Unlock the secrets of Florence’s famous Duomo—an architectural marvel designed in the 15th century and the icon of the Renaissance city. Learn about the history of Brunelleschi’s red-roofed dome as you climb to its very top, stopping along the way to explore hidden terraces and chambers not open to the general public. Be rewarded by panoramic views of Florence. Skip-the-line admission includes a guided tour of the cathedral and crypt.

Guided tour of Florence's iconic Duomo
Learn the fascinating history behind Brunelleschi's architectural marvel
Climb to the very top of the dome to take in stunning panoramic views of the city below
Gain access to secret terraces and rooms not open to the general public

What's Included

Professional guide
Skip the line access to Florence Cathedral
Guided tour of the Cathedral and exceptional opening of Duomo North terrace
Skip the line and reserved access to Brunelleschi's Dome
Exclusive access to the central nave
72 hour full-access to Duomo Complex: Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery and Opera del Duomo Museum

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Via Camillo Cavour, 12, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
Please find number 12 "Black" Via Camillo Cavour which is the easiest number to find and then walk to nearby CIAOFLORENCE SALES OFFICE - Ciao Florence Sales Office - Via Cavour, 36 "RED". You will understand clearly this address description once you are in Florence

End point

Piazza di San Giovanni, Firenze FI, Italy
The tour will end on top of Cathedral secret terraces, in Piazza San Giovanni, Florence (Duomo Square)

What To Expect

Florence

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Duomo - Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Cupola del Brunelleschi

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Good walking shoes are recommended
A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
Please note the number of steps to reach the top of each monument: Terraces: 153 - Terraces + Brunelleschi's Dome: 153 + 310 from the Terraces
Kindly note that starting from 1st May 2023 bulky backpacks and bags will no longer be allowed inside the Dome and Terraces to ensure the safety and security of all visitors.
This activity is not allowed for children under 7 years of age
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

318 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 318 reviews

Fun time!

Melissa_L, Apr 2024

Guide was knowledgeable about the duomo and made the tour enjoyable. Walking to to very top was hard!

A must if in Florence

Beth_B, Apr 2024

Victor was amazing, knowledge, passion and humor made this the best tour we have done in Florence! Highly recommend!!!

Amazing views after endless stairs

Michelle_E, Mar 2024

It was initially bit difficult to find the meeting point due to construction in the area, our guide was very friendly and understanding, the skip the line access tickets were well worth it as we were able to access the cathedral easily and got to see the inner dome from a great vantage point, being able to acess the teress and the balconies around the inside of the dome was also lovely. The highlight however was the increadible views from the top of the Duomo after the many many stairs we had to climb

Excellent choice

Stacey_C, Mar 2024

This was awesome! Not only did we have a great guide putting the building in context but we were able to see the outer terraces, the inner levels of the dome and climb to the top outside as well!

If you hate crowds, take this tour

Brianne_H, Feb 2024

Wonderful tour. Very informative. The guide did a fantastic job of describing the history of the Duomo and its impact on Florence. The biggest plus for us was the small group and getting access to the private terraces and the top of the Duimo without all the crowds. Highly recommend. Just note that meeting point is at the tour guide’s offices just a few minutes from the Duomo itself.

Top of Duomo

Frank_B, Jan 2024

This tour was tiring but a lot of fun, Ana is a great tour guide. I would highly recommend this tour.

Great for not waiting in line

Joe_M, Dec 2023

If you’re not alarmed by the price tag, this tour is definitely the best opportunity to see within the Duomo without waiting in the long queue outside, and also provides your access to ascend to the terrace overlooking Florence. At this point you can say goodbye to your guide and continue up the additional 250+ steps to the top of the tower. Definitely worth the views! If time permits, you may also visit the Basilica before entering the Duomo. 90 minutes tops so plan other activities before and after. Our tour guide was incredibly friendly, but again, this tour’s value is in the access.

AMAZING! Loved learning the history and the views!

Sharon_Z, Nov 2023

My husband and I did this tour on 10/31/2023 at 2:15 in afternoon and our tour guide was fantastic. She was so knowledgeable and fun! The views from the top of the Duomo were worth the almost 500 steps. Wear good shoes and know that it is tight cramped staircase at times. So glad we did this tour!

A real Highlight!

Tina_M, Nov 2023

This was a wonderful tour. Unfortunately I cannot remember out tour guides name (I am terrible with names) but he was fantastic. So knowledgeable! He shared so much with us about Florence, beyond just the Duomo and Catherdral. He was also kind and very understanding to those of us who are scared of heights. Being able to see so much of this complex was amazing. Thanks for a great time!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Dear Tina, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your great experience. We are so happy to read that you enjoyed our tour. The Duomo complex is indeed a masterpiece and always worth a visit. The experience could not have been so interesting without your guide Alfonso, and we are pleased to read that you were struck by his kindness and knowledge about the complex. We look forward to seeing you on another of our tours! Have a nice day, CiaoFlorence Staff

Another marvel of Florence

Terence_B, Nov 2023

Very beautiful building, and great exercise climbing to the top. My only complaint is that the meeting place was difficult to find. It didn't show up on the walking maps and we walked around in circles trying to find the place.

