We (family of four) will be staying at a villa in Tuscany and making two day trips to Florence. We are locked into Mon, Aug 7 and Thurs, Aug 10. On Mon, we intend to see the Duomo sites as the Uffizzi and Accademia are closed. I will make reservations for the Uffizzi and Accademia ahead of time. What is the best time to visit, early in the morning? and how much time should I allow for each? As far as the Duomo, is it worth it to buy the combo ticket for 15 euro to climb the Dome? And does the combo ticket allow you to "skip the line" for the entrance to the cathedral? Thanks so much for all the help!
Posted by
Ontario Canada
690 posts
Good call on advance tickets for Uffizzi. As for Accademia we were so lucky. When we arrived in Florence from Amsterdam it was mid afternoon. We decided to walk to the Duomo and get a lay of the land as they say. Around 4.30-4.45 we walked by the Accademia and not a soul was there. We walked right in and had the place pretty much to ourselves. So late in the day is my call for Accademia. As for the Duomo the line up was horrendous even at 9.30 in the morning so did not opt for going in so I can not answer your question about the ticket & skipping the line.
Enjoy Florence
Posted by
RIchmond, BC,Canada
948 posts
One thing I can tell you about the Duomo is don't get in the line up to climb the dome without buying a ticket before hand as you can't buy the ticket at the sight. You have to go down the street to a place that sells tickets to a lot of venues and purchase tickets there. There were no signs indicating this, and we just happened to ask someone where to get tickets before getting in line, others were not so lucky and waited 45 minutes in line only to find they had to go somewhere else to get a ticket. It takes a while to get to the top of the dome as the closer you get to the top, the narrower the passage, and there's people trying to come down the same way so everyone has to squeeze back against the wall. I don't think there is any line skipping as the entrance to climb the dome is on a different side than the entrance to just see the cathedral.
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
488 posts
For the Uffizi, with a reservation, whenever. Takes 2-3 hours. Academia, IIRC, is a much shorter museum. Maybe an hour to an hour and a half. depending on how long you want to spend with THE David. This is ten year old memory, so worth consulting a guide book or another member.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16742 posts
Reservations are now mandatory for climbing the dome, and I'd definitely pre-purchase the 15-euro cumulative ticket online JUST to be able to make the reservation in advance for the time you want.
Buy your ticket and then use the UPC code on it to make your reservation:
Tickets:
http://en.grandemuseodelduomo.waf.it/museo_dett.php?idtour=8484#
Reservations for the dome:
https://en.grandemuseodelduomo.waf.it/booking.php
You may also reserve an entry time for the museum...which was closed when we were there but which I've heard is excellent.
The Cathedral itself is free so no, the ticket does not allow you to skip the line. Also, be sure to review the dress code.
Posted by
Florida
135 posts
I did Uffizi very early and Accademia around 4:30 with advanced tickets for both. Worked out great. I agree with what has been said but can't help you with the Duomo
Posted by
Florida
135 posts
I did Uffizi very early and Accademia around 4:30 with advanced tickets for both. Worked out great. I agree with what has been said but can't help you with the Duomo
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
And for anybody like me who doesn't do climbs, there's a lower-price ticket which covers Duomo Museum and Baptistry -- no steps! -- and the line to enter the cathedral itself can be very short.