Your ultimate guide to visiting Duomo – Everything you need to know about Duomo Milan

You will most likely fail to miss The Duomo when visiting Milan, with it being the most popular tourist spot in the city. The Duomo in Milan is famous for its gothic-style architecture, it is believed that there are more statues on this cathedral than any other building in the world!

Duomo is a must-do when in Milan. But there’s so much more to Duomo than just standing outside it and snapping a few pictures. You can go inside, and even on the rooftop! If you leave Milan without visiting the rooftop of Duomo, then you’re missing out on arguably the best thing to do there.

From the terrace you will see the breath-taking views across Milan, as well as getting a glimpse of the famous Madonnina Statue up-close, which is a prominent gold-coloured statue of Mary that stands on the cathedral’s highest spire.

So, what do you need to know about visiting Duomo in order to make sure you get to experience everything it has to offer? This guide covers Duomo ticket prices, opening times, what to wear and anything else you might need to know!

Things you need to know about visiting Duomo Milan

Visiting the Terrace

The Duomo consists of 3 levels, the lower terrace, the mid terrace, and the rooftop. You can get to the first terrace by either climbing the stairs or getting the lift. Getting the lift will set you back an extra €5, however the lift will only bring you to the first terrace, from there you will need to climb a short staircase to reach the mid terrace and rooftop.

How many stairs are in Duomo Milan?

You can either choose to go up in the lift or climb the stairs when visiting the terrace roof of Duomo, there are about 250 stairs to climb up when visiting if you don’t want to get the lift.

If you get the lift, you will still need to climb up stairs to get to the next levels of the Duomo rooftop as well as climbing back down approximately 250 step staircase when you go to leave.

Wheelchair Access at Duomo

Wheelchairs will be allowed access only up to the first terrace (only up to the area behind the choir). Unfortunately as you have to climb stairs to get to the second terrace and rooftop, there is no wheelchair access here.

However it’s definitely still worth visiting the first terrace! This is actually the area I spent the most time on and the views are just as good as anywhere else! Wheelchair access is available daily, from 10.00am to 5.00pm, only using the Southern Elevator.

Inside Duomo Milan

When you decide to make your way back down after visiting the rooftop of Duomo, you will find yourself inside the cathedral.

You’ll enter a small section of the cathedral that is cordoned off specifically for people exiting Duomo’s terrace, you will be prompted to make a swift exit unless you have a ticket to see inside of the cathedral – at which point you can show your ticket by the exit and they security will let you inside the main part of the cathedral.

In my opinion, if you’re paying to visit the terrace then it’s also worth visiting the inside of the cathedral. I’m not a particularly religious person but I was still blown away by the beauty of the cathedral. My favourite part was getting to see the stain glass windows up close where you could see the stories in each individual panel.

We didn’t spend as long inside the cathedral as we did on the terrace, but it was definitely a worthwhile visit, and I would’ve regretted not being able to see it.

What Time is best to visit Duomo Milan?

Duomo rooftop is open from 9am until 7 pm, every day with the last admission being at 6:10 pm. If you want to avoid the crowds, then it’s best to go early. However going when the sun begins to set makes the view from the top of Duomo even more stunning.

Duomo cathedral and archaeological area close at 6pm though, so keep this in mind if you are planning an early evening visit.

Having gone at about 2:30pm on a Saturday during Easter Weekend in April, I only waited about 30 minutes in the queue but keep in mind timings can change, especially during the peak season of May-June. The queue times will also vary depending on the type of ticket you get, this is why I suggest getting a fast-track ticket if you have a busy itinerary.

Duomo Tickets

Although tickets can be purchased at the ticket kiosks next to Duomo, there are usually long queues. It’s a pain to queue for a ticket to then have to queue to get into Duomo, so book online to avoid unnecessary wait times.

There are several different ticket choices that vary in price depending on what you want to do, which you can find on Get Your Guide*.

There’s a variety of ticket options, some allow entrance in the cathedral but not on the terrace, some allow you entry to the terrace via stairs or a lift but not into the cathedral, and some tickets offer guided tours.

Personally, I would recommend ‘Milan Cathedral & Terraces by Elevator Fast-Track Options’, which provides you with a fast-track ticket to enter the terrace via elevator, followed by entrance into the cathedral, as well as access to the archaeological area.

If you are wishing to pray or attend mass, then it is free to enter the Duomo and you will not need to purchase a ticket. However this is only valid for entrance into the cathedral, if you wish to visit the terrace then you will still need to purchase a ticket.

How long does it take to visit the Duomo in Milan?

The speed at which you chose to visit Duomo is entirely up to you, whether you want to keep walking just to get straight to the top of the terrace or take some time at each level to admire the view and maybe snap a few pictures.

Keep in mind that there are lines for security checks, as well as queues to climb Duomo regardless of whether you climb the stairs or get the lift. Queues might vary depending on when you go, we waited about 30 minutes in the fast-track queue to get the lift up to the terrace.

Including security checks, we spent about 2.5 hours at The Duomo, which doesn’t include the amount of time we spent standing outside it, snapping pics and admiring its beauty earlier on in the day.  This is Milan’s most famous tourist spot, so you’re going to want to dedicate a decent amount of your time to The Duomo during your stay in Milan.