Estimated Time to Climb Up and Back Down Giotto's Tower in Florence

Ben,
It's 414 steps. If you climb without stopping for breaks, it can be done in about 10-15 minutes.

Allow yourself about the same amount going back down.

So you're already between 20 and 30 minutes just for the round-trip climb.

If it's a nice day, estimate some extra time to get lost in the view, as it is pretty magnificent.

Thanks Marco. That definitely sounds reasonable to me. I was originally estimating over an hour and hoping it wasn't true, so this is good news.

Well, it also depends on what you mean by "reasonably fit". 414 steps is nothing to sneeze at!!

I agree it will probably be 30-45 mins including time for photos. If you don't have much time (2 days?) there are a handful of more important things to spend your time seeing. Accademia, Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza de Republica, Mercato Centrale (this is my favorite), just to mention a few. Great dinner at Za-Za's but due to its publicity in the RS books, you need reservations.

I would say an hour for the trip up, looking at the view, and the trip down. This tower is not as tall as the Dome of the Duomo, but a nicer climb in that it is wide, open, non-spiral stairs, and offers the possibility to rest and get fresh air and look at the views at different levels. At the top the view is magnificent and well worth the trip. But I would recommend doing this climb AFTER you have seen other touristic sights of Florence such as the Piazza della Signoria, the Loggia, the Palazzo Vecchio and so on - an aerial view is much more fun when you can recognise the historic sights that you can see from a height!

I agree with the half hour to 45 minutes if you took your time. I went close to closing time in August two years ago and I didnt have to wait in a line at all. Could have been because it was drizzling out, but you may avoid all the tours going through if you can time it to go shortly before they close.

Somewhat off-topic, but if breathtaking Florentine vistas are your cup of tea, consider getting up to Piazza Michelangelo (am I remembering the name correctly?) A nice little hike up the hill but have your camera battery charged and ready. Maybe an evening activity if time is too precious (it is a little bit of a haul). Happy travels.