Facciatone

Try going early in the morning or near the end of the day -- when the line's a little shorter. But well worth the wait either way. The views of Siena from up top are amazing. The museum itself is quite cool as well.

The view is worth the ticket price. Plus you get to check the museum which has some amazing historic pieces of art linked to the past of the cathedral.

To visit the Facciatone you can buy the OPI Pass which costs €13 and this gives access to the cathedral, Piccolomini library, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo and Facciatone, Crypt and Baptistry. It is well worth purchasing the OPI pass online. To see the views you need to enter the museum which is open 10:30-18:00pm. During our visit to Tuscany we visited over 50 different tourist attractions and found that visiting this museum and views was one of the least busiest tourist places we visited. We did not have to wait long to enter the museum. We were able to freely walk through the museum without having to stop and wait to enter the rooms. We only had to wait about 15 minutes to visit the Facciatone (panorama view) as one group was in front of us. They limited the number of people visiting the view point at one time. You were then allocated a certain amount of time to take in the views before being expected to come down and let the next group up. This gave everyone opportunity to take in the views in this time. If visiting the museum and the Facciatone I suggest you look at the queue outside the museum and if too long go and visit the other facilities and return later. It is well worth visiting the Facciatone to see the views out across Siena and the cathedral complex.

One of the highlights of our trip to Siena. Purchase of an OPI Si pass gives you access to climb the Facciatone for a panoramic view above Siena. There was a bit of a wait on a Sunday afternoon, but not more than about 20 minutes and the view was much better than from the Tower in Piazza Del Campo. The stairs are very tight (I'm about 6ft and 100kg and it felt tight for me - if you're much taller or heavier it will feel tighter) and very steep and you feel quite enclosed and then pop out into a very high open area - it's like experiencing claustrophobia and fear of heights in a single activity! Once you reach the top the views are amazing across the tops of the terracotta rooftops and down to Piazza Del Campo. Well worth the effort and the Museo that is the entrance is fascinating too.

Astonishing viewpoint, worth waiting 30-50 minutes in queue and climb up there. You will see beautiful panoramic Siena from the top!

Panoramic views across the city & beyond from the top. Not a difficult climb but narrow. Be prepared to queue for a about 15 minutes as a limited number of people are allowed up at a time due to the narrow roof top. Worth the effort though.

Accessible through the OPA museum, this peculiar narrow terrace provides a stunning view of the entire town centre. This visit can be included in the cathedral ticket, to minimise waiting lines - though typically there is a wait to climb up to the terrace, since access is allowed only to a small group of people at a time.

Amazing view of Sienna from the remnant of of teh unfinished other arm of the cathedral. You need to start by going to the top for the view and then visit the rest of the museum. Come early to avoid the crowd and the wait if possible during summer. A must as well is to enjoy the Duccio room with some magnificent Sienese art, pre-renaissance to its finest.It is also a nice way to cool down.