Florence Walking Tour
The Duomo, calm, and up close
Destination
Florence, Italy
Duration
2.5 hours
Tour size
Max 18
Language
English
Overview
Florence's Duomo draws its longest line before most visitors finish breakfast. This tour gets you inside on priority access while that line is still forming, then hands the dome and the Baptistery doors over to a guide who knows this square by heart.From there, the walk opens into the historic center: Piazza della Signoria, the leather market, and the Ponte Vecchio, tracing the same route the Medici once used to cross the Arno.
- •Step inside Florence Duomo on priority access, bypassing the general admission line
- •Trace the design of Brunelleschi's dome from the cathedral floor
- •Study the Gates of Paradise at the Baptistery before the square fills in
- •Walk past Il Porcellino and the leather market on the way to the river
- •Cross the Ponte Vecchio, Florence's oldest bridge, to close out the morning
What's included
- Local English-speaking guide
- Priority access ticket to Florence Duomo
- Headset for clear commentary throughout the walk
- Small group of 18 guests or fewer
You will visit
- Florence Duomo (interior)
- Baptistery doors (Gates of Paradise)
- Piazza della Signoria
- Palazzo Vecchio (exterior)
- Orsanmichele Church (exterior)
- Piazza della Repubblica
- Ponte Vecchio
What to expect
Piazza del Duomo: the cathedral before the square fills in
The tour starts in front of the Cathedral complex, with the marble facade in full view. Your guide sets the scene here before walking you to the Baptistery, where the bronze Gates of Paradise depict the story of the Old Testament in ten panels. Michelangelo is said to have given the doors their name, and your guide will show you why.
Inside the Duomo: priority access, no line
Your priority ticket takes you straight past the general admission line and into the Cathedral. Inside, your guide walks you through the design and construction of Brunelleschi's dome, still the largest brick dome ever built, along with the history behind the cathedral's marble facade and floor.**Due to the religious nature of the Cathedral, shoulders and knees must be covered for entry, and flip-flops, slippers, clogs, and heeled shoes aren't permitted inside.
"People expect to just walk past Piazza della Signoria on the way to the bridge. I always slow down there, there's more happening in that square than most guests realize until you know where to look."
Maroc,
WalksDevour Guide
By the time we're walking down toward the river, the tour buses are just pulling up to the Duomo. It's one of my favorite parts of the morning, watching the square fill in right as we're leaving it behind."
Fede,
WalksDevour Guide
Postcards from Florence
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Florence Walking Tour
Recent reviews & recommendations
Frequently asked questions
Our guides love answering your questions. Here are some things they'd like you to know before you arrive.
Seize every moment in Florence
Rome to Florence & Tuscany: An overnight journey
Best of Florence walking tour: David, the Duomo, and the Ponte Vecchio
Private Florence in a day tour: David, Botticelli, and Brunelleschi's dome
