We were so close to making a huge mistake with our visit to Florence Duomo. We travel the world for a living and we’re usually super organized with attractions, but after spending 3 action-packed weeks exploring the Amalfi Coast, Rome and Siena, we arrived into Florence totally running on fumes. It was a Sunday in May, so we didn’t think tickets would be an issue. Boy, were we wrong! We walked to the ticket office to buy the Brunelleschi Pass which included all 5 extra sites in addition to the cathedral itself. And guess what? Tickets were completely sold out until the Tuesday.
Luckily we weren’t checking out until Wednesday, so we paid €30 each on the spot to grab 2 of the few remaining Brunelleschi Pass tickets available for the Tuesday. A compulsory time slot booking was required to climb the Dome, and with very few options remaining we chose 6:00pm hoping to avoid the daytime crowds. That meant we had to see every monument at the Duomo in one day, on our last day in town. It was a lucky break, and it actually worked out really well because we were able to tick off the rest of Florence’s top attractions first.
Here’s Kristen in Santa Reparata and Mark in the Duomo Museum
Hi, we’re Mark and Kristen Morgan. We left our scientific careers in 2018 to become travel writers and photographers, and since then our expert guides have helped millions of travel planners take better trips. Read more about us.
Why trust us with your Duomo plans? We visited all 5 extra sites in addition to the cathedral so we can show you exactly what to expect. Plus, we know the mistakes to avoid with tickets, times and crowds. As always, every photo in this guide is ours.
In the end we were glad to have bought the Brunelleschi Pass because it allowed us to see every part of the cathedral’s complex. But honestly, we don’t think the all-inclusive ticket is essential for everyone. There are other ways you can do the Duomo that might be a better fit your travel style, which we’ll show you later.
This guide explains exactly what happened when we visited Florence Duomo and walks you through what to expect at each monument. Plus, we simplify the complicated ticket options so you know exactly what to pay for, and we show you how to avoid making any of the most common mistakes. Okay, let’s begin!
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Our Cathedral Experience
Okay, let’s start with a walkthrough of our fun day ticking off each site at Florence’s Duomo complex.
Because we bought Brunelleschi Pass tickets (vs Giotto Pass or Ghiberti Pass – we’ll explain the difference later), we had a pre-booked time slot for the Dome climb at 6:00pm.
But that didn’t have to be our first site, we could see the other sites in any order as long as they were on the same day as our time slot booking.
Here’s exactly how we did it and what to expect:
The Duomo
We started by going inside the main cathedral itself, not long after it opened at 10:15am.
We’d already taken tons of photos of the exterior at night and before sunrise without the crowds, so it was great to finally walk inside the enormous entrance doors from Piazza del Duomo.
We loved the unique 24 hour clock inside the cathedral 
The Duomo was quiet inside when we arrived as it opened
The first thing that struck us was looking back at a unique 24-hour clock above the door designed by Paolo Uccello. The dials could point to 24 Roman numerals and it was going in reverse!
Inside, the cathedral was as grand as we’d expected, and the stained-glass windows by Donatello and Ghiberti were very impressive.
This Last Judgement fresco on the underneath of the Dome was seriously impressive
We also loved the marble floor, but our favorite part by far were the intricate Last Judgement frescoes in the dome. Don’t forget to look up on the far side of the cathedral – you’ll see a zillion paintings and domes in Italy, but some are clearly more special and this is one of them.
But that was it, there wasn’t a huge amount to see and we only spent maybe 15-20 minutes inside the cathedral before heading back out the same way.
Santa Reparata
After exiting we took a left and another left, passed by the Bell Tower entrance and immediately arrived at the entrance to the Crypt of Santa Reparata.
Here’s Kristen walking through the Crypt
We scanned our tickets to get inside, then walked down a small staircase to go beneath the cathedral and into the crypt. The ceilings were low and the lights were dim which added to the eerie feel of being underground.
Honestly, we found this part very interesting because there were ruins of the original 5th century church that once stood in the exact spot you’ll see the Duomo today.
The Crypt’s ruins and tombs were very interesting to see
We saw mosaics, tombs (including Brunelleschi) and Roman arches as we followed a 1,600 year timeline of relics that somehow remain in excellent condition.
