The Duomo Terraces

You can walk on the roof of the cathedral, among the spires, on marble worn into grooves. It is the only place in the world where you stand inside a Gothic skyline rather than under it, and on a clear day the Alps are on the horizon.

The Madonnina is directly above you, and the flying buttresses are close enough to see the tool marks.

What it costs

Ticketed, and there are two tickets: stairs, or lift. The lift costs more and the stairs are about two hundred and fifty steps. ⚠️ They are separate queues and separate entrances, on different sides of the cathedral.

⭐ A combined Duomo pass covers the cathedral, the terraces, the museum and San Gottardo, and is usually better value than buying the roof alone.

When to go

⭐ First slot of the day or the last two hours. The middle of the day is a queue in full sun on white marble with no shade at all.

⚠️ It closes in bad weather without much notice, because it is a marble roof.

Getting there

The entrances are on the outside of the cathedral, not through the front doors. Book online and go straight to the right side.

⚠️ Book this before you fly, not when you arrive. Milan’s best things are timed entry and the slots go long before the day. See Booking Ahead for what needs how much notice, and what to do when it has already gone.

If you only have an hour

Up the stairs, round the whole ambulatory at the top, and down the far side. An hour, and the walk along the ridge behind the façade is the part people remember.

What people get wrong

⚠️ People buy the lift to save the climb and then discover the walking is on top. The lift saves the ascent, not the roof itself, which is uneven marble with steps. Flat shoes.