A great tour of the domo

Ryan_O, Nov 2023

Great tour, I learned so much about the domo, I did not know. Sarah the tour guide was great and very knowledgeable about everything. Please note, climbing the steps to the domo is a workout, I wish I bought some water, but the views are worth it !

Not as Advertised!

PaulineG_B, Nov 2023

Once in Cathedral, when question asked, learned we could not see terraces without climbing all the way to top of dome, and then being able to access them on the way down. At least half of the group couldn’t do that. Due to maintenance in usual way up;KNOWN OF COURSE IN ADVANCE BY PROVIDER. Terraces my major reason for choosing THIS tour. Guided part of tour ends after dome climb, the rest of the complex is seen without a guide. I had no time to book another tour of the Duomo cathedral while in Italy. And it appears other providers could have got me to the terraces…

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Dear Pauline, We are sorry to read that our tour didn’t meet your expectations. This tour includes the guided visit of the Cathedral with skip the line entrance and the extraordinary opening of the secret Terraces that you will explore and get to know with the company of our expert tour guide. The ticket is valid 72 hours and it allows you to visit the whole Duomo complex on your own after the guided tour: Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery and Opera del Duomo Museum. For the whole month of October 2023, due to some extraordinary restoration works inside the Duomo, we have been forced to modify the usual itinerary. In fact, we were not visiting the northern Terraces as usual, but the Southern Terraces. The “Terrazza sud” can be reached only after climbing up all the Brunelleschi’s Cupola. We believe that this is a unique experience since the guide accompanies our clients up to the top of the Duomo where you can admire, following the knowledgeable words of our professional guide, the amazing frescoes painted way back in the 1500s from great artists such as Vasari and Zuccari. This tour includes the climbing of lots of stairs, with the usual itinerary also, so it requires a good state of health and it is not suggested for people with mobility diseases or other personal issues. When a traveller decides to participate in this tour, they must be prepared to climb up lots of steps in any case. Our tour guides explain how this tour works before starting it and they specify how many steps clients have to climb and all the details. Anyways, you would have encountered the same exact issue with other local providers since the closure of the Terraces was imposed by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, it was not our decision. I would like to make clear that nobody could have visited the Northern Terraces in October. We strongly believe that this change benefited most of our customers since in that way, they had a more complete experience. In fact, most of them are happy with this additional service with no additional costs. We are sorry to read that you didn’t like it instead. We thank you again for taking your time to leave us your feedback. Have a nice day, CiaoFlorence Staff

A “Must Do “

Kirk_S, Nov 2023

The tour of the Duomo was remarkable. The history and beauty are truly awe inspiring. Gabriella did a great job !! Make sure you are ready for a workout when climbing to the top. What a view !!

Stunning views are worth the climb!

Anne_C, Oct 2023

The group guide provided a lot of information, being able to see the additional terrace view was amazing! Definitely a bit of a workout making it up the 463 very narrow, spiraling stairs, but so worth it!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hello Anne! Thank you for contacting us with your opinion We are glad that our guide provided you with all the necessary information and you enjoyed the tour! We will be glad if you book with us again! Thank you and have a nice day! CiaoFlorence Team

Too much wasted time

Elsa_M, Oct 2023

Pretty expensive for a lot of wasted time. Our tour guide spent a lot of time talking about herself and standing outside. The 3 hour tour had about 1/2 hour of interest. It was last minute and I’m happy we were able to see the Duomo. So for this I giving 3 stars. There was no need to stand on the terrace and talk about rent and housing in Florence.

Excellent tour

PETER_S, Oct 2023

Excellent tour of the Duomo and terraces. Pretty informative guide who took us right to the top of the Dome and explained everything along the way.

Memorable Experience

Tom_L, Oct 2023

An amazing experience. Informative guide who walked us up to the basilica and gave an interesting history, both outside then in. Once done with that we climbed… and climbed to the top of the dome. An amazing view of the entire city and surrounding valleys. Then down to the terrace for another great view of the dome and square below.

Great Experience

Amy_M, Oct 2023

Guide was very knowledgeable. It was a fantastic experience! Seeing Florence from the top of the Duomo was amazing

Fantastic Experience Amazing Views

Susan_S, Oct 2023

This was an adventure and totally worth it. Gabriella was our guide who was willing to share so much knowledge with us about these wonderful structures and their history. She spoke slowly and clearly as well as having so much patience throughout the experience. If you plan on hiking up to the dome, don’t it it any other way but in this tour.

Great short tour

Damian_P, Oct 2023

This was a great short tour. Climbing up the stairs to the top of the Duomo was not easy but AMAZING. Being able to be upclose to the painting on the dome was incredible in addition to the views of the city at the top. Would definitely do again. The frosting on the cake was the ability to use the pass that I purchased for the Duomo tour on all the other Santa Maria sites like the Baptistry or the catacombs. Highly recommend.

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