It only took us around 20-30 minutes to see everything in the crypt, but we thought was well worth it so don’t skip this one.
Giotto’s Bell Tower
The entrance to Giotto’s Bell Tower was right outside the crypt, so we scanned our tickets again and began climbing the 414 steps to the rooftop terrace.
Here’s Kristen climbing the Bell Tower steps 
And here’s Mark climbing up the final few steps to the top
As we slowly climbed the steep, winding and narrow spiral staircases, we passed by a series of small windows and impressive Gothic stone masonry.
The views kept getting better and better the higher we climbed, and close to the top we arrived at the bell chamber area before a few more deep breaths got us to the summit.
This is one of the old disused bells near the top 
Here’s Kristen walking around the top of the Bell Tower
At 84.7 meters tall, the tower is one of the standout structures from outside on the streets, but it’s even better from the top because it has close up views of the cathedral’s stunning Dome along with a 360-degree panorama of the city.
This was our view of the Dome from the Bell Tower
That said, some guides say the view is better from the top of Giotto’s Bell Tower because you can see the Dome, and while we understand the concept, we still thought the Dome had a better summit.
Why? Because the mesh fence totally surrounding the top of the Bell Tower made it harder to take photos. For us, there’s nothing worse than an observation deck with perspex glass or mesh fencing when you want to take photos!
There’s no lift to the Bell Tower so you must be happy with climbing the steps. We’d say it took us roughly 30-40 minutes to get up and down in total with photos at the top.
Opera del Duomo Museum
We were massively museum-ed out after three weeks in Italy, and we’ll admit we were more excited about the Dome and the Bell Tower because they had elevated city views.
So we didn’t really give the Duomo Museum much of a thought, but it completely surprised us and we were so glad we didn’t skip it.
The museum was so quiet which made a welcome change
The museum didn’t look like much from the outside but it actually housed a huge collection of original art works by the Renaissance masters we’d learned so much about in Florence.
And it was almost deserted, which was such a nice respite from the crowds that were beginning to gather outside. We’d go as far as saying the Duomo Museum is a bit of a hidden gem for Florence.
Here’s Mark looking at the original Baptistry doors in the museum 
And here’s Mark being dwarfed by a massive sculpture in the museum
We saw original relics, sculptures and doors from the likes of Donatello and Michelangelo, the original bronze panels of the Baptistry Gates, Brunelleschi’s Cupola and Michelangelo’s Tribune among many others.
If you’re genuinely interested in the history and skill of these artists, you’ll love the original works in this museum.
In the end we spent more time here than any of the other sites, which we certainly didn’t expect! It took us just over an hour to get around the museum.
Baptistry
All the climbing, learning and ever increasing heat of the day helped us work up an appetite. So we took a break for lunch at Mister Pizza which was conveniently located on the north side of the Duomo, and the pizzas were excellent.
Next, we went into the Baptistry of San Giovanni which is one of the oldest churches in Florence and is located near the entrance to the Duomo.
As soon as we walked inside we were blown away by a spectacular golden mosaic ceiling, which we have to say was seriously impressive.
This is the intricate golden mosaic ceiling in St John’s Baptistry
The rest of the interior was also incredibly attractive, including floor mosaics and three sets of bronze doors. But there was a lot of construction when we visited, so we couldn’t enjoy it in all its glory.
We only spent around 15 minutes inside the small octagonal-shaped building.
Brunelleschi’s Dome
We had a bit of a gap between the Baptistry and our 6:00pm time slot to climb Brunelleschi’s Dome, so we cracked on with other things on our Florence itinerary before returning later in the day.
Here’s Kristen walking along one of the narrow interior balconies of the cathedral
After doing a bit of pre-trip research, we learned the Dome was considered the ultimate Duomo experience, and it was only included on the Brunelleschi Pass which is why those tickets were sold out for the first few days we were in town.
This was our view looking down on Piazza del Duomo from the Dome
So we were excited to see what all the fuss was about – and honestly it more than lived up to its hype.
We loved the 360-degree views from the top and better still the summit was completely open (as opposed to the mesh fencing at the top of the Bell Tower), which meant taking photos of Tuscany and red tiled Florentine buildings was much easier.
