Visiting and climbing the Duomo of Florence: tips and tricks
The cathedral of Florence (Duomo is cathedral in Italian) is one of the most famous and visited tourist attractions in the city. And there is not only the church to see: in the Piazza del Duomo there are many other ancient and important religious buildings, which all together make up the Duomo Complex. So many monuments, hundreds of works of art, 3 different tickets: to help you plan your visit to the Duomo complex, I wrote this guide for visiting the Duomo of Florence, the cathedral, Brunelleschi’s dome and all the other places included in the complex.
I am keeping this guide for visiting the Duomo of Florence constantly updated, but opening hours and prices may change at any time. So always double check on the official website.
I’m Claudia, a licensed tour guide in Florence with more than 10 years of experience, and I love my city! Learn more about my private tours in Florence and get in contact with me.
Visiting the Duomo complex in Florence
The complex consists of: the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s bell tower, the climb to the dome by Brunelleschi, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and the crypt of the cathedral. (Santa Reparata crypt). All those buildings are located in Piazza Duomo, the square of the Cathedral.
- Find out the most beautiful squares in Florence
Each one of those places has different opening hours. There are 3 different tickets, that are including more or less tourist attractions of the complex. They obviously have different prices, but they all lasts 3 days.
Let’s see those places one by one…
Visiting the Duomo of Florence (cathedral)
The Duomo of Florence is officially called Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and it’s one of the most beautiful churches in the world. The first architect was Arnolfo di Cambio who began to build it in 1296. The exterior of the cathedral is richly decorated with white, pink and green marble, and its dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi has dominated the whole city for about 600 years.
If the exterior of the church is magnificent, the interior is much simpler and less decorated. Many visitors are surprised by this! The Florence Cathedral has never been overdecorated on the inside like many other Italian churches, and some of the original decorations have been removed over the centuries and are now in the Opera del Duomo museum.
Visiting the inside of the cathedral of Florence is free (actually it is one of the few free things in Florence). But there is almost always a long line to enter, and there is no way to skip it. In summer, when the city is packed with tourists, the line to enter the church can last up to an hour. The best time to visit the cathedral, when the line is shorter, is as soon as it opens. Try to queue at least 10-15 minutes before opening.
Cathedral of Florence (Duomo) opening hours:
Open from 10.15 am to 4.45 pm, every day except Sundays and religious holidays.
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Climb to Brunelleschi’s Dome
The dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in the early 1400s is an architectural masterpiece. Climbing to the top not only offers a magnificent view of Florence. It is also an exciting experience that allows you to better understand Brunelleschi’s brilliant architecture.
The climb to the dome is a separate tourist attraction, therefore it needs a special ticket with reservations required (which is obviously the most expensive), called Brunelleschi Pass (see below for more info about tickets). Since space on the stairs and on top of the dome is very limited, only a few people can go up at a time. When you book your ticket you will be asked to choose a time slot, and you will have to respect it.
In high season, tickets for the climb to the dome are sold out several weeks in advance. Book them as soon as possible!
To reach the top of the dome you have to climb 463 steps, and there is no elevator: take this into account before booking. The climb requires some physical effort and is not recommended for people with heart problems or those suffering from vertigo or claustrophobia.
The entrance to the dome is located on the left side of the cathedral (north side).
Cloakroom for Brunelleschi’s dome
Before climbing Brunelleschi’s dome, you must leave all your large stuff at the cloakroom, located next to the Opera del Duomo museum (it’s the door right on the left). the cloakroom is free, but it’s mandatory to leave there any kind of backpack, large umbrellas, suitcases, tripods and any other kind of large object.
Climb to the dome opening hours:
- From Monday to Saturday is open from 8.15 am until 7.30 pm.
- On Sundays is open from 12.45 pm until 5.15 pm.
- On religious holidays opening times may change, or the dome might be closed.
- In case of bad weather the dome may be closed without notice, and tickets refunded.
Baptistery of Saint John
The Baptistery dedicated to Saint John the Baptist (San Giovanni Battista, patron saint of Florence) is the oldest building in piazza Duomo. It was built from the half of the 1000s until the end of the 1200s. Its architecture made of white and green marbles is in romanesque style, and the ceiling is decorated with wonderful mosaics from the 1200s, representing the Final Judgment, with hell, purgatory and paradise. The Baptistery is famous for the Gates of Paradise, the bronze doors made by Lorenzo Ghiberti in the early 1400s, but today there are replicas on the building. You can find the original bronze doors displayed in the Opera del Duomo Museum.
Baptistery of St. John opening hours:
The Baptistery is open every day from 9.00 am until 7.45 pm. It’s only closed on religious holidays.
- Note: the mosaic ceiling of the Baptistery is currently under restoration, and not visibile.
