A tower is an add-on to the basilica ticket, 36 euros in place of 26 on the price list read on October 10, 2026, and it is chosen when you book. Children under sixteen must be with an adult. Before going up, everyone leaves bags and backpacks in the lockers provided for tower visitors. The conditions also exclude people with anemia or a tendency to dizziness, people with baby strollers, and assistance animals.
The official pages do not say how many steps the descent has or describe the staircase. Visitors commonly describe a long, narrow spiral stair with openings to the outside, which is worth weighing honestly if heights or tight spaces trouble you. That is travelers' experience, not the basilica's wording.
Good to know before you go: the towers close when the weather is bad, and for breakdowns or maintenance. If that happens you are refunded the tower portion only and can still visit the basilica at your booked time, so a rainy or windy forecast is not a reason to cancel the day. Nothing essential to the church is up there. The nave, the façades and the place of prayer are all at ground level, and a pilgrim who skips the towers has missed a view, not the basilica.