We used these binoculars for a close up view of the Basilica di Santa Croce
The 463 steps we climbed to reach the Dome were tough on the legs, but it was broken up by internal balcony walks providing close up views of the Last Judgement fresco we’d seen from below earlier that morning, as well as more awesome views into the cathedral.
Here’s Mark enjoying unobstructed views over Tuscany from the Dome
Overall we found it easier to climb the Dome than the Bell Tower because there were flat parts on the balconies and the architecture was more impressive, which took our minds off the thigh-burn.
It took us less than one hour to get up and down, and that was our Duomo experience complete.
Florence Duomo Tickets
Now you know about our experience, let’s take a step back and look at all the ticket options available for your visit to Florence Duomo (if you see the terms Florence Cathedral or Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore – they are just different names for the Duomo):
The Cathedral Only: Florence Cathedral is free to enter any time Monday-Saturday from 10:15am-3:45pm (closed on Sundays). So you don’t need to buy any tickets if you only want to see inside the Duomo. Lines can be enormous to get inside, so go early to avoid wasting time.
Ghiberti Pass: Visit the Baptistry, Opera del Duomo Museum and Santa Reparata (none of these monuments have climbs). The ticket only works if you book a time slot to visit Santa Reparata, but you can visit the other two monuments any time for 3 days starting from the date you book Santa Reparata. The Ghbierti Pass costs €15 for adults, €5 for ages 7-14 and it’s free for ages 0-6.
Giotto Pass: Visit Giotto’s Bell Tower, Baptistry, Opera del Duomo Museum and Santa Reparata. The ticket only works if you book a time slot to climb Giotto’s Bell Tower, but you can visit the other three monuments any time for 3 days starting from the date you book the Bell Tower. The Giotto Pass costs €20 for adults, €7 for ages 7-14 and it’s free for ages 0-6.
Brunelleschi Pass: Visit the Dome, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Baptistry, Opera del Duomo Museum and Santa Reparata. The ticket only works if you book a time slot to visit the Dome, but you can visit the other four monuments any time for 3 days starting from the date you book the Dome. The Brunelleschi Pass costs €30 for adults, €12 for ages 7-14 and it’s free for ages 0-6.
Insider Tip: The Ghiberti Pass and Giotto Pass are almost always available, but the Brunelleschi Pass sells out a long way in advance, especially in peak season. At the time of writing this guide, we checked the official online booking page and tickets are sold out for one full month. We strongly recommend buying your Brunelleschi Pass tickets at least a month in advance if you want to climb the dome.
Here’s Kristen walking down narrow stone steps as we left the Dome
Cathedral Tours
Italy is one of the countries we personally book and recommend booking the most tours to our readers. Why? Two reasons:
First, it’s the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Florence Duomo – these are pretty special and iconic places that are worth spending a bit more on to get a professional guide who can actually explain what you’re looking at. And second, tours get you a guaranteed ticket when they might be sold out, and skip the line is usually included.
We enjoyed doing the Duomo by ourselves, but we were definitely missing some expert explanations. Next time we go to Florence, we will 100% book a guided tour with Walks of Italy (the tours we’ve done with them in Italy have always been fantastic).
Here are the best tour options available:
Official Tour: You can book this guided tour through the same official website as you would buy regular tickets. It’s only a 30 minute tour that goes up the Dome (so you must be happy with the climb), and it costs €50 for adults, €30 for ages 7-14 and it’s free for ages 0-6.
Viator: This highly rated guided tour includes stops inside the Opera del Duomo Museum, Cathedral interior and Dome climb. Starting times of 9:00am or 2:15pm available.
Walks of Italy: This top rated VIP guided tour gets you into the Duomo after it closes to the public. It’s a bit more expensive but includes guided Dome climb, private access to two terraces and meets the Key Master who locks up at the end. The tour is from 5:45pm-7:45pm.
Walks of Italy: Want to combine Florence’s two giants, the Duomo and David? This special VIP guided tour gets you the first entrance of the day in the Accademia Gallery to see David without the crowds, followed by full access to all areas of the Duomo with guided Dome climb. Or, start later in the day instead when the crowds thin at both attractions. Tour times are either 8:30am-12:00pm or 3:30pm-7:00pm. This is our top recommendation if it’s your first time in Florence and you want to see both the Duomo and David.