Visiting Giotto’s bell tower
Giotto’s bell tower takes its name from the first architect who worked on it, the most important artist of the Florentine Middle Ages. Giotto was not only an architect, but also a sculptor and above all a painter. You can admire some of his paintings in the Uffizi, in the first room on the second floor. The sculptures that decorate the bell tower today are copies, the original ones are in the Opera del duomo Museum.
You can climb even on the top of the bell tower: there are 398 steps, and from there you can enjoy a stunning view of Florence and Brunelleschi’s dome. The climb to the bell tower can be a smart alternative to the climb to the dome: it’s cheaper and there is greater availability of tickets. So if you can’t find a ticket for the dome, the bell tower can be your backup plan.
Opening hours of Giotto’s bell tower
The climb to the bell tower is open every day (except for religious holidays) from 8.15 am to 7.45 pm.
Crypt of Santa Reparata
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, which you can admire today, was built starting in 1296 on top of the oldest (and much smaller) cathedral of Santa Reparata. The old church of Santa Reparata dates back to the early Christian era. It was founded in 405 AD. and rebuilt several times. It was rediscovered only in 1965 thanks to archaeological excavations under the floor of the Cathedral. In addition to the ruins of the ancient church, in the crypt of the cathedral you can also see the remains of some houses from the Roman era.
The entrance to the crypt is separated from the main entrance to the cathedral, and is located on the right side of the church (south side).
The opening hours of the crypt are the same as those of the cathedral.
Opera del Duomo Museum
It is one of the richest museums of works of art in Florence and one of my favorites. The Opera del Duomo museum houses the sculptures, decorations and precious objects that over time have been removed from the buildings of the Duomo complex. For example, there are statues of Donatello and Michelangelo, the original Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti together with the other two bronze doors of the Baptistery. Then the original sculptures of the bell tower by Giotto… And dozens of Renaissance masterpieces, works by Luca della Robbia and many others.
The Opera del duomo museum is very underrated, and not many people visit it, but I recommend you not to miss it!
- Check out my private tour of the Opera del Duomo Museum.
Opening hours:
The museum is open every day except for religious holidays from 9.00 am to 7.45 pm.
Tickets for visiting the Duomo of Florence complex
Since the Duomo complex is made up of different tourist attractions, there are 3 types of tickets, which allow entry to different monuments. All 3 tickets last 3 days, so you have time to visit all the places included in the pass.
I recommend that you buy tickets directly on the official website of the Opera del Duomo to pay for them as little as possible. Every other website is a re-seller and increases the price by a few euros.
However, as tickets for the dome climb sell out well in advance, re-sellers like Viator or GetYourGuide are a good option when tickets are sold out on the official website.
Here are the three types of tickets for the Florence Duomo complex:
Brunelleschi pass
The Brunelleschi pass is the most complete ticket and the only one that includes the climb to the dome. It costs 30 euros, and lasts 3 days from the moment you enter the dome. The Brunelleschi Pass includes all the monuments of the complex, namely:
- The climb to Brunelleschi’s dome
- The climb to Giotto’s bell tower
- The entrance to the Baptistery of Saint John
- The entrance to the crypt
- The entrance to the Opera del Duomo museum
The climb to the dome must necessarily be done before all other visits included in the pass.
Ghiberti Pass
The Ghiberti pass costs 20 euros and lasts 3 days. It’s including all the monuments of the complex except the climb to the dome. What is included:
- The climb to Giotto’s bell tower
- The entrance to the Baptistery of St. John
- The entrance to the crypt
- The entrance to the Opera del Duomo museum
Giotto Pass
The simplest and cheapest ticket in the complex. The Giotto pass costs 10 euros, it also lasts 3 days and includes:
- The entrance to the Baptistery of St. John
- The entrance to the crypt
- The entrance to the Opera del Duomo museum
Dress code for visiting the Duomo of Florence
The Cathedral, as well as the Baptistery, the crypt, the dome and the bell tower, are sacred places still in use for religious services. Therefore, in almost all places in the Duomo complex, the dress code of Catholic churches is required, which involves covering shoulders and knees. So no tank tops, miniskirts and shorts, not even for men.
The only building in the complex where a dress code is not required is the Opera del Duomo museum.
Special tours of the terraces of the Duomo
If you want to have a truly special and exclusive experience, book a tour of the terraces of the Duomo. You will be able to see the decorations of the cathedral up close and enjoy a magnificent view of the city. This tour is not regularly sold on the Opera del Duomo website, it is only sold by some companies (and I don’t personally give this tour). I recommend you to book it on Viator:
I hope I have been helpful in planning your trip and visiting the Duomo of Florence. If you have any other tips to add to mine leave me a comment below. If you have any questions or requests relating to my tours and my work as a tour guide in Florence, do not hesitate to contact me.
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