Florence Duomo Complex Bell Tower Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket

Poor staff organization

The staff was poorly organized and we were directed to the wrong grouping of people when we checked in for our tour. Instead of the “skip the line bell tower” group we were placed in a group with the general tour of the church. We listened to the tour of the church and assumed the bell tower portion was at end of the tour. However, since we were placed in the wrong group we missed our reserved time for the bell tower and we were directed to stand in the very, very long line with the general public in order to see the bell tower. We did not have extra hours in our schedule to be able to do that. We asked for a refund and it was denied. The only reason we booked this activity was to see the overlook of the city from the bell tower. This was a major disappointment.

Response from the operator: We understand that visiting the Bell Tower was the main reason you booked, and that joining the wrong group meant you missed your reserved time and couldn’t fit the public queue into your schedule. We’ll review what happened with our team and check how the groups were organized that day. Please contact us with your booking reference so we can look into your case and respond directly.

via Tripadvisor

Quick tour in Florence

Should have read it more carefully looking for a pass to walk up the Duomo and this tour DOES NOT not include it…. Only the bell tower, baptistery and museum…. Guide seemed knowledge… dropped out of the tour because the line was about 30 to 45 minutes to get into the museum

Response from the operator: Thank you for your feedback and for recognising our guide’s knowledge. As stated in the product description, the Dome climb is not included; the ticket covers only the listed monuments, including the Bell Tower, Baptistery and Museum. We are sorry that the waiting time prevented you from completing the experience, but entrance queues and security procedures are managed directly by the monument.

via Tripadvisor

Misleading Info, Poor Customer Service

There are far better options for touring the Duomo, including going independently. I held off on sharing this review in the hope that the operator would reconsider my refund request. Unfortunately, I have been met with radio silence after a single exchange where I refuted their claim that this was my error. This tour is advertised as a skip the line entry. When we arrived we were told that EU Tours does not do skip the line entry to the Duomo and that the false advertising was TripAdvisor’s issue, not theirs. TripAdvisor disagrees. I requested a partial refund for the inconvenience which I thought was reasonable particularly given the price and the extreme heat on 20.07.2026 which we sought to avoid with the advertised skip the line entry. This was a health concern as well as one of general comfort. We found that we were not the only folks on the tour with the same aims and reactions to being told we were not, in fact, skipping the line. Indeed, even now, the tour shows a timed entry of 11:30am (the start of the supposed skip the line tour) when, in actuality, that is the time when the group steps into the general queue and is not a “timed entry” as advertised. The actual timed entry for the tour (of the bell tower only) was 12:45pm. We waited in line in the 37C heat for nearly a hour, leaving us about 15 minutes total in the church. The timing was not disclosed until we received our tickets from the operator at the Duomo. My refund request was denied stating that “the tour operator did not approve it.” One of the two between EU Tours and TripAdvisor is responsible and I’ve been denied at both. What’s more, the COO of EU Tours SRLS (Daniela) insisted that I must have spoken with a 3rd party or a competitor when I stated that I was told that EU Tours does not do skip the line tours. Considering that the people I spoke with were our tour guide wearing an EU Tours lanyard, the rallying point person with the EU Tours flag in hand, and a gentleman checking in our group wearing EU Tours branded clothing, I absolutely refute that claim. They all said the same thing in no uncertain terms: EU Tours does not do skip the line for the Duomo. Because of EU Tours’ misleading information on the booking, we suffered heat stress-relation health issues from the long wait in the sun, were unable to use our tower entry as it was much later than advertised, and spent about 15 minutes inside the cathedral for our trouble. I cannot recommend this tour or operator and will avoid them in future trips due to this experience.

Response from the operator: the distress you describe from waiting in the heat, the limited time inside the Cathedral, and the frustration surrounding your refund request. Our Cathedral experience uses the general entrance queue. The tour meeting time is separate from admission, and the Bell Tower has its own reserved time. These distinctions should be clearly communicated before booking so guests can make an informed decision. We also understand your frustration at being told you may have spoken to a third party when you identified the people involved as our team. We’re sorry that our response left your concerns unresolved. Please send us your booking reference through the booking platform, mentioning this review, so we can review the listing details, ticket timings, and previous correspondence together and reassess your partial refund request.

via Tripadvisor

The Bell Tower Climb

What an experience this was. We were a little worried that we would find the climb too strenuous, but actually the resting platforms allowed us to catch our breath before resuming. It was actually not as bad as we thought it would be, especially during one of the hottest days. The view was magnificent and we are glad we opted for the bell tower climb and not the duomo since it allowed us a beautiful view of the duomo. I would say communication of collection of validated ticket could be easier - we didn't realise that we would need to show our Trip Adviser receipt to then receive the voucher for entrance. We had queued up only to be told we didn't have the right paperwork and had to find the validator outside the Lindt shop first. This could have been made a little clearer..otherwise an absolutely fabulous experience!

via Tripadvisor

Warning! There are lots...

Warning! There are lots steps, at least 1000, going up in the Bell Tower. The stairway is narrow and people are going in both directions. It was super hot the day I went. The view from top was fantastic!

via Viator