Skip-the-line Florence Duomo Tour - Context Travel

Tour Details

About the Tour

Category: Newly Added
Duration: 3.5 hours
Location: Florence

Photos & Highlights

Sweeping city views from the private Duomo Terrace vantage point
Learn all about Florence's famed Cathedral with an Art Historian
Baptistry of St. John, Florence Duomo, Museo dell'Opera Del Duomo, and Florence Duomo Terrace

Tour Description

Please note, this tour is available on a limited basis. Please ask if you don't see your preferred date on the calendar.

Exclusive Access entry with Skip-the-line entry for a private tour of the Cathedral Terrace with a Context historian. Availability is limited and will sell out.

Exclusive entry to Florence’s famed cathedral, or Duomo, with a Context expert including a private visit to the Terrace level, 150 steps above ground level. Zip past the long entry lines and after an in-depth tour of the church, enjoy a private visit to the terrace. Alone with your guide, you will enjoy sweeping views of the city below and Brunelleschi’s dome above you. See the tools used to build this magnificent structure more than 500 hundred years ago in the height of the Renaissance in Florence. In addition to the private terrace visit, this 3.5-hour tour takes in all the areas of the Duomo complex: the church the Baptistry of St. John, and the Duomo Museum where the original Baptistry doors are on display.

Sites Visited

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
Cathedral Terrace
Piazza Duomo
Baptistry of St. John
Duomo Museum

Included

3.5 hours with a PhD or MA-level guide
Skip-the-line tickets into the Cathedral
Private visit to the Terrace level

Itinerary Details

There is no monument that better symbolizes the achievements of the Renaissance in Florence than the majestic Duomo or Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The brick dome, the first of its size and scale, designed and built by Brunelleschi in 1436, rises above the city expressing the artistic, architectural and engineering prowess of the great thinkers of the era.

On this Exclusive access tour, we will start in the main square, Piazza Duomo, for an introduction to the church and its significance historically and culturally for Florentines. From here we will enter the Baptistry of St John, admiring Ghiberti’s famed doors (these are just the copies - we will get some time with the originals later in the Duomo Museum) depicting scenes from the Old Testament in cast bronze.

Next, we head across the square to see the Museo dell Opera del Duomo, in existence for 150 years, but newly renovated into a state of the art exhibition space in 2015. Here the original sculptures and artworks are displayed with detailed explanations about the construction of the edifice itself. A masterpiece of contemporary architecture itself, the Museum creates a fitting backdrop for the hundreds of masterpieces related to the Church complex.

And finally, the moment we have been waiting for: our skip-the-line entry to the Duomo and a private visit to the Terraces. We will enter the Cathedral with no lines and no hassles and head up to the Terrace level for a close up look at the facade and the Dome. The elaborate rose window, or Rosone, will be just within our reach as we cross the facade on a balcony walkway leading to the terrace where Brunelleschi's dome comes into full view. Our guide can further describe the engineering work involved and share more insight into Brunelleschi’s genius. After admiring the sweeping views of the city below and Tuscan hills beyond, we will take a look at the original tools used to construct the church (started in 1296 and completed in 1887 with the addition of the tri-color marble facade) and see first hand how the structure is put together.

Descending into the main cathedral, we will be awed by the volume of space created by the dome and the peaceful stillness in one of the largest cathedrals of Europe. Our guide will show us the treasures created for this church as we explore at our own pace before our morning tour draws to a close.

FAQ

Can I book and confirm this tour myself online?

No, once we have your requested date, we need 48 hours to confirm availability with the venue. This tour has very limited availability given the special access nature of the tour.

Are we alone in the Duomo and Baptistry on this tour?

No, we will have direct access to the church with no lines and then a private tour of the Terrace level, but other visitors will be in the church, baptistry, and museum during our tour of those areas.

Can we climb the Cupola?

On this tour, we climb to the Terrace level and enjoy the view from there! The Cupola climb is not available on this tour.

Is this tour appropriate for visitors with disabilities?

We are sorry to say that there is no elevator access to the Terrace level. The only way to reach the terrace is by climbing the 150 stairs.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Monica

Monica completed her Ph.D in 2009 in history of art and architecture from the University of Virginia, specializing in the Italian Renaissance period. As a writer, she is interested in the literary culture of Florence as well as the city's art and architecture. Before coming to Florence, Monica lived in Rome, Venice, New York City, and Charlottesville, Virginia.

Patricia

Patricia holds an Master's in Italian Renaissance history from Cornell University, and another in Italian Renaissance art history from Syracuse University. Both of her theses were on Florentine topics. She also writes about Florence, Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna for a popular guide book, has led wine tours in Chianti, and has cooked in several Florentine trattorie. She lives in the Tuscan countryside with her husband and six dogs.

Siro

Born and raised under the shade of Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome in Florence, Siro belongs to an important Tuscan family of art nouveau artists. After a diploma in ceramic decoration obtained in 2000, he has worked in a traditional Florentine workshop. He received his BA at the University of Florence and in 2008 published his research about the Richard-Ginori porcelain production that was commissioned by the vice-king of Egypt for the celebrations of the opening of the Suez Canal. In order to share his passion and love for art, culture, and the Florentine lifestyle, Siro is professionally trained as a tour guide for his hometown.

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