Civita di Bagnoregio - how difficult is the climb on the pedestrian bridge?

It is definitely a fairly steep climb. Not only that, but there are steps down to the path that goes to the bridge.

I do think the views towards the hilltop are the best part, however, I'm glad I went to the town, too. It is very charming, and there are views of the surrounding landscape from different parts of the town. The town is also a cat sanctuary (and I love cats). It wasn't very crowded when we were there (in November). I may have enjoyed it less had it been packed with people. On the flip side, not much in town was open when we were there in November, and the church was undergoing renovation.

If you have mobility issues or are seriously pressed for time, then skip the climb into town. But if you like seeing a charming little town sort-of frozen in time, then do it. I'm glad I did. YMMV.

“Worth it” is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. My own opinion is that it would be a huge waste of precious travel time. CdB hardly even qualifies as a village. A while ago it was said to have just 8 permanent residents. Its only remarkable feature is that the mesa on which it sits is being eroded away and that it will eventually fall to its destruction.

It might get you huffing and puffing, but it's certainly doable for most people.
Civita is such a different place, and it's well worth seeing.

The other popular hilltown of Orvieto is just northeast, and it's a great place to stay. It's just a 70 minute train ride on a regional train into Rome Termini. The have a Hertz office across the street from the train station, and that's where many people turn in their rental cars.

Worth it in terms of time expended? Much depends on whether you'll be depending on public transportation (awkward) or will have your own vehicle and will be driving near Civita di Bagnoregio anyway.

Worth it in terms of physical effort? It's a pretty long bridge, and it is distinctly uphill. If you are questioning your ability to manage it, I'd say that's a clear "not worth it".

From the pictures I had seen before we got there, I thought the hike was going to be a lot worse than it was. We stopped there on a RS tour, and most of us did the walk up. I'm glad I did.

Nothing is worth it without imagination. There is no one thing in the village that you can't see elsewhere, but I found it fascinating that a functioning village once existed in such a place. There are still all the elements in place - a central piazza, a church, the comune, ordinary houses, garden areas, workshops, extraordinary views. It's like an empty movie set of an old Italian village where you can imagine life in another time and place.

I also went visited on an RS tour and thought it was not worth the time. The steepness didn’t bother me as much as the height did. I do have a fear of heights and this really was uncomfortable for me.

Someone upthread mentioned Orvieto which I loved. It’s vibrant, interesting and the cathedral facade is amazing.

I didn't find the hike across the bridge to be overly strenuous, as you can walk at whatever speed is comfortable. I thought Civita was a worthwhile place to see at least once, especially as some day it will be gone. I did a walkabout and had lunch at Trattoria Antico Forno, and it was a very enjoyable day.

Probably for Italians Civita di Bagnoreggio has a very different feeling. Has been the location of several movies (including "L'armata Brancaleone"), so we watch that place with different eyes. Is even one of the very few who kept the medieval shape, with no cars at all. After WWII was declared unsafe because the cliffs were collapsing, so nicknamed "the city who is dying" and all inhabitants were moved away, so there was no changes during the '70/'80. Now has been fixed the cliffs, so Civita survived and somebody come back.
In my memory I thing of the bridge as almost plain except the last hundred meters, so quite easy. Remember that the bridge is 300m long and after the main gate there are other few tens of meters to do then you are on a plain area.

I visited Civita di Bagnoregio many years ago.
It is a steep climb towards the end of the bridge.
I remember it was a very windy day and I was pretty scared. I found a local and managed to ask her if she would walk across with me. And of course she was kind and we had a nice walk across the bridge.
The visit is well worth it, you’ve gone that far you might as well go those last few steps.
Happy Travels!

Thank you everyone for such thoughtful replies! I loved the stories as well as the education. We were going to try and fit it in with a trip to Orvieto so I'm not sure what we will have time for and that may dictate whether or not we make it across the bridge. We can't wait to see it in person!

Orvieto is so much more interesting, more varied, more beautiful, and with great food. Also a place where people live. We stayed there for 4 nights in November after having spent one night there 22 years ago and found it just as wonderful. Civita di Bagnoregio is very small and feels like a stage set.