Small Group Florence Cathedral Guided Tour with Priority Access
Description
Admire the magnificent Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in the company of an expert guide. This timeless masterpiece has become the symbol of the city of Florence. You will SKIP THE LONG LINES at the entrance, which will save you precious time during your vacation! Your local guide will take you on a JOURNEY THROUGH TIME to discover the history of the creation of the Duomo: learn about its origins and how it became the THIRD LARGEST CATHEDRAL IN THE WORLD. The anecdotes of the innovative techniques used by Filippo Brunelleschi to build the Dome will leave you speechless. Thanks to a preferential route reserved exclusively for our group, you can access the area below the Dome, to admire closely Zuccari and VASARI’S FRESCOES depicting THE LAST JUDGMENT.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide at Piazza del Duomo 19/20, in front of the Misericordia Museum, by the ambulances. As you stand below this grandiose building, prepare to discover the heart and soul of Florence! When your group has arrived, your guide will give you a short description of the exteriors of the Cathedral, including some background information about the architecture and its unique red and green colors. Skip the line passes are included in this tour, so quickly enter with your guide, pass through security, and you will be ready to discover the secrets of the Florence Duomo!
After entering, your professional and local guide will lead you to the back of the Cathedral. You will learn about the history of the church in chronological order. Did you know that Santa Maria del Fiore was originally built over Roman ruins? Discover how this sacred space in Florence has evolved with the Florentine people over different eras of time. Although the Cathedral’s construction began before the Renaissance, Brunelleschi's iconic dome inspired architects and artists for generations following. Over a span of 142 years, the gigantic church and dome were perfected. Learn all about how the Duomo became united with the skyline of Florence, with its famous silhouette. As your guide explains the history in a vivid, storytelling manner, you will learn about the famous works of art stored in the Cathedral.
As you encounter the masterpieces, you will inch closer and closer to the most famous sight of the church - the breathtaking frescoes decorating Brunelleschi’s dome. Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari completed the “Last Judgement” paintings, giving the interiors of the dome a pop of color, along with an intriguing story. Your guide will be happy to explain the history of the frescoes. Your guided tour inside Santa Maria del Fiore will last about an hour. Don’t miss out on this captivating tour to learn more about the beautiful symbol of Florence.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Entrance to the Cathedral of Florence requires an appropriate dress code. Please make sure your shoulders and knees are covered
- It is strictly forbidden to bring large bags or luggage inside the Duomo
- Due to security controls at the entrance of the Cathedral, waiting times may be longer for access to the Duomo
Reviews(198)
The inside was not as expected considering the wait some people had. The outside is more amazing and the guide was not as good as expected.
It’s a short experience and a little chaotic at meeting point I would just get entry ticket that’s skips queue and not bother with guide
Clear instructions to find the meeting place and when you see the massive queues you’ll be glad you did! Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, unfortunately it wasn’t always easy to understand her accent. Check to see what you are actually paying for. We booked knowing we weren’t walking up to the top of the Duomo but we couldn’t get into the crypt either.
Our guide Sylvia explained the history and symbolism of the art in the Accademia and the Uffizi giving us a tour rich in context. It was also a pleasure to skip the long lines. We even stopped for coffee and pastry during our walk between the two museums.
It was a nice experience to hear some of the history of the cathedral. The guide started late due to 2 people not showing up on time. Would have been nice for the other 12+ waiting to just get going.
Difficult to understand the speaker. Maybe a word or two in each sentence. Very disappointed.
Our guide was knowledgeable and covered the history of the duo o quickly. Obviously skip the line is an important feature of this and worth it. However we should have know that you are NOT ABLE to go to the Baptistry on this ticket. It must be bought separately. A lot was discussed on the tour about the baptistry yet you couldn’t see it. I would have happily paid more for a tour that included but wasn’t aware of this detail.
The church is beautiful! Our guide shared how they built the church and all of the history behind the construction! Our guide spoke slowly which was much appreciated!
I don't want to deter anyone away from taking this tour because I am sure it is not like this every time, but our experience was not the best. It was easy to find the group outside of the duomo, but we did not receive a headphone set, so it was very difficult for us to hear our already quiet tour guide. On top of that, I struggled to understand the guides' english. The great thing is that we completely bypassed the long line outside.
I wish this experience was better. We had a lot to do in Florence so we wanted to do a quick tour but my goshhhh it wasn’t worth it. The lady was very sweet but barely spoke any English for an English speaking tour. Very difficult to understand. Also didn’t give us mics or headphones so not only could we barely understand her, we also never heard much. It was boring and unexciting. The group was sadly miserable. Many of us slowly left at the end because no one understood. Waste of time
