Stairs or lift to the Duomo rooftop

Side by side

Which one to pick

Take the lift if the long climb is the problem and steps going down are not. On a terraces ticket it costs €2 more, one of the smallest differences in the ticket range, and you start on the roof with fresh legs.

Take the stairs if you are comfortable with 251 steps and would rather keep the difference. Both tickets reach the same terraces.

Think again if going downstairs is what hurts. The lift doesn't help with that, because the way down is on foot on both tickets.

Stopping at the first level is a sound plan for anyone who wants the view without the steep stairways. It runs right round the roof, so you still get the spires at close quarters.

A priority option exists too: the Fast-Track Pass uses the lift, but it is seasonal. See skip-the-line before counting on it.

On the way up

Strollers go up only closed and not in use, so expect to carry yours. Shoes, toilets and the other rules for the roof are on the rooftop page.

With reduced mobility

Wheelchair users reach only the first terrace, in the back-choir area, daily 10:00–17:00, by the South Elevator, or the North Elevator if it is unavailable. The official access page lists the cabins as 77×106×130 (South) and 65×111×137 (North), so check your chair against those figures.

Access to the terraces for people with motor or mental disabilities depends on having an accompanying person. Disabled visitors and those accompanying them enter free. Free tickets are collected at a ticket office desk, and the Museum, closed on Wednesdays, is the step-free way to reach one.