stop is part of your curated itinerary, arranged through your guide so you can observe or discuss the process directly with specialists.

Combined artisan workshops

Throughout the tour, your guide connects the different artisan disciplines you encounter into a single story of Florentine craftsmanship.

Features

• Hotel pick-up on foot from Florence city center is included at the start, and your expert guide stays with you throughout, coordinating visits to Pietre Dure, leather, ceramics, and marbled paper workshops.
• Exclusive entrance to the workshops with private demonstrations ensures that hands-on activities like pottery, jewelry making, and leather work are conducted in small, focused settings tailored to your group.

Wrapping up

Your private artisan workshop tour concludes back in Florence's historic center, where public transportation is nearby and you can continue exploring shops and studios independently. Gratuities are not included, so you can decide on any tip for your guide based on your experience.