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There’s a lot extra to Pisa than the Leaning Tower. There are so many cool issues to do in Pisa — it is a massive, bustling metropolis with a thoughts and angle of its personal!
So many vacationers swoop in on a day journey from Florence to take photographs with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. And sure, I’ve been certainly one of them. But on my most up-to-date journey to Pisa, I made a decision to discover the town in additional depth.
Like all different Italian cities, Pisa has elegant piazzas and buzzing native streets to discover. Incredible church buildings showcase Pisan Romanesque structure and the 2 Lungarni areas alongside the riverfront are charming at sundown.
The metropolis of Pisa is extraordinarily walkable — I did all of my Pisa exploration on foot — and my expertise was all the higher as almost all neighborhoods are for locals slightly than vacationers. Plus, foods and drinks costs are shockingly low, particularly in comparison with expensive Florence, when you tread past the neighborhood of the Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli.
If you’re heading to Florence from inside Europe, you might get monetary savings by flying into Pisa’s worldwide airport. This is what I did from my residence in Prague. You can fly into Galileo Galilei, retailer your baggage on the practice station, discover Pisa for a couple of hours, and hop on one of many very frequent trains to Florence.
It’s straightforward — one would possibly say Pisa-ey (oh God, I’m so sorry) — to go to this underrated Italian metropolis.
This submit was revealed in November 2024 and was co-written by Adventurous Kate and Hannah Cooper.
Things to do in Pisa
See the Leaning Tower of Pisa (after all)
Come on, you’re in Pisa, are you actually NOT going to get a photograph of your self holding up the Leaning Tower?! This just isn’t a spot to fret about trying cool. Give it your cheesiest pose!
Located within the Square of Miracles (Piazza dei Miracoli), the Torre di Pisa is the campanile of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. It reaches somewhat over 56 meters on the “high side” and just below that on the “low side.”
Fun reality: the lean wasn’t intentional. It was brought on by unstable foundations and efforts have been made to straighten it out. Despite its crooked look, the bell tower is completely steady immediately and people 251 steps are secure to climb.
(And sure, they might straighten it out in the event that they needed to, however why kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?)
Admission to the tower, cathedral, and short-term exhibition prices €20 ($22). It’s €27 ($29) for entry all areas within the Field of Miracles. It’s price the additional value to go to the baptistery and the museums when you have the time. Tickets can be found on the Opera della Primaziale Pisana web site.
Unless you’re keen to attend in an extended line, I like to recommend you ebook a guided tour with skip-the-line tickets from spring by way of fall and on weekends year-round.
This Leaning Tower of Pisa Guided Tour permits you to skip the road and has full commentary. You’ll get to benefit from the views whereas studying all of the titillating particulars and kooky anecdotes behind Tuscany’s totally distinctive UNESCO World Heritage Site!
Explore the remainder of the Piazza dei Miracoli
Formerly the Piazza del Duomo, the Piazza dei Miracoli is the setting of different cool landmarks in addition to the cathedral and bell tower.
Although the tower is the primary attraction right here, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is the primary construction on the piazza. The white marble-clad cathedral was constructed within the Latin cross design and was later topped with an elliptical dome impressed by Moorish structure.
Standing on the rear, the Battistero di San Giovanni completes the expertise. Second enjoyable reality: this domed baptistery additionally leans ever so barely!
Construction started in keeping with Romanesque ideas, and Nicola Pisano and his son Giovanni Pisano accomplished the higher ranges within the Gothic fashion. They sculpted the pulpit whereas Guido Bigarelli da Como takes credit score for the baptismal font.
The Camposanto marks the northern boundary of the Piazza dei Miracoli. This monumental cemetery dates from the thirteenth century and its title derives from the Italian for holy land.
You’ll get one of the best views of the entire compound from the Mura di Pisa, the previous metropolis partitions. It’s a terrific place for photographs and effectively price a climb up there when you have the time.
You can simply wander the piazza by yourself, or join the Pisa Baptistery, Cathedral, and Leaning Tower guided tour to study straight from a information.
