Duomo and the dome climb

Brunelleschi Dome Climb: Two Tickets Compared

The Brunelleschi dome climb takes you up 463 steps through narrow stairways inside the dome of Florence Cathedral, past the Last Judgment fresco, to a terrace over the city. Two tickets are worth booking, at $91 and $106 per person, and both add the rest of the Duomo complex. Here is what each covers and which one to pick.

8 min read Prices, ratings and durations read off the live GetYourGuide listings, October 2026

The side of Florence Cathedral in white, green and pink marble, the red-brick dome rising behind it

Quick answer

The short answer. Book the dome ticket with Duomo entry at $91 per person: rated 4.5 from 6,269 reviews, with a host at the meeting point and an audio guide in five languages. Would you rather meet nobody and get the tickets on your phone the night before? The Duomo pass at $106 per person is rated 4.6 from 2,668 reviews. On both, the Brunelleschi dome climb happens at the time on your ticket.

Brunelleschi dome climb at a glance

Steps: 463no elevator, on both listings
Lower price: $91per person, dome ticket with Duomo entry
Most reviews: 6,269the lower-priced ticket, rated 4.5
Higher rating: 4.6the Duomo pass, 2,668 reviews
Dome entry: Timedat the slot on your ticket
Other sights: 3 dayscathedral, Baptistery, crypt, museum, bell tower
Audio guide: Five languagesEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian
Cancellation: Free cancellationon both tickets

The climb

What the climb itself is like

Two listings, one route: 463 steps, a fresco up close, then the terrace.

Both tickets sell the same climb. You enter the dome at the time shown on your ticket and go up 463 steps through narrow stairways; there is no elevator. You are walking inside one of the great engineering works of the Renaissance, which Filippo Brunelleschi built in roughly 15 years.

Partway up you pass close to the Last Judgment, the fresco by Vasari and Zuccari that covers the inside of the dome. From the cathedral floor it is a distant ceiling; on the Brunelleschi dome climb you see the figures and their colours at close range. At the top, a terrace gives panoramic views over Florence and its best-known monuments.

The entry is timed, and one listing says the slot must be respected strictly. Plan the rest of your day around it, not the other way round.

Two tickets, side by side

Two Brunelleschi dome climb tickets, side by side

Both prices are per person, read off the live listings. Each ticket also opens the rest of the Duomo complex.

Ticket	Price	What the price covers	Valid for	Length
Dome climb + Duomo entry	$91 per person	Timed dome climb, cathedral, Baptistery, museum, crypt and bell tower; audio guide in five languages	Dome at your slot; the rest within three days of the date you reserve	1 hour, as listed
Dome climb + Duomo pass	$106 per person	Timed dome climb, Baptistery, cathedral, crypt, museum and Giotto’s Bell Tower; mobile audio guide	Three days, starting at midnight on your climb date	3 hours to 3 days

What you see

The Duomo and the dome, from inside to the top

Four views of the visit, from the painted dome to the city below.

The Last Judgment fresco inside the dome, around the octagonal opening of the lantern — The Last Judgment fresco
The painted inside of the dome around the octagonal lantern. The climb passes close to these figures.

The red-brick dome with white ribs seen from above, visitors on the terrace at the top — The dome from the bell tower
Red brick, white ribs and people on the terrace at the top, with Florence and the hills beyond.

The striped marble bell tower seen from high above, red roofs and green hills behind — Bell tower and rooftops
The striped marble bell tower from high above, with red roofs and green hills behind it.

The marble front of Florence Cathedral with round windows, the bell tower in scaffolding — The cathedral front
The marble front with its round windows, and the bell tower in scaffolding at the side.

The lower price

The dome ticket with a host and an audio guide

The dome ticket with Duomo entry costs $91 per person and is rated 4.5 from 6,269 reviews. Alongside the Brunelleschi dome climb, it covers the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery, the Opera del Duomo Museum, the Santa Reparata crypt and the bell tower, all within three days.

You meet a host on the left side of the cathedral, near the dome entrance; look for a white flag. There you exchange your voucher for physical tickets, which you need for the other sights. An audio guide comes with the ticket in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian, through an app you download to your phone before you arrive. A small-group option is listed too.

