Early access guided tour of Florence Duomo

Take advantage of an unrepeatable opportunity: an early access visit to the iconic places of the Florentine capital accompanied by the story of an expert guide ready to answer all your questions in the quiet and colors of dawn. You will witness the awakening of the noble city, as Dante called it, the cradle of the Italian Renaissance.

The Cathedral

The tour will start at the break of dawn when you will join your group and the official guide. At the gates of the Duomo you will meet the Chiavigero. A very precious role for an almost unknown character: he is the one who opens and closes the magnificent doors of the Cathedral and the Baptistery every morning. Once inside, you can admire the rarefied and unique atmosphere of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in the quiet of the morning. The Flower indicated is a lily, none other than the historical symbol of the city. Let yourself be charmed by the story of the creation of the splendid Paolo Uccello clock positioned on the counter-façade. A sum of the ingenuity and Florentine craftsmanship moved by an intricate system of weights and counterweights. You will then be amazed by the fact that the hands of this prodigious clock rotate counterclockwise. You will walk through the naves where you will observe the huge fresco created by Vasari and Zuccari. Look carefully at every detail portrayed: from the Last Judgment to the Apocalypse, to the angels and saints.

Brunelleschi's Dome

One final masterwork awaits. The private tour continues with a visit to the memorable Brunelleschi's dome. Absolute masterpiece of technique that has enchanted the world for centuries, it is a symbol of Florence, the Renaissance and more generally of Humanism. Let yourself be enchanted by the story that the guide will tell: with a diameter of 45.5 meters and a height of 116, it is the largest masonry vault ever built in the world. Its beauty will leave you speechless. You will enter through a reserved entrance called Porta Canonici to the staircase that leads to the top of the dome from where you can observe Florence lying under your feet and admire the suggestive panorama. This small group guided tour of the Florence Cathedral is much more than a simple tour of the points of interest that the city has to offer: it is a real journey through time, art and history.

More early access tours in Florence

If you wish to visit Florence with early access guided tours, check our guided tour of Uffizi Gallery and guided tour of Accademia Gallery with early access.