Wander the University of Pisa Campus
Historians imagine that the University of Pisa dates again to the twelfth century, however it might be a century or two older, making it certainly one of Europe’s earliest universities. Exploring the historic buildings of the town middle campus is among the greatest free issues to do in Pisa.
And not solely that — these buildings are only a brief stroll from the Leaning Tower!
The Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knight’s Square) is the beating coronary heart of the college. It’s free from cafes and shops – and surprisingly, folks! – however richly appointed with palaces and statues.
Then remember to try the Palazzo della Carovana (Palace of the Elders) to see probably the most elaborate sgraffito facade in the entire of Italy. Unfortunately, the interiors are off-limits.
And when you have time — the Orto Botanico is a real spotlight! This is among the oldest botanical gardens on this planet and comprises medicinal vegetation. Admission prices €4 (round $4.30) and contains the backyard exhibition, herbarium, and museum.
Stroll alongside the Borgo Stretto
Borgo Stretto is among the most distinguished streets in Pisa, connects Via San Francesco with the riverside Piazza Garibaldi. It’s a slender road lined with ornate buildings containing stylish boutiques and jewellery shops, and one of the best place for photographs of road life in Pisa.
There are porticoes alongside the road that remind me a lot of Bologna and different cities in close by Emilia-Romagna!
Galileo Galilei was born proper right here on this road and also you’ll clock a bronze statue commemorating his work.
There’s additionally a stunning church of observe, the Chiesa di San Michele in Borgo, constructed within the tenth century over a Roman temple.
Visit the Santa Maria della Spina
The Church of Santa Maria della Spina is among the most lovely buildings on Pisa’s Lungarno, the street alongside the Arno River (sure, identical to the street alongside the Arno River in Florence!). It’s located on the south financial institution of the River Arno and exemplifies the Pisan Gothic fashion.
It’s now not used as a church. Instead, the area is used for particular occasions and short-term exhibitions. At the time of my go to, there was an fascinating artwork exhibit that includes intense, emotional work.
It’s price visiting this tiny church purely to see the decorative exterior (I obtained this picture above from the bridge subsequent to it), and you may all the time drop in to see if there’s an artwork exhibition.
Grab a deal with on the Gelateria de’ Coltelli
You can’t go to an Italian metropolis and never pattern the native gelato! Whenever I am going to a brand new Italian metropolis, I prefer to look on Google Maps for the very best gelato on the town, the artisanal and award-winning stuff.
And the place to go in Pisa is Gelateria de’ Coltelli — on the Pisa Lungarno close to Borgo Stretto.
Gelati are offered in cups, cones, and sandwich kind, wedged between two crumbly biscotti cookies. The ice cream is as thick and creamy as you’d count on from a correct Tuscan gelateria (the Florentines like to say they invented it!).
Flavors embody the usuals — hazelnut, salted caramel, and lemon — in addition to experimental choices reminiscent of salted macadamia nuts, licorice, and dragonfruit. The menu adjustments periodically and caters to vegans and gluten-free gelato lovers.
See Keith Haring’s “Tuttomondo” mural
The American pop artwork and graffiti artist Keith Haring traveled to Italy within the Nineteen Eighties and painted his “Tuttomondo” mural on the partitions of the Sant’Antonio Abate Church.
It took Haring one week to create these 30 interlinked figures, representing concord and peace amongst mankind and nature. It was painted in 1989, and Haring handed away the next yr following his AIDS analysis.
The mural is a super-quick stroll from the practice station, so this is among the greatest issues to do in Pisa after you arrive or on the best way out.
Go on a meals tour
Get your enamel into the Pisa culinary scene with a meals tour! This Do Eat Better Experience in Pisa is a wonderful alternative and can present you one of the best of Tuscan meals — with a distinctly Pisan twist.
If you wish to eat just like the locals do, it is a nice tour for that — the entire locations are standard spots for Pisa’s, and sustainability is among the enterprise’s prime priorities.
Typical dishes would possibly embody crostini toscani, porchetta sandwiches, and lampredotto (stew made with cow’s abdomen — no, you don’t HAVE to eat it, however Tuscans find it irresistible a lot, it’s price a attempt!!).
