Florence / The verdict
Brunelleschi's dome or Giotto's bell tower?
For most visitors, climb Giotto's Bell Tower: it needs no advance time slot, costs less, and still puts Brunelleschi's Dome in your photos.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Florence story
Florence is the Renaissance kept walkable: the Duomo, the Uffizi, Michelangelo's David and the Ponte Vecchio all inside a centre you can cross in twenty minutes, with Tuscan wine country at the doorstep. The scale is the charm, heavyweight art and architecture without heavyweight distances, plus the food, wine bars and aperitivo culture to fill the evenings.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: Giotto's Bell Tower (runner-up: Brunelleschi's Dome)
For most visitors, climb Giotto's Bell Tower: it needs no advance time slot, costs less, and still puts Brunelleschi's Dome in your photos.
Go if
- You have limited time in Florence and want one Duomo complex climb, not both.
- You want the classic photo of Florence with the dome in the frame.
- You would rather book on the day than commit to a fixed slot weeks ahead.
Skip if
- You have a fear of tight, enclosed spaces; the official site advises against both climbs for claustrophobia, dizziness or a heart condition.
- You need step-free access; neither tower has a lift or a step-free route.
- Your schedule cannot absorb a fixed, non-changeable time slot, which the dome climb requires.
The options
Brunelleschi's Dome It depends
You want the fresco gallery and engineering story up close and can commit to a fixed time slot booked well ahead.
Good
- Only place to see Vasari's Last Judgment fresco at close range from the internal gallery.
- A 360 degree summit view with no mesh or fencing in the way of photos.
- The same pass also includes the bell tower within its 3 day validity.
Watch out
- Requires a fixed, non-changeable time slot that can sell out weeks ahead in high season.
- 463 narrow, curved steps with no lift and no step-free option.
- You cannot see the dome itself in your photos while standing on it.
See guided tour optionspartner site
Giotto's Bell Tower Go
You want the classic photo with the dome in it, flexible timing, or a same day booking.
Good
- Puts Brunelleschi's Dome in your photos, the view most travelers say they came for.
- No mandatory time slot for Brunelleschi Pass holders; Giotto Pass holders book only the tower slot.
- Several rest landings on the way up make the climb easier to break into stages.
Watch out
- A mesh safety barrier at the top blocks clean photos, a complaint travelers repeat often.
- Currently under restoration; the official site says top terrace views may be partially reduced.
- 414 steps with no lift; not recommended for claustrophobia, dizziness or a heart condition.
| Criterion | Brunelleschi's Dome | Giotto's Bell Tower |
|---|---|---|
| Official price | 30 EUR (Brunelleschi Pass, bell tower included) | 20 EUR (Giotto Pass, dome not included) |
| Steps, no lift | 463 steps | 414 steps |
| Time slot required | Yes, fixed and non-changeable | Only for Giotto Pass holders; Brunelleschi Pass holders can go anytime in the 3 day window |
| View of the other landmark | No, you are standing on it | Yes, the classic shot with the dome in frame |
| Current condition | Open, no barrier reported at the summit | Under restoration; mesh barrier at the top affects photos |
| Official opening hours | Mon to Fri 8:15am to 6:45pm, Sat 8:15am to 4:30pm, Sun and holidays 12:45pm to 4:30pm (last slot) | Daily 8:15am to 6:45pm (last slot) |
| Health and mobility advisory | Not recommended for heart conditions, dizziness or claustrophobia; no step-free option | Same advisory; no step-free option |
What it costs
- Brunelleschi Pass (dome, bell tower, museum, baptistery, Santa Reparata): €30 (reduced 12 EUR ages 7 to 14, free under 7). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
- Giotto Pass (bell tower, museum, baptistery, Santa Reparata, no dome): €20 (reduced 7 EUR ages 7 to 14, free under 7). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 14 traveler reports (Oct 2024 to Sep 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 3 were negative.
What people like
- Travelers repeatedly say the view of the dome from the bell tower is the photo they came for.
- Multiple reports call the fresco gallery inside the dome climb the highlight of the whole complex.
- Several travelers found the bell tower's rest landings make it easier to break up than the dome.
- The dome's open, unfenced summit gets consistent praise for photos next to the bell tower's mesh.
What people complain about
- The mesh safety barrier at the top of the bell tower is a recurring complaint about ruined photos.
- Travelers describe the dome's narrow, curved passages as tight and slow when a group ahead of you stalls.
- The Brunelleschi Pass sells out weeks ahead in high season, catching some travelers by surprise.
