---
title: "How many steps up Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral? 463"
description: "463 steps up Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral in Florence, Italy. Open to climb. What that count reaches, the height climbed, and how it compares."
url: https://atoneplace.net/how-many-steps/florence-duomo/
site: "At One Place"
---

# How many steps to the top of Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral?

**Steps to the top of Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral: 463**

Reaching the lantern at the top of the dome, at 91 m · open to climb

The 463 steps run between the dome's two shells, which is the point: Brunelleschi built it as a double dome with a herringbone brick pattern and no interior scaffolding, and the climb is the only way to see how. Timed entry is compulsory and sells out days ahead. The route passes a walkway at the base of the frescoed interior, which is where the vertigo usually starts. Giotto's campanile next door is a separate ticket and a separate climb.

## The numbers

- **Steps:** 463
- **Reaches:** the lantern at the top of the dome, at 91 m
- **Public access:** Open to climb
- **Where:** Florence, Italy
- **Height climbed:** 91 m — 299 ft
- **Average rise per step:** 197 mm

## What the climb is like

About 30 minutes. Compulsory timed booking; narrow, one-way, and not possible with a pushchair or large bag.

> Published counts for the same structure routinely disagree by five to ten per cent, and nearly always for one of three reasons: whether intermediate landings count as steps, whether the final platform step counts, and where the climb is deemed to start. The figure here says what it reaches.

## How it compares

*Only the ones marked open to climb can actually be walked.*

- St Peter's Basilica dome: 551 steps
- Cologne Cathedral south tower: 533 steps
- St Paul's Cathedral: 528 steps
- Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral: 463 steps
- Notre-Dame de Paris towers: 422 steps
- Giotto's Campanile: 414 steps
- Sagrada Família towers: 400 steps

*Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral ranks 26 of 56 here by step count.*

| Structure | Steps | Reaches | Access |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| St Peter's Basilica dome | 551 | the lantern at the top of Michelangelo's dome, at 136 m | Open to climb |
| Cologne Cathedral south tower | 533 | the viewing platform at 97 m, below the spire | Open to climb |
| St Paul's Cathedral | 528 | the Golden Gallery at 85 m, the highest point open to visitors | Open to climb |
| Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral | 463 | the lantern at the top of the dome, at 91 m | Open to climb |
| Notre-Dame de Paris towers | 422 | the top of the north and south towers, at 69 m | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Giotto's Campanile | 414 | the open terrace at the top of the bell tower, at 85 m | Open to climb |
| Sagrada Família towers | 400 | the descent from the Nativity or Passion façade towers — the ascent is by lift | Restricted — events or permit only |

## Common questions

### How many steps to the top of Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral?

463, reaching the lantern at the top of the dome, at 91 m.

### Can the public climb Brunelleschi's Dome, Florence Cathedral?

Open to climb. About 30 minutes. Compulsory timed booking; narrow, one-way, and not possible with a pushchair or large bag.

### How high is that climb?

91 m, about 299 ft, which averages 197 mm per step.

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## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)