The strolling tour lasts for 3 hours and contains roughly 5 stops. It’s capped at 12 individuals and contains meals and wine tastings. Plus, for those who spend longer than in the future in Pisa, you’ll have intel on the place to go for dinner.
Stop by Parco Don Bosco
If you’re craving a little bit of greenery and an area environment, head to Parco Don Bosco. Known interchangeably as Parco Alfredo Solarino, you could find this mellow spot east of the historic middle.
The playground and open-air fitness center make it a well-liked hangout for native households. Look out for the aqueduct crossing by way of the town park. It was constructed within the sixteenth century on the bequest of Ferdinando de Medici and modeled on a Roman aqueduct.
Stretching round 4 miles from the Valle delle Fonti nature protect, the Acquedotto Mediceo finishes on the Piazza delle Gondole. Keep an eye fixed out for a basin of water there.
People watch at Piazza dei Cavalieri
You’ll have handed by way of Knight’s Square, only a stone’s throw from the Leaning Tower, whereas exploring the college campus. This monumental plaza deserves nearer inspection and is a enjoyable spot for people-watching.
If you’d prefer to dive deeper into Pisa, this off-the-beaten-path strolling tour of Pisa passes the Piazza dei Cavalieri. This two-hour tour takes you down secret alleyways and factors out sights you would possibly miss.
You’ll hear tales in regards to the college, and historic anecdotes, and scratch beneath the floor. After a tour filled with hidden gems, you’ll end on the reverse of a hidden gem, the Leaning Tower.
Explore the Palazzo Blu
The Palazzo Blu stands a few minutes east of Santa Maria della Spina. It’s named for its sapphire-colored medieval facade, standing out wildly in opposition to the yellows and reds of the town, and is greatest appreciated up shut and from throughout the river for a special perspective.
The palace is now an artwork gallery with a everlasting assortment and short-term exhibitions specified by the aristocratic rooms. It’s a enjoyable place to hint the event of Italian artwork by way of to the fashionable day.
It’s open Tuesday to Friday 10:00 AM-7:00 PM and till 8:00 PM on weekends. Admission prices €5 ($5.30).
Check out the museums
If you spend longer than a day in Pisa, these museums are price visiting.
Head to the Sinopie Museum (Museo delle Sinopie) to view draft etchings, blueprints, and recovered frescoes all referring to the Camposanto.
The Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo is a short lived exhibition of work, reliefs, sculptures, and holy trinkets amassed from the cathedral and baptistery.
Admission to those two museums is included if you purchase the €27 “completa and torre” bundle on the Pisa Cathedral ticket workplace.
Elsewhere, the Museum of Human Anatomy (Museo di Anatomia) is a part of the college. Exhibitions of mummies, plaster casts, and skeletons skim the macabre and medicinal historical past. It’s open Monday to Friday and reservations are advisable. Admission is €2.50 (simply over $2.50).
Contained in an historical Benedictine monastery, the National Museum of San Matteo is somewhat additional afield. It comprises work and sculptures from the late Middle Ages, the Romanesque interval, and the sixteenth century. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday and prices €5 ($5.30).
The National Museum of the Royal Palace reveals regal tapestries, oil work, and regal armor in a lavish setting. This one is open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings and Friday afternoons. Admission is €5 ($5.30).
Meander the banks of the Arno River
The Arno River flows from the Tuscan Apennines by way of Florence and different Tuscan cities earlier than assembly the ocean on the Port of Pisa. It’s a tall order to walk the complete 150-mile size, however you may squeeze in a mile or two!
There are two strolling paths on both financial institution of the Arno known as the Lungarni. These grant photogenic views of the colourful historic buildings on all sides and from the Ponte di Mezzo.
Continue east and you may observe the Mediceo Lungarno all the best way to the previous palace of the Medici household in Pisa. Just over the bridge, the Giardino Scotto comprises the remnants of Pisa’s metropolis partitions and a Medici fortress.
This is definitely one of many prime issues to do in Pisa at sundown. Assuming you could have a day that wasn’t as cloudy as mine!
