Rooftop of the Duomo Milan

The stairs option (the fast and affordable route)

The stairs are located on the north exterior of the cathedral (the side facing the Galleria). You’ll climb approximately 250-259 steps. Sounds like a lot, right? But here’s the thing: most visitors find the climb “easy to do,” and you can complete it in just 5 to 10 minutes.

The marble steps are narrow and worn in places, but the staircase is one-way traffic, so you won’t get stuck behind people coming down. The crucial advantage is the wait time, the stairs queue is almost always significantly shorter than the elevator line.

The elevator option

The elevator (with entrances on the north and south sides of the exterior) has two major drawbacks.

First, the queue. The wait for the small elevator is “often incredibly long” and can add 20 to 30 minutes or more to your visit.

Second, and this catches many people off guard, paying for the elevator doesn’t eliminate the need to climb stairs. The elevator only takes you to the first level of the terraces. To reach the famous higher central terrace, you’ll still need to climb an additional 50 to 75 steps. This is a common source of frustration for visitors with moderate mobility issues who expected step-free access.

Yes, it’s absolutely possible to see the Alps from the Duomo rooftop.

But this isn’t a guaranteed view. Milan sits in the Po Valley, an area known for industrial and atmospheric haze. Clear visibility is the exception, not the rule. Your best chances of seeing the mountains (including the prominent Monte Rosa) are on cold, clear winter days, or immediately after a rain or wind front has cleared the air.

It depends on your sensitivity. The rooftop visit is divided into two parts in terms of acrophobia.

The primary walkways on the first level, which run around the perimeter, are wide. You’re well protected from the edges by solid stone railings and the bases of statues. It’s practically impossible to feel like you’re in danger of “falling off.” The only thing that might disorient some people is that the floor is the cathedral’s sloped marble roof surface.

The main issue for people with a fear of heights is the “double-length staircase” that connects the first level of walkways to the higher central terrace. The design of this staircase is the problem:

It’s open: The staircase has “open stone tracery,” meaning you can see through the steps and the stone railing directly down to the Piazza del Duomo, hundreds of meters below.

No handrail: Critically, this staircase lacks a modern handrail to hold onto.

The time needed varies significantly based on your approach.

Quick visit: If you’re just going up for the view and a few photos, you can complete the circuit in 45-60 minutes.

Recommended visit: To truly absorb the atmosphere, admire the architectural details, and take photos without rushing, plan for a minimum of 1.5 hours on the terraces.

Additional time considerations: Add 20 to 30 minutes of wait time if you use the elevator. If you combine this with a visit to the cathedral interior (using the “hack” described below), add another 45-60 minutes for the church.

Here’s the most valuable tip for optimizing your visit: go to the rooftop before entering the cathedral. The descent staircase from the terraces leads directly into the cathedral interior, which means you completely bypass the long security and entrance queue at the main church facade. To make this strategy work, purchase a combo ticket.