Best views of Florence: the free viewpoints, the ticketed towers and which is open on which day

💡 The Short Version: Two views cost nothing: Piazzale Michelangelo and, above it, San Miniato al Monte. The ticketed climbs are Brunelleschi’s dome (463 steps, €30 pass, booked slot and ID, closed 16 to 20 November 2026), Giotto’s Bell Tower (414 steps, closed 9 to 13 November) and the Arnolfo Tower at Palazzo Vecchio (418 steps, €20, booked time, shut at 14:00 on Thursdays and in rain). The Forte di Belvedere is €8 and open to 26 October 2026, then closed for winter. Monday is a fine day for towers but not the Forte. Or book: a golf-cart tour of the hills and Piazzale Michelangeload is from €40.

The views compared

Prices and hours are from the operators; the square has none.

Piazzale Michelangelo

Free · always open

Piazzale Michelangelo was built in 1869 by Giuseppe Poggi on the hill south of the centre. It holds bronze copies of Michelangelo’s David and of the four allegories from the Medici Chapels. The view runs from the Forte di Belvedere to Santa Croce, over the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and the Bargello. Buses 12 and 13 go up from the centre.

Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

San Miniato al Monte

Free · closed to visitors during services

The abbey of San Miniato al Monte is on Via delle Porte Sante, not far from the square. Entry to the basilica is free and needs no reservation. The monks sing vespers in Latin and Gregorian chant every afternoon at 18:30. See Florence churches.

The Forte di Belvedere

€8, reduced €5 · closed Mondays · open to 26 October 2026

The Forte di Belvedere is a fortified villa that Buontalenti designed at the end of the 16th century, on a hill overlooking the city. The Belvedere Firenze café on the loggia can be entered free: Tuesday 10:00 to 20:00 and Wednesday to Sunday 10:00 to 23:00. The fort is closed in winter. It is one of the gates of the Boboli Gardens, so you can walk down through the gardens to Palazzo Pitti. Residents of the Florence area enter free.

The towers

Each tower is a booked climb.

• Brunelleschi’s dome: 463 steps, no lift, about 45 minutes. It is entered at a booked date and time, with an identity document, on the Brunelleschi Pass. The climb passes between the two shells of the dome and the internal balconies, ending at the lantern. See Duomo tickets and the dome climb.
• Giotto’s Bell Tower: 414 steps, no lift, about 45 minutes. The tower is being restored: the top terrace is open, and the Opera says views may be partly reduced. The Giotto and Brunelleschi Passes include it.
• The Arnolfo Tower: 418 steps up Palazzo Vecchio to the patrol walkway, on a ticket of €20 plus €1, open 9:00 to 17:00 and 9:00 to 14:00 on Thursdays. It is closed to the public in rain, and not open to children under 6. See Palazzo Vecchio tickets.
• The Duomo terraces: 150 steps, no bags, on request with an Opera guide.

Brunelleschi’s dome seen from Giotto’s Bell Tower. Photo: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Tours worth paying for

A tour reaches the hills without the climb. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.

Golf-cart tour of the hills

From €40 · 1.5 hours · 403 reviews

Golf cart tour of the hills of Florence and Piazza Michelangeload goes up to the square.

Panoramic city tour by golf cart

From €39.20 · 1.5 hours · 963 reviews

Florence Official Grand Panoramic City Tour by Golf Cartad is a 90-minute city tour by golf cart.

E-bike tour with a stop at the square

From €20 · 2 to 2.5 hours · 273 reviews

Florence: E-Bike City Tour with stop at Piazzale Michelangeload covers the climb by electric bike.

What to see

1. Sunset or early evening at Piazzale Michelangelo, then San Miniato for the vespers at 18:30.
2. A tower in the morning, booked: the Bell Tower or the Arnolfo Tower if you want the dome in the picture, the dome if you want to walk inside Brunelleschi’s shells.
3. The Forte di Belvedere, with its café, to 26 October 2026.

What to skip: the Bell Tower on the Brunelleschi Pass if you climb the dome, since the Bell Tower is under restoration and its views may be partly reduced.

Which day

• Monday: the dome, Bell Tower and Arnolfo Tower are open; the Forte di Belvedere is shut, and so are the Boboli Gardens on the first and last Monday of the month.
• Thursday: the Arnolfo Tower shuts at 14:00.
• Sunday: the dome opens at 12:45, with the last slot at 16:30.
• Rain: the Arnolfo Tower closes.

The Boboli Gardens are ticketed and link to the fort. What to book before you go to Florence has the closed days for every sight, and Florence in one or two days places a tower round them. Florence walking tours compares the guided walks, and Florence public transport has the bus fares to the hill. Where to stay in Florence compares the areas.