Our favorite vantage point of the cathedral was from the top of Palazzo Vecchio
Mistakes To Avoid
Not booking tickets in advance: Don’t make the same mistake we did! Book your Brunelleschi Pass tickets as far in advance as you can, especially if you visit in summer when Florence is jam-packed with tourists. The two other passes likely won’t sell out. Another benefit to booking in advance is that you won’t have to stand in a long line at the ticket office like we did.
Visiting at peak times: If you just want to go inside the Cathedral, go 10-15 minutes before it opens and get in line otherwise you could end up waiting for one hour just to get in (especially in summer).
Visiting when it’s closed: This one sounds obvious but there’ll be plenty of people each day who turn up at the monuments when they’re closed. It’s important to know each monument has different opening hours. We strongly recommend checking the opening hours tab on the Duomo’s FAQ’s page.
Not dressing appropriately: You must wear appropriate clothing to enter the Cathedral and Baptistry. No flip flops, bare shoulders or legs uncovered above the knee. According the Duomo’s dress code tab on the FAQ’s page, this rule does not apply to any other monument in the complex. It was hot the day we visited and we didn’t want to wear long pants or tops, so we carried a shawl each to wrap around us in the two churches.
Buying the wrong pass: Do not buy a Giotto Pass or Brunelleschi Pass if you’re not able to climb lots of steep steps, you’re scared of heights or you suffer from claustrophobia. Only the Ghiberti Pass includes sites with no climbing. We didn’t think the climbs were too tough, so you’ll be fine if you’re in reasonable shape.
Not allowing enough time: It took us close to 4 hours to see the cathedral and 5 additional sites. But that isn’t factoring in walking time between each monument, waiting in lines or lunch. In total, seeing the Duomo complex used up a good half day of our overall itinerary, so make sure you’re willing to spend that amount of time on these monuments.
Rushing through monuments: The flip side of that mistake is to remember that you have 3 full days to see these sites. Don’t feel like you have to rush them or squeeze them all into one day like we did.
Skipping the museum: We’d be willing to bet a lot of people skip the museum (we’ll admit we considered it ourselves because we were so burned out) but that’s a mistake. There’s a lot of original masterpieces inside.
Carrying a big backpack: We were allowed to carry our medium sized backpack to the Dome, Bell Tower and Santa Reparata, but we couldn’t take it into the Cathedral, Baptistry or museum. We had to check it for free in the luggage storage area near the entrance to the museum (here’s the map location).
Not going up Palazzo Vecchio: Taking home a great photo of the Duomo from close up is hard. And it’s not just the heavy crowds – the buildings are tall, close together and oddly shaped, so even with our 16mm wide angle lens we still struggled to find a good angle. Then we went up the Torre di Arnolfo in Palazzo Vecchio and wow, what a photo spot.
We went out before sunrise to capture this photo of the complex with no people around
Is Florence Duomo Worth Visiting?
Okay, let’s finish with the most important question of all, is it even worth going to Florence Cathedral?
We know “it depends” is a frustrating answer, but based on our experiences we think it’s the only one we can give you. Some people will love every monument because they’re filled with important history and Renaissance art works, but other people might not be as blown away.
Personally, we genuinely enjoyed visiting every monument in the Duomo complex and we thought it was well worth €30 – we’ve paid a lot more money for considerably lesser experiences – but we wouldn’t say it’s a truly unmissable thing you absolutely must do in Italy like the Colosseum or Vatican Museum.
So our answer is yes Florence Duomo is definitely worth visiting if you have an appreciation for art or history, and you have plenty of time on your itinerary. Otherwise, just go inside the cathedral for free and skip the rest because there’s plenty more to see and do in town!
Next Steps
We hope our guide on how to visit Florence Duomo helps with planning your trip, but please let us know if you have any questions in the comments box a little further below.
Still figuring out your plans?
Finally, if you’ll be visiting more places on the same trip, we recommend reading our Italy travel planning guide for helpful tips and advice.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.
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