I don't think I'm fit enough to do the Duomo climb to the top, but I'm intrigued by the gallery partway up where you can look down into the Duomo (through Plexiglass) and up at the frescoes, and that far, I know I could manage. I'm not sure if it would be worth paying for the full climb just to do that much, but if I decided I wanted to, is it possible at that point to go back down again instead of continuing upward?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15168 posts
You don't need to go to the top, you can return at any time, as the path is the same.
But if you can go all the way to the Lantern on top, you will see an amazing view of Florence. Take your time, there is no time limit. Just rest when you need and take it a bit at a time.
Coming back down all at once will not be a problem. As a Tuscan proverb says: "In discesa, tutti i Santi aiutano" (going downhill, all Saints will be helping).
Posted by
99 posts
Once you reach the frescoes I am sure you will get the energy to make your way to the top.
The views are unparalleled because of the lack of a cage which ruins stuff at St Peter's in Rome.
Make the reservations as u need one to climb the Dome now. It's free with the Duomo combo ticket but u need to get a ascent time assigned.
Have a great trip.
Posted by
OP
North Carolina
312 posts
So you come back down the same staircase? I wasn't sure because in the videos I've seen of people doing the tower climb, I've never seen anybody waiting to go climb down a section of stairs, so I thought maybe there was a different path downward.
Thanks for the encouragement - perhaps I'll take my chances and go for it!
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
60 posts
After you pass the plexiglass section there's a section of steps that is shared to go both up & down. Below this section there's dedicated steps for up & down.
Posted by
East Peoria, IL
786 posts
I've been trying to figure out where we could fit this into our schedule, which will be tight. I see on the website a warning to the effect that, if you miss your reserved time, the ticket is no longer valid. Does this sound correct? So if we reserved, say 15:00 and showed up at 15:30, not only would we miss the reserved spot, but also couldn't use the ticket at another time, even if the line wasn't too long? Just trying to make sure I understand the "fine print."