One detail to read twice: this listing counts the three days “from the date you reserve when booking”. The dome slot itself is fixed.

Before you go

Five things to know before the climb

Small print from the two listings, worth reading before your slot.

463 steps, no elevator
Both listings say it. The pass adds that the climb is not recommended for visitors with mobility issues, heart conditions or vertigo.
Cover shoulders and knees
Both listings ask for it. The pass says the dress code applies inside the cathedral.
Leave the big bag behind
The pass says large bags and backpacks are not allowed inside the Duomo complex.
Allow time for security
The $91 ticket lists a skip-the-ticket-line entry, but every visitor goes through a security check that can last 15 to 30 minutes.
Set up the app first
Both listings ask you to download the audio guide app before you arrive, to avoid connection problems at the door.

The higher rating

The Duomo pass: nobody to meet, three full days

At $106 per person, the dome ticket and Duomo pass is rated 4.6 from 2,668 reviews, and it is built for an independent visit. There is nobody to meet: your tickets and details reach your phone by message or email by 7 PM the evening before, and you go straight to the dome entrance on the left side of the cathedral. Last-minute bookings get their tickets promptly, the listing says.

After the Brunelleschi dome climb, the pass covers the Baptistery with its golden mosaics, the cathedral, the ancient crypt, the Opera del Duomo Museum and Giotto’s Bell Tower. The three days start at midnight on your climb date, so the dome can be day one and the bell tower day three.

The description includes a mobile audio guide on your phone, while the key details list it as optional, so check the option you book. Bring your own headphones.

Closures

When parts of the Duomo complex are closed

The dome is timed, but the other sights keep their own hours. These notes come from the listings.

Sundays and holidays
The cathedral and the crypt are closed on Sundays and Christian holidays, on both listings.
Without notice
The cathedral may close for liturgical reasons without notice.
First Tuesday
The Opera del Duomo Museum is closed on the first Tuesday of each month.
First Sunday
The Baptistery closes early on the first Sunday of the month: at 2 PM on one listing, 1:30 PM on the other.
Restoration
The pass notes that the mosaics of the Baptistery vault are being restored.

Our verdict

Which Brunelleschi dome climb ticket to book

Book the $91 ticket. It costs less, has more reviews (6,269 at 4.5) and covers the same climb and the same Duomo sights, with an audio guide in five languages and a host to hand you the tickets.

Pick the $106 pass if you would rather meet nobody, want the tickets on your phone the night before, and like a three-day window that starts on your climb date. It is rated 4.6 from 2,668 reviews.

Our pick for the climb: the dome ticket with Duomo entry, $91 per person.

Check availability→

After the climb

Pair it with a day trip

The dome fills a morning; the coast and the countryside need a whole day. Our top pick is the Cinque Terre and Pisa trip at $100 per person: a train along the Cinque Terre coast, time in Vernazza and Monterosso, then Pisa on the way back. Compare it with the rest in our list of trips out of the city.

Common questions

Brunelleschi dome climb questions, answered

How many steps is the Brunelleschi dome climb?

463 steps, through narrow stairways, and there is no elevator. One listing says the climb is not recommended for visitors with mobility issues, heart conditions or vertigo. Partway up you pass close to the Last Judgment fresco, and the terrace at the top looks out over Florence.

How much does it cost to climb Brunelleschi’s dome?

Per person, $91 for the dome ticket with Duomo entry and $106 for the dome ticket and Duomo pass. Both include the cathedral, Baptistery, crypt, museum and bell tower as well as the climb, with three days for the other sights.

Do you need to book the dome climb in advance?

Book ahead if you want a particular time: entry to the dome is timed, and one listing says the slot is respected strictly. Start times show when you check availability. With the pass, tickets reach your phone by 7 PM the evening before; last-minute bookings get them promptly.

What should I wear to climb the Duomo?

Shoulders and knees must be covered, both listings say. The pass adds that large bags and backpacks are not allowed inside the Duomo complex. Allow 15 to 30 minutes for the security check, and bring headphones if you plan to use the audio guide.

Is the Duomo open on Sundays?

The cathedral and the crypt are closed on Sundays and Christian holidays, both listings say, and the Baptistery closes early on the first Sunday of the month. Your other sights stay valid for three days, so you can plan the cathedral for a weekday.

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