What is free and what needs a pass
The cathedral itself is free. According to the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore's plan-your-visit page, visitors without a ticket enter through the façade, Monday to Saturday from 10:15 to 15:45. It is closed every Sunday and during religious celebrations. Pass holders enter by the Porta del Campanile.
Everything else in the Piazza del Duomo complex is sold as one of three passes. The official price list gives:
| Pass | Adult | Ages 7–14 | Climb included | Timed slot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunelleschi | €30 | €12 | Dome and bell tower | Dome |
| Giotto | €20 | €7 | Bell tower | Bell tower |
| Ghiberti | €15 | €5 | None | Santa Reparata |
All three include the Baptistery, the Opera del Duomo Museum and the excavations of Santa Reparata under the cathedral. Children under 7 go free. A separate "Ghiberti Pass On-site" at the same prices covers only the museum and Baptistery and is sold at the ticket office, not online.
The Opera's visitor guide (published 9 May 2025) says Brunelleschi Pass holders can climb the bell tower at any time within the pass's validity, without a slot. Giotto Pass holders must climb the bell tower in the slot they chose.
Which pass suits you
- You want to stand on top of the dome: only the Brunelleschi Pass gets you there. It also includes the bell tower, so fit pass holders can do both climbs over the validity period.
- You want a view but the dome slots are gone, or it is a Sunday morning: take the Giotto Pass. The bell tower is open daily from 08:15 and costs €10 less.
- You don't want to climb: the Ghiberti Pass covers the museum, Baptistery and Santa Reparata.
- You only want to see the inside of the cathedral: you need no ticket. Go Monday to Saturday before 15:45.
For a family of two adults and one 10-year-old, the Brunelleschi Pass costs 2 × €30 + €12 = €72. The Giotto Pass costs 2 × €20 + €7 = €47, a saving of €25 if the family can do without the dome.
The Baptistery's vault mosaics are under restoration and not visible, says the price list, so don't buy a pass just for them.
Booking the dome climb
The plan-your-visit page and the Opera's sales conditions set strict rules:
- Named ticket: the Brunelleschi Pass is strictly nominative and cannot be transferred. Since 2025 you must show an identity document with the ticket to climb.
- Fixed slot: the dome booking is mandatory and included in the price. The slot cannot be changed or cancelled.
- Be on time: enter at the start of your slot. The visitor guide asks you to arrive 10 minutes early and says a delay of more than 5 minutes is not allowed.
- No refunds: no ticket can be changed, cancelled or refunded. This also applies if a booking is cancelled for a liturgical celebration, bad weather or security reasons.
- Group size: the online shop sells up to 10 tickets per order.
Passes are valid for 72 hours from midnight of the visit day you select, with one entry per monument, says the sales conditions; the ticket help page describes the same as three calendar days. Timed monuments must be visited at the booked time; the others can be visited any time within the validity. Book through tickets.duomo.firenze.it, the shop the Opera links from its own pages. The tickets arrive as a PDF by email.
Opening hours of each monument
The plan-your-visit page gives these hours (checked 30 October 2026):
| Monument | Hours |
|---|---|
| Cathedral | Mon–Sat 10:15–15:45; closed Sundays and religious celebrations |
| Dome | Mon–Fri 08:15–18:45; Sat 08:15–16:30; Sun 12:45–16:30 |
| Bell tower | Daily 08:15–18:45 |
| Baptistery | Daily 08:30–19:30; closes 13:30 on the first Sunday of the month |
| Museum | Daily 08:30–19:00; closed the first Tuesday of the month |
| Santa Reparata | Mon–Sat 10:15–16:00; Sun 13:30–16:00 |
The visitor guide warns that hours change with the season and religious events, and the sales conditions let the Opera change hours and access for weather or security without refunds. Check the site the evening before a booked climb.
Steps, health and age limits
There is no lift on either climb. The dome has 463 steps and the bell tower 414. The Opera strongly discourages both climbs for people with heart problems, vertigo or claustrophobia, and for pregnant women. Under-18s may climb only with an adult, and the sales conditions require children under 12 to be held by the hand on the terraces.
Dress code and bags
The plan-your-visit page requires shoulders and knees to be covered, for men and women, and warns that sandals may not be allowed. The visitor guide adds that hats are not allowed in the cathedral and Baptistery.
Medium and large bags, backpacks and suitcases must go to the luggage storage at Piazza Duomo 38/r before you enter any monument. Food, drink, drones and portable easels are banned under the sales conditions.
For the next bookings, our Accademia tickets guide and Uffizi tickets guide cover the two big galleries, and the Medici Chapels guide covers the Medici Chapels and Michelangelo's Secret Room. If you arrive by bus or tram, see our Florence bus and tram tickets guide.