Explore Pisa by bike
If you keep greater than a day in Pisa, you may lease a motorbike and cycle to the Ligurian Sea. Yes, it’s that shut!
This firm rents bikes and supplies entry to a GPS-based app that guides you to the Marina di Pisa by way of a community of biking lanes known as the Trammino. These straightforward bike paths take you thru farmland and open fields with minimal hills.
You can lease both an everyday street bike or an e-bike and tackle the “Road to the Sea.” Helmets are offered and also you’ll wish to dedicate an entire day to this exercise.
Take a day journey to Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre is among the most visually putting locations I’ve ever visited in Italy — and it’s really fairly straightforward to go to from Pisa! While a number of folks like to go to for a couple of nights, you may completely make a day journey work right here for those who begin early.
These 5 villages are linked by a practice and mountain climbing trails. As a day journey, it is smart to hitch a tour. Local guides and drivers are greatest positioned to steer you to probably the most astonishing viewpoints.
This Cinque Terre small group tour from Pisa features a minivan switch to the city of La Spezia, the gateway to Cinque Terre. From there, you’ll take within the cliffside hamlets from both the boat (seasonal) or practice (all yr).
The tour usually calls at three or 4 cities decided by the climate and different circumstances.
Want to do it by yourself? You can. Take the practice to La Spezia (one hour), then get the Cinque Terre move and you may take the practice between the cities of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.
Read More: Guide to the Five Towns of Cinque Terre
Go wine tasting in Tuscany
Every area in Italy produces its personal distinctive wines and by no means you’re far-off out of your subsequent cellar door! In the case of Pisa, you’re very shut the Chianti area.
Chianti wines are deep and wealthy, made out of wealthy Sangiovese grapes, the right companion for a large bistecca fiorentina. The idyllic hills fill the area between Pisa, Florence, Lucca, and San Gimignano.
I strongly suggest selecting a tour for wine tasting within the Chianti Hills — it’s near-impossible to do by public transport, and also you received’t want to fret about intoxicated driving. This half-day Chianti wine tour means there’s no want to carry again as you’ll be within the secure arms of an area designated driver.
It features a winery and cellar tour and tasting of wine and Tuscan olive oil with regional cheeses.
How Much Time to Spend in Pisa, Italy
Plenty of vacationers spend an hour or two in Pisa and transfer on. But there actually is much more to Pisa than simply the Piazza dei Miracoli, and for those who’re decided to sightsee comprehensively, you may simply pad out an entire day with issues to do in Pisa past the tower.
Pisa is a well-liked day journey from Florence — it’s so shut by. If you resolve to do a day journey to Pisa from Florence, my tip is to divide your time between Pisa and the medieval metropolis of Lucca. Lucca is positioned on a practice line between Pisa and Florence (although a special line from the direct Florence-Pisa line), and I believe it’s one of many nicest cities in Tuscany.
If you wish to ebook a guided tour, I like to recommend the Pisa and Lucca Day Trip from Florence. Otherwise, for those who solely have half a day to spare, stick to only Pisa with the Half Day Pisa Trip from Florence.
You can dedicate your entire morning to exploring Pisa, after which spend the afternoon within the medieval capital of Tuscany. It’s tremendous straightforward to seize the practice, so it’s a “pisa” cake! (Again, I’m so sorry.)
Because Pisa is residence to an airport serving primarily finances airways in Europe, it may also be the place the place you begin or finish your journey. I did this on my most up-to-date journey — I flew from Prague to Pisa on an early flight, took the Pisa Mover to the practice station, saved my baggage within the practice station, spent a couple of hours exploring the town, then picked up my bag, purchased a ticket, and hopped on the practice to Florence.
Pisa can be price contemplating as a base in Tuscany. It’s rather more inexpensive than Florence, but well-connected by public transportation, and useful for exploring the Ligurian coast, Cinque Terre, and Tuscan wine areas. Pisa is certainly a greater place to remain in summer time throughout peak season.
How to Get to Pisa, Italy
First off, for those who’d like to go to Pisa on a guided day journey from Florence, there are two that I like to recommend. If you could have a full day to spare and wish to go to a cool, underrated Tuscan metropolis as effectively, I like to recommend the Pisa and Lucca Day Trip from Florence. If you could have solely half a day to spare, stick to only Pisa with the Half Day Pisa Trip from Florence.
