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Florence Cathedral Tour: Brunelleschi's Dome & David
4.6
642 Ratings
Firenze
Experience an exclusive tour of the Accademia and Duomo in Florence with pre-reserved tickets and exclusive access to Brunelleschi’s dome. Explore the famous cathedral, admire Michelangelo’s David, and learn from a local expert in small groups for a personalized experience.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Piazza San Marco - Meet your expert guide and join your group in front of the monument of Manfredo Fanti at Piazza San Marco.
- Galleria dell’Accademia - Begin your journey at the Accademia Gallery, where your expert guide will lead you through the famous museum and showcase Michelangelo’s iconic David sculpture.
Learn the story of the famous David statue and its creator Michelangelo. Once inside, also see Michelangelo’s unfinished and powerful work, “Prisoners,” along with works of other famous artists.
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Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore - Enter the Cathedral from a separate entrance for small groups.
In the company of your expert guide, learn about the Cathedral and its construction through the centuries and how it came to be the center of Florence’s religious life. Benefit from your guide’s knowledge and understand Duomo’s relationship with the rest of the magnificent buildings in the square. - The Baptistery of St. John - See the Baptistry famous with its famous golden doors, all located right in front of the cathedral Santa Maria Del Fiore. These are the Gates of Paradise but what you’ll see here are the copies of the originals. You can see them in the Museum using your Brunelleschi Pass.
- Brunelleschi’s dome - Enjoy priority access to enter the dome at a preserved time and soak up the spectacular views of the city at its top. This is the perfect way to appreciate Florence at your own pace.
We organize pre-reserved tickets for you to climb Brunelleschi’s famous dome in the Cathedral of Florence.
A visit to the cupola (Italian for “dome”) is a must-do. The only way to see the dome’s extraordinary frescoes up close and enjoy the views over Florence is to climb up all of its 463 steps.
On the way, you can admire Giorgio Vasari’s frescoes of the Last Judgment up close.
- Giotto’s Bell Tower - Climb Giotto’s Bell Tower, one of the four principal monuments on the Piazza del Duomo, at your leisure using the Brunelleschi Pass,
Clad in white, pink and green marble like the cathedral adjacent to it, this majestic square bell tower is considered to be the most beautiful in Italy. In fact, it was probably designed more for decorative than for functional purposes.
- Piazza del Duomo - Continue your tour in Duomo Square and follow your expert guide to discover the most famous monument in the heart of Florence. Benefit from their local knowledge in this intimate small group tour.
What's Included
- Exclusive Brunelleschi’s Pass for the entire Duomo Complex and Cathedral entry
- Priority small-group entry to the Cathedral
- Small-group format ensures a personalized experience
- Knowledgeable local guides enhance the tour
- Pre-reserved tickets for a hassle-free dome climb
- Headsets provided for clear listening
- Guaranteed tickets to Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia
What's Not Included
- Transport to the meeting spot
Additional Information
Obtain exclusive access and book in advance for Brunelleschi’s cupola
Reserve ahead of time for tickets to the Accademia to gaze upon Michelangelo’s David
Experience a more customized focus with small tour groups
Gain knowledge from an experienced local guide
Explore the celebrated cathedral of Florence and take in its magnificence
Take advantage of the Brunelleschi Pass to tour the Baptistery, Museum, and Giotto’s bell tower.
- Individuals wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts above knees are not allowed inside the cathedral
- The Cathedral of Florence is an “operating” church and it can be closed to visitors for any liturgical reason, even without warning (for the funeral of a Bishop, for example)
- Consider adding buffer time before your next tour, because the Cupola climb may take longer than expected
- Visitors are advised that the Baptistery is undergoing restoration of the mosaics of the vault. We apologize for the inconvenience.
- Entry to the Cathedral is not guaranteed as the Cathedral is a working church and hours can change without notice due to liturgical or other reasons. Our guides make every effort to enter the Cathedral with guests.
- Please note that backpacks of any size or dimension, and any bag designed to be worn on the back, are not allowed.
- Florence can be very warm in the summer. Please be advised that this tour includes portions that are outside and could be in the full sun. Please bring a hat, small umbrella, or sunscreen if you are sensitive to the sun.