- Some travelers call the bell tower more crowded and just as tight as the dome, despite its reputation as the easier climb.
How to do it right
- Decide by priority: pick the bell tower for the classic photo with the dome in it and same-day flexibility, or the dome for the fresco gallery and an unimpeded summit.
- Buy the Giotto Pass (20 EUR) for the bell tower alone, or the Brunelleschi Pass (30 EUR) if you also want the dome; both include the museum, baptistery and Santa Reparata too.
- Book online at the official ticket site; only the dome climb needs a fixed time slot (Giotto Pass holders also book a slot for the bell tower alone).
- Arrive within the 5 minute grace window of your slot; the booking cannot be changed once issued.
- Deposit oversized bags at the free luggage storage on Piazza Duomo before climbing either tower.
- Bring photo ID for the dome climb; the ticket is printed with the visitor's name and checked at the entrance.
The trap to avoid
Booking the bell tower for a clean photo of the dome: a mesh safety barrier now covers its top terrace, and 3 of the 14 logged reports say it gets in the way of photos.
Why this verdict
The evidence splits by what travelers are optimizing for: the classic photo or the close-up engineering. Reports that favor the bell tower almost all give the same reason: it is the only viewpoint in the complex that puts Brunelleschi’s dome itself into the frame. Reports that favor the dome cite the fresco gallery and an unobstructed summit, since the bell tower’s top terrace now sits behind a mesh safety barrier that several travelers in the log say gets in the way of clean photos.
For most visitors doing one climb, the bell tower wins on flexibility as much as on the view. The official site requires a fixed, non-changeable time slot only for the dome climb; a Giotto Pass books a slot for the bell tower alone, and a Brunelleschi Pass holder can climb the bell tower at any point in the ticket’s 3 day window with no booking at all. That matters because dome slots sell out weeks ahead in high season, a detail more than one traveler in the log discovered too late. The bell tower’s straighter staircase, broken up by several rest landings, also comes up repeatedly as the easier one to pause on, against the dome’s narrower, curved passages, where a stalled group ahead of you means standing still in a tight space.
None of this makes the dome a poor choice. Travelers who prioritize the interior gallery and the Last Judgment fresco at close range consistently call it the highlight of the whole complex, and its open, unfenced summit is a genuine advantage now that the bell tower’s mesh is in place. If a fixed slot booked well ahead fits your schedule, the dome is a legitimate pick on its own terms, not a runner-up by default.
Neither climb suits everyone. The official site advises against both for claustrophobia, dizziness or a heart condition, and neither has a lift or a step-free route. Travelers for whom that applies still get the same history at ground level: the free cathedral interior and the Opera del Duomo Museum cover it without the stairs.
Timing and tickets
Buy directly from the official site; there is no ticket for just the dome or just the tower, only the combined passes. Book the earliest dome slot you can, since availability drops through the day and through the season. The bell tower is currently under restoration, and the official site notes that top terrace views may be partially reduced while the work continues, though the terrace itself stays open. Check the official site before you travel: both towers close for separate maintenance weeks in November 2026.
Book or check times
Official Duomo complex tickets
We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict. How this works
See guided tour optionspartner site
Questions
Do you need to book a time slot for both climbs?
Only the dome always needs one. The official site requires a fixed, non-changeable time slot for the dome climb. Giotto Pass holders also book a slot for the bell tower, but Brunelleschi Pass holders can climb the bell tower anytime within the ticket's 3 day validity, no slot needed.
Which climb gives a better view of the dome itself?
The bell tower. Standing on the dome you cannot see it; several travelers in the evidence log say the bell tower is the only spot that puts the dome in the photo, though a mesh barrier at the top now affects those shots.
Which climb is physically harder?
The official site lists 463 steps for the dome and 414 for the bell tower, neither with a lift. Multiple travelers describe the dome's narrow, curved passages as more awkward than the bell tower's straighter staircase with rest landings.
Can you climb both on one ticket?
Yes, with the Brunelleschi Pass. It covers the dome, the bell tower, the museum, the baptistery and Santa Reparata, one entry each, valid 3 calendar days from the date booked for the dome climb.
Are the climbs suitable for children or people with health conditions?
The official site advises against both climbs for anyone with a heart condition, dizziness or claustrophobia, and neither has a lift or a step-free route. Free companion admission can be requested by email for visitors who need it.
Is the bell tower affected by construction right now?
Yes. The official site says the bell tower is undergoing major restoration; the top terrace stays open, but it notes views may be partially reduced while the work continues.