Pisa has its personal worldwide airport, typically often known as the Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA). It’s well-connected to regional airports and different European cities, although there are not any direct transcontinental flights. Try to get a window seat — you’ll see the well-known tower because the airplane prepares to land!
The Pisa-Mover shuttle service connects the airport and Pisa Centrale Train Station in 5 minutes flat. (Honestly, that is one thing I want all airports had!) It operates between 6:00 AM-12:00 AM and prices €6.50 ($7) every method.
There is a baggage storage place within the practice station the place your luggage might be securely saved whereas spending a day in Pisa. It’s manned 8:00 AM-9:00 PM and prices €5 ($5.30) per bag. It’s set a bit deep contained in the station, however search for indicators saying Deposito Bagagli.
Pisa can be very effectively related utilizing Italy’s excellent rail community. High-speed trains take an hour between Pisa Centrale and Florence Santa Maria Novella. Pisa can be an hourlong journey from La Spezia, the gateway to Cinque Terre, and simply 17 minutes from Livorno, the regional cruise ship hub.
Where To Stay in Pisa, Italy
Pisa is a comparatively small metropolis. You can stroll from Pisa Centrale to the Campo dei Miracoli in lower than half-hour. There are loads of buses that may take you throughout the town for cheaper. Trains to San Rossore, Pisa’s second station, take 12 minutes.
- Best Top-Rated Luxury Hotel in Pisa: The Palazzo Cini Luxury Rooms is a brief stroll from the practice station and the town middle vacationer sights. Decor fuses previous and fashionable with sizzling tubs in one of the best rooms and there’s a shared backyard for company.
- Best Top-Rated Mid-Range Hotel in Pisa Near Pisa Centrale: Hotel Bologna is an alternative choice close to the primary practice station. It’s historically outfitted with terracotta accents and many wall frescoes. There are rooms for solo vacationers.
- Best Top-Rated Mid-Range Hotel in Pisa Near the Leaning Tower: The Rif – Boutique Hotel is the best choice for the place to remain close to the primary sights and San Rossore. The palatial structure and landscaped backyard are romantic and choose rooms have spa tubs.
- Best Top-Rated Budget Hotel in Pisa: Follow the Corso Italia over the Ponte di Mezzo and voilà, the Royal Victoria Hotel has a stellar location on the banks of the River Arno. Rooms are furnished with beautiful antiques and riverside models have one of the best views in Pisa.
- Find offers on locations to remain in Pisa right here.
Best Time To Visit Pisa, Italy
Pisa is a type of locations you may go to at any time of yr and have a great time. My private advice for all of Tuscany is to go to within the fall, particularly October. The summer time crowds filter, it’s a good time for meals festivals and wine, and the Tuscany area is all types of golden hues at the moment of yr.
(Keep in thoughts Florence will nonetheless be crazy-busy then, although — Florence, Rome, and Venice don’t have a lot of an low season until you go in January.)
The excessive season in Pisa lasts from spring by way of to fall. As the enduring leaning tower inevitably has a hoop of vacationers clicking their cameras at any time of yr, bumping into crowds is unavoidable across the Field of Miracles. If you’re a photographer seeking to get good photographs, you’ll wish to get right here early — assume dawn — although even then, you received’t be alone.
Winter is one of the best time to go to Pisa for quiet. The climate is delicate through the day however topic to frosty nights and chilly snaps. Check out January for a low-season deal — and keep in mind to wrap up heat and produce your umbrella!
Is Pisa Worth It?
I believe it’s undoubtedly price stopping in Pisa for those who haven’t been earlier than — and it’s additionally price trying out a couple of cool websites past the Leaning Tower!
While I solely spent a day right here most lately, I felt like I obtained a lot out of my journey, and it was the right begin to my Italian journey earlier than heading to Florence.
I hope you could have one of the best time in Pisa!
More on Florence and Tuscany:
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Have you been to Pisa? Share your favourite issues to do!