The Duomo terraces

What are the Duomo terraces?

A walkway around the outside of the cathedral at about 32 metres, at the foot of the dome. Visits run only with Opera staff or guides.

Think of them as the cathedral's roof balconies. From the terraces you walk along the top of the nave walls, with the marble of the cathedral under your feet and the drum of the dome above you. They are not the same as the top of the dome: that is the terrace round the lantern, much higher up.

The flagship listing calls them corridors "off-limits to the public for centuries", and for most visitors that is still true. The Opera's 2026 price list sells no terraces ticket at all.

How many steps to the terraces, and to the dome after?

About 150 to the terraces. The climb continues from there to the dome, so the total stays at 463.

The Opera gives about 150 steps to the terraces. The flagship tour's listing is more exact: "Terraces: 153 and Terraces + Brunelleschi's Dome: 153 + 310." Add them up and you get the 463 steps of the ordinary dome climb. The terraces are a stop on the way up, not a second climb.

That is good news for your legs. A terraces tour that includes the dome costs you no extra stairs, just extra time and a better view of the dome from the side. If you stop at the terraces and skip the dome, 153 steps is a third of the full climb: a real option for anyone who doubts the narrow stretch between the shells. More on that stretch in the climb, step by step.

Can you visit the terraces without a tour?

No. The Opera allows terraces visits only with its staff or guides, and its 2026 price list has no terraces ticket.

The Brunelleschi Pass, the official €50 dome tour and every ticket-only reseller skip them. The way in is a guided tour from an operator with terraces access. The Opera's terms add two rules of their own for the terraces: no shoes with heels, and no going barefoot.

Read listings carefully. Some cheap Duomo tours mention terraces in the title, but only certain departures or options include them. One budget listing we checked ran its 11:15 and 13:00 tours without the terraces or the dome. Look for the word "terraces" in the inclusions of the exact option you pick.

Which tours include the terraces?

On this site, two: the Dome & Terraces option of the flagship day tour, and the evening after-hours tour.

What each listing says about the terraces:

The flagship tour has several options at checkout, including a museum option and an early first-entry option. Only the one named Dome & Terraces includes them, and the private first-access option explicitly leaves them out.

Day tour or after hours: which terraces visit is better?

After hours, if the budget allows. You get the terraces and the dome with the day crowds gone, often at sunset in summer. The day tour costs less than half.

The day tour at $92 meets in Piazza della Repubblica, guides you through the cathedral, takes you onto the terraces, then up the dome. It runs 2 to 4 hours depending on the option, and the price is hard to beat for what it includes.

The evening tour at $224 starts by the column of San Zanobi next to the baptistery, takes up to 19 people, and goes in after closing time. You walk the terraces, climb the dome, and leave with the cathedral's Key Master as the lights go off inside. Guests write about that moment more than the view:

• "The after hours schedule also meant you accessed the terraces during sunset so the view and pictures were perfect."
• "The cherry on top was when the Keymaster locked the Duomo for the evening and allowed us to hold the keys."

Our pick: the evening tour for a special occasion or a first trip to Florence; the day tour for everyone else.

The terraces and the dome after closing time, with the cathedral's Key Master locking up behind you as the lights go off.

★ 4.9 · 2 hours · from $224

Explore the evening dome tour → Tour details

What do you see from the terraces?

The dome's drum and brickwork up close, the roofs of Florence at eye level, the bell tower across the way and the hills beyond.

From the top of the dome the city is spread out below you. From the terraces it is at your level: the roofs and towers around the square, the bell tower beside the façade, and the dome itself, close enough to see how it was made. The marble ribs, the windows of the drum and the brick courses are all right there.

Guests on the evening tour single out the construction. One wrote: "We also loved seeing some of the structures of the dome and roof line. Seeing the brick pattern that made the Dome possible was awesome." Guides use the stop to tell how Brunelleschi raised the dome without a full wooden frame, starting in 1420.

Is the terraces tour worth the extra money?

Yes, if you care about how the dome was built. For the view alone, the dome's top already gives you more.

The day tour's terraces option costs about the same as the cheaper guided dome tours, so the terraces come almost free with it. That is the easy yes. The evening tour is a bigger step up, and what you pay for is the empty cathedral and the after-hours feel as much as the terraces.

Where the terraces disappoint: people expecting a higher view than the dome. They are lower. Their value is the angle, the side of the dome close up, not the height.

What rules apply on the terraces?

No heels, no going barefoot, no bulky bags, and on both terraces tours no children under 7. The evening tour allows no bags at all and asks everyone for ID.

• Shoes: the Opera bans heels on the terraces. Wear flat shoes with grip.
• Bags: the day tour bars bulky backpacks and bags from the terraces and the dome. The evening tour allows no bags of any size; free lockers are near the entrance and the guide takes you there.
• Age: both terraces tours exclude children under 7. Under-18s climb with an adult.
• ID: the evening tour asks every guest, children included, to bring ID.
• Weather: the day tour runs in all weather. A wet roof is slow going, so keep that in mind on a rainy day.
• Dress code: both tours go into the cathedral, so cover shoulders and knees.

Frequently asked questions