La Spezia Shore Excursion to Florence with guaranteed return on time

Very fast but great overview of Florence highlights, though not a true guided tour. Our guide, Martina had a large group (including others who didn’t book through Viator) but kept everyone very well informed about where and when to meet up. We added the Accademia portion and got to see Michelangelo’s David and other incredible artwork and sculpture. We had free time before the bus ride back to La Spezia to eat and walk around/shop. Our bus driver, Alessio was also terrific, and we got back to our ship with time to spare.

Overall it's a lovely outing, but it's fast paced and not relaxing. We decided to book the walking tour which on one hand was useful for a first time visit to see the main sights we only stopped at 3 of the many beautiful sights and were given 10 minutes to take photos. The walk is a fast pace, and I felt rushed. I made the error of booking a galeria ticket, to see Micheal Amgelos famous David. The gallery actually has many amazing works to see, but do do it all in a day is really rushed. You just can't take it all in, in 4.5 hours and also walk from the bus stop to all the sights. I would recommend a stay over in Florence. For those who only have a day, rather skip the galleria and stop at one of the squares and enjoy a meal or a Gelato. The tour guide was helpful and friendly. My mom (79) and I (56), enjoyed the day, but we did not sit, for not even one minute! We even ate our Gelato while moving and rushing to get to the gallery, not to miss our booked time. If you do decide to do the gallery, book it last, give yourself 40 minutes to walk back to bus, and 40 minutes in Gallery. Also Florence is very crowded, so brisk walking is not really easy. Overall it's a wonderful place with incredible sights, but really rushed, no time to shop or eat really, if you want to see the landmarks, but it is still amazing.

The trip was great. All we needed was transportation so this was perfect. The guide, Marina, was wonderful. The only negative was it was difficult to find the meeting point with so many tour groups around

Marina was an excellent tour guide: very knowledgeable and well organized. Everything was on schedule and as advertised. She provided key information during the walking tour without being overwhelming. There was cold water and WiFi on the bus. Overall excellent experience during our day trip to Florence! 5/5.

We chose the transport-only option since we had been to Florence before and simply needed reliable transit from our cruise ship port. This was an excellent, hassle-free choice for that purpose. The tour company maintained great communication throughout the day. There was also a guide on the bus who shared interesting details about the history and culture of the region. Once we arrived in Florence, we were free to explore on our own before meeting back at the designated time and place. A quick tip for future travelers: The meeting location is near the train station, and that area can be a little tricky to navigate. I highly advise giving yourself ample time to walk back so you don't feel rushed. Everything ran perfectly on schedule, and we arrived back at the ship with plenty of time to spare before departure. This transfer provided exactly what we were looking for, and I highly recommend it for a seamless day of independent exploration in Florence!

First time using Viator. Could not have been easier. Just like a ship excursion, but less than half the price. Transfer allowed for roaming at your own pace and seeing exactly what you wanted to see. Would recommend

This was a great way to spend a few hours visiting the highlights of Florence. Marina our guide was excellent! She paid attention to details and was very communicative with us for meeting places and our pick up and drop off times. The tour gave us time to go on our own and explore, which we enjoyed. We had a few unruly passengers on our tour, but Marina handled the situation tactfully and with great professionalism, which solved the situation. She gave us a great day with great suggestions for places to eat and shop. You won’t be disappointed with this tour and tour guide.

This is - in my opinion- the best way to get from La Spezia to Florence! I booked this then did my own planning in Florence (Accademia, Santa Maria, shopping, etc). It was perfect. My day, my way.

Trip advisor needs to do better. The company Shore Experience that they have hired is beyond unprofessional. There is zero communication and you get nothing for the big price that they charge. All they really do is transport you. The speed that the tour leader walks at is snail speed. Half the time is spent on the phone by these tour leaders. Pathetic and highly unprofessional. Just not fair that we pay all this $$ to get this substandard quality.

We paid for a bus ride to and from Florence. There was a lot of confusion at the port as to which bus we were to get on (there were 3 guides from the same company). Of note, the bus driver wasn't friendly, never acknowledged or spoke to the passengers which isn't what we're used to. Once we arrived, we had a lovely day on our own exploring this fantastic city. We were all told to be back at the bus at a set time. Everyone made that timeline, however tje bus didn't. He was 20 mins late. Lastly, this trip said it was 8.5 hours. We returned an hour and 20 minutes late, good thing we didn't miss our ship. Not very happy with this company.