- Clients must arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the start of the tour. This is due to the timed entry of the tickets.
- Tickets are timed and expire within 5 to 10 minutes.
- Please be advised that it is not possible to join the tour after it has commenced.
- Tips/gratuities (for your guide) are always appreciated.
Location
Piazza di San Marco
We will meet in front of the monument of Manfredo Fanti at Piazza San Marco. Your guide will have a signboard that says “Walks In Europe.”
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(642 Ratings)
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Nicholas_j
Oct 4, 2024
Lovely Tour of Academia and Brunelleschi’s Dome - Marco was an amazing tour guide and provided a lot of history and background about the David statue sculpted by Michelangelo. It was a rainy day in Florence during our tours and he was very good at keeping us all together and giving us extra details while we waited to be let into the museum. For the dome climb he was gracious in helping those with backpacks locate a locker to secure their valuables. The top of the inside of the dome was intricate and one of the largest frescos painted. Marco did an amazing job pointing out all the highlights. The top of the dome views were incredible, despite the rain. I would highly recommend this tour instead of the church, which is very plain and simple compared to other duomos.
Review provided by Viator
Jacob_c
Oct 3, 2024
Must do - The guide was full of knowledge of the accademia, the renaissance and the duomo. The best tour I’ve had on my Italy trip so far!
Review provided by Viator
Katie_s
Oct 3, 2024
Awesome Experience! - Our tour guide was very friendly, knowledgeable and patient. We loved our experience! She explained the beautiful paintings when we reached that portion of the climb. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Laurence_k
Oct 1, 2024
Great tour and even better views! - This tour was great for a sampling of the major sites in Florence. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and well educated on all things Florence. The climb to the top of the Duomo was a workout but definitely worth it! The view and our experience on this tour was remarkable. Definitely recommend
Review provided by Viator
Elizabeth_g
Sep 29, 2024
Excellent Tour - Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our guide, Giulia was excellent. The only way to see these places is with a tour guide. Giulia was knowledgeable, friendly and made sure we all had a wonderful experience.
Review provided by Viator
Sherry_a
Sep 29, 2024
Worth the trip - Our tour guid Victoria was awesome and very knowledgeable of all the history! The Cathedral was breath taking!!!
Review provided by Viator
Angie_w
Oct 1, 2024
Disappointed - The tour guide was good. We didn’t get to do the duomo climb and cathedral tour because it closed all of a sudden. It seems like every time I use viator there is always some sort of mess. Don’t think I will be back. When the Duomo closed Viator should have offered money back instead of walking us around in circles until the time was up.
Review provided by Viator
Jose_a
Sep 30, 2024
Disappointed - Very disappointed. We only got to see 1/2 of what we paid for. The Duomo was closed and all we were told by the guide was to come back the following day on our own. They were aware it had been closed since before our tour started. I believe we should be refunded for the portion we did not see.
Review provided by Viator
Nicole_s
Oct 3, 2024
Too much standing and waiting. - I do not recommend this tour unless you enjoy endless standing. The highlight was seeing David but we did not need to stand in front of him for 45 minutes after already standing in line 30 minutes to get into the museum. I suggest a 10-15 minute preview of David and then a walk and talk around the rest of the museum. We then stood another 45 minutes outside the Duomo. We could have used some of this time walking around the Duomo before getting in line for the climb. Two of the three hours of this tour is standing. Not productive or fun.
Review provided by Viator
Robert_v
Oct 2, 2024
Complete Bust - This was the worst part of my Italy trip. I was running late and informed the tour guide that we were running late 15 minutes prior to our expected arrival. They said that they would allot an additional 10 minutes but we arrives 15 minutes late and missed the start. I asked the operator if we could catchup to the walking group but they declined to try to make this happen.With only a 5 minute head start we could have easily met them at the first or second stop. I dont think it is appropriate that we were charged fully for this 5 minute lateness and more importantly feel that the operator should have a more concerted effort to accomodate us. We spent over $3000 on tours on this trip through Viatour but will try to find an alternate provider in the future.
Review provided by Viator
