Day 4 - duomo and clock tower

Duomo Dome Climb

The line was long even with a reservation. It moved pretty quick though.

The stairs started off as pretty typical clock-tower type climb.

Nice sculptures at the first stop.

The paths were narrow but easy to navigate.

Once you climb to the top of the straight walls and the base of the dome, you walk along the base of the ceiling to the other end of the building where the climb continues.

This is a great spot to get a nice view of the ceiling art.

Maren really liked the stained glass view from up here.

The climb gets more interesting as you navigate the path around the dome.

The climb is understandably non-linear as you climb around the round shape of the dome.

This is not your typical clock tower climb.

We made it!

The view from up here is spectacular!

You can see the clock tower right next to the dome.

Enjoying the view before heading back down.

These paths were not designed for 2-way traffic.

The building looks so colorful from afar it almost looks fake.

The Duomo at night.

The Duomo is the most iconic building in Florence. We climbed the dome on one day and went back another day for the clock tower. The dome climb, along with the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery, are the three things you must reserve for when visiting Florence (plus Pisa Tower if you make that day trip). The entry to the main portion of the church is free and cannot be reserved, you just have to wait in line. We never found a time with less than an hour wait, so we were glad to have taken a peak at the church interior during the entrance and exit of the dome climb, and avoided the long wait to the church.

Voyagers Tips: Reserve and purchase your tickets online well in advance at https://www.museumflorence.com/monuments/2-dome.

Duomo Clock Tower

Conquering the clock tower on the right.

Looking at the Duomo from the first level.

This big bell must ring loud!

You can see the top of the dome clearly from up the top of the clock tower. The dome seems a little bit higher though.

We were there!

463 steps, not too bad at all.

A tight walk down, but not as bad as climbing the dome.

We weren’t dead set on climbing the clock tower, since the view up top is similar to the top of the dome. But the entrance is included in the dome climb ticket and there were no lines, so we gave it a go. It was a good morning exercise with a rewarding view